Azaleas and Camellias
Plants of these evergreens are well budded now, so make sure they get enough water during this normally dry month. It is also an excellent time to plant azaleas, mainly because the weather is cool for strenuous work.
You can move azaleas anytime, provided they are kept watered until re-established. Camellias are not so amenable. From November through February is a good time to plant them, that is, while they are dormant or not putting out new leaf growth.
Gardeners always seem surprised that camellias can be moved in bud and flower, but that is the right time. Do not prune or feed azaleas and camellias from now through winter.
Roses
Plant roses now and space plants 3′ feet apart. In warm areas, where plants immediately grow, begin a weekly spraying program for insects and black spot.
In areas with protracted cold spells, or where temperatures frequently dip below 20° degrees Fahrenheit, mound plants with soil.
All rose varieties are not equally satisfactory in every section of the South. Still, you can generally count on All-America Rose Selections, sold with a tag bearing the symbol AARS.
Compost Pile
A compost pile makes gardening easier and, often, less expensive. Compost adds humus to the soil, and most of it costs nothing – weeds, garden clippings, and kitchen refuse.
You can make compost with leaves alone, but it has more nutritional value if you add a 2″ or 3″ inch layer of manure (fresh or dehydrated) and a liberal sprinkling of superphosphate to every foot-deep layer of leaves.
Keep the pile moist and turn it over every six weeks. By late summer, the pile will be at least half-decayed and ready for use in beds or as a mulch.
Crinums
You can transplant and separate crinums if clumps have exceeded the space you want them to occupy. But move these giant bulbs only if necessary. Cut leaves back to 6″ inches when transplanting. You may have to wait as long as four or five years to flower again, so think twice before you disturb them.
Oleanders
Prune oleanders when they have finished blooming. The sap is poisonous, so don’t get any in your mouth, and don’t use the wood for burning in a barbecue. If you want more plants, you can root cuttings during the winter.
Delphiniums
You can grow the giant Pacific hybrid delphiniums anywhere in the South, even in Florida. Of course, they are only annual in warm areas but so rewarding that you should have some. Set plants out now, adding some lime if the soil is acid.
FGR1160