Mid-November Changes for Spring
Adding trees, bushes and bulbs will create changes to add big excitement to your Spring garden. For a less expensive garden adventure, think about rearranging and replanting some existing shrubs.
If you’re planning on getting your bulbs in this weekend, before digging, decide on your planting scheme by laying bulbs on top of the ground where you want them to grow. Irregular patterns will create a more natural display. No matter what kind f bulbs you’re planting (daffodils, tulips, grape hyacinth,) a good general rule to make sure you have the best possible display of flowers is to set them at a depth equal to three times their diameter. Place your bulbs in their planting holes pointy side up, and fill your holes with soil, firming it to eliminate air pockets and to secure bulbs in place.
With a river of red tulips, a burst of cool Scilla blue, and striking yellow Narcissus to rival the sun’s brightness waiting for you in early Spring, winter becomes much more tolerable!
Mid- November is a great time to move trees and shrubs into new positions and to plant new ones so they become established before winter arrives. For trees and shrubs, plant about a half-inch deeper than the pot surface. With bare root trees, plant up to the nursery mark, the line of soil on the stem that shows the previous planting depth. Firm them in to eliminate air pockets around the roots which can lead to rot and the plant moving around during rough weather.