November in the Garden: Essential Tasks and Tips
As November rolls in, the days get shorter, often leaving gardeners limited daylight to tend to their spaces. The crisp, colder weather also sets in, bringing frosty mornings and an ever-changing landscape as the last hardy blooms of late summer fade. Though the chill can make gardening less inviting, it also brings a stunning display of clear, blue mornings and misty evenings.
Winter Preparations
November signals the start of winter preparation in earnest. As temperatures drop, protecting your plants and ensuring your garden is ready for the colder months is crucial. Cover any tender plants with fleece, bring delicate bulbs indoors, and ensure vegetable plants are shielded from the cold. Although there may be few ideal gardening days, every moment of good weather offers a chance to complete essential tasks.
Layering up in warm, comfortable clothing can make the cold more bearable—cozy hats and thick socks go a long way in encouraging a productive day outdoors.
Key November Gardening Tasks
Fruit & Vegetable Garden
1. Harvesting: Root vegetables like turnips, beets, swedes, leeks, winter cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, and hardy carrots can remain in the ground, ready for harvest as needed.
2. Support: Secure top-heavy Brussels sprout plants to guard against wind damage.
3. Clear Out Other Veggies: By now, most other vegetables should be fully harvested.
4. Planting: Sow cold-hardy varieties of broad beans (e.g., ‘Aguadulce’) and peas (e.g., ‘Douce Provence’) directly outdoors.
5. Soil Prep: Dry weather offers a good time to prepare next year’s vegetable beds—turn over soil, add manure, and let it rest over winter.
6. Garlic Planting: November is ideal for planting garlic cloves.
7. Frost Protection: Cover rows with frost fleece tunnels, leaving ends open for ventilation.
8. Windproofing: Set up screens or windbreaks around your vegetable patch for added winter protection.
Greenhouse Care
1. Reinforce Structures: Tighten screws and bolts to fortify the greenhouse against strong winter winds.
2. Secure Smaller Greenhouses: Ensure smaller greenhouses are anchored securely to prevent tipping.
3. Clean Pots & Trays: Clean any unused pots and trays to avoid transferring disease to next season’s crops.
4. Heating: Use paraffin heaters or add insulation to keep the greenhouse frost-free.
Plant Care
1. Take Hardwood Cuttings: Now’s the time to take cuttings from hardy, woody plants, using stems from the previous year’s growth.
2. Plant Spring Bulbs: Continue planting spring bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and snowdrops for a vibrant bloom come spring.
3. Mulching: Apply mulch around tender plants like phormiums, yuccas, and tree ferns to protect them from frost.
4. Cover Delicate Plants: Wrap treasured or frost-sensitive plants in fleece blankets.
5. Bare-Root Planting: Plant bare-root hedges, roses, and other suitable plants, provided the ground isn’t frozen.
Lawn Care
1. Avoid Frosty or Wet Lawns: Stay off your lawn when it’s wet or frosty to prevent damage.
2. Aerate: Dry weather still permits lawn aeration, promoting healthy root growth.
3. Remove Fallen Leaves: Regularly clear leaves to prevent bare patches.
General Garden Maintenance
1. Weed Control: Treat the soil beneath young beech hedges to prevent weed growth.
2. Feed the Birds: Continue feeding garden birds with sunflower seeds, suet, or fat balls.
3. Garden Planning: Take a moment to review your garden layout and consider improvements for the next year.
4. Tool Care: Clean, oil, sand, and sharpen tools before storing them for winter.
5. Create Leaf Mulch: Collect fallen leaves to create leaf mulch, a fantastic compost ingredient for rich, nutritious soil next summer.
November brings with it a unique charm in the garden. By following these tips, you’ll keep your garden in great shape, ready for a strong start in the new year. With the right winter preparations, you can enjoy your garden’s beauty throughout the colder months.