”November comes and November goes, with the last red berries and the first white snows.” — Clyde Watson

Colorado winters are exceptionally beautiful. The snow-covered peaks are visible from almost everywhere. The bright blue sky shimmers high above our heads. Gardens are resting, ever so quietly. Here in Colorado Springs the snow melts fast and the air is crisp, cool and clean. Truly, is there any greater place on Earth?

Here are some final tasks for gardeners in 2024:

Clean up

• Discard fallen, spoiled, dried fruits to reduce disease carryover to next season.

• Prune and remove dead, diseased or damaged branches from shrubs and trees.

• Remove frost-killed annuals.

• Depending on your garden “style,” leave or cut back perennial stalks 4 to 6 inches above ground. Leave ornamental grasses as they provide appreciable winter interest.

• Mow or rake fallen leaves from the lawn and garden beds. A thick accumulation of leaves is an invitation to voles and mice. Persevere with this task; it will work in your favor over the long run. The first rule in pest control is to eliminate habitat and hiding places.

Protect

• To protect flower beds, a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch is best.

• Pull back mulch several inches from the base of fruit trees to prevent bark injury from mice and other rodents.

• Colorado’s winter sun can be intense. To protect against sunscald on young thin-barked trees, purchase commercial tree wraps from your favorite local garden center and apply to the bark. Young trees most likely to be affected by sunscald are fruit trees, ash, oak, maple, linden and willow.

• Strawberries usually go dormant when nighttime temperatures dip to 20 degrees. They require 3 inches of mulch.

• Roses: In late November, after several nights of 20-degree weather, protect and insulate the graft union of hybrid, floribunda and miniature rose bushes by mounding soil around the base of the plant and adding mulch on top. Cut back tall rose canes to 24 inches to prevent winter breakage. Don’t prune climbing roses this time of year.

• Nonhardy annual bulbs, like dahlias and gladiola, should be dug up and stored in a cool, dark place.

Winter-wise

• Penstemon seeds can be scattered in mid-November. Rake lightly to mix the seeds into the ground and cover with ¼-inch soil. Water on warm days.

• Winter watering is an absolute must in our county. Newly planted trees, established trees, shrubs and perennials all benefit from extra water over the winter.

If we have long periods without moisture and days of desiccating winds you can just about count on “winter kill” without supplemental watering. Remember to water only when air and soil temperatures are above 40 egrees with no snow cover. Apply water at mid-day so it will have time to soak in before possible freezing at night.

Submit gardening questions to csumg2@elpasoco.com or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is closed for the season; questions submitted via email will be answered remotely. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners – El Paso County.

Winter is coming. (Fredricka Bogardus,

Colorado Master Gardener)