Wichita gardener’s almanac for Nov. 14

Rose care – To give hybrid tea roses the best chance of surviving a cold winter, they need some protection. Mound soil or compost 8 to 10 inches high around the plants by around Thanksgiving, Ward Upham of K-State writes in the Horticulture 2015 newsletter. Then, after the ground has frozen, add a 4-inch layer of straw, leaves or hay; you can add more soil on top of the mulch to hold it in place, Upham says.

If canes are very tall, cut them to a height of 36 inches and tie them together to keep them from being whipped in the wind, he says.

In the spring, after the ground thaws but before new growth starts, remove the coverings, Upham says. The roots won’t be able to provide water to the tops until the ground thaws.

Fertilize peonies – If you haven’t cut peonies to the ground yet, do so now, Upham advises. Fertilize them after cutting back and again in the spring shortly before new growth appears. Apply 3 to 4 tablespoons of a 1-1-1 fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 per plant, and put it in a band 8 to 18 inches away from the center of the plant, careful not to put it on the center where the eyes could be damaged, Upham says. If you’ve had a soil test that shows there’s enough phosphorus and potassium, use a lawn fertilizer such as a 29-5-4 or 27-3-3, but only at the rate of 1 to 1.5 tablespoons per plant. Water the fertilizer in.

Herbaceous peonies only need a winter mulch in the first winter after they’ve been planted; apply about 2 inches after the ground freezes, not using leaves, because they will mat together, Upham says. Remove the covering before growth begins in the spring.

Tree peonies should not be cut back but should be fertilized at the rate of 1 teaspoon per square foot. They also benefit from a light mulch, Upham says.

Moistening the compost – If you’re making a compost pile with leaves, and other organic matter, remember to add water so that bacteria and fungi will break down the raw material, Upham says. He recommends using a sprinkler to soak through the pile to the center and then allowing it to drain. You want the pile to stay moist but not waterlogged. The edges dry out more quickly and may need a sprinkling occasionally, Upham says.

Prep for peas – It’s so encouraging to be able to do things now to prepare for the earliest possible planting in spring. Peas grow at about the lowest temperature of any vegetable – 40 degrees, Upham says. (Lettuce sprouts at a lower temperature but doesn’t actually grow well until the soil reaches 45 degrees, he says.) So if you get the soil ready now, you can plant peas early even if the soil is wet in the spring, Upham says. Put this on the calendar: Once the soil temp reaches 40, sprinkle the seeds on the soil and push them in with your finger, Upham says. Rabbits and deer will probably go after the new plants, so plan to protect them, he adds.

Speaking of rabbits – Rabbits don’t only do damage in the spring. You can protect newly planted trees and shrubs from winter nibbling by putting on them a cylinder of 1-inch mesh or chicken wire at least 2 feet tall, Upham says. Other options are a plastic tree wrap and a spray of liquid rabbit repellent, he says.

Garden events

Program on antiques/Project Beauty lunch – John Boldenow, retired director of the Wichita Center for the Arts, will speak at a Project Beauty luncheon on Nov. 19 about antique appraisals and how to preserve an antique’s value. The lunch will be at 12:30 p.m. at Scotch & Sirloin, 5325 E Kellogg (west door). The cost of lunch is $17. Make a reservation by sending a check to Jean Wellshear, 6411 Marjorie, 67206, by Monday.

Holiday porch pots lecture – Botanica’s last lunchtime lecture of the year will be Wednesday, when Karen Hull of Johnson’s Garden Center will show how to make arrangements in pots for the holidays using fresh greens, pine cones, berries and bows. The lunchtime lecture, at 12:15, is included in Botanica admission. Syl’s will have lunch for sale from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for $8.

Botanica’s holiday-lights event, Illuminations, will run nightly from 5:30 to 8:30 Nov. 27 through Dec. 31.

African violet potting – The African Violet Study Club will meet at 1 p.m. Friday at Botanica. Violet leaves with potting instructions will be free to guests who attend. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Annie Calovich

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 10:41 PM with the headline "Wichita gardener’s almanac for Nov. 14."