You would think in all this color and beauty, there would be a break in the Oklahoma garden chores …but NO!  Below are the “Original” Red Dirt Gardener’s tips for the month of November.

Plant

Continue planting spring flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, & hyacinths. I always cool my bulbs for 30 to 45 days prior to planting in December. (do not store bulbs in plastic bags or plastic containers as they might become diseased by the moisture).

Finish planting cool season spring flowering annuals  like pansies, kale, flowering cabbage, alyssum and Johnny jump ups.

Transplanting of woody plants can begin after the first frost.

Spring and summer flowering perennials like iris and day lilies.

Trees, shrubs and vines.

Fertilize

During the first week fertilize cool season turf.

Continue controlling broadleaf weeds in well established warm and cool season lawns with post emergent weed killer.  If you are opposed to chemicals as I am, manually remove the emerging weeds.

Put down 1/2” of compost if you have a poorly performing lawn.  the compost also servers as an excellent dressing in your beds.

Foliar feed all actively growing plants like evergreens with Garret juice. (see recommended organic products)

Prune

Remove (deadhead) all spent blooms and dead tips on annuals and perennials.

Trim away all dead and dying.

Selectively prune spindly growth.

Do major pruning from mid November through February.

Compost all debris except of what is diseased

Due to the numerous pine diseases in Oklahoma I recommend disposing of all pine needles and cones by removing them from your property.

Do not prune newly planted trees or shrubs.

Mulch

All bare ornamental beds for winter protection and help in preventing weeds in the spring.

DO NOT pile mulch up the trunk of trees as it will only cause the tree to become diseased. see “Red Dirt Gardening’s 5 Tips for Mulching Trees”

Continue mowing cool season lawns.

Save those leaves and branches to chipper shred and use for mulch in your beds.

Water

The Oklahoma wind still dries out our Oklahoma red dirt lawn and garden. Though we do not need to water as often, vegetation still needs water so water at least once a month if the soil is dry.

Water 24 hours before a freeze.  This will help to prevent winter freeze and plant death.

If You Have A Water Feature

Now is a good time to lay a screening material, anchored by stones over the pool portion of your Oklahoma water feature to keep out the debris. As soon as all the leaves have fallen and have been raked up, remove the screening material and store until next year.

November’s Last Weekend Chore 

As Oklahoma Red Dirt Gardening chores begin to slow down, I find that November is also a good time to clean up and winterize all my tools. This includes draining the fuel from my power equipment.  As well as cleaning and sharpening my tools. They are stored with a quick spray of lubricant on them to prevent rusting. 

Click here for tips on winterizing your sprinkler system in the OKC and surrounding areas. 

Don’t forget to feed and water the birds!

The “Original” Red Dirt Gardener 

Let me tell you, this Red Dirt Gardener lives in a neighborhood fortunate enough to have brick and stone structures at the entrances to our neighborhood which could provide a wonderful backdrop for carefully planted and cared for Oklahoma trees, shrubs and flowers.  As you drive through my neighborhood, you will find pockets of homes where the owners have invested varying amounts of time and money to their homes landscaping.  We have all heard how landscaping which has been tastefully done and maintained adds tremendous eye appeal to your home.  However, does this investment have the same effect on increasing your homes value just like a kitchen remodel does?

• A recent Gallup Organization poll indicated that new home buyers and buyers of previously owned homes believe that landscaping adds nearly 15 percent, on average, to a home’s value or selling price.
• Real estate appraisers however, rate the value of residential-property landscaping at 7.28 percent and commercial-property landscaping at 6 percent. • The April 2006 issue of Money magazine reported:  “Landscaping improvement has a recovery value of 100 percent to 200 percent if it is well done and harmonizes with nearby plantings. This compares to a recovery value of a kitchen overhaul of 75 percent to 125 percent;
a bathroom [renovation], 80 percent to 120 percent; a new deck or patio, 40 percent to 70 percent; and a swimming pool, 20 percent to 50 percent.”
• There is a direct correlation between the price paid for a home and the influence of landscaping in the buying decision. Buyers of higher-priced homes are more influenced by landscaping.

All of this said….now imagine the appeal of your neighborhood if you association were to tastefully landscape and maintain your entrances?  That would be what I would call a 2 times kicker!

Don’t forget to feed and put out water for the birds.

The “Original” Red Dirt Gardener

How was I going to break down the red sticky clay?  I needed to amend the soil so that air and water could get between those fine particles.  Did you know that you can only see clay particles with an eleltron microscope?  They are so  small, unlike other soil types with coarser mineral particles.

I decided to use expanaded shale and organic material to begin the process of breaking down the clay so that my plantings could absorb the nutrients the clay had to offer.  After all clay is rich in nutrients.    I have gone to many stores that have called themselves “organic” only to find a store full of chemical solutions and mulch.   Mulch allowed them to call themselves organic! 

Everytime I go into a nursery I try to remember to ask for organic products by name in hopes that if enough of us ask, they will begin stocking something organic other than mulch.

As it stands, I go to the DFW to buy what I need about every 6 months.  I also order products from the web sites listed below.

 http://www.maxicrop.com/pages/products.html

 http://www.natures-guide.com/

 http://www.marshallgrain.com/marshall/

 http://www.soilmender.com/

http://www.medinaag.com/gardprod.htm

http://www.sustane.com/products.htm   

http://www.thebeneficialinsectco.com/products.htm

 http://www.maxicrop.com/pages/products.html

 http://www.natures-guide.com/

 http://www.marshallgrain.com/marshall/

 http://www.soilmender.com/

 http://www.medinaag.com/gardprod.htm

 “The Original” Red Dirt Gardener