November 1st – November 7th

1. Switch to 0-10-10 for fertilizing your azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons.       Continue with this formulation
through their bloom period. Use citrus food monthly to protect your citrus. This should help them resist frost damage
through the winter.
2. Speaking of camellias, now is the time to get the best varieties and colors. Browse your nursery for sasanqua, and
japonica varieties. All colors are available at this time of year. And with some of the early blooming varieties you can
see the actual color you will be getting. Check with your local nursery and garden centers for your favorite varieties.

November 8th – November 14th

1. Feed your lawns monthly with a good all-purpose fertilizer. This helps keep the blades of grass strong through the
winter months. Although you won’t see much top growth, the roots are growing and the monthly feeding helps
support them.
2. To protect frost-sensitive plants relocate them to more protected areas of the garden or patio if they are in
containers. If not, shelter these plants with either burlap covering or plastic film, even evergreen tree boughs will
help. Place the covering over a sturdy frame or stakes so that the covering material does not touch the plant.
(Freezing likely will occur where the material touches the foliage). Remove the covering during the daylight hours.

November 15th – November 21st

1. Dormant spraying begins this month once the leaves are off the fruit trees. Check with your local nursery for the best
materials to use in your area. Make a list of the varieties of fruit trees you have so your California Certified Nursery
Professional™ can give you the best advice. Clean the dead leaves and fallen fruit from under trees. If left there
they become a source of disease in the spring.
2. November is an excellent time to plant wildflower seeds. Lightly scratch the soil with a rake in the area where you
will plant the seeds. Mix the wildflower seed with some river sand before you broadcast. This weighs down the seed
and allows for a more even distribution. Water in well or let the autumn rains drive the seed in the ground for you.
Check with your local nursery for packets of wildflower mix, lupines, California poppies and more!

November 22nd – November 30th

1. It’s time to plant onion sets, garlic cloves, and shallots. This tasty trio is a must for folks who like to put zip in their
meals.  November is the month commercial garlic growers set out their crops so take a tip from them and get yours
planted too. Choose California Giant garlic cloves which are pungent or Elephant garlic which is much larger yet
milder in flavor. Elephant garlic is not a true garlic but rather a hybrid with a flavoring more like a shallot. Both are
easy to grow. Onion sets and shallots should be planted this month.  Shallots are a combination of garlic and onion
flavors. French cooking favors the use of shallots. The sets should be planted every two weeks to ensure a
continuous crop. Dust the trenches with diazinon dust to prevent maggot damage.