Judy's Garden Calendar November
Warm days are here and everything’s growing!
Vegies to sow in November – Chillis
No matter how tiny your garden, you’ll be able to grow some chillies – just one or two plants will fulfil the chilli requirements for most families. And now that it’s warm, chilli seeds can be sown straight into a pot or garden bed. Harvest when green or leave until the fruit are fully coloured – and hotter! In warm areas, chilli plants will survive and continue cropping for at least a couple of years.
Flowers to sow in November – Sunflower Dwarf Sensation
On the Yates packet, Sunflower Dwarf Sensation is aptly described as ‘potted sunshine’. The plants grow easily from seed, reach only about 40cm and make a stunning show in the garden or containers. They’re much more manageable than their tall sunflower cousins.
Feed in November
Orchids are in one of the most important growth periods of their annual cycle, so they’ll really appreciate some Yates Orchid Food or a sprinkling of Dynamic Lifter pellets. Leafy vegies and herbs like basil, coriander and rocket need to be kept well watered and fed with liquids (Thrive All Purpose or Yates Fish Emulsion) to encourage maximum growth and prevent them rushing to seed.
Prune in November
Rambling roses and lilacs. Rambling roses are often contained by grafting them onto tall standard trunks. They have a massed display in late spring and should only be pruned once this is over – winter pruning will cut off the incipient flowers.
Perfumed lilacs produce a wonderful show in mid-to-late spring. Prune after flowering, feed with Dynamic Lifter (DL Advanced for Roses would be ideal) and, a few weeks later, sprinkle some Yates Lime or Dolomite around the plants. They’ll love it!
November pest watch
In warm areas it’s time to start thinking about fruit fly control. These days the low toxic lures like Yates Nature’s Way Fruit Fly Control make this much easier as they don’t have to be applied directly to the fruit. Just follow the instructions.
In cold climates pear and cherry slug is more likely to cause problems. This is a slug-like grub that grazes the top of the leaf surface, leaving the plants looking chewed and tattered. Fortunately, Yates Success provides an effective, low toxic option for controlling this problem.
Plant of the month – Star jasmin
Suffering under the botanical mouthful of Trachelospermum, star jasmine is a well – mannered climber that, unlike others, doesn’t have ambitions to take over the world. Trim and feed after flowering and these plants, with their pleasantly perfumed flowers, will re-bloom a few times through the warm weather.
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