It may seem that there is nothing to do in the garden in November but you might be surprised by what you can achieve and what still needs to be done. Now that the clocks have gone back and frosts are likely to be a near permanent feature for a while and it may seem to be a little uninviting out there but don't be put off.
What flower jobs can I do in November?
If you have any spring-flowering bulbs still to be planted then you should get them in the ground or containers this month. Tulips, unlike daffodils, do not root until the weather turns colder. Originating from the mountain slopes of Turkey, they would experience cold winters, wet springs and roasting hot summers so, if we can get as close to these conditions as we can, our tulips should thrive.
So, November is the ideal time to plant tulip bulbs. They do best in well-drained soil and in full sun. Plant them deep – with 10-15cm of soil above the top of the bulb.
Gladiolus corms can now be lifted ready for drying and storing for next year. Carefully fork them out of the ground removing all soil from round them before cutting off the dying stems about 5cm above the top of the corms. Dry them in trays in the greenhouse or shed before removing the final piece of stem and storing the corms somewhere dry cool but frost-free until the time comes to plant them again next spring.
Your beds and borders should not be ignored. They can now be given an autumn tidy up removing leaves and other debris. Falling leaves from trees are best swept up from lawns and borders as soon as possible to help prevent the build-up of pests and diseases. These leaves can be put into bags such as empty compost sacks or even black binbags. When full, spike them liberally with a fork and put them somewhere out of the way for a year or so after which they should have magically transformed into rich, crumbly leafmould which makes a very good soil improver.
Any remaining annuals in your garden can now go onto the compost heap and your perennials should be trimmed back to roughly half their full height. Any supports which were helping with your taller plants can now be removed and stored in the shed until next summer.
Winter and spring bedding plants such as polyanthus, pansy, bellis (double daisy) and forget-me-nots can now be planted out to the garden or to patio pots and containers. They should be hardy and come through even tough winters relatively unscathed to provide us with some welcome early colour in the weeks and months ahead.
There is still just time to lift, divide and re-plant Iris reticulata before they start to flower again in late winter and early spring. They do best in full sun or partial shade and are also well suited to pot culture thanks to their neat, compact habit.
Before winter really arrives (despite what we think is cold now - there will be more to come!), it is time to protect your most tender plants and you can do this by wrapping the base of the plants with plastic bubble-wrap, fleece or hessian sacking - taking care to protect the stems well. Alternatively, if you have these, move the pots into a greenhouse or outhouse. Most of these tender plants will require only minimal watering in the months ahead as they pass into their dormant stage.
If you have any Begonia semperflorens still flowering in the garden and, in our experience they often flower into November in mild autumns why not pot up one or two of the better looking plants and bring them indoors to provide you with some ‘free’ house plants for a few more weeks? They should do well on a warm windowsill.
As autumn winds increase, it is time to prune back hybrid tea and floribunda roses to at least half their height - this will prevent them becoming loose in the soil. Pruning back harder ahead of next year’s new growth can be delayed until February or March.
In recent years, it has become quite trendy to leave the skeletal forms of herbaceous perennials in place as they can sometimes look good when frosted however, never feel guilty if you like to have your garden ‘put to bed’ by the end of the year and want to cut them down to ground level during November!
Jobs in the vegetable garden in November
Pigeons can often be a nuisance on brassicas at this time of year stripping the leaves and leaving the plants struggling to survive. A netting or fleece cover should help to protect your winter crops from these damaging marauders.
Check that Brussels sprout plants are still firm in the ground. If they are becoming loose, use your heel to firm them back into the soil as this will prevent them being blown over by the autumn winds. Pick up any leaves they have shed to prevent them harbouring any pests or diseases.
When conditions allow start digging over any fallow sections of the vegetable plot or allotment. If you can incorporate well-rotted farmyard manure or home-made compost so much the better as this will improve the fertility and structure of your soil. Now is the time to be clearing runner bean plants from the vegetable plot but why not just cut off the stalks at ground level leaving their roots in the ground? These provide a good source of nitrogen which will be of benefit to subsequent crops planted in the ground.
Keep a close eye on maincrop carrots and swede that are still to be harvested. If colder weather is threatened then they may benefit from a mulch of compost or straw to protect them. Alternatively lift them and, if you have the space, store them in boxes of dry sand until required later in the season.
If your parsley is still looking green and healthy in the garden, cover it with fleece or a cloche to keep it going for as long as possible. With a little luck you should be able to keep a supply going through the winter and into next spring. Copped finely it makes a great addition to home-made vegetable soup using leeks, potatoes, carrots, swede and parsnip plus a stock cube or two.
If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse, tomato, aubergine and pepper plants can now be cleared out and composted along with the contents of any growing bags. If the greenhouse is now empty this is the ideal time to clean the panes inside and out and to give it a thorough clean to ensure it is as clean as possible for your next crops. Seed trays and pots will also benefit from similar treatment if you can find the time.
Staying in the greenhouse there is a still time to make sowings of salad leaves in troughs or other containers. Sow the seed thinly and in just a few weeks you will be cutting tender ‘baby leaves’ for early winter salads. Most are suitable for ‘cut and come again’ to give you more than one harvest. Rocket, winter lettuce and mizuna are just some of the leaves you can sow.
If you don't have a greenhouse, why not make sowings of salad leaves such as mixed lettuce or rocket in half-size seed trays and grow them indoors? Placed on the kitchen windowsill they will provide plenty of baby leaves for winter salads, sandwiches or simply as an attractive garnish to other dishes. It is also worth sowing a pot or two of basil to grow alongside the leaves if you love its Mediterranean flavour in your dishes through the autumn. Even the very young leaves have that characteristic smell and taste!
Jobs in the fruit garden in November
November is usually a good month in which to plant bare-root fruit trees. The soil is not yet hard and still retains some warmth giving roots a chance to get established before winter really begins. So, if you have always wanted to create an orchard in your garden or wish to expand the number of trees you already have then now is the time to think about what you would like to plant.
Established fruit trees will benefit from an autumn mulch with well rotted organic matter. This will not only help the soil to retain moisture and suppress weeds but it will be drawn down into the soil to enrich it as autumn progresses into winter.
Trim out dead wood on summer fruiting raspberry canes if you have not already done so and either add the canes to the bonfire or chop into a compost heap for slow decomposition. As the first hard frosts come in November you will find your autumn fruiting raspberries will suddenly stop fruiting and so keep on picking until this happens as they will not keep on fruiting forever!
Fancy growing some melt-in-the-mouth juicy raspberries next summer? We start despatch our top-quality canes this month as it is now also the perfect time to plant new soft fruits such as raspberry canes, gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants or lift and divide (or lift and donate to friends!) any canes that have run out of their beds to help keep them in check.
Remember you will need strong posts at either end of the row with thick wire running between them at regular intervals. The canes can then be tied on to the wires as they grow next spring. When planting the canes spread the roots out carefully and plant at the same depth as the soil mark on the stems.
