Essential tasks for the garden in November: Ensure you attend to these critical jobs promptly
As the leaves begin to fall and the cooler temperatures of autumn settle in, it's time to turn our attention to the garden. November is a crucial month for gardeners, marking the start of the preparations for winter and the planning for spring. Here's a rundown of recommended gardening jobs for this transitional month.
Composting
Chop or crush spent crops and garden waste to add to your compost pile or use as mulch. If you don’t have enough homemade compost, you can supplement with bought organic compost, mixing it with your own to allow it to mature and become biologically active before use.
Sowing Crops
November is suitable for sowing some cold-tolerant crops depending on your USDA zone. You can also continue planting root crops like potatoes for a late harvest. In warmer or protected environments (greenhouses), start seeds for crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines to transplant when conditions improve.
Pruning
November is a good time to prune many perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees as they enter dormancy. Prune dead or diseased branches to prepare plants for winter and encourage healthy growth in spring. Tidying the garden by pruning and removing old growth helps reduce pests and diseases during the cold months.
Harvesting
Continue harvesting late-season vegetables and herbs as they mature. Dig up root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and potatoes before the ground freezes. Also, harvest greens while they last and remove spent plants to avoid disease spread and prepare beds for winter.
Additional Tasks
Additional November tasks include mulching perennial beds to protect roots over winter, cleaning up fallen leaves and debris to reduce fungal problems, and making notes for next year’s garden plans.
Other Gardening Tips
- Rub linseed oil into wooden handles for preservation and comfort.
- Kale can be used in various dishes, such as stews, soups, smoothies, and side dishes.
- Learn how to clean garden tools with this guide.
- Check over garden tools and ensure they are in good order.
- Remaining seed for sowing next season should be collected.
- Attend to fruit trees to help them survive winter.
- Stored crops should be checked for signs of rot and decay, and kept safe from marauding rodents.
- Produce like potatoes, pumpkins, squashes, and certain salad leaves should be harvested and either eaten or stored.
- Netting on brassicas should be checked for damage from wind and pigeons.
- Sharpen secateurs and other blades.
- Kale is in season and its flavor improves with cooler temperatures.
- Certain kale varieties offer resistance to whitefly, but leaves should still be washed before consumption.
- Enjoy the traditional experience of browsing seed catalogues.
November is also the perfect time to preserve wooden handles by rubbing them with linseed oil. Kale, which is in season and improves in flavor with cooler temperatures, can be used in a variety of dishes. It's also worth noting that certain kale varieties offer resistance to whitefly, but leaves should still be washed before consumption.
As the gardening year begins anew, take some time to browse seed catalogues, plan next year's garden, and enjoy the changing seasons. Happy gardening!
- Kale, which is in season and becomes even more flavorful as temperatures drop, can be used in a variety of dishes such as stews, soups, smoothies, and side dishes.
- To preserve wooden handles of garden tools, it's a good idea to rub linseed oil onto them for added preservation and comfort.
- While planning for next year's garden, it's essential to take advantage of the cooler temperatures of November to browse seed catalogues and make notes for the upcoming gardening season.
