B. Rosie Lerner
Purdue Extension









HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

As houseplant growth slows, apply less fertilizer and water.




YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

Water landscape plants if rainfall continues to be scarce. Apply approximately 1 inch of water every 7-10 days where possible. Mulch to conserve moisture.

Prevent rabbit and rodent feeding damage by erecting physical barriers, such as metal mesh (one-quarter-inch) hardware cloth. Pull mulch a few inches away from the trunk, as the mulch provides a warm winter home for rodents. Chemical repellents also are available, but their effectiveness is temporary and not foolproof.

Prevent frost cracking (or sunscald) by wrapping trunks with commercial tree wrap or painting the south- and southwest-facing sides of the trunk with white latex outdoor paint. Young, thin-barked trees, such as maples and many fruit trees, are especially susceptible. Be sure to remove the tree wrap by early spring to prevent overheating of the bark.

Remove dead, diseased or damaged branches.


If you are planning to order a "live" Christmas tree, prepare its planting hole before the soil freezes. Mulch the area heavily to prevent freezing, or dig the hole and put fill in a protected, nonfreezing area, such as a garage or basement.



An early November application of fertilizer can help boost early spring recovery. If rainfall returns, or if irrigation is available, apply one-half to 1 pound actual nitrogen, in either water-soluble or slow-release form, per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Use only slow-release formulations on dry, non-irrigated lawns.

GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits)

Water perennial plants if rainfall continues to be scarce. Apply approximately one inch of water every 7-10 days where possible. Mulch to conserve moisture.

If frost hasn't taken your garden yet, continue harvesting.

Harvest mature, green tomatoes before frost and ripen indoors in the dark. Store at 55-70 F; the warmer the temperatures, the faster they ripen.

Harvest root crops and store in a cold (32 F), humid location. Use perforated plastic bags as an easy way to increase humidity.

Remove plant debris, both crop and weed, from the garden and discard or compost. This will help reduce the carryover of diseases, insects and weeds to next year's garden.

Fall tilling, except in erosion-prone areas, helps improve soil structure and usually leads to soils warming and drying faster in the spring, thus allowing crops to be planted earlier.

Apply mulch to strawberries to prevent winter injury or death to their crowns. Wait until temperatures have hit 20 F to be sure plants are dormant. If mulch is applied too soon, the plant's crown can rot.

Dig and store tender flowering bulbs and keep in a protected location.

Complete planting of spring-flowering bulbs.


Writer: B. Rosie Lerner
Editor: Olivia Maddox