Ask A Desert Gardener, November 2024
November, with reduced daylight hours and comfortable temperatures, allows us the time to address the tasks we need to complete during this last full month of gardening. By now, new plantings, soil amending, and irrigation updates should be completed. We should now focus on pruning, fertilizing, and mulching where needed. In addition, addressing any conditions caused by our extreme heat and lack of rain should be undertaken.
By now, deciduous trees and bushes, having lost their leaves, should be pruned, dead or damaged branches removed, and shrubbery shaped. Unwanted “suckers” and “entangled” limbs should be removed. This will encourage, robust spring growth. Remember, however, NOT to prune any palm trees now. Palms are pruned only during the warm summer months! Palm trees need their fronds to protect their centers (hearts) from cold and wind damage. Delicate plants can be protected by placing large Styrofoam cups over their tops to protect from wind and frost. Newly planted trees can be protected by wrapping with burlap.
Flowering plants should be heavily pruned once budding ends and continue into early December. Then prune away 1/2 to 2/3 of these plants since “heavy” pruning encourages future growth.
Succulents can be pruned anytime throughout the year. They should not, however, be watered from mid-November through early February. Their root systems go dormant when sunlight and temperature are reduced and will not absorb water. Continuing irrigation will cause moisture buildup in the soil leading to root rot and death!
Remove dead leaves and debris from beds surrounding your landscape. This will prevent organic matter buildup that can harbor insects, rodents and disease. Apply insect repellants such as diatomaceous earthunder any organic mulch and around the perimeter of your house to keep unwanted visitors such as crickets, roaches and scorpions outside your home.
If you have trees that may fall victim to borers (elm, purple plum, ash, fruit, etc.), use systemic insecticide applied to the soil or sprayed on the trunks. Applying Neem Oil spray will seal any “borer” holes on the tree trunks where eggs are buried. This will suffocate the larva and pupa when they hatch in the Spring.
Have any questions? Contact me at: Theplantwhisperer28@gmail.com
Howard Galin is a University of Nevada certified Master Gardener and the Chair of the SCA Garden Club House Call Program.