Sally Scalera
| For FLORIDA TODAY
November is here, and hints of cooler temperatures are in the air. Hopefully, the cooler temperatures, accompanied by lower humidity, will arrive soon and stick around.
This is an ideal time of year to work in the yard, so here are some suggestions for gardening activities to try this month.
The good news is that the lawn may only need to be mowed every 10-14 days because the days are continuing to get shorter. As they do, the lawn will require less water also. As Daylight Saving Time ends and we move the clock back one hour, adjust your irrigation timer to water only once a week to comply with the St. Johns River Water Management District’s watering restrictions, which can be found here: sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions/.
Consider purchasing annual ryegrass (or intermediate or improved/perennial) seed to over-seed your lawn later this month or early December once the temperatures stay in the mid to low 70°F range. Warm-season grasses will go dormant, resulting in brown lawns throughout the cold months and during the shorter, colder winter days.Broadcasting ryegrass seed will create a beautiful, green lawn with thin blades that will gently sway in the breeze throughout the winter.
An important step is to prepare the seedbed, which is a relatively easy task that also serves as exercise. First, mow the grass (St. Augustine grass and Bahia) at a height of 3 inches. Then, for the highest germination rate, thoroughly rake the grass and remove all debris. If raking is out of the question, it is still worthwhile to overseed with ryegrass. When broadcasting the seed, use a broadcast spreader for best coverage and walk in one direction to sow half of the seed. Next, walk at a 90° angle to broadcast the second half of the seed.
After broadcasting, sweep the grass with a stiff broom to ensure the seed comes into contact with the soil. Proper watering is crucial for germination. Lightly water the over-seeded lawn for 10 to 20 minutes once or twice daily for 7-10 days to improve seed germination. When the ryegrass eventually dies in late spring as the temperatures warm up, it will provide additional organic matter to the soil. This is an easy way to enjoy a green lawn through the winter and add some organic matter to the yard in the spring!
For more information, follow this link: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/lawns/maintenance-and-care/your-florida-lawn-in-winter/.
To keep your vegetable plants and fruit trees healthy, spray them weekly with liquid seaweed (i.e., Maxicrop, Liquid Kelp, etc.) to supply trace elements and growth hormones. Use a hand pump-up sprayer and thoroughly spray both sides of the foliage.
Don’t prune temperate fruit trees, shrubs, and vines now, but wait until they have shed all their leaves. Check out our information by doing an internet search for the fruit, followed by IFAS (ex., mango IFAS, apple IFAS, etc.) to find detailed information on pruning the various deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, and vines.
Help your fruit trees, especially citrus, avocado, and mango trees, since they have insect/disease pressure, by reestablishing the soil food web throughout the tree’s root system. Trees are considered mycorrhizal dependent, so their presence will allow a symbiotic relationship to occur between the beneficial fungi and the tree roots, benefiting the tree in numerous ways. Apply this around shade trees, shrubs, and the lawn (using a hose-end sprayer), as all plants will benefit, except weeds.
For information on improving soil health, contact the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardeners at brevard-mg1@ifas.ufl.edu.
To guarantee that your poinsettias, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cacti bloom in December, ensure they receive total darkness throughout the night. If any lights can shine on the plant at night, cover it with a box or blanket every night, and remove it in the morning until you see evidence of colorful bracts or buds.
Flowers that can be planted this month include alyssum, calendula, dianthus, dusty miller, geraniums, flowering tobacco, pansy, petunia, phlox, snapdragon, stock, viola, sweet peas (caution, these are toxic to pets), and ornamental cabbage (fragrant flowers)
Rake your leaves up and use them as mulch, add them to your compost pile, or put them in your worm bin to increase the fungal component of the worm castings.
It’s the right time of year to think herbs
This month is a great time to plant herbs and/or start annual herbs from seed. Here are some herbs to consider planting this month: chervil (start from seed and grow them in the shade as a winter annual), chives, garlic chives, cilantro/coriander, parsley, lavender (hardy lavender, L. angustifolia, and its cultivars are not good choices for our area, whereas “Phenomenal” Lavender, French, Spanish and sweet lavender do much better), mint, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, lemon grass (I recommend planting it in a container), thyme, fennel, salad burnet, dill, oregano, lemon balm, Mexican tarragon.
Vegetables that can be sown in November for planting in the garden in December include arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, endive/escarole, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, English or snow peas, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips.
Vegetables that can be planted in November (as either seeds or transplants) include arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collards, endive/escarole, Irish potatoes, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions-bunching (green and shallots), English or snow peas, radish, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips.
Check out some of the fresh produce and delicious edibles that could be available at our Brevard County Farmers Market in November, including fresh herbs, microgreens, and microgreen growing kits, and fresh vegetables. There could also be honey, mushrooms, seasoning blends, beef jerky, fresh salsas, candied jalapenos, sweet relish, cupcakes and other sweets, homemade jams, apple butter, and jellies and a variety of homemade nut butter.
On the second Thursday of every month, Deep Roots Meat comes with their Florida-grown, grass-fed Angus beef straight from their farm. The Brevard County Farmers Market is held in the Wickham Park Pavilion every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m.
To stay current with the most up-to-date vendors, follow the Brevard County Farmers Market Facebook page at facebook.com/brevardcountyfarmersmarket/.
Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Science.
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