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Tulsa Gardens Now!

November 2011

It's time to clean up the garden.

2011 was a very trying year for gardening. It will be good to put the garden to bed and allow the plants to renew themselves for next year. And after this long glorious Tulsa autumn, “bedtime” could happen any time now. The Linnaeus Gardeners have been busy getting the LTG garden cleaned up and put away for the season, which ends on December 10.

Fall Garden Cleanup To Do Now:

One of the first things to do this month is to go through our garden sheds and remove all out of date, nearly empty, or no longer used chemicals and take them to the MET disposal event at the Fairgrounds on Saturday/Sunday, November 5 & 6. While this clearing-out is taking place it would also be a good time to give the shed a good cleanup. Cast a serious eye on materials stuffed in corners, and that heap of garden tools and hose nozzles and see whether they need to be disposed of or repaired. A good sweep down, restacking of freshly cleaned pots, and removal of the tag end sacks of amendments all will give a much nicer workspace come spring.

This may also be a good time to check the ads and see if any of the box stores or nurseries are closing out their mulches and composts at good prices. (Thought: when the City gets its new trash plan in place, our current trash cans can be washed out and used as storage bins for these bulky materials.)

We are closer to that first killing freeze and the final clean up in the garden for this year. While we are waiting for that freeze we can do some things in the garden that will give us a jump start on the final clean up.

Continue planting or dividing perennials. Be sure to mulch them before extreme cold sets in. It can be a gamble with the tender perennials . Stick to those perennials that are considered hardier—zone 6 or colder. The sooner these newly divided plants get into the ground, the more established they will be when the cold hits.

Continue weeding, keeping the henbit and chickweed out of the garden. Remember chickweed and henbit can harbor spider mites ; let’s not let them overwinter in OUR gardens.

Continue deadheading perennials as needed.

Cannas can be cut down to the ground now, but wait until after a freeze or two to mulch heavily for winter protection. If a freeze has already taken the foliage, remove the damaged foliage and mulch.

Some varieties of hostas have already gone dormant while others have turned golden yellow and there are even a few varieties that are still green. It is okay to cut those hostas that are completely yellow down to the ground as the leaves are no longer producing chlorophyll. If you like the ‘fall interest’ that the golden leaves are producing, it is okay to wait until a killing frost before you cut them down. Remove the foliage from the garden once there has been a killing frost. If there has been a lot of slug damage this year, clean up the dead foliage, and pull back the mulch from around the crown of the hostas to allow the area to be clear for several weeks to discourage slugs and snails from wintering over. Then bring mulch back into the crown area.

Tree leaves are beginning to fall; be sure to keep them off of any evergreen perennials. A weekly clearing away until all leaves have fallen will be sufficient.

After the FREEZE:

If the freeze blackens Achillea, yarrows, shear them back to basal foliage. At this time all bloom stems should be removed to the ground.

Asters should be cut back after frost to prevent excessive reseeding; cut them down to the ground. Aster blossoms can take a few freezes. If the flowers are still looking nice, wait until they are out of bloom before cutting back.

Check hollyhock foliage, removing any damage from the freeze, and remove any leaves with damage due to disease or insects. Bloom stems should have already been cut down.

Nepeta, catmint, and ornamental oreganos should be cut back by now. Cutting back now will ensure nice basal foliage for the rest of winter. Oregano is especially attractive with its bronze color.

Echinacea, Echinus and Rudbeckia varieties should be cut down to basal foliage. These varieties attract birds and some have nice winter interest. Leave some seed heads but cut most of them down. These perennials are semi-evergreen; leave nice looking basal foliage intact, removing only the damaged leaves.

Chrysanthemum ‘Becky’ or other Shasta daisy varieties should be cut down to basal foliage. They will remain green throughout winter. It is important to keep these plants dry during winter months.

Long established species mums, which tend to be hardier than the more typical pots so available each fall, can be cut back as they finish blooming. The potted fall blooming mums that will remain in the garden should be cut back in spring, especially during the first winter. As with other members of the Chrysanthemum family, keep these plants dry during the winter.

Salvia May Night sometimes has straggly growth at the end of the season. Cut it down to the basal growth to neaten up the area for the winter.

Saponaria, soapworts, should not be pruned for the winter; wait until spring.

Cut back bloom stems only on Scabiosa Butterfly Blue and Butterfly Pink; leave the basal foliage.

Ferns, evergreen or not, should be cut back in the spring.

Solidago hybrids can be cut down to the basal foliage or allowed to remain for winter interest. Some varieties will reseed. Solidago varieties need division every 5 years or so to renew the plant. Plants which are not divided can become laden with diseases and insect problems. Division will rejuvenate the clump. Remove the center part and retain the newer, outside edges of the plant.

Thalictrum, meadow rue, should be cut down for the winter.

Tradescantia, spiderwort, should be cut down to good looking foliage after the freeze.

Thymes should not be cut down for winter; wait until spring.

Apply mulch as needed during winter. Only apply mulch up to but not over evergreen crowns.

Vegetable Garden:

Continue weeding the vegetable garden. Prepare covers that you plan to use to extend the season. Select coverings that will breathe, letting excess heat out. Plastic will work in a pinch, but be sure to remove it before the sun hits it. The heat can build up amazingly quickly and cook the plants below it.

Scrub out containers as the plants in them finish up the growing season; dry them well, and store them.

Take one last tour around the garden with glysophate to eliminate weed sources from the non-garden parts of the yard: drives, storage areas, between buildings and fences, and so forth.