Jobs to do during November in your garden

A list of tasks to concentrate on in your garden this month.

As we journey through November the weather gets cooler and wetter. So, wrap up warmly and move outside to enjoy the mid-autumn colours of the leaves in-between rainy spells. Gardening jobs to do this month become less about the flowers themselves, and more about protecting your plants from the harsh winter weather that’s just around the corner.

Download your FREE November tasks cheat-sheet here

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Below are some of the main things to take care of to keep your garden ticking over this November:

• Prune Roses –

Autumn-prune your roses to reduce wind-rock. Prune by a third/half to prevent them rocking in strong winds. This will prevent water from getting in near the roots and stop the roots from coming loose in the soil.

• Plant tulips for Spring colour –

Plant into your borders or containers to a depth of at least twice the bulb’s size.

•  Plant bare-root shrubs –

You can plant roses, hedging and trees now before the weather and soil get too cold.

•  Lift Dahlias –

Clean off the soil from the tubers. Store them in a dry, cool environment, on dry soil.

• Tidy annual and perennial plants -

Once plants have faded tidy up the borders. Remove annuals that have finished flowering, and cut-back spent perennials to over-winter.

• Protect plants -

• If you haven’t already, bring tender plants under shelter to protect from frosts.
• Protect semi-hardy plants (e.g. Agapanthus) with a thick layer of mulch.
• Recycle bubblewrap by using it to insulate pots, to protect them from frost damage.

• Weed borders –

Continue to remove perennials weeds with a fork, and any remaining annual weeds with a hoe or hands.

• Mulch borders –

Reduce weeds, protect against frosts, and reduce soil loss in stormy weather. Biodegradable mulches e.g. bark chips, compost, straw and leaf mould help to lock in moisture.

• Rake leaves –

Remove leaves from borders, driveways, paths and lawns to stop pathways from getting slippery. This also allows light and airflow to your grass to prevent it from dying. Use the leaves to make leaf-mould (store in bin bags rot down).

• Greenhouse jobs to do – 

• Clean and keep clean the greenhouse. Use a disinfectant to stop the spread of disease. Keeping the glazing clean ensures maximum light levels inside.

• Make sure glasshouses and conservatories are well insulated if you are storing tender plants here over winter.
• Keep an eye on glasshouse pests. Remove by hand or use a biological control.
• Monitor temperatures inside your greenhouse. You can use a maximum-minimum thermometer. Use heating and/or ventilation as required.
• Combat dry air by increasing the relative humidity inside. Spraying the surfaces and floor early in the morning can help with this – this is known as “damping down”

• Project work –

It is a good time of year to repair fences and trellis as they are free from foliage.