November Northern Garden Checklist

Fall Clean-Up:

• Collect, store, and clean garden tools. Organize now for a seamless start to next season.
• Empty and store annual, glazed and terra cotta containers for winter. Clean pots now to save time during the busy planting season next spring.
• Gather and save left over seeds. Place in an airtight container and store in a consistently cool place like the refrigerator.
• Gather liquid fertilizers and pesticides from sheds and unheated garages and store in a secure location away from pets and children. Keep liquids out of direct sun and in a frost-free location. Move granules to a secure dry space for storage.

Fall Landscape Care:

• Leave healthy disease and insect-free perennials stand for winter to increase their hardiness and vigor and provide food for birds and winter homes for beneficial insects.
• Continue to water new plantings and evergreens as needed until the ground freezes. Then drain and store your garden hoses for winter. Proper winter storage can help extend their life.
• Install wildlife fencing and barriers around new plantings, fruit trees and other plants favored by deer, rabbits and voles. If using repellents, start applying before feeding begins and reapply as specified on the label directions.
• Mulch borderline hardy perennials and bulbs after the ground freezes with evergreen boughs or straw for added insulation.

Winter Damage Prevention:

• Wrap arborvitae and upright junipers with bird netting or loosely tie the branches together with strips of cotton cloth. This prevents snow load damage that frequently occurs.
• Install wind, sun and deicing salt screens. Burlap, landscape fabrics or other barriers can protect new plantings and sensitive plants from winter damage.
• Shovel first before applying deicing salt to reduce the amount of salt needed and eliminate salt-laden snow from ending up on your lawn and garden plants.
• Be careful when adding holiday lights to the winter landscape. Do not wrap branches with strands of lights. Drape the lights over the branches, loosely secure the lights to the stems or use lighted netting. Remove lights in spring.