Tips for your Garden in November

as recommended by Charla Anthony

Cool season crops are growing in earnest this month, but there is still time to add a few more things to the vegetable garden. Keep a close eye on weather predications and be ready to cover new or baby plants in the event of a freeze. Use lightweight blankets, a cardboard box or frost cloth that is made specifically for this purpose. Here are some other garden activities for the month.

Things to plant:

• Seeds of arugula, carrots, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, turnip and radish.
• Small plants of broccoli, kohlrabi, strawberry and Swiss chard. Also dill, fennel, oregano and parsley.

Things to harvest:

• Green beans, peppers, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillo and winter squash. Also, pears, pecans, persimmons  and pomegranates.

“Every holiday at the Bonarrigo family includes pecan pie and biscotti. The Vintage House Restaurant at Messina Hof Winery makes delicious pecan biscotti. My favorite snack is freshly shelled pecan halves dipped in Messina Hof Port Fudge.” – Merrill

Pecans

The frost is on the pumpkin as the saying goes and pecans are on the ground! It must be November in Texas as more nuts of our state tree – the pecan – are harvested this month, than any other time. No wonder that pecan pies are the dessert of choice at many Texas’ Thanksgiving tables.

Plant:                     November to March

Light:                      8 hours of full sun

Water:                   Depends on size of the tree

Soil needs:           Well-drained sandy or sandy loam that is deep

Fertilization:      Moderate

While they make a nice, large shade tree, pecans require cross-pollination with a different variety to produce nuts. Our native pecan tree produces a small, but flavorful nut, while the improved varieties planted in orchards yield much larger ones. Trees may be planted bare-root while dormant and containerized plants can be planted year round, but are best planted in the fall. Trees should be planted 50 feet apart. If you have the space and are interested in significant crop production, contact your local Extension office for more information. Otherwise, enjoy a nice native pecan tree to shade your yard.

Charla Anthony is a retired Brazos County horticulturist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in Bryan, Texas. Find local gardening information at brazosmg.com.