In November we must accept the reality of winter. Chances of having yet another Indian summer are extremely slim.

Its not too late to work in the yard, finishing up fall cleaning and preparing plants for winter. When removing spent plants, look for their subtle winter beauty and value to wildlife for seeds and shelter before stripping the garden clean. Stems left standing can help trap snow to serve as insulation for roots and crowns, too.

Let the ground freeze an inch deep or so before applying winter mulches to first year transplants or protecting roses and mums. These plants should be allowed to go fully dormant first. Mulch serves mainly to protect them from extremely low temperatures and the fluctuations which can heave them out of the ground, roots and all.

The numbers that follow entries in the calendar are the topic numbers to use to hear a more detailed, recorded message on that topic through the University of Wisconsin-Extension's InfoSource, an automated phone message system. In the Milwaukee metropolitan area, call 414-290-2450.

Visit the UW-Extension's Hort Team website at http://wihort.uwex.edu. There are gardening tips and articles as well as links to many other reliable sites for Wisconsin gardeners.  Be sure to check the list of “Wisconsin Garden Facts”. These are printable factsheets you can view and download for future reference.

First Week

The most important fertilizer application of the year for your lawn is the one between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Apply one-half to 1 lb. of nitrogen per thousand square feet. Select a product that has more slow-release nitrogen than fast release nitrogen. Some will be used for root growth now while the rest will be slowly broken down to be available as soon as the soil warms in the spring. It is too late now to use combination weed ‘n feed products. 

Spring flowering bulbs can still be planted as long as the ground is not frozen. For something different, try the 'minor bulbs' like Serbian Squill, Glory of the Snow, Snowdrops, and Puschkinia.

Pot up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor forcing. Crocus and hyacinth bulbs stored for 8 weeks in the back of your refrigerator will produce blooms three weeks after they are brought into a warmer room. Narcissus (daffodils) and tulips require 12 - 14 weeks of cold treatment and should be potted up before chilling.

Outdoor planters, hanging baskets, and window boxes should be emptied and washed thoroughly with soap and a mild bleach solution before storing for next year. Store plastic, clay and concrete containers where they will not collect melting snow and freeze.

Take soil samples for testing to your county UW-Extension office or other State approved lab. Separate samples should be taken from areas that are used differently or have different light and moisture conditions. Combine several individual samples from a single area to make a composite sample. The recommendations on the soil report you will receive can be applied the next growing season.

Fertilize trees and shrubs only if they showed signs of stress this year such as early fall color or smaller, paler or fewer leaves. Using a fertilizer with 12 - 20 percent nitrogen, deciduous trees need 1 - 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of area over the root zone. Evergreen trees only need one pound. Give shrubs growing alone 4 oz. per foot of height or spread, whichever is greater. Shrubs grouped in beds need 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of bed area.

Cole crops like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and kale are made sweeter by frost so keep harvesting them as long as possible.

Root crops are insulated from frost by the ground so they can be left in the garden and dug as needed. A thick layer of a mulch such as straw will prolong the harvest even more. You may even find yourself shoveling off the snow to gather a few last carrots, leeks or parsnips.
 

Second Week

Water all needle and broadleaf evergreens one last time before the ground freezes since winter wind and sun will continue to demand water from these plants through their leaves all winter. Excess water loss can lead to "winter burn" or death.

Mark or make a mental note of lawn areas infested with crabgrass this year so you can spot treat with a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Crabgrass is easy to see now since it turns purple and then brown when killed by frost.

Prune everbearing raspberries if you did not do so after this fall's harvest. If you cut or mow all canes to the ground now there will be no spring harvest but a much larger fall harvest next year. It also reduces insect and disease problems. (506)

Amaryllis bulbs that have rested for at least 10 weeks can be repotted, watered and brought into a bright room to produce flowers for the holidays. (416)

Keep checking tomatoes and other produce in storage discarding the rotting fruits and using those that are mature.

Clean up the mower and garden tools before storing them for the winter. Run gasoline powered engines until empty. Drain and change the oil, clean the air filter, and get off all dried grass and dirt. Sharpen lawn mower blades now so they are ready for next year’s first mowing.

Move pesticides and plastic equipment to a place where they will not freeze. Always store pesticides in locked cabinets or up out of reach of children. Keep them in their original containers. Cover labels with clear plastic tape to keep them clean and legible. File supplemental label information where it can be easily found and referred to before application.
 

Third Week

Wrap the trunks of young and tender trees to prevent sunscald. Paper tree wrap can prevent the rapid temperature changes in the bark that cause frost cracking and sunscald. It does not provide protection from the chewing of mice, voles, rabbits and other pests. For this use plastic or wire applied at least 1 - 2 feet higher up the trunk than the expected snow level. Clear away weeds, tall grass and leaves from the trunk area to reduce nesting sites for these pests, too.

Stop fertilizing indoor plants now since they will use less water and nutrients due to the lower light levels.

Keep flowering Thanksgiving cactuses well watered and out of drafts. Avoid moving them while in flower since this may cause them to drop flower buds.
 

Fourth Week

Mulch layers can be applied to perennial vegetables and flowers as soon as the top 1 - 2 inches of the ground are frozen. Apply at least 2 - 4 inches of mulch to help moderate temperature fluctuations that can heave plant crowns out of the ground as it freezes and thaws during late winter and early spring.

Rose bushes caged in chicken wire and mounded with soil earlier in the season can be mulched with leaves now that the soil is probably frozen. (434)

Delay all unnecessary pruning until late winter or early spring just before budbreak since wounds will heal most quickly when the tree or shrub is growing most vigorously. Elms, maples, birches and black walnut can be pruned after the sap has stopped "rising". Sap running from wounds does not harm the tree but may be unsightly.