November Notes

Weeding is always high on the agenda this  time of year. The soil is warming but summer vege seedlings are still small enough to be worried by any competition. Some judicious weeding now will reap rewards in a couple of months (although weeding seems to be one of those constant garden chores, akin to teeth cleaning, or dishwashing).

I would think about mulching now, as well. I don’t like to put mulch on over winter (especially straws and hay) because it accentuates frosts and harbours slugs and snails and slaters, but in summer there is no better thing to maintain soil cover, insulate the soil and keep moisture in the root zone, plus assist in weed suppression. And the worms love it! Make sure any mulch you bring into your garden is not harbouring any pests. Leafy stuff is best (during the drought a lot of mulch was lightweight and full of dirt and gravel and stalk, because the crops were so poor) and quality supplies should be available this season. Lucerne or pea straw will be higher in nitrogen than cereal mulches, but it is also more expensive and will break down faster.

Watering will start to be something you need to schedule into your gardening week now. Daylight savings means that we can spend longer in the garden, especially in the evenings; perfect conditions for watering and weeding.

Enjoy November in the garden.

Plant What, When:(temperate areas in SE Australia)	Leaf Days: 3-4, 6-9, 16-18, 23, 25-27amaranth, basil, bok choi, cabbage, chinese cabbage, chives, celery, celeriac, mibuna, mizuna, orach, dill, celery, coriander, endive, rocket, tat soi, lettuce, mustard, silverbeet, chard, salad greens, spinach, chives, garlic chives, coriander, dill, parsley, radicchio Fruit Days: 1, 9-11, 17-21, 24, 27-29 Bush and climbing beans, capsicum, chilli, corn, cucumber, eggplant, mustard, okra, peas, pumpkin, rockmelon, snopeas, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini Root Days: 1-4, 11-14, 21-23, 29-30 Asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, beetroot, carrots, bunching onion, fennel, kohlrabi, leek, radish, spring onion, shallot, potatoes, parsnip, turnip Flower Days: 4-6, 14-16, 23-25 Broccoli, borage, globe artichoke, sunflower, marigold, nasturtium, all flowers
Other Dates:Moon Descending Moon Ascending Moon Opposite Saturn(good for transplanting and planting) Full Moon/New Moon Nodes*: Perigee***: Apogee***:	1-13, 26-30 13-26 9 11/25 13, 26 23 8
Garden Tasks: Apply soil food  Apply foliar food Mulch Transplant plants, cuttings and prune Graft	11-13, 1-4, 29-30    14-16, 23-26 Anytime, but straw mulch can accentuate frosts 1-4, 11-14, 21-23, 29-30  4-6, 14-16, 23-25