For 2015 I’m republishing our lists of garden chores – remember, these are simply checklists to help remind you of a what can be done – you don’t need to do them all (I don’t!) – just what fits your yard & garden AND your schedules.

Happy November! There are still a number of things we can get done in the garden this month – if we are willing, which I am the first to admit I’m usually not, ha! I’m terrible about cleaning up in the fall – I’m usually just done with gardening and preserving, plus I’m a fair-weather gardener at that. So I’m listing the chores you can do this month if there’s a nice day and you’d like to get out in the garden, but that doesn’t mean you could visit my garden and see all my cane berries nicely tied up or my roses trimmed – okay? Just do what you can do and call it good. I’m here to assure you it will all be there in the spring and nothing awful happens if everything isn’t done.

The one thing I will be doing for sure, just because it looks better, is to clean up the pots on the deck, store the hanging baskets, and plant some tulips in a few places. What are your must-do things in the November garden?

Garden Chores by Month: November

Vegetable & Fruit Garden

• Tie red raspberry canes.
• Mulch all berries.
• Cover rhubarb, asparagus, and artichokes with composted manure and straw.
• Place a cold frame or plastic tunnel over winter vegetables.
• Harvest cool weather greens like kale and turnip greens.
• Check potatoes in storage.
• If you have chickens or access to fresh chicken manure, apply it to the dormant garden to produce a soil in spring full of nutrients when time to plant.

Flower Garden

• Prune roses & climbing roses (save hard pruning for late winter/early spring).
• Catch last weeds and mulch around perennials, if needed.
• There’s still time to plant bulbs for spring blooms (tulips, daffodils, etc.) in most areas.
• Trim chrysanthemums that have bloomed to 4-6 inches.
• Plant trees and shrubs (great time to see the fall color of tree varieties).
• Wrap tender plants in burlap, if needed.
• Clean and store hanging baskets.
• Bring in houseplants if you haven’t done so already.
• Force bulbs for holiday blooms.
• Overwinter tender plants like ferns and spider plants indoors.

Other

• Clean and store tools.
• Drain irrigation systems, unhook hoses and store, and insulate valves.
• Apply lime to lawns.
• Rake and compost leaves, or use as a mulch around tender plants.
• Clean and drain any water features or fountains.
• Clean and store patio furniture and/or cushions.

Note: These garden to-so lists are not comprehensive by any means, but meant to provide a jumping-off point to organizing your garden chores. Feel free to print the lists and add any of your own specific chores to the sections.