It’s all about survival of the fittest in November. Stroll through the garden and calculate which plants will survive a drop in temperature to 30 degrees or days of endless rain. Some plants may need sheltering temporarily, but be selective. Say goodbye to the carefree annuals that flower so admirably in summer. Pay particular attention to impatiens. A disease caused by the fungus-like organism Plasmorpara obducens has swept across the states from Britain. Impatiens have always been susceptible to downy mildew, but this is an aggressive downy mildew that occurs only on impatiens and causes their leaves to rapidly turn yellow and drop. There is no cure yet. Affected plants should be put in a plastic bag and thrown in the trash.
– Plant tulips and hyacinths, as well as other spring-blooming bulbs such as anemone, crocus, daffodil, Dutch hyacinth, Dutch iris, freesia, leucojum, narcissus, ranunculus and scilla.
– In the vegetable garden, put out seedlings of hardy lettuce varieties such as romaine; replant every few weeks. Plant out cold-tolerant kales and cabbages, also root vegetables (carrot, beet, parsnip, turnip, radish), leafy crops (mustard, bok choy, chard, arugula, lettuce, spinach) and legumes (pea and fava bean).
– If you’re giving the garden a rest, plant alfalfa, buckwheat, favas or field peas to rejuvenate the soil. Come spring, chop them and turn them into the soil as green manure.
– Rake up leaves.
– Gardeners in areas with light frosts can spray an antitranspirant on frost-tender trees and shrubs such as citrus trees, kiwi vines, avocado trees and bougainvillea.
– Prepare the soil before it becomes too rain soaked for the planting of bare-root plants (such as roses, fruit trees and berries) several months from now.
– Prepare for winter storms. Dig trenches to divert heavy runoff, add heavy rocks to the base of a raised garden bed to help stabilize it, or sow bald spots with wildflower seeds or hardy annual seeds such as sweet alyssum.
– Katherine Grace Endicott, home@sfchronicle.com
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