1. November is an excellent time to sow green manure or cover crops for enriching the soil for next year’s vegetable planting. Amy Goldman Fowler, author of books on tomatoes, squash, and melons, and considered by some to be the pre-eminent vegetable gardener in the United States, prepares for spring planting each fall solely by planting a cover crop. She plants winter rye, a deep-rooted annual grass with allelopathic qualities. Allelopathy refers to the ability of one plant to prevent the growth of another. Sunflowers have this quality and you may have noticed that under a bird feeder that contains sunflower seeds where some of them have spilled onto the ground, no plants can grow. Where walnut trees were cut down but their roots remained in the ground, solanaceous crops such as tomatoes and potatoes will not grow. In the case of winter rye, tilling it into the earth prevents the germination of weed seeds. As is the case with cover crops generally, such tilling or otherwise incorporating winter rye into the soil is best done as soon as it flowers. Many other cover crops are appropriate for planting in November, including clovers, fava beans, peas, and hairy vetch. Winter rye (Secale cereale), an annual, is not the same as perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne); this latter species is typically seeded over lawns – especially Bermuda grass lawns – that go dormant at this time of year. Annual rye (Lolium multiflorum) is also sometimes used for overseeding lawns but stains adjacent hardscape, tends to become matted down, and easily clogs up mowers. Last but not least, lady phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) is a California native annual with lilac flowers that is highly desirable both as a cover crop and as a magnet to pollinators if you just let it bloom and adorn your yard. You can obtain seeds for this and the other cover crops mentioned above at outsidepride.com.
2. Pinky muhly grass or hairy awn muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is one of the most stunning ornamental grasses. It is flowering now in pink and will continue to do so through December. In the manner of perennials of every sort, it is recommended for fall planting. Although not a California native, pink muhly grass requires a bare minimum of irrigation, grows in every kind of soil, and is non-invasive. It will grow in either full or partial sun exposures. When its flowers fade, harvest its seeds for sowing in other parts of the garden. Similar to ornamental grasses of every sort, once it enters dormancy you may cut it back to a height of six inches and refrain from watering until it starts to grow again in the spring. Order pink muhly grass for delivery from Annie’s Annuals (anniesannuals.com) or special order it from any retail nursery supplied by San Marcos Growers (smgrowers.com).
3. Most varieties of oranges and mandarins (which include tangerines, tangelos, and clementines) begin to ripen in November. How do you know when these fruits are ready to eat? First of all, the rind must change color from green to orange. Next, the fruit must reach a certain size before it’s fully ripe. In the tropics, by the way, oranges and mandarins are harvested when still mostly green. The reason for this is that cool nights, lacking in the tropics, are required for citrus rinds to turn orange. Yet even color and size do not necessarily indicate ripeness – or flavor to your liking – so the only way to ascertain if the fruit is ready to eat is to pick and taste one. Additionally, what’s sweet enough for one person may not be sweet enough for another. Keep in mind that citrus fruits are not “climacteric,” meaning their maturation, in terms of taste and texture, ends the moment they are picked; unlike avocadoes or tomatoes, they do not ripen further on the kitchen counter. Moreover, citrus fruit should be placed in the refrigerator as soon as it’s picked (or brought home from the market) to prevent a decline in juiciness.
4. The fragrant flowers of loquat trees are currently blooming and, like all fruit trees excepting citrus, avocado, and other tropicals, loquat trees can be planted in the fall. Loquat is a Chinese word that means “rush orange,” referring to the tree’s capacity to grow in the same marshy ground where rush plants are found, while orange refers to its color alone since, botanically speaking, a loquat has no kinship to orange or citrus trees. (Kumquat, incidentally, means “little orange” and is a type of citrus.) Loquat, which develops into a 20-foot tall, symmetrically domed specimen when given lots of sun, is one of the toughest trees you can grow. It accepts soil that is wet or dry and can live through the hottest weather with no more than a single soaking per week, its drought tolerance facilitated by rough and fuzzy textured leaves. Loquat fruit, whose skin and pulp are similar to that of an apricot, is attractive to birds that excrete its easily germinated seeds so that you may someday find a loquat tree growing in your garden. The fruit of these volunteer trees is of variable taste, but named loquat varieties with sweet fruit may be found in select nurseries such as Papaya Tree Nursery in Granada Hills (papyatreenursery.com) and Paradise Nursery in Chatsworth (paradisenursery.com). Loquat trees live to around 20 years and exhibit alternate bearing, meaning they produce a heavy crop one year followed by little to no fruit the next.
Related Articles
35 gardening terms everyone should know
Master Gardener: What you can expect when planting fruit trees
Why every vegetable gardener should have this book
Fighting frost and fungus: 5 things to do in the garden this week
Why fall is the best time to prep garden soil for new plants
5. Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida), which is blooming now, is the most undervalued woody perennial for the fall garden. It is also the most cold-tolerant, thriving anywhere in Southern California with well-drained soil, including Big Bear. It grows in the shade and is covered with perfect white, salmon, or pink flowers, slightly resembling daisies but with a porcelain glow, while Its leaves appear to have been cut from a grapevine. With thin stems that rise up informally and nodding flower clusters that appear as if suspended in mid-air, Japanese anemone is the definition of botanical beauty. Moreover, it has a clumping growth habit that allows it to spread throughout shady garden spots. Japanese anemone has one shortcoming; after planting, it may require two years to settle in and bloom, although it will then flower dependably each fall for decades to come. It may be propagated by division of its fibrous roots or by root cuttings. This plant is not to be confused with the poppy-flowered anemone (Anemone coronaria) that grows from tubers and blooms in red, blue, or white with intricately divided leaves.
Please send questions, comments, and photos to joshua@perfectplants.com