lawn care

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

(Left to right) The October surprise, or should we say November surprise, of the ACG is the New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Do you still have pumpkins and gourds hanging around through Thanksgiving? Each year an estimated 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins and gourds end up in landfills. Consider adding them to your compost or find a local participating municipality accepting them for donation. See below for more on Earth-friendly ways to deal with your organic decorations post-holiday.¹ (Image credit: Dan Mullem CC BY-NC-ND 2.0; Melinda Heigel)

How ‘bout that October? Except for precipitation of any sort, there was something for almost everyone—a little hot, a little cool, and some stereotypical October Piedmont North Carolina, NC State Fair weather. There haven’t been very many State Fairs in my memory without some honest to goodness rain. We’ve been blessed unless, of course, you were trying to grow plants which is sort of what we’re all about here. So, mixed blessings? I mean, as fantastic as this area is, it still ain’t Camelot, Guinevere.

(Left to right) The ACG is still providing blooms this November. The drought-resistant African marigolds prove their hardiness. When planting for fall color, you can count on the New England aster and pink muhly grass to provide late-season interest. (Image credit: Gary Crispell; Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) is too stubborn to give in to the crazy droughty up and down weather. There are some tough characters out there. The toughest of which must be the gallardia (G. pulchella). It doesn’t know quit. The African marigold (Tagetes erecta) and the zinnias (Z. elegans) are also heat and drought tolerant along with the false vervain (Glandularia bipinnatatifida). (Somebody stayed up late naming that one!)

A delightful surprise this year is a lovely New England aster (Symphotrichum novae-angliae). It isn’t as erect as I might be as it was crowded in amongst some other things, and I didn’t become aware of its existence until recently. Next year. Most of the hardy ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum) have succumbed to the drought and the shorter days. There are a couple of late-to-the-party purple cone flowers (Echinacea purpurea) and a stray black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). The muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) are looking a little thin and wispy, but I attribute that to it being the first year in the ground for them. Enough about my garden, let’s talk about what we can do in yours in November.

Well, if your lawn has survived “No Moisture November” the main task for November is keeping it relatively leaf free. Whatever your remove from the lawn should be composted or used as mulch. The leaves do not belong in the landfill (or the ditch out front, for that matter). Cool season lawns (tall fescue, bluegrass, perennial rye) will still need mowing at the 3½” to 4” height.

The leaf admonishment pertains here, also. If you renovated/overseeded your lawn this fall it will need watering until the drought is done with us. 1” per week minimum applied in two ½” applications is necessary to keep it going.

Fertilizing

Not this month. If your (FREE until the end of November here in NC) SOIL TEST indicates a need to raise the pH, apply the appropriate the proper amount of lime and incorporate it into the soil if possible. Lime doesn’t readily move through the soil and incorporating the lime gets to the roots where it is needed.

Planting: Yes, “Fall is for Planting”

Trees, shrubs, and ground covers planted now will have all winter and early spring to put down roots in order to better withstand next year’s drought periods. (They’re coming. Trust me.) Spring flowering bulbs can still be planted until the end of the month. Year-old asparagus crowns can be transplanted now.

Pruning

So, for years (decades, centuries?) pruning all the perennials back as the blossoms faded (Grandma kept a tidy garden!) has been gardening gospel. Well, that good news is now obsolete news. It seems that solitary native bees and other pollinators lay their eggs on/in and/or nest in those stems for the winter. So, cutting them is detrimental to the pollinator population. Ergo, don’t do it anymore (unless the HOA is going to place a lien on your house for leaving them unpruned). (I don’t suppose the “It’s winter interest”, argument will get you anywhere.) Dead or diseased wood can be removed from trees and shrubs. Make any cuts at the branch collar (flared end) to promote healing of the wound.

Spraying

Any pests still hanging around can be treated with an application of a horticultural oil that will smother adults, eggs, and all phases in between.

Other Fun-filled and/or Fantastic Fall Frolics

Take a leaf hike through somebody’s neighborhood or a state or city park. There is a plethora of opportunities nearby.

Invite friends and neighbors over for an evening around the fire pit. S’mores, hot
chocolate, cider, and donuts are about mandatory. Anything else is optional.

Do anything else you can think of to get yourself outdoors to enjoy these last user-friendly days of 2024.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

May you have Thanksgiving bountiful enough to share.

Notes

1–Eco-friendly ways to dispose of pumpkins and gourds after the holidays: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-10-08-dealing-pumpkins-after-halloween-debunking-social-media-advice

Resources and Additional Information

Learn more from the Xerces Society about the importance of an untidy fall garden to pollinators https://xerces.org/blog/put-down-those-pruners-pollinators-need-your-garden-garbage
More on late-blooming perennials and spring-flowering bulbs https://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/09/late-blooming-perennials/; https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/spring-flowering-bulbs/
Importance of leaving fall leaves for wildlife and soil health on our blog https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5bS
UGA Extension’s “one-stop shop” for research-based articles on fall gardening topics https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=AP105&title=fall-gardening-a-collection-of-information-and-resources

Article Short Link: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-5gg

By Gary Crispell, NC State Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

And it’s August. And it rained the entire month of July (11.83” in my rain gauge), so the grass has grown out before I can clean the mower and put it away. The weeds…well. They’re being weeds. The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) is a mostly perennial garden full of domesticated weeds. It took a hit in June from the lack of rain. There are real weeds out there to be pulled, but there are also Olympic Games to be enjoyed. Weeds will still be there after the Olympics. Fortunately, I can type between events or else this calendar might have to wait until after the Olympics, too.

No? I must do it now? Sigh… Okay. If you insist. In a minute.

Gold Metal winners in the ACG. Despite drought followed by record rainfall, it’s a two-way tie for first place between the black-eyed Susans and coreopsis. (Image credit: Gary Crispell)

As mentioned above, the ACG (what’s left of it) is rather pleased with the month of rain. There are ten genera in bloom right now. The coreopsis (C. lanceolata) doesn’t know quit nor do the black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta). Both have persisted through drought and deluge to keep the yellow going. Gold medals for them. Silver for the longest bloom time goes to the Dakota mock vervain (Glandularia bipinnatatifida) whose dainty purple flowers can get lost amongst the taller species, and the foliage is dainty and of great interest, too. Bronze is awarded to the purple cone flower (Echinacea purpurea). I know, with a tie for gold there shouldn’t be a bronze. You award medals your way, and I’ll do it mine.

Longest bloom-time catapults Dakota mock vervain into the Silver Medal position, while the perennial and hardy favorite purple cone flower comes in strong earning the Bronze. (Image credit: Gary Crispell)

Moving on to the honorable mentions; The gallardia (G. pulchella), balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) (Doing a re-bloom after timely removal of old blooms), daylily (Hemerocallis x August Flame), evening primrose (Oenothera lamarckiana), and the two reseeding annuals, French marigold (Tagetes patula) and zinnia (Zinna elegans) all deserve this honor.

Hard to believe that these beauties are representing the Honorable Mention category: the daylily ‘August Flame’ is true to its name while the balloon flower seems nearly ever-blooming. (Image credit: Gary Crispell)

Calendar? What calendar? We already discussed this. There are Olympic Games to watch. Team USA to cheer on, and you want a calendar. Sheesh. Well, I did say I’d do it, so if you really want to go out in the heat here are many things to keep you sweat-covered and happy.

Lawn Care

Look for signs of grubs—smallish patches of yellowing or brown turf. Dig around in one of them and if you find a grub treat the whole lawn with an appropriate insecticide.

Late in the month, prepare any areas that need seeding with cool season grass seed (tall fescue/bluegrass).