Oklahoma gardeners will want to take advantage of this month being an excellent month to plant bare rooted trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, plants that are permanent. 

Begin vegetable garden with cool season plants like onions, radishes and potatoes (see article on the Best onions and potatoes for Oklahoma gardeners).

Finish up transplanting

Fertilizer

If you have never done a soil test on your yard/beds now would be a great time to do so as we approach the growing season.  (see article "SOIL TESTING"). 

Continue with pre-emergent weed control. Corn gluten meal can be applied at 20lbs./ 10000 sq.ft.

If you use chemicals this will be the 1st application of a broad leaf pre-emergent February 20th. Prior to the 10th use post-emergent .

Prune

Shade and ornamental trees can be pruned lightly to remove limbs that have been damaged by the winter winds/freezes.  Also remove limbs that are crossing and those the would allow more light into the plant.  Following proper pruning techniques.

Evergreens with scale type leaves should have the longest canes pruned to reduce height and maintain the plants natural appearance.

Roses that bloom only once should be pruned, ie. bush and climbers.

Finish up pruning all summer flowering shrubs and hedges.

Water

Winter annuals and any dry soil areas…particularly in drought and windy conditions.

Do not Forget to feed and water the birds

Oklahoma’s "Original" Red Dirt Gardener

Every year at this time I see neighbors with this pretty little flower coming up all over their yards. So pretty is the Bushy Aster…purple flowers with yellow centers.  If you are like this Red Dirt Gardener then you too are on a mission to make sure this prolific weed does not take root in your yard.

Bush Aster, as are all weeds are opportunists. They love bare unhealthy soil as well as dryness.  Given the chance, they will choke out ailing and healthy Bermuda in their ever ending cycle of flowering and going to seed.  If ignored they have roots that go all the way to China…if you know what I mean.

How to get rid of:

Red Dirt Gardening Organic Solution

· Use corn gluten meal as a pre-emergent on your yard in November.

· The Bushy Aster has a very woody stem and is easy to pull in healthy soil. If the plant has seeded, be sure to carefully dispose of it not dropping the seeds into the yard.

· Pull them before they seed and spread to other areas like your neighbors yard.

· These plants are not good composting material.  Dispose of them in waist bin.

Red Dirt Gardening Chemical Solution

Spray in October/November as the plant will begin seeding for next spring if you do not spray the flowers. Use a broad leave weed killer.

Do not forget to feed and water the birds.

American Robins seem to always show up after I have mowed my yard, tended to the soil or planted something new in search of worms and bugs.  Upon occasion I have had so many appear that we they left it looked like I had aerated part of my yard.  They are a wonderful benefit to healthy soil and a hoot to watch.  I put any grubs I find on a large landscaping rock and watch the robins feast!

"The Original" Red Dirt Gardener

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 

Plant
All remaining daffodils and tulips that were not planted earlier. Oklahoma Red Dirt Bulb Planting 101

Transplant all remaining shrubs that need to moved.

Trees, shrubs, and vines.

Fertilizer
Organic fertilization of newly planted trees and shrubs can be drenched with Garrett Juice to stimulate root growth.  This can be done each month until the plant is established.

If you did not treat young pines for tip bores in November do so before March.

Organic treatment of cool season weeds in dormant turf can be done with real 10% vinegar made from grain alcohol (do not use 20% vinegar made from 99% acetic acid).

To chemically treat cool weather weeds, you can use a post emergent broad leaf weed killer as long as it is above 50 degrees F.  ie Roundup. 

Prune
Most deciduous trees and shrubs.

Evergreens with both scale and needle like leaves.

All dead and diseased branches and limbs.

Lower limbs to facilitate mowing and allow for passage down sidewalks.

Limbs or branches that are crossing Crowded center branches can also be removed to improve air flow.

Summer flowering trees to shape them.

Remember not to use pruning paint and not to make flush cuts.  Leave the branch collar.

(see Red Dirt Gardening article on "Pruning") 

Water
Check soils moisture levels.  The top of the soil maybe dry to the touch, so you might want to use a long screw driver or 10" nail to see if the under lying soil is still moist.  This can be done by sticking a screw driver or nail  down in the ground about 6 inches.  

If there has been no significant rain fall water all beds and turf.                                       

24 hours before a hard freeze.

Do not 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

Many varieties are available ranging in heights of 3 to 11 feet for the ornamental trees and 15 to 20 feet for other varieties.

Let’s not forget the Crapemyrtle dwarfs which can be 2 to 3 feet tall.

These colorful plants not only hold up to Oklahoma’s heat with showy flowers, but also the Oklahoma soil.  During Oklahoma winters, we learn to appreciate the Crapemyrtles artful structure, seed capsules and peeling bark.

PLACEMENT:

These guys love full sun and plenty of circulation.  When choosing your plant give careful consideration to the size of the plant when full grown.  Do not buy a ornamental tree when what you need is a 2 foot variety.  Pruning or topping is not a remedy for choosing the wrong size of plant.

FLOWERS AND FRUIT:

The flowers are lacy and showy, coming in a multitude of colors and shades of predominantly pinks and violets.  Whites and reds are also available. The seed capsules left at the ends of the branches by the flowers are great for attracting birds during the winter months.  I think the pods also add to the winter interest of the tree.

BARK:

The peeling bark is one of the treasures we are left with during the winter months. The bark is very smooth and ranges in color from pinkish to grayish. The bark is quite thin and exfoliates to expose smooth pale-colored branch underneath.

FOLIAGE:

Small, alternate, leaves that are rounded at the base, generally 1/2 inch to 2 inches long. The leaves will change colors in fall before dropping.

Enjoy watching the birds?  Remember to give them water.

The “Original” Red Dirt Gardener

Fertilizer Calculator

For quick release fertilizers you will want to fertilize monthly from April to September in amounts reflected in your soil test.

Oklahoma’s “Original” Red Dirt Gardener 

Do you, my fellow red dirt gardeners, know how to properly mulch around your trees? Are you able to select from the images above the tree that is properly mulched? I know I see all too many trees mulched as the picture on the left, by home owners and professionals. In fact, mulched piled high up the truck is all too common of a site. This practice is called “volcano mulching” and creates a very unhealthy environment for the tree.

Red Dirt Gardening’s 5 Things to Know About Mulching Trees

1. Deep mulch can lead to excess moisture in the root zone, which can stress the plant and cause root rot.

2. Piling mulch against the trunk or even the stems of other plants, creates stress.  A stressed plant or tree will most likely lead to insect and disease problems. 

3. PH is often adversely affected by an over abundance of mulch, the improper use of mulch, or the wrong type of mulch.  Especially those mulches containing cut grass. Over long periods of time, this type of mulching causes deficiencies or toxicities in the soil because of the high nitrogen levels created by the grass clippings, as well as the suffocation of the micro organisms in the soil.

4. Mulch piled high against the trunks of young trees may create habitats for rodents that chew the bark.  The tree may also girdle.

5. Thick blankets of fine mulch can become matted and may prevent the penetration of water and air. In addition, a thick layer of fine mulch can become like potting soil and may support weed growth (they are very easy to pull out of mulch).

In closing, trees once stressed by improper mulching often never really achieve their potential beauty because of the unhealthy environment that has been created for them.

Remember: If the tree had a say in the matter, its entire root system would be mulched going out away from the tree about 3 feet with no mulch against its trunk.  The mulch would be at a depth of up to 3 or 4 inches deep.  This will help conserve moisture and add nutrients  as the mulch decomposes. 

No tree nor plant should ever be mulched up the trunk or stem. 

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