Timely Tips

What to Do in November 2025
Weekly Gardening Timely Tips from
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County

Nov. 9 to 15

Perennials:To help prevent pest insects and reduce diseases overwintering in the perennial garden, remove and bury or discard diseased or insect infested plants. (Leave some leaves and healthy plant stems as shelter for beneficials.) Add other debris from healthy plants to a compost pile. Shred it for faster decomposition.

Flowers: Some cold hardy annuals may still be winding down in warm, protected areas. Others may have interesting seedheads or persistent foliage. Dig up canna lilies, dahlias, gladiolus and tuberous begonias after foliage has died back, discarding damaged tubers. Label them carefully. For information on providing proper storage conditions, contact your local Cooperative Extension for advice.

Fruits and Vegetables: You can protect arugula, kale, spinach and other cool-season crops from freezing with a cold frame, plastic sheeting held on supports above the plants. You can also add a floating row cover, which is fabric sheeting that traps less heat than heavier materials. Make sure the cold frame or plastic has venting so that the plants don’t get too hot on sunny days. Clean up fruit around trees by removing or deeply burying any remaining fallen fruit.

Trees and Shrubs: To protect broad-leaf evergreens (azaleas, boxwood, holly, inkberry, rhododendron, etc.) from harsh winter winds, consider a burlap screen that blocks harsh wind while allowing air to circulate. Shrubs newly planted this season are especially at risk of moisture loss over winter, and the damage may not become obvious until the next growing season when it is too late for corrective measures. Put stakes for the screen in place before the ground freezes.

Lawns: Keep up with the leaves and continue to mow as needed.

Houseplants: The placement of houseplants indoors is key to their success. Move plants away from radiators, open doors and windows. Never expose plants to a draft, or put them close to, or on a heat source.

General: Once garden plants die back, it's easier to see some weeds that tend to stay green all year. Keep an eye out for perennial and biennial types such as curly dock and garlic mustard, and winter annuals such as bittercress, chickweed and speedwell. Removing persistent weeds now can help to lighten the load next season.
Continue to look for and destroy spotted lanternfly egg masses on many outdoor surfaces. For more information on spotted lanternfly, and how to deal with this invasive pest, seehttps://westchester.cce.cornell.edu/horticulture-environment/invasive-nuisance-species/invasive-pests/spotted-lanternfly

Last updated November 9, 2025