Garden Jobs for November

I honestly can not believe it is November already. November is the start of cold days, frost, and the winter tidying up in the garden. There is still so much to be getting on with, tidying from this years growth to preparing for next years flourish of flowers. A muddy but necessary time.

Garden Jobs

• Finish planting your spring flowering bulbs such as Tulips and Daffodils. I have a bucket load of Crocus left which i’m going to plant into the grass and see what happens. Watch this space.
• Now is the time to wrap up delicate plants in either horticultural fleece or bubble wrap unless they can come inside or in your green house or potting shed. I’ve brought all my plants in now as I know what will happen it will be a frosty night and ill forget to bring them in or close my greenhouse door.
• If you want to give root cuttings ago its still time to try some perennials. Check first that the plant you want to take cuttings off that it’s ok to do at this time of year and many can not be done.
• There is still a little bit of time to sow your green manures, I haven’t sewn mine yet as we’ve been too busy taking out the Leylandii and erecting a fence. Plus making a new veggie plot ready for next year.
• If you are wanting to purchase bare root perennials or shrubs or trees now is a good time. Some perennials will need to be kept inside over winter as they will not be able to withstand frosts. This is a cheaper way of purchasing your plants. If you get really good stock you can even take root cuttings from them and or split them.
• Its that time of the year when you go around the garden collecting your plant supports so you can store them over winter ready for next years use.
• Replenish your bird feeders and clean out bird houses ready for winter.
• If you have lots of leaves (that are not diseased) then you can gather them up to make excellent leaf mould. Just collect your leaves and put them into a chicken wire bucket. You can easily make one.
• Leave your ornamental grasses and some perennials for their architectural structure and seeds for birds in winter.
• Protect your outside pots from frost by covering them in bubble wrap. I try to only buy frost hardy pots, which do still crack but only after many years of frost. If you keep them on feet so they don’t sit in water that also helps. Any pots I have empty over the winter I move into the potting shed, after washing and drying.
• Stop feeding your house plants and only water lightly when needed. Most plants will now lay dormant as the light drops.
• Providing the ground isn’t frozen you can still lay turf on to prepared ground. This is a job we will probably have to do early spring as I doubt we will get a chance to do it before the big frosts.
• Take hardwood cuttings of roses and other deciduous shrubs.

Veggie Plot Jobs

• Clear all plant debris from your veggie plots, keep them tidy if your not growing winter veg or green manures.
• Are you growing winter brassicas if so don’t let the pigeons get them so cover with a net.
• Lift clumps of chives so you can have some growing inside for the winter. Established plants will be fine outside.
• Finish harvesting late maturing apples and pears. Store them in a well ventilated, frost free, dark place, some people wrap the apples individually in paper but you can just place them on an apple tray as long as they don’t touch. Any apples or pears with blemishes should be used straight away. You can cook them and pop in the freezer ready for your apple pie later on in the week.
• If you’ve always wanted to grow a grape vine then now is a good time to plant them however if you have an established plant wait until later when we’re in mid winter to prune.
• Start winter pruning of apple and pear trees after their leaves have fallen.
• Finish planting your garlic and shallots.