November 2, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

November is chill, frosted mornings with a silver sun rising behind the trees, red cardinals at the feeders, and squirrels running scallops along the tops of the gray stone walls.- Jean Hersey

Hi Gardeners

I went outside to the barn this morning and it was quite warm and windy.  We had rain overnight so it was also wet.  But a little while ago I went out to get the mail and the temperatures were falling and with the strong wind it was chilly.  There are rain and storms over much of the country. I hope everyone doesn’t let the rain keep them from voting.

The garden outside is pretty much done.  I harvested some gourds.  I’ve got all my bulbs planted and I dug up the dahlias and glads, although I still have to sort through them and package them up for storage. I still have to put away garden ornaments and lawn chairs and a bit of this and that but winter prep is almost done.

Inside the plants that dropped their leaves are rapidly recovering.  I have a lot of things in bloom inside, fuchsia, hibiscus, canna (yes canna I have a dwarf size one that has pretty yellow flowers on and off all winter), geraniums, streptocarpus, dipladenia, wax begonias, New Guinea impatiens, my peace lily, and even the Chinese foxglove I potted up is still blooming.  I like flowering houseplants although I have many that don’t flower too. But it’s so nice to look around to see flowers as well as greenery.

I pulled a 2 feet long piece of sweet potato vine out of my ornamental pond where it had invaded and rooted in the water.  I planted the piece in a pot and set it in a north window and while most of the original leaves dried up and died the stem is now pushing out lots of new tiny leaves. I’ll move it to brighter light soon and I hope it will survive until spring. I’ve wintered them inside before but it’s tricky.

I wish I had more room inside for plants.  I keep seeing things I would like to have but just don’t have space for.

"If it is true that one of the greatest pleasures of gardening lies in looking forward, then the planning of next year's beds and borders must be one of the most agreeable occupations in the gardener's calendar.  This should make October and November particularly pleasant months, for then we may begin to clear our borders, to cut down those sodden and untidy stalks, to dig up and increase our plants, and to move them to other positions where they will show up to greater effect.  People who are not gardeners always say that the bare beds of winter are uninteresting; gardeners know better, and take even a certain pleasure in the neatness of the newly dug, bare, brown earth."
-   Vita Sackville-West 

Do you journal your garden?

If time has taught me one thing, it’s that I don’t remember everything I plant or where I plant it without keeping a record.  It might be a joyful surprise when something springs up that you don’t remember planting, but it can be a sad waste if you toss out something that you spent good money on thinking it was a weed or more commonly, kill it because you plant over it.

I carefully write down what I buy and where I plant it in a notebook.  This certainly helps when I’m planning my lists of things to buy in the winter or when I’m looking for things to come up in the spring.  I also look back over the years and wonder where all those plants went to- it’s common for things to fade away after that first season.  But if I keep planting something in the same spot and it keeps dying there and needing to be replaced, I know I should either stop buying it or plant it somewhere else.

I write down on a calendar when things sprout in the spring and when they bloom.  I keep the calendars and each year I can compare them to see when I should expect to see plants emerging and blooming.  I write down when I harvested my first fruits of a vegetable variety and I always keep in my journal what varieties of vegetables I plant every year. This helps me remember what does and doesn’t grow well in my garden.

I take pictures of my garden beds every week or two from the minute things pop up in spring until a hard frost shuts down the garden.  Some of the pictures I share with you all, but many are just for my own use, especially if something wasn’t doing well or the cat was pooping in the background.  I love looking at the pictures in winter.  I can see where I need to add or replace plants.  I can remember what color the lilies in a certain spot were or spot times when the garden didn’t have much in bloom.  It all becomes part of my planning for the next year.

Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and many other noted people in history kept journals in which they itemized what they planted and how it grew. Our memories are all faulty at times and as you get older it gets worse. Before winter erases all your memories of your garden it’s time to begin that garden journal.  No one but you will probably ever care about what’s written in your notebooks and calendars about your garden unless you are someone famous, but you will surely find worth and comfort in them.

Some of the days in November carry the whole memory of summer as a fire opal carries the color of moonrise.- Gladys Taber

November Almanac

This month’s full moon, November 23, is called the full beaver or full frost moon.  In earlier times beaver traps were set about this time and of course a large part of the country has now received killing frosts.  Moon apogee is November 14^th and moon perigee is November 26^th.  I predict snow in many places around the perigee.

Both topaz and citrine are considered to be birthstones for November. November's birth flower is the chrysanthemum.  It’s National Adoption month, Native American Heritage Month, Peanut Butter Lovers month, American Diabetes Month, National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, and Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

In England November 5^th is known as Guy Fawkes Day, or Bonfire night.  It originally celebrated to commemorate what was known as the gunpowder revolution but has become known as a day to burn effigies or pictures of hated people and things.  If you have an anger issue that night may be your chance to burn some anger.  After the midterm election this might be a good chance to let it go.

November 11^th is Veterans Day, the 13^th is Sadie Hawkins Day, World Diabetes Day is November 14^th, World Toilet Day, whatever that means, is November 19th, November 22^nd is Thanksgiving. Black Friday, which is an actual holiday in some states, is the 23^rd.  The 28th is a busy day, Abe Lincoln and Robert E Lees birthdays, (isn’t it odd they share a birthday?) and American Indian Heritage Day.

Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils.- Cyril Connolly

It’s deer crash season

It’s that time of year- high season for car or motorcycle and deer crashes.  Averaged across the US your chances of hitting a deer, elk, or moose each year are about 1 in 167 (through the whole year) but in many states your chances are much higher.  In my state of Michigan, it’s 1 in 80.  In South Dakota, Montana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Pennsylvania your odds are even higher.  And this is just the statistics from reported crashes, many estimate half of all collisions aren’t reported.

Hitting a deer may not just damage your car, it can seriously injure you or kill you.  In 2016, the last year I could find stats for, 189 people died.  Many more were injured and damage to vehicles is over 5 billion dollars a year. In many states if you drive and haven’t hit a deer you probably will soon.  I personally have hit deer twice.

Car-deer collisions are more likely to happen in the months of September through December, but they can happen at any time.  In the fall it’s breeding season and bucks are chasing does and neither is as cautious as normal.  Fields are also being harvested, driving deer out and hunters may also be spooking them.

The time around dusk and dawn is the most common time for collisions.  In the fall this coincides with work rush hours.  But deer can cross the road anytime of the day or night.  Two lane roads in rural areas are the site where many crashes occur, but even larger cities have deer now.

To do the best you can to avoid hitting deer try not to drive around dawn and dusk, go slower if you do and pay attention to the road.  If you see deer crossing signs or know that deer are common in the area be even more cautious. The old saying that if you see one there are probably more is true – deer are often in groups.  If one crosses in front of you another may be right behind it- or two or three.

Swerving to avoid hitting the deer is one of the worst things you can do and is responsible for many injuries and human fatalities. If a crash is imminent apply the brakes, hold the wheel firmly with both hands, steer straight ahead and don’t close your eyes.  Remember if you miss that one another may be coming. Sometimes the deer will just be clipped and will run off.

Wear your seatbelt.  If you are a motorcyclist fall is a good time to wear a helmet. Motorcyclists hitting deer are very likely to fly off the bike or be hit in the head by the animal. Going off the road and flipping over or hitting something is more often the cause of human death than hitting the animals body, although the deer can really mess up your car.

If you hit a deer pull off the road and put on your emergency flashers.  Stay in the car, don’t try to move the deer out of the road or help it.  People are killed every year by other vehicles when they get out to move the deer or look at car damage. Call 911 and wait for the police to arrive before getting out of the car to look at the damage.  If their policy is not to come for non-injury accidents be very careful getting out of the car to look at damages.  Make sure to inform the police if the deer is in the road and might cause a traffic hazard.

Trying to help an injured deer is dangerous. They have sharp hooves and antlers that can seriously hurt you.  Tell the police if the animal is still alive and needs to be put down. While some people want to get the animal medical care it’s very unlikely it will do any good and it’s also unlikely any vet will take on the job.  Shooting the animal is a humane way to kill it but don’t do this yourself unless you ask permission from the police to do so.

Next call your insurance company.  Some require a police report for claims and others don’t, know your policy. If the carcass isn’t too damaged, it’s a shame to waste the meat.  In some states if you want the deer carcass the police can give you permission to take it, in other places the DNR has to give permission.  And in some states, it’s still illegal to pick up the carcass.  In some places people can let the police know they are interested in deer killed by traffic and the police will call them when there’s a report.

November comes
      And November goes,
      With the last red berries
      And the first white snows.
With night coming early,
      And dawn coming late,
      And ice in the bucket
      And frost by the gate.
The fires burn
      And the kettles sing,
      And earth sinks to rest
      Until next spring.
~Elizabeth Coatsworth (1893–1986)

Getting Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti to bloom

They’ll be everywhere this time of year, beautiful Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti in bud and bloom in every store.  They are an easy houseplant to keep alive, but many people wonder how they can get them to bloom again.  The trick is cooler nights and gradually shortening days.

The best way to give these cacti what they need to bloom is to give them a summer vacation outside.  They are a forest cacti, and need a shady area, putting them in the sun will burn them.  Bring them back inside before the first frost. The trip outside will generally have allowed enough naturally shortening daylight and cooler nights to start buds forming.  

If you cannot put your plant outside for the summer, move it to a window where the sunlight is not too hot and strong in the summer.  By late summer it should be getting cooler nights, about 55 degrees, and the same amount of light that is outside. You may want to cover it when it is dark outside or move it to a closet. Some people put them under a box at dusk. Once the buds have formed, they usually continue to develop despite getting light at night.  The plants need at least 6 weeks of cooler nights and diminishing day length to set buds. The ends of each branch should have a tiny bud by November if they are to bloom during the holiday periods.

The hardest thing for some people to manipulate is the temperature.  Sometimes just the cooler nights will start buds forming. It may not be cool enough naturally where you live to get the plants to bloom by Thanksgiving or even Christmas.  If you can’t stand turning the thermostat down at night you may also have a problem.  If you have an unheated room with a window this may be a solution.  Some people move them to the basement and use a grow light.

When the cacti have buds try not to move them to another location.  This will sometimes result in dropped buds. When you bring one home from the store make sure it’s protected from cold drafts on the way to the car.  Usually these cacti will continue to bloom even though they have been moved several times but occasionally they will drop their buds.  Don’t discard them- next year you’ll have lots of bloom if you treat them right.

For more information on growing Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti read this article.

http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/christmas-thanksgiving-and-easter-cacti.html

If there's ice in November that will bear a duck,
There'll be nothing after but sludge and muck.
~English folk-lore rhyme, first printed c.1876

Growing Swiss Chard- Beta vulgaris

Chard is a close relative of beets. It’s a trendy vegetable that’s popping up everywhere.  If you have eaten beet greens or spinach you know about what chard tastes like. Swiss Chard is an excellent source of vitamins A, K and C and tasty cooked or raw. It can also be quite ornamental, with dark green crinkled leaves and stems with vivid colors such as red, pink, golden yellow and orange. It grows well in home gardens and is a good farm market crop.

Chard has clumps of dark green, wrinkled leaves are carried on long stalks that can be a number of vibrant colors in the variety ‘Bright Lights’ or deep ruby red in the variety known as ‘Rhubarb’.  The leaves are what most people eat although the stems are quite edible.

Planting Swiss chard

Gardeners can start with plants or direct sow the seeds.  Chard germinates in cool soil and prefers growing in cooler weather.  Some gardeners plant the seeds in fall and harvest in spring, in milder climates, zone 7+, it will overwinter with a light mulch.  Zone 8 gardeners will want to grow chard as a winter crop.  In zones 5-6 chard can be planted in late summer for a fall crop of greens. In zones 3-6 it can also be planted in early spring.

Sow seed in the garden when the soil reaches 50 degrees and hard freezes are not anticipated. Transplant plants you buy or start indoors outside after the danger of hard freezes has passed. Light frost generally doesn’t hurt plants. If colder weather arrives after planting a row cover will protect the chard.

Plant seeds a half inch deep and 3-4 inches apart.  Thin plants to about a foot apart.  A complete fertilizer can be applied lightly at planting to encourage foliage production. Keep chard well-watered to encourage good leafy growth.

In hot weather chard may bolt or go to seed. Hard frost on seedlings may also encourage bolting.  Bolting makes the leaves bitter and tough and if the plant sets seed it will die.  While cool weather prolongs a chard harvest eventually all plants will go to seed and should be pulled and discarded.

Chard has several insect pests, flea beetles, leaf miners, leaf hoppers and aphids can attack the plants.  Row cover anchored firmly to the ground can keep these pests away.  Neem oil and other pesticides registered for food crops can be used.

Leaf spot is a fungal disease that can infect chard.  There is little that can be done after it starts.  It starts as small, off white to tan circular spots on leaves with a red margin. Eventually the spots run together, and the area turns gray.  Technically the good parts of the leaf are still edible but it’s not practical to harvest the leaves. Gardeners can try cutting the plants back severely and burning or burying the infected leaves.  Sometimes one can get a new crop of leaves that aren’t infected from the plants.

Leaf spot is more prevalent in warm humid weather. To help prevent leaf spot don’t water late in the day, so plants are dry by nightfall. Keep the chard well weeded because some weeds can carry the disease. Space plants so there is good airflow and rotate the spot where chard is planted each year.

Harvest and storage

Chard can be harvested at any stage, from baby greens to mature leaves.  If leaves are harvested carefully when young new leaves will form on the plant.  Pull or cut the outer leaves off and don’t damage the young leaves in the center for multiple crops.

After harvest don’t wash the chard until just before it’s used.  Leaves can be kept for a few days by placing them in a zip close plastic bag and getting as much air out of the bag as possible.  Then store in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.  If you like cooked chard you could can it for storage, following the directions for canning spinach.

One of the ways I like chard is to make chard “chips”.  Wash and dry the leaves and tear in smaller pieces. Spray the leaves with olive oil pan spray or toss with olive oil and dust the with fine sea salt. You can also dust them with garlic powder or chili powder. Spread them on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 275 degrees F.  Bake for 20 minutes then turn over and bake for another 20 minutes. Yummy and healthy.

In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell. A squash and pumpkin smell. It tastes like cinnamon and can fill up a house in the morning, can pull everyone from bed in a fog. Food is better in November than any other time of the year.-  Cynthia Rylant

French Onion soup

I just bought 10 pounds of small yellow onions for $3.  I’m going to make up a big batch of French onion soup.  It’s delicious as a light winter meal and it’s also good to use in cooking. Try cooking a pot roast in it, yum.  The only bad part of this soup is slicing the onions. I make my soup in the crock pot but it’s easy on the stove top too. 

This soup uses the traditional thyme, but you can leave that out. You can also leave out the wine, sub ½ cup of water. Serve this soup with a loaf of homemade bread if you can.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups of thinly sliced onions

½ cup red wine

2 -32 oz. cartons beef broth

½ teaspoon pepper

5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme or about a ½ teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 crushed garlic clove or ½ teaspoon garlic juice

Salt to taste – broth is usually salty so taste and add if needed

Cheese (usually swiss is preferred) and croutons for serving

Directions

Put the olive oil, butter, onions, thyme, pepper, bay leaves and wine in the bottom of a large crock pot.

Cook on high until the onions are soft and golden looking.  This can take an hour or more depending on your pot.

Add the beef broth and stir.  Cook at least an hour on high. Taste and add salt if needed. You can then turn the pot down to warm to hold soup until serving.

Most people add a handful of shredded cheese and some croutons to a bowl of this onion soup before serving.

Store left over soup in the refrigerator or freeze for long term storage.

How sad would be November if we had no knowledge of the spring! ~Edwin Way Teale, 

Kim Willis

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I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com