NOVEMBER - FLOWERS & LAWNS - IT’S ALL GO!
TIME TO PICK...
Summer colour with roses heading into their peak season, plus all the Spring/Summer perennials (delphiniums, lavenders, daisies, cornflowers, dwarf echium, euphorbias, penstemons), + foliage plants for floral work (artemisia, purple sage, nandina, corokia). Tip: when picking roses cut further down the stem where there’s an outward-facing group of 5 leaves and cut 15mm above that joint. Cutting lower encourages stronger re-growth.
TIME TO PLANT...
Summer colour incl most annuals (petunias, lobelia, alyssum, impatiens, marigolds, antirrhinums, dwarf echiums, chrysanthemum daisies). The strong smell of marigolds confuses flying insects – great for keeping pests at bay.
Container growing – take out the top 20cm of potting mix and replace with fresh mix. Apart from impatiens all summer annuals thrive in full sun.
TIME TO SOW...
Seeds of all summer annuals can be sown now and the warmer temperatures will ensure fast germination.
TIME TO FEED...
Just about everything in this maximum growth month.
Feed roses every second month from September on so feeding in November is on schedule. Deep watering is key to successful rose growing – promotes growth & keeps plants flourishing to minimise disease issues. Prune rambling roses – if they have one flowering in spring, prune after that to keep them under control.
Lawns – if you fed them in early spring feed again now and adjust the mower blade up a notch, longer grass = cooler soil which suits grass plants better. Water lawns deeply when you water them.
TIME TO PROTECT...
New growth from aphids – from roses to hellebores to new growth on shrubs, aphids love tender new foliage. Use Mavrik for both ornamentals and edibles (safe for edibles).
Protect roses from fungal problems with fungicide added to Mavrik - use organic sulphur, copper, or Yates Fungus Fighter (all 3 fungicides safe for edibles).
TIME TO CONTROL...
Growth on hedges with regular trimming. Delayed trimming can give a ‘rough’ look when you do trim.
Use lawn weedkiller regularly to avoid serious weed infestation.