November In the Garden

November 7, 2026

Welcome to November—one of the quiet gardening months, when the earliest snows begin to blanket the ground and stick. When the chill breeze of Autumn strengthens and encourages us to stay indoors and the early indications of the festive holiday season start to sneak in.

Of course, anyone who’s spent any length of time in Saskatchewan knows that life carries on despite the cold and snow. At least to a certain extent.

We may have cleared the spent annuals from garden beds and stowed the tools for another season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still things to do in the garden—and inside the home.

On that note, if you haven’t already cleaned up your garden, check out October’s In the Garden blog for some pointers on cleaning up your garden, yard, and shed in preparation for winter. And a few more tasks may still remain undealt with.

If you haven’t already, clear any dead or dying annual growth.

Separate overgrown perennials, and trim extraneous stalks—except for certain plants like ornamental grasses that provide visual interest through the winter.

Mulch your garden beds. Place a 4-6 inch layer of compost, straw, wood chips, or other organic material over the trimmed crowns of perennials—but wait until it is cold enough so mice and other critters won’t overwinter along with them. For plants with stalks, rose bushes, and shrubs, ensure you allow space around the base of the plant so the soil can still breathe.

Not only does mulching help protect the plant from harsh winter conditions, but it insulates the soil from deep cold and minor thaws, deters weed growth, and prevents soil erosion during periods of high wind.

Wrap young evergreens and tender shrubs with a loose barrier of burlap, being careful not to harm the plant or wrap too tightly. This protects foliage from harsh winter conditions—heavy wind or sunscald—especially when the plant is not receiving sufficient moisture. Even plenty of direct sunlight can harm a shrub or evergreen in the winter.

This practice is especially useful for non-hardy shrubs—those bred for the harsh conditions of zone 2 or zone 3 are often fine through the depths of winter. But keep an eye on the windy spots in your yard all the same.

Furthermore, you might wrap the lowest few feet of young fruit and deciduous trees in plastic or wire mesh to prevent the bark from becoming a snack for hungry rodents and other critters in the depth of winter. This can harm or even kill a young tree.

And of course, if you haven’t already tidied up your yard, now is the time. Blow out your sprinkler lines, shut off the water lines to hoses, and winterize any gasoline-powered equipment. As much as many of us don’t care for it, the time has come to swap the mower for the blower.

Inside the home, the ecosystem of your houseplants may be facing a similar, albeit less so, process of settling in. Many houseplants face dormancy during the long winter months, with an abundance of darkness and insufficient daylight. Although they aren’t subjected to the direct cold like their outdoor cousins, houseplants follow cyclical rhythms as well.

Here are a few pointers to keep your houseplants happy and healthy through the winter.

Reduce the frequency of watering — with a reduction in daylight, houseplants photosynthesize less, requiring less energy and a lower uptake of water into the roots. Always check and be sure your plants actually need watering, otherwise you run the risk of overwatering—and the dreaded root rot.

Likewise, reduce the frequency of fertilizing. Although houseplants still need nutrients to thrive, fertilizing too often can damage the roots and leaves. During the winter, fertilize only every one to two months.

Move houseplants away from drafty, cold windows, or hot air vents. Houseplants thrive on consistency, and in most cases, that includes a consistency of temperature and humidity. Consider adding a humidifier to your houseplant space to combat the dry winter air.

Due to our short Saskatchewan days, oftentimes the brief periods of daylight aren’t long enough—or strong enough for houseplants to maintain their summer appearances. This point refers most specifically to those variegated and exotic beauties that produce unique colouring or patterns on their foliage. Most variegation comes from sufficient light, and without enough light a plant will revert, producing more green—more necessary chlorophyll—and sacrificing those unique characteristics. And let’s face it—those plants are often more expensive because of it. Consider installing a grow light for your variegated plants, or others that have a tendency to grow leggy in the absence of sufficient light.

Keep your plants’ leaves clean and dust-free. This helps them to capture light and photosynthesize, and it also ensures you catch any pest infestations before they have a chance to take hold and cause harm.

Even indoors, houseplants create their own miniature ecosystems, and it’s up to us to help in maintaining that.

Lastly, allow your houseplants this period of rest. Most won’t produce new leaves or produce foliage at the same rate as they do during the growing period. Unless there is something visually wrong (high rate of yellowing leaves, fungal growth), this isn’t a bad thing. Winter isn’t the ideal time to repot—or plant into a larger pot—unless the plant is excessively potbound and suffering as a result.

Leave the growth for spring when the plant will have an easier time of bouncing back.

In the greenhouse at Floral Acres we are preparing for the festive winter season. The store remains open year round, so be sure to stop in and take a look at the wide range of seasonal decor, great gift ideas, and beautiful tropical plants. This time of year we also have plenty of seasonal plants—miniature evergreens, holiday cactus, and more.