November Tips
MISCELLANEOUS

Contact: Diane Relf, Extension Specialist, Environmental Horticulture

October 1996

  • Be on the lookout for a new, American-grown, snack food and baking ingredient. "Craisins" are sugared, dried cranberries. They already are being sold to food manufacturers for cereals and baked goods.

  • If you are planning to lay newspapers as mulch in the spring, glue them end to end this winter and store them as rolls. When needed, the paper mulch unrolls easily and won't be lifted by the wind before it can be anchored.

  • Try using household rubber gloves with a cloth lining or lightweight pair of gloves under them during cold, wet weather for all but the roughest yard work. They don't absorb moisture, and they insulate your fingers from the cold better than cloth gloves, especially when it's wet out. But use caution to avoid chilling your hands.

  • Fill a cornucopia basket with seasonal produce and preserves for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. If some of the produce is from your orchard and garden, it's sure to bring gardening into the conversation.

  • As with all living things, plants have a life span and eventually will need to be replaced.

  • Cities with visitor attractions, such as coach rides and horse-drawn wagons, usually have stables where city-dwelling gardeners can obtain manure, free for the hauling.

  • If a soil test shows the need for raising pH, apply dolomitic limestone now so fall rain and winter snow can move it into the soil.

  • Check house gutters for fallen leaves, needles, and twigs. Heavy, fall rains will quickly overflow clogged gutters, possibly damaging foundation plants below them.

  • Keep an eye out for spider mites on your houseplants; they thrive in dry air. At the first sign of any insect infestation, isolate your plant. Several thorough washings with plain water may bring them under control. If not, apply an appropriate insecticide -- follow the instructions on the label!

  • Make a pretty wreath out of corn husks. Start with a foam wreath base. Cut strips of corn husks three inches wide and eight inches long. Fold them in half crosswise, and wire the ends together. Fasten them to the foam base with thumbtacks, overlapping the folded part of one husk and the wire of the next and hiding the wires and tacks. If the base is narrow, one row of husks will do. Use two or more rows for wider bases. Add a colorful bow and trimmings of nuts, pine cones, or bittersweet to complete the wreath.

  • Check attic vents, building joints, and loose siding. Seal any openings that would allow squirrels and mice to enter.

  • The watt rating of a bulb or tube indicates the electric power it consumes, not the light intensity it generates. A fluorescent tube produces more lumens (a somewhat arbitrary measure of visible light emitted) than an incandescent bulb of the same wattage.

  • Caulk and plug any entrances around the home used by wasps this past summer.

  • Keep the compost heap moist to aid in the decay process. Turn the pile to mix in all late, fall additions. Add fertilizer residues from nearly empty bags onto the pile and mix.

  • Earthworms must remain below frost line to survive. Mulch piled on top of soil raises the frost line. If you want earthworms to help break down organic matter in the upper soil layers, mulch deeply. If you need the subsoil aerated, leave the surface mulch thin; the worms will burrow downward to stay warm.

  • Store pesticides in a frost-free location away from food and out of the reach of children. If a pesticide is in a paper container, put the whole package in a plastic container and seal it. Be sure that all bottles and cans are tightly sealed and well labeled.

  • Store liquid pesticides where temperatures will not fall below 40F. Too low a temperature may result in a breakdown of the chemical. If the liquid should freeze, there is the danger of the glass container breaking and scattering the chemical in the storage area.

  • Set up an aquarium to display beautiful water plants and fish. Search pet shops for interesting varieties, or try introducing water-loving houseplants, such as Nephthytus. For healthier plants and possible flower production, allow plants to grow out of the water and trail over the sides of the aquarium.

  • Order seed catalogs now for garden planning in January. For variety, consider companies that specialize in old and rare varieties or wildflowers.

  • In the northern part of the state, the gypsy moth can be found in the egg stage from now until April. Look for tan, fuzzy patches that look like a piece of camel-hair coat, 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide, attached to trees, rocks, fences, lawn furniture, wood piles, and buildings. If you find any, scrape them off and kill them in a jar of alcohol or bleach. To confirm identification of the gypsy moth, bring samples of the egg mass to your local Extension service.

  • Bring out the bird feeders, and stock them with treats for the birds. Remember to provide fresh water for your feathered friends.

    Monthly Tips have been prepared since 1986 by various staff of the Office of Consumer Horticulture including Ellen Bennett, Michelle Buckstrup, Susan Day, Susan DeBolt, Sharon Dendy, Kate Dobbs, Sheri Dorn, David Gravell, Virginia Nathan, Jenny Shuster, Ellen Silva, and Ruth Sorenson. Resource material for the development of this information includes the Virginia Master Gardener Handbook; Extension Publications and newsletters from VCE, numerous other states, and the USDA; and an extensive library of over 900 books, magazines, and journals. Project funded by The Virginia Gardener Newsletter subscription fees. Diane Relf, Project Director and Content Specialist.

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