November is a great gardening month in Florida. Suggestions for what to plant in Central Florida in November follow. First, though, is some general gardening information about the season. As you learn Florida gardening tips, keep in mind that Cypress Creek Landscape Supply has the supplies needed for your Central Florida garden and landscape. Our two-acre Garden Center has the plants perfect to plant in November, fertilizers, mulch, pebbles, and anything else needed to ensure that your plants thrive.
The weather is cooler and dryer in November, which means mosquitoes and chinch bugs hardly make a showing. Many migratory birds come through the Sunshine State, which is nice, though some may be drawn to your strawberries and vegetables. Be alert for birds and watch for the bugs that don’t make themselves scarce in the fall. Autumn pests include cutworms, aphids, corn earworms, beetles, leafhoppers, mole crickets, and cabbage worms.
It’s generally recommended that insecticides and fungicides should not be used on or near food crops. At the very least, avoid using and being around toxic chemicals. Use balanced liquid fertilizers or composted manure for your annuals and vegetables and to enjoy an abundant harvest of blooms and homegrown produce.
Plants don’t need as much water as in summer, when the sun bears down hot. Turn off automatic watering systems. Judicious watering is still needed, however. Mulch can reduce the amount of watering required to keep your plants hydrated.
Keep an eye on your lawn, watching for the fungal diseases brown patch and large patch. They cause the grass to turn brown in some areas. Prevention with proper cultural practices is the best approach to keep these fungal diseases away because they are difficult to treat.
Bedding plants / annuals. It’s a great time to plant a range of fall colors. Suggested cool-season plants include viola, cape daisy, snapdragon, pansy, alyssum, and dianthus.
Bulbs. Amaryllis and daylily are among the bulbs that enjoy a cool weather start. Other flowers to plant include carnations, baby’s breath, hollyhocks, lilies, marigolds, verbenas, forget-me-nots, sweet peas, bachelor’s buttons, and pansies.
Vegetables. Cabbage, kale, beets, broccoli, lettuce, and carrot are cool-season crops. Other vegetables you may want to plant include tomatoes, cauliflower, celery, rhubarb, pumpkins, strawberries, swiss chard, turnips, Brussel sprouts, and spinach. English or snow peas in the following varieties: sugar snap, Oregon sugar pod II, green arrow, and wando.
Herbs. Most herbs do best in cool, dry weather, including thyme, sage, parsley, and cilantro. Others that you may choose to plant in your Florida garden are anise, sesame, rosemary, mint, marjoram, lavender, garlic, chives, basil, and fennel.
Knowing what to plant in November is only half of the battle. You also need to get all the supplies required to have a flourishing November garden that creates an atmosphere you love. You may want to add large pieces of pottery, wind chimes, or outdoor wood and stone furniture. The knowledgeable staff at Cypress Creek Landscape Supply is always helpful. Give us a call at (813) 933-7944 or visit our Tampa nursery and Garden Center at 12734 N. Florida Avenue.
