what outdoor plants are good to plant in November?

Answer 1

That depends entirely on where you live. If you know your planting zone, that would help.

Answer 2

I live in Arizona so there are scads of plants that I can put in my yard in November. However, if you live in Pennsylvania about the only thing you could put in would be bulbs. Why don't you check with the local County Extension Office or the Master Gardener organization?

Answer 3

When you mention flowering annuals most people think of marigolds, zinnias, petunias and other summer annuals, but we in the South can also grow annuals during the winter months. Garden centers and nurseries usually have a selection of winter annuals available in the fall. Selections would include pansies, dianthus, English daisy, stock, snapdragon, wallflower, and forget-me-nots. Some cold tolerant annuals you can easily grow from seed sown in the fall would be rocket larkspur (Consolida ambigua), poppies, Johnny-jump-ups, and bachelor's buttons (cornflowers). Many gardeners do not know that these cold tolerant plants can often go right through winter with little or no protection. Most of these can withstand temperatures in the teens. Single digit temperatures would kill some without protection. Those most cold hardy are English daisy, Johnny-jump-up and pansies. Remember that susceptibility to cold damage is not based solely on the degree of temperature but the duration and how fast the drop in temperature occurs. A gradual cooling is easier to take than an overnight plunge from 60 to 5 degrees. We all welcome pleasant, mild dry weather in general...but what happened this fall was/is astonishing. Here in NJ, we had virtually no rain in Sept., Oct. or Nov., and it was warm, with many records shattered, both for warmth and lack of rain...that was the case in much of the east. At my place in Maine it has also been relatively mild. If the winter turns out to be mild, there should be few, if any, problems from the protracted warm fall. But if weather should suddenly become arctic like, or protracted cold should develop, there could be some damage come spring.

As we said in previous email alerts, it is important your plants NOT go into winter dry. We are still quite dry here, only the top inch of soil is damp. WE SUGGEST: ONE thorough watering of your outdoor plants NOW. (Especially those planted in the last year.) Yes, it may rain and your efforts will be wasted, but if it doesn't and we get windy conditions with cold, many of your plants could suffer.

Evergreens are especially at risk, as they need moisture all winter, and once the ground freezes, if it is dry below...well...those roots won't be able to take up moisture. Evergreens such as rhodos, azalaes, mountain laurel, leucothoe are especially sensitive but even young spruces, firs, hemlocks & pines shold be watered if you haven't and its been dry.
Normally we would not advise watering this late in fall or even earlier, as diminishing water in fall really does help your plants go to sleep...and we certainly don't want to promote plants growing now, BUT is has been so dry in many areas, the risks of not watering are greater.

The other "problem" this wonderful fall weather may promote is LACK of hardening off. Due to virtually no frost in many areas, (WELL past normal frost dates), it is possible some plants may suffer more winter stress than is normal. There really will be no way of knowing til spring growth starts. But erecting a burlap windbreak near any sensitve evergreen plants would be advised. DO NOT WRAP the plant, as they must breath. Place the barrier about a foot from the plant and as high up as practical.

Our plants WE SELL will be fine, as we reduce fertlizer in summer and water in fall to "stress them a bit to promote the hardening off process.

You may also see some plants trying to bloom now or leaf out, epsecially if this warmth continues. (I see a few forsythias trying to bloom.) Usually there will be only local damage to stem tips in those cases, come spring.

Answer 4

Usually the best time of the year to plant all hardy perennials and shrubs as well as hardy bulbs.