What to do during November in your garden and greenhouse.
Your monthly gardening checklists
Flowers
- Plant tulip bulbs in pots and borders, covering them with at least twice their depth of soil or compost
- Lift dahlia tubers after the first frost, clean them off and store in dry compost in a cool, frost-proof place
- Send off for seed catalogues and start planning what to grow next year
- Plant bare-root hedging, roses, trees and shrubs, before the weather turns really cold
- Clear faded sweet peas, morning glory, thunbergia and other annual climbers from their supports
- Cut down faded perennials that are looking tatty, then mulch the surrounding soil with garden compost
- Plant a Japanese maple in a pot and place in a sheltered spot in semi-shade
- Gather up and bin the fallen leaves of roses affected by blackspot, so they don't carry the disease over to next year
- Move containers of alpine plants under cover to shelter them from winter rain
- Protect plants that are borderline hardy, such as agapanthus, with a thick mulch of straw or garden compost
- Replenish gravel mulch around alpines to keep the foliage clear of damp soil, which can cause rotting
- Put stem protection guards around young trees and shrubs, if rabbits are a problem
- Sow seeds from berry-laden trees and shrubs
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Fruit and veg
- Take hardwood cuttings from healthy fruit bushes, including currants, blueberries and gooseberries
- Use cloches to protect winter peas, beans and salads, but leave the ends open as good ventilation is vital
- Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries to the ground after harvesting
- Plant garlic, shallots and onions in free-draining soil or raised beds, then cover with fleece
- Prune fruit bushes once dormant, including blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants and gooseberries
- Support top-heavy Brussels sprouts with sturdy canes, and pile earth up around the stems for extra stability
- Cut down Jerusalem artichokes, then dig up and store the tubers in a bucket of dry compost
- Put netting over cabbages, kale and other hardy brassicas to protect them from pigeons
- Plant bare-root fruit trees, bushes and canes, as long as the ground isn't too wet
- Check stored crops for signs of rot or deterioration
- Lift and pot up chicory roots to force in the dark
- Tidy up strawberry beds, cutting back old foliage and congested runners and removing any weeds
Greenhouse
- Insulate the greenhouse walls and roof with bubble polythene
- Make sure all tender plants are safely under cover and kept frost free
- Propagate perennials, including phlox, oriental poppies and verbascums, by taking root cuttings
- Sow leafy crops such as rocket into small seed trays on a warm sunny windowsill, for winter pickings
- Check greenhouse plants regularly for overwintering pests
- Scrub down greenhouse staging, glazing and the framework with disinfectant
- Water indoor pots of spring bulbs frequently so they never dry out
- Wash out all empty pots and trays and store neatly under greenhouse staging, ready for use in spring
- Bring potted herbs, such as parley and chives, indoors to continue cropping into winter
- Monitor greenhouse temperatures with a max-min thermometer and turn on heating if needed
- Avoid splashing foliage when watering, as it will dry slowly in cool weather and fungal diseases may set in
- Clear out faded tomato and cucumber plants from the greenhouse and add to the compost heap
- Give houseplants extra humidity to combat the drying effects of central heating
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Garden maintenance
- Check bonfires carefully before lighting to make sure no hedgehogs or other wildlife are sheltering inside
- Continue to mow the lawn in mild spells if the grass is still growing, but raise the height of the blades
- Collect fallen leaves and place in bin bags, then leave to decompose into leaf mould
- Look after garden wildlife as winter approaches, by providing additional food and shelter
- Move worm compost bins under cover for the winter
- Chop up any faded bedding plants, annuals and old crops, and add to the compost bin
- Start pruning free-standing apple and pear trees once dormant, to control their size and encourage fruiting
- Repair fences and trellis now they're becoming free of foliage
- Remove pond pumps and fountains to prevent ice damage when temperatures fall below freezing
- Wrap bubble polythene or hessian around pots to protect from frost damage and to insulate vulnerable plant roots
- Put waterproof covers over any garden furniture that you can't take indoors over winter
- Wrap insulating foam around outdoor taps and pipes
- Clean out and scrub bird feeders regularly to maintain hygiene
Give bird feeders a good clean
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