Things to do in November
Make Your Own Grape Vine Wreath
Wild grapes are prolific in much of the Champlain Valley, They grow up and over most anything especially in hedgerows. If you don’t own the land, always get permission first but chances are good the landowner will be glad to have the tangling vines removed.
Harvesting the vines is fun, just grab a vine and start pulling. When the vine gets stuck and you can’t pull anymore, cut it off with pruning shears and grab another vine. You should be able to gather vines anywhere from 6 to 12 feet long or more. Coil them up like rope until you need them or make the wreath right there.
Grapevine wreaths are simple to make, even I can do it. Just form the vine into a circle about the size you want then continue wrapping more vines around the original circle. Use the shorter side shoots to wrap in a spiral around the ring to hold the vines together. Tuck the ends of the vine sections under other vines in the wreath and keep going until it’s as big and full as you like. These wreaths are supposed to have a sort of messy, casual look to them, that’s part of their charm.
The main trick to making grapevine wreaths is to either make them the day you harvest the vines or else soak the vines in a child’s wading pool for a few hours if they become too dry to bend easily. I like the vines that still have a reddish color to them the best, they are thinner, younger and more flexible.
Last Call for Bulbs!
This is your last chance to plant spring bulbs. Take a look in all your closets, you may be surprised to uncover that forgotten bag of bulbs you purchased last September. October is the ideal month to plant tulips, daffodils and the rest, but as long as you can break through the frozen surface you can still plant these spring bulbs now. It’s not the ideal time, but it’s a better option than trying to hold them indoors until next spring.
Last Chance to Weed!
If we get a mild day in November try to head out to your perennial flower garden for one last weeding. Try to get all the dandelions, quackgrass and ground ivy out of your gardens now while you’ve got some time and the blackflies are sleeping. Be sure to use a trowel or shovel to get the roots, not just the tops. Next spring, while your neighbors are swatting and cursing the flies and weeds you’ll be glad got ahead of those weeds this fall.
I don’t add any of these weeds to my compost pile. They are all perennials and have very resilient root systems. They survive harsh conditions and would quickly take over my compost pile if I let them. The only weeds I add to my compost pile are young seedlings that haven’t set seeds or developed large roots.
For more on weeds, click here to visit the Cornell Weed Ecology Lab
Water Your Evergreens
Evergreen shrubs continue to lose a little moisture through their needles or leaves all winter long. This moisture loss is hard on them when winter weather arrives, making them more likely to suffer from wind burn. It’s a good idea to give each evergreen a long, slow soaking before the ground freezes, especially any plants that are located in a windy site. Of course, if we have plenty of soaking rains this month, this extra watering won’t be necessary but it’s too soon to tell right now.
Winter Compost
One trick to keeping your home compost pile going as long into winter as possible is to stockpile a good supply of leaves next to your compost bin, under cover from snow if possible. Maintain a layer 6 to 12 inches deep of dry leaves on top of your working compost pile. Add more leaves as you add more food scraps to your pile.
Covering the pile makes it easier for you to reach the loose, dry leaves and stir in your food scraps. Eventually, all but the most dedicated composters stop adding food to their piles in winter, but once the snow melts or thaws somewhat you can resume adding scraps. Always bury them under the leaves to keep them insulated and blended with these bulking agents.
For more information on compost, click here to visit the Cornell Composting Web site
Christmas Cactus Can’t Read Calendars
Every fall we’ll get at least one call from someone concerned because their Christmas cactus is full of buds weeks before Christmas. What are they to do? The short answer is to just enjoy the bloom and be glad the plant set buds so easily.
The term ‘Christmas cactus’ is not really accurate. There are other plants called Thanksgiving cactus and Easter cactus and probably a few other holidays, too. They are named for the holidays around which they tend to bloom, but there are many variations and few actually bloom right on time. Shorter days and lower nighttime temperatures cause the plants to produce flower buds. My Christmas cactus is more of an Election Day/Mardi Gras cactus because that’s when it tends to bloom, without any help from me!
For more information on holiday cactus, click here for the Cornell factsheet.
Wind Protection
Recent windy weather is a good reminder for anyone with evergreens in their yard to think about giving them some winter protection. It really helps to erect some kind of wind barrier for wind-sensitive evergreens including yews, rhododendrons, hemlocks and dwarf Alberta spruce.
If your site is naturally protected from winter wind, you’re all set, but if any of the above plants are located where the wind whistles, they will appreciate some protection. You can either set up snow fence or stretch burlap between stakes on the windward side of these sensitive plants. Timely reminder (obvious but easily forgotten): Pound the stakes in the ground now, before it freezes! You can stretch the burlap later if you like.
Indoor Bulbs
Paperwhite narcissus and amaryllis are two bulbs that are easy to grow indoors. They don’t need a cold treatment in order to bloom, just pot them up and watch them grow. The traditional amaryllis grows quite tall and often needs staking to keep it upright. Look for the miniature varieties if you have limited room. They don’t flop as much and often produce more abundant, though smaller, flowers. Remember that the paperwhites are exceedingly fragrant, they might be too strongly scented for a hospital room.
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