Gardening Tips for November

November may bring colder weather and snowflakes, but it also brings with it a few simple garden maintenance tasks that can help prepare your gardens for the winter.

Check out a few of the suggested garden tasks from the University of Nebraska Lincoln's Extension office in Lancaster County and make sure you have all of your garden needs squared away before winter sets in.

*After the ground freezes, mulch small fruit plants such as strawberries. One inch of straw or leaves is ideal for strawberries. Small branches may be used to keep mulch in place.

*Remove all mummified fruit from fruit trees and rake up and destroy those on the ground. Also, rake and dispose of apple and cherry leaves. Good sanitation practices reduce reinfestation of insects and diseases the following season.

*Clean power tools of all plant material and dirt. Replace worn spark plugs, oil all necessary parts, and sharpen blades. Store all tools in their proper place indoors, never outdoors where they will rust over the winter.

*Clean and fix all hand tools. Repaint handles or identification marks that have faded over the summer. Sharpen all blades and remove any rust.

*Order seed catalogs now for garden planning in January. For variety, consider companies that specialize in old and rare varieties or wild flowers.

*Bring out the bird feeders and stock them with bird seed for the birds. Remember to provide fresh water for them too.

(For more November gardening tips, go to the UNL extension office in Lancaster County page)