Top 10 list of yard chores Western Washington gardeners need to get done now
The second week of November is when it is time to stop procrastinating on all the must-do maintenance before winter sets in.
Here is your list of seasonal reminders, the honey do’s and nagging November outdoor chores:
Top 10 fall yard chores
1. Clean the gutters. Save the gutter gunk to add to the compost pile or use it to plop on top of shot weed and other annual weeds.
2. Remove leaves from sidewalks and lawns and away from drainage grates. Leaves can be slippery on sidewalks, and blocking street grates can cause flooding in neighborhood streets.
3. Bring in your tender potted plants or move them to a protected location. Abutilon, datura, geraniums, coleus, bananas, tender succulents and Meyer lemons are just a few of the patio tropicals you may want to try saving over the winter. Bright light and not over watering is the key to practicing zonal denial and getting these plants to survive over winter.
4. Cut back and dig up tender bulbs for indoor storage — or mulch and keep them dry underground. Dahlias, cannas and gladiolas are just a few of the tender tubers or bulbs that will survive a Western Washington winter with a bit of protection. Sword fern fronds placed on top of the bulbs will keep out moisture. A few inches of compost will seal in the warmth.
5. Prune any branches from trees or shrubs that block walkways or make it hard for guests to get into their cars. People come before plants, so pruning a guilty branch can be done anytime of the year.
6. Give the lawn a last mowing and edging so it will look tidy over the winter. Fertilize with a slow release fall and winter fertilizer if you have not done so yet. Apply granular lime to help loosen clay soils and neutralize acid soil if poor drainage and moss is a problem.
7. Uproot and compost vegetables past their prime such as tomatoes, beans and peppers. Removing them now will help to stop overwintering disease and insects.
8. Cut back the foliage of peonies and scrape away mulch from the top of the peony buds. Removing peony foliage in the fall stops leaf blight.
9. Get snippy with any tall perennials such as delphiniums, phlox and monkshood that could blow about and uproot in the wind. If you are a tidy gardener, you can shear back all brown and frost-damaged perennials. Leave some seed heads for the birds. Relaxed gardeners can wait until spring for the big cleanup.
10. Make notes and take photos of your garden and landscape. This will help you over the winter when the season of dreaming and scheming begins. Look forward to spring by listing all the new plants you would like to order.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.