November garden tasks: Southeast

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First freezes: how to protect plants

Across most of the Piedmont and upper South, the first freeze usually arrives in November. Coastal and Gulf areas typically get theirs later. When a freeze is forecast, follow the basics from UF/IFAS and UGA Extension:

• Cover to the ground. A cover protects by trapping heat rising from the soil, so let sheets, frost cloth or row cover drape all the way to the ground instead of tying them around the trunk or stems.
• Keep plastic off foliage. Plastic touching leaves conducts cold. If you have to use it, put it over a frame or over a cloth layer.
• Water dry soil beforehand. Moist soil holds and releases more heat than dry soil.
• Uncover on sunny days. Remove or vent covers once temperatures rise so plants don't overheat underneath.
• Move containers. Roots in pots are far less cold-hardy than roots in the ground. Group pots against the house or move tender tropicals into a garage or indoors.

UF/IFAS's guide to preparing the landscape for cold weather adds that healthy, well-watered plants come through a freeze better than stressed ones. It also warns against pruning or fertilizing late in the season, which pushes tender growth.

Keep the winter vegetable garden producing

Collards, kale, mustard, turnips, cabbage and Brussels sprouts handle frost well, and several get sweeter after cold nights. Lettuce, broccoli heads, cauliflower and young transplants are more tender. Cover them with row cover when a hard freeze is forecast. UGA Extension's vegetable garden calendar lists what can still be planted in each part of Georgia.

• Zones 7–8a: planting is mostly done except garlic, which can still go in early in the month. Harvest regularly and keep row cover nearby.
• Zones 8b–9: lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots and other greens can still be sown, and brassica transplants still have time to size up.
• Florida: per the UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide, central and south Florida are in their main season. Keep planting.

Pull spent summer crops. Don't compost tomato and squash plants that had disease, because a home compost pile rarely gets hot enough to kill the pathogens.

Empty beds: don't leave cleared beds bare until spring. Winter rain washes away exposed soil and weeds move in. Cover them with a few inches of shredded leaves or straw. In the milder zones, a fast-growing winter cover crop such as cereal rye sown early in the month can still establish. Either way, you will have more organic matter to work in when spring planting starts.

Bring tender plants in

Tropicals, tender perennials and many container plants won't survive a hard freeze outdoors in zones 7–8. Hibiscus, mandevilla, bougainvillea, citrus in pots, succulents and begonias are common examples. Move them before the first freeze, not the night of it:

• Check leaves, stems and the soil surface for scale, mealybugs, aphids and spider mites before plants come indoors. Rinse foliage, and treat any infestation before it spreads to houseplants.
• Give them the brightest window you have, or a cool, bright garage that stays above freezing. Expect some leaf drop as they adjust to lower light.
• Water less often over winter. Plants grow slowly indoors, and soggy potting mix leads to root rot.
• Elephant ears, cannas, caladiums and dahlias can be lifted after frost blackens their tops and stored dry and frost-free. In zones 8b–9, many of them survive in the ground under mulch.

Leaves: compost them, don't bag them

This is the peak leaf month across much of the region. Alabama Extension recommends recycling leaves on site:

• Mow them into the lawn. Thin layers chopped by the mower break down quickly and don't harm turf.
• Compost them. Mix dry, carbon-rich leaves with green material such as kitchen scraps or grass clippings, and keep the pile moist.
• Use them as mulch. Shredded leaves make a good winter mulch on vegetable beds and under shrubs.

Rake up fallen leaves from roses that had black spot, and from fruit trees with leaf diseases, rather than leaving them in place. Those leaves carry spores through the winter.

Lawns in November

Warm-season lawns are dormant or nearly so. Don't fertilize bermuda, zoysia, centipede or St. Augustine until they green up in spring. The Clemson HGIC winterizing-lawns fact sheet explains why late nitrogen does more harm than good on these grasses. NC State Extension's fall lawn do's and don'ts also emphasizes keeping leaves from smothering turf.

• Tall fescue: per NC State's tall fescue maintenance calendar, November is one of the two main fall feedings for fescue lawns. Follow your soil test and the product label.
• Ryegrass overseeding: mow it once it is actively growing. Don't fertilize the underlying warm-season grass.
• Winter weeds: if you skipped the fall preemergence, note where henbit, chickweed and annual bluegrass appear and plan to deal with them.

Planting trees, shrubs and bulbs

November is still prime planting time for trees and shrubs in the Southeast. Clemson HGIC stresses fixing circling roots and planting at the right depth. Fall-planted shrubs and trees have months to grow roots before summer heat.

• Plant daffodils and other spring bulbs now that the soil has cooled. Per Clemson HGIC, the planting window runs through December.
• Tulips that have finished their pre-chill can go in late this month or in December in zones 8–9.
• Keep planting pansies and violas, and keep them watered during dry spells. NC State Extension notes that well-rooted pansies come through winter cold far better than late-planted ones.

Fall-planted trees and shrubs still need water. Rain often falls short in late fall, and plants with small root balls dry out quickly. Check the original root ball, not just the surrounding soil, and water deeply when it is dry. Spread 2–3 inches of mulch over the root zone, pulled back a few inches from trunks and stems.

Pruning and cleanup: do less

Late fall pruning can trigger growth that the first freeze kills. NC State Extension puts most structural pruning in late winter. Crape myrtles, roses and fruit trees all wait until then. For now:

• Remove dead, diseased or broken branches whenever you see them.
• Let perennials with seed heads stand for birds and winter interest if you like. Cut back diseased foliage, such as peonies with leaf blight.
• Clean, sharpen and oil pruners and shovels before the late-winter pruning season.
• Drain hoses and protect exposed backflow preventers and irrigation lines in the upper zones before hard freezes.

Soil tests: if you didn't test in October, November still works. Clemson Extension recommends fall sampling because lime needs months to adjust pH before spring planting. Take a dozen or so small cores from each area, mix them in a clean bucket, and send one sample per area: lawn, vegetable garden, shrub beds.

Winter vegetable watering: cool weather slows evaporation, but dry fall spells still stress shallow-rooted greens and onions. Keep the soil evenly moist under the mulch, and water in the morning so leaves dry before a cold night.

Common mistakes

Frequently asked

What temperature should I cover my plants at?

It depends on the plant. Frost-tender tropicals and summer vegetables need protection whenever frost is forecast. Hardy greens such as collards and kale handle light frosts without help. Cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast, and drape the cover all the way to the ground.

Can I still plant garlic in November?

In zones 7b–9, early November is still within the usual window. Plant cloves pointed end up and mulch with straw. Softneck types suit the mildest areas best.

Should I cut back my perennials in November?

It is optional. Diseased foliage should come off. Many gardeners leave healthy stems and seed heads for birds and cut them back in late winter before new growth starts.

Sources

1. This Month in Your Garden – November 2024, Clemson HGIC
2. Cold weather expected: Should I cover my plants?, UF/IFAS
3. Preparing the Landscape for Cold Weather, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
4. Protect plants from frost, UGA Extension
5. Recycling Leaves, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
6. Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar, NC State Extension
7. Winterizing Lawns, Clemson HGIC
8. Alabama Gardener's Calendar: November, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

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