November 2025 Monthly Gardening Tasks
Episode Transcript
Welcome to The Keep Growing Podcast, your go-to source for gardening tips tailored to the Mid-Ohio Valley! I’m your host, John Morgan, and today is November 1st, 2025. Before we dive into this month’s gardening tasks, a quick reminder: Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend, so don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before heading to bed tonight. I’ll be honest, folks, as someone who struggles with the winter blues, this time of year is my least favorite. Those shorter days can feel heavy, but tending to our gardens gives us a little light to hold onto, doesn’t it?
Today, we’re covering five essential gardening tasks for November to keep your garden thriving through the winter and ready for spring. So, grab a warm drink, maybe a notepad, and let’s get growing!
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Alright, let’s jump into our first task for November: removing stakes and trellises for winter storage. If you’ve got tomato cages, bean trellises, or stakes for climbing plants, now’s the time to pull them out. Here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, our winters can get wet and cold, and leaving these in the ground can lead to rust, rot, or just plain wear and tear. Clean them off—give ‘em a good scrub with a wire brush if they’re metal or a rinse if they’re wood or plastic. Store them in a dry spot like a shed or garage. Pro tip: bundle them together with twine or zip ties to keep things organized for next spring. Trust me, your future self will thank you when you’re not untangling a mess in March!
Next up, let’s talk about applying lime and fertilizer based on your soil test. If you haven’t done a soil test yet, it’s worth it. You can grab a kit from your local extension office or garden center. Here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, our soil often leans acidic, so lime can help balance the pH for better nutrient uptake next season. Once you’ve got your test results, follow the recommendations for lime and fertilizer. November’s a great time to apply these because the soil’s still workable, and the nutrients will settle in over winter. Spread evenly, and don’t overdo it—too much lime can be as bad as too little. If you’re not sure, check with the folks at the extension office; they’re always happy to help us gardeners out.
Moving on to our third task: mulching strawberries. Strawberries are a Mid-Ohio Valley favorite, but they need a little TLC to survive our chilly winters. Once we’ve had a couple of hard frosts—usually mid-to-late November around here—cover your strawberry beds with a 2- to 3-inch layer of straw or pine needles. This insulates the plants from freezing temperatures and those wild freeze-thaw cycles we get. Don’t use leaves, though; they can mat down and smother the plants. Come spring, just pull back the mulch to let those crowns breathe, and you’ll be on your way to a sweet harvest.
Our fourth task is for those of you with hardy chrysanthemums. These fall beauties are done blooming by now, so it’s time to prep them for winter. Once they’ve died back—usually after a few frosts—cut the stems down to about 2 or 3 inches above the ground. Then, cover the base with a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch, like straw or shredded bark. This protects the roots from our unpredictable Ohio Valley winters. Don’t worry about cleaning up too much; those little stubs will help you find the plants in spring when they start popping back up.
And finally, let’s not forget our indoor friends: fertilize your houseplants. With shorter days, your houseplants are slowing down, but they still need a little boost to stay healthy through winter. Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer—something like a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20—and dilute it to half strength. Feed them every 4 to 6 weeks, and make sure you’re not overwatering. Those low-light days can trick us into thinking they need more water, but most houseplants prefer to dry out a bit between waterings this time of year.
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Before we wrap up, a quick peek at our next episode. We’ll be diving into winter gardening tasks to set you up for a stellar spring. Think amending your soil with those gorgeous autumn leaves piling up in your yard and clearing out flower beds to keep things tidy. It’s all about working smarter now so you can enjoy the payoff later.
As we head into these darker days, I know the winter blues can hit hard. For me, getting out in the garden, even for a small task, feels like a little act of hope. You’re planting the seeds—pun intended—for brighter days. So, what’s your favorite November gardening task? Or maybe you’ve got a trick for beating the winter blues? Drop me a message on X or through our website, and let’s keep the conversation growing.
That’s all for this episode of *The Keep Growing Podcast*. Thanks for joining me, and don’t forget to turn those clocks back tonight! Until next time, keep growing
