Average temperature: High 79 Low 59
Rainfall: 2.32 inches
Established turf and landscapes only need ½ inch of water every 10 to 14 days.
What to Plant
Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collard, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, pea, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, Swiss chard and turnip.
Flowers: Ageratum, alyssum, baby's breath, black-eyed Susan, Brazilian sunset, bush daisy, calendula, California poppy, candytuft, carnation, cat's whiskers, chrysanthemum, cleome, cornflower, delphinium, dianthus, Drift roses, dusty miller, foxglove, gaillardia, geranium, goldenrod, heliotrope, hollyhocks, Iceland poppy, impatiens, larkspur, leopard plant, lobelia, ornamental cabbage & kale, pansy, petunia, phlox, salvia, Shasta daisy, snapdragon, stock, sweet pea, verbena, viola and wax begonias.
Herbs: anise, arugula, basil, borage, chive, cardamon, chervil, cilantro, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, Mexican tarragon, mint, nasturtium, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme and watercress.
Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, crinum, day lily, rain lily, ranunculus, society garlic, spider lily and narcissus; refrigerate Dutch iris, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and similar bulbs for 12 to 16 weeks before planting.
Lawn Care
Grab a cup of coffee or tea, or perhaps a glass of wine in the evening, and walk your yard once a week. It is one of the easiest ways to spot changes in the health of your lawn and landscape.
Fall is a good time to sod or plug problem areas. Wait until spring to seed bahiagrass.
Have your lawn soil tested before fertilizing with AgriTech soil test so you know what the soil actually needs.
Complete fall fertilizing with a low-phosphorus fertilizer in early November.
Lawns can still dry quickly during warm November weather. Irrigate as needed and permitted.
Adjust irrigation timer to apply ½ “once every ten to fourteen days for the shorter days and cooler weather.
Water lawns separately from established trees and shrubs, which generally need less frequent irrigation.
Check and adjust sprinklers so water stays on the landscape instead of the driveway or street.
Chinch bugs and caterpillars may remain active during warm fall weather. Continue monitoring.
Brown patch can be troublesome in zoysiagrass. Watch for symptoms and treat when needed.
Apply an herbicide labeled for your lawn type if broadleaf or sedge weeds need control.
Continue mowing at the recommended height for your turfgrass.
Aerate compacted, hard-to-wet, or nematode-affected soils as needed.
Beginning in late November, ryegrass can provide temporary winter green in barren areas.
Remove and compost fallen leaves rather than allowing them to accumulate on the lawn.
Replace struggling turf in shady areas with ornamental groundcovers.
Landscape Plantings
Refresh mulch where needed, maintaining a depth of about 3 to 4 inches, while keeping it away from trunks and plant stems.
Finish most shrub pruning this month, so new growth has time to mature before winter.
With palms, remove only completely brown, dead fronds and spent flower or fruit stalks.
Palm diseases can spread by pruning tools, so disinfect tools between palms.
Remove declining warm-season annuals and replace them with cool-season flowers.
Work organic matter into flower beds and refresh the soil in containers before replanting.
Slow-release fertilizers are a good choice for flower beds and containers.
Keep chrysanthemums looking good by removing faded blooms, maintaining even soil moisture, and feeding lightly.
Protect poinsettias from nighttime light while flower buds are developing. Keep the soil moist and feed as needed.
Established trees and shrubs generally need infrequent irrigation. Water during extended dry periods.
Water flower beds when the soil surface begins to feel dry.
Continue monitoring shrubs and foliage plants for scale insects. Neem85 can be an option when appropriate.
Don't panic over every spotted or declining leaf. Seasonal leaf spots and dieback can appear as trees and perennials prepare for winter.
Cooler weather makes this a good time to relocate small trees and shrubs.
Check braces, ties, and supports on recently planted trees, palms, and shrubs. Remove them when they are no longer needed.
Hurricane season officially ends November 30. When adding trees, choose sturdy species suited to their location and mature size.
Remove limbs, weeds, and other growth interfering with irrigation.
Complete remaining tree, palm, and shrub fertilization by midmonth.
Collect seeds from favorite flowers. Dry and label them before storing appropriately for future planting.
Hurry with wildflower sowing now for spring color.
Divide appropriate perennials and bulbs.
Start or replenish the compost pile with suitable yard waste.
Keep frost cloth handy and be ready to protect or move cold-sensitive plants.
Turn hard-to-mow and troublesome areas into planting beds filled with shrubs and groundcovers.
Clean birdbaths and prepare feeders for winter visitors.
Hold water-garden fertilization until spring.
Vegetable & fruit gardening
With an El Niño winter, expect more rainfall. Continue monitoring rainfall and adjust irrigation accordingly to apply ½” every 2 weeks.
Water vegetables and fruit trees when the soil surface begins to feel dry to the touch.
Keep frost cloth handy for those occasional cold snaps.
Remove declining warm-season crops and replace them with cool-season vegetables.
Improve sandy soils with garden soil, compost, peat moss, or composted manure.
Herbs love cooler weather. Start new plantings and refresh older ones.
Start broccoli, cauliflower, collards, and onions from seed for later transplanting.
Continue adding cool-season vegetables to the garden through February.
Plant a few vegetables each month rather than everything at once for a more continuous harvest.
Planting season for heirloom and hybrid tomatoes and peppers is finished until spring.
Everglades tomatoes may continue producing through an El Niño winter.
Sidedress vegetables every three to four weeks with composted manure or a general garden fertilizer.
Stake or trellis taller crops to reduce wind damage and keep plants off the ground.
Maintain mulch between plants and rows to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
If caterpillars are feeding, handpick them or use natural controls.
Consider raised beds to contain plantings and make garden care easier.
Give bananas and pineapples their final fall feeding with a general garden fertilizer.
Many early-season citrus fruits are ready to harvest. The best test for ripeness is still the taste test.
Citrus and other fruit tree fertilizing is finished for the year.
Water citrus once or twice a week during dry periods.
November is a good time to add new citrus and other fruiting trees to the landscape.
Sow papaya seeds now and overwinter the young plants in containers.
Delay fruit tree pruning until late January or February.
Foliage & Indoor Plant Care
Plant narcissus and amaryllis bulbs in containers now to begin growth for holiday blooms.
Protect holiday plants that require short days from nighttime light until flower buds develop.
Water holiday cactus and kalanchoe when the soil begins to dry. Keep poinsettias evenly moist, but not soggy.
Purchase or replant cyclamen for winter flowers.
Watch nighttime temperatures. Move cold-sensitive orchids and foliage plants to a protected location before temperatures become too cool for them.
Before bringing orchids or other outdoor container plants indoors, inspect them carefully for insects and other hitchhikers.
Clean dusty foliage with a gentle wash and address pests before plants come inside.
Reduce foliage-plant fertilization as growth slows during the cooler months.
Begin moving cold-sensitive tropical foliage plants indoors or to protected locations.
