Zones 10 – 11
The control of invasive plants is vital to the
preservation of every ecosystem and the survival of many native plants.
Wildlife depends on the unique biodiversity of native plants for their
survival, so they are also affected. Our most effective strategy is not to
introduce known invasive/potentially invasive plants into home landscaping. We
can, instead, use native species where possible. Use exotic plants that are not
considered invasive. Identifying, removing and safely disposing pre-existing
invasive plants from your property will prevent the spread of seeds into the
wild.
See
that your turf and garden receives at least an
inch of water a week (from either
rainfall or you).
Every gardener knows that using the correct tools
makes every
pruning job easier. (If any business understands this concept, it is Home
Depot.) Depending on plant type, branch diameter and height, you will need one
or all of the following: hand pruners, loppers, pole pruners, pruning saws,
chainsaws and hedge shears.
Hand pruners can be ‘anvil’ or ‘bypass.’ Anvil pruners have a sharp
blade that cuts against a flat anvil. Ideal for cutting dead limbs and dry
branches. Bypass pruners have a scissors-type action with curved blades that
make cleaner cuts than anvil pruners. These are good for precision cutting
around buds and tender areas on the plant and for “green” and growing limbs.
They are also well-suited for thinning out hedge shrubbery.
Loppers
are basically long-handled hand pruners with either bypass or anvil action.
Loppers work well when you need a little more reach and leverage, and they’re
good for cutting thicker branches (usually up to 2" in diameter).
Pole pruners are ideal for high, overhead cutting without the need
for a ladder. They use a rope and pulley system to make cuts to upper-level
branches in a tree’s canopy while you stay on the ground. Pruning saws are used for larger
branches that pruner or lopper blades can’t navigate. Pruning saw blades can be
curved or straight. (I prefer using a ‘cross-cut’ saw. It cuts in both a
forward and reversed direction.) The more teeth the blade contains, the more
precise the cut will be. Large-toothed saws should be used for the largest
limbs. Bow saws are good for making precise and fast cuts on large branches.
Chainsaws
are your choice for larger, and heavier branches. Chainsaws can be gas powered
or electric. (The electric chainsaws are not intended for larger limbs, but can
be quite hard workers. They are also significantly lighter than gas powered
chainsaws.) Manufacturers have released small and very effective chainsaws on
telescoping poles for the consumer market.
Practice
safety at all times when using any tools, but be particularly vigilant when
using a chainsaw. If you are not experienced with a chainsaw, but need to use
one anyway, try to not work alone. When in doubt, call a professional.
Hedge Shears are used to shape and trim shrubs and hedges. For large-sized
hedges or to make quick work of pruning shrubbery, consider power shears. Power
shears use either electricity or gas and can make the job quicker and easier.
Have
your floating row covers handy to protect sensitive plants and vegetables from
colder weather.
Vegetables:
Plant
successive runs of tender, fast-growing greens, such as cilantro, spinach and
chervil.
Harvest
beans, peas, lettuce, squashes, carrots, cucumbers, early melons, and kale.
Continue
to start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, but be prepared to protect tender
seedlings from cold with your floating row cover.
Continue
sowing lettuce twice a month thru March. Sow in flats in a cool location to plant out as
soon as the temperature begins to cool down.
Lettuce is also a great crop for your favorite planter or
pot.
Set out your transplants of
tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
Keep
harvesting ripened fruit. Clean up dropped fruits to prevent disease.
Cut
back dead raspberries canes.
Continue
to keep a watchful eye for slugs, and set
out bait if you need to. Mixing yeast with water, in a shallow pie pan at
ground level, is a great bait. (Beer and fallen, rotten fruit also works well.)
Slugs will attack your leafy greens, so it’s good to get rid of them sooner
than later.
The middle of November is good for continuing to plant peas,
squash, corn, and tomatoes. (The Sweet 100 tomato is as sweet as candy!)
Never lose sight of the benefits of a healthy soil. It will maintain a balance between beneficial
bacteria, fungi and microbes.
A good fall cleanup of the garden is one of the most
important steps we can take this month, and throughout the gardening calendar
year. Many diseases will over winter on
plant material.
Cleaned tools are also important, since they can carry the
pathogens to other plants.
Flowers:
If
you have grown tired of Poinsettia and Christmas cacti as your holiday house
plants, consider bringing in pots of the multi-colored, edible and ornamental
hot peppers. (Keep them away from kids and pets.)
Feed
roses some low-nitrogen, organic fertilizer.
Plant
callas, gladioli, and dahlias for spring and summer bloom.
Earlier,
in this post, I mentioned the ‘right tools’. A gardener’s keen observation is
the first, best tool. Before deciding what types of wildflowers to grow, take a walk
around your property and observe the different kinds of sites you have. Try to
gauge the length of sunlight in particular locations. Is this space shaded part
of the time, or receiving dappled light through leaves?
Consider
the soils. Are areas dry and parched, sandy or moist and boggy? Are sites
protected from the wind or threatened by it?
The
length of time and quality of sunlight received daily can be crucial for native
plants.
Wildflowers
common to prairies and large, open meadows normally grow in full sun and will
do best when they receive half a day or more of direct sunlight. Plants
classified as savanna or open woodland species prefer growing in partial shade,
with sunlight reaching the ground between trees. Woodland plants grow best in
partial to full shade, beneath a more or less solid canopy of trees.
Some flowers that grow in shady woods manage to get the sunlight
they need by flowering before the trees completely leaf out.
Other major factors to consider when looking over your property
are the types of soil you have, their acidity or alkalinity as measured by soil
pH, and the amount of water they retain at various times of the year. Many
wildflowers will tolerate drought conditions or relatively poor soils. Yet even
these tough plants, (such as black-eyed Susan), will grow taller and more
vigorously if planted in a richer soil. You may want to plant black-eyed Susan
in an area with relatively poor soil, to curb its enthusiasm.
To collect native plants from the wild is unethical and often
illegal (in the case of rare or threatened species like lady's-slippers and
pitcher plants).
Fortunately, there are many reputable nurseries that propagate interesting
and beautiful native plants from seed.
Many wildflowers are dormant in the fall or spring, making this
a fine time for transplanting them.
Collecting seeds of wildflowers is appropriate, so long as you
harvest seeds judiciously, taking only a small sample so the existing plant
colonies will be able to reproduce themselves.
Today, wildflower seeds are quite widely available from
commercial seed suppliers, so we're frequently better off purchasing from them.
Check the seed racks at your neighborhood Home Depot. Growing plants from seed
is certainly more economical than buying mature plants. The main disadvantage
is that many native plants require a long time to mature or even to germinate
from seed. Many types of seeds need
pretreatment before they can be planted. Most often this involves
stratification (planting the seeds in a pot and then refrigerating them for
several months until the seeds are fooled into believing that it's time to
break dormancy and germinate). Sometimes pouring very hot water over the soil
covering them will help them germinate more quickly. Experiment and make notes in your garden
journal.
Growing a wildflower lawn or meadow lets you sow mixed seeds
directly on top of the ground in either the fall or spring. You’ll appreciate
the opportunity to leave your mower in the garage while enjoying the color and
textures of a mass of wildflowers.
As plants that exist happily in the wild without human care,
native plants tend to be quite efficient at reproducing themselves through seed
dispersal and other means. Do some research and try to avoid creating problems with
invasive specimens down the line.
Vinca (also known as periwinkle) gives us year long blooms in
pink, rose or white. They prefer to be
planted in sandy, dry soil. Cut them
back when they become too straggly and they’ll recover rapidly. Don’t pamper your vinca. They are very rugged.
Trees
and Shrubs:
Apply a dormant
oil spray to fruit trees to kill insects and eggs.
Feed mangoes a shot of compost tea as soon as flower
spikes appear.
If rainfall is scarce, provide at least 1 inch of water
per week for your shrubs and trees.
Be
fearless when pruning branches of your bouganvillae that ramble into your
pathways. If you trellis them, use well anchored, metal frames. A young plant gets heavy branches very soon,
and will weaken most wooden trellises in no time at all.
Use
your pole pruner’s hooked blade to remove dead palm fronds. The telescoping
length of these tools allows us a terrific reach. Wear protective eye glasses when pruning
overhead.
If
the diameter of a branch is too wide for your tool’s initial cut, let gravity
work with you.
With
branches, other than palm fronds, make your first cut on the underside of the
branch. This keeps the branch from ripping the bark as it falls from the tree.
Use
care to notice a knuckle at the branch union to the tree and cut on the outside
of that line.
Finish your pruning of the the
native Beauty Berry bush, this month. The longer you wait to prune, the happier
the birds will be.
Another favorite for the birds
is the native evergreen, Firebush. With tubular red flowers changing from red
to black berries, this showy tall shrub is an excellent choice. Plant away from
areas with foot traffic.
The aggressively invasive Brazilian pepper
trees were first introduced in the 1800s as an ornamental shrub. Flowering in
the fall (Sept.-Nov.) the fruit is a small red berry that is eaten and
dispersed by birds. Leaves have a "peppery" smell when crushed.
Brazilian pepper trees are estimated to
occupy over 700,000 acres in central and southern Florida alone.
Related to Poison Ivy, the sap is an irritant.
Smoke from burning wood is also toxic.
Remove
and dispose of invasive trees and plants safely. Wear protective clothing &
gloves when working around the Brazilian pepper tree.
This
time of year, take advantage of late-season tree sales.
When
buying trees in pots loosen the roots before planting. Amend the soil if needed.
Lawns:
The fall is not an active time
for warm-season grasses. Turf growth slows this time of year and some varieties
of grass turn brown.
When we take the time to get to
know our lawn (and gardens) we’ll be able to better take care of it in the
future.
Visually inspect the overall
condition of the turf throughout all seasons.
Take notes to refer to later.
Assess the grade of your property, water retention or run-off, weeds, soil
condition, pH and the strength of the grasses’ roots.
For sandy soil, with a pH under
5.0, use 40-50 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.
For sandy soil, with a pH 5.0 –
6.0, use 30-40 lbs./1,000sq.ft.
For sandy soil, with a pH of
6.0, use 15 lbs./1,000 sq.ft.
A loamy soil has different
requirements: pH under 5.0, use 105-135 lbs./1,000 sq. ft.
For a loamy soil, with a pH 5.0
– 6.0, use 80-105 lbs. / 1,000 sq. ft.
A loamy soil with a pH of 6.0,
use 40 lbs. of lime per 1,000 sq. ft.
A healthy lawn helps to filter
carbon dioxide, reduce storm water run-off, cut down on glare from the sun plus
a myriad of other benefits. Healthy
lawns grow vigorously enough to crowd out most weeds.
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