This is our November guide, that suggests which gardening tasks, you should consider doing in the month of November in the UK. Winter is well on its way and any signs of growth will have vanished.
There is really not a tremendous amount of work to be done in this month of the year. Novembers can be mild in certain southern parts of the UK, but it is more likely to be a tad wet and windy.
November is however a good month to do the last tidy up of the garden.
It is also a very good month to begin soil cultivation. We explain that in more detail just below. You can still plant deciduous shrubs and trees and also herbaceous perennials.
What Gardening Tasks Should You Have in Your Plan?
There are some good general guidelines that we would like to offer for all gardeners in the month of November We have listed these below, and we do hope that you find them very useful. This is a good time to request seed catalogues, if you want to start planning what to grow for the following year.
It is also a very good time to gather up garden leaves, and do a general tidy up of your gardens and yards. Once December kicks in, it can just get too cold, and people are also busy with Christmas plans. Most November weeks are still warm enough to be able to do a little work outside.
One very good thing to do, is to insulate any outdoor containers as frost is on the way. Also if you have any pots sitting on the ground, then raise those up. You can use something like a brick or commercial pot feet to do this. Most of these are rubber pot lifters.
Don't forget to top up any bird feeders, as food is getting harder to find for small birds.
The UK Flower Garden
You can harvest parsnips just after the first frost. You can also add manure or a fertilizer to vegetable beds that will help protect them during the winter.
Planting
There are still a few options for planting, but they are pretty limited. This is a good month to plant tulip bulbs. It is also a good time, and probably the last month of the year, when you can safely plan any bare root roses, shrubs or hedges. You can also sow seeds form any shrub or tree that produces berries.
Protection
In November. most gardening tasks are really about protecting what you already have in your garden. Replace any old mulch or add to the mulch to help protect hardy border plants and shrubs.
You can also move any containers you may have to more sheltered spots, where they can get some protection from heavy rain, snow and strong winter winds.
Cutting Back
You can begin to cut down or cut back on perennials.
Clear away any annual climbers from their supports, so as they can start afresh the following year.
We would also recommend cutting back roses to about half of their height. This helps protect the rose bush from the wind. Tall rose bushes tend to move a lot in the wind, and this will loosen their roots, which you want to avoid.
The Vegetable Garden
Protect winter salads, beans and peas with some form of cloche. This can be quite tricky as you also have to make sure that these cloche coverings have very good ventilation.
You can plant shallots and onions, ideally in a raised bed, and make sure it is covered.
Use garden netting to cover winter cabbages and kale,
The Fruit Garden
November is a great month for taking cuttings of fruit bushes such as gooseberries, blueberries or any of the currant family of shrubs/trees. If you have any type of winter raspberries then once harvested, cut the well back.
This is also a very good time to tidy up any strawberry beds you may have.
You can also break up and replant rhubarb clumps.
You can also prune apple and pear trees.
November Garden Summary
As you can see there are still some good tasks that can be achieved. If you have a greenhouse, check anything you have in there for any signs of damage or disease.
Generally speaking, this is a good time to wash and clean down the greenhouse.
If you want to start or continue growth of some plants, then you will need to have some form of heating that can be adjusted and controlled.
Finally check anything that you have stored such as potatoes, vegetable and fruit.
