November Gardening Tips 2024
I am never keen on the clocks changing, but fall back they have and autumn is well and truly with us. For me, a reason to be cheerful is that it is still planting season, even if the gardening day is cut short.
Continue to plant bulbs, especially tulips which prefer to be planted a little later. And, at danger of sounding like a very stuck record, always make sure you plant them deep enough. They do so much better ! The pack will advise or, as a rule of thumb if buying loose bulbs plant 3 times the depth of the bulb itself.
The autumn remains the best time of year to plant all hardy plants from trees and shrubs to perennials, roses and climbers. And there are often some plant bargains to be had too at this time of year.
Continue to plant bulbs, especially tulips which prefer to be planted a little later. And, at danger of sounding like a very stuck record, always make sure you plant them deep enough. They do so much better ! The pack will advise or, as a rule of thumb if buying loose bulbs plant 3 times the depth of the bulb itself.
If you have a vegetable patch, this is the traditional time to dig it and incorporate well-rotted organic matter, such as homemade compost or composted stable manure. If you are a ‘no dig’ gardener (very tempting) then you can still add a layer of organic matter and allow the rain and frost to do its job, letting all that goodness permeate into the soil ready for next year’s planting.
Fruit bushes such as gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant can be pruned now aiming to keep the centre of the bush open to allow the air to circulate and minimise disease. Apples and pears can be pruned as soon as you are sure they are dormant. Even though we have grown fruit trees at home for many years and have done courses on the subject, we always refresh ourselves by checking in in a book or online to make sure we are using the correct method for each type of fruit. When you only do something once a year or so it can be difficult to remember the detail. It is important to remove wood that has any sign of canker and bin it (don’t compost it). Take the limb back to healthy wood.
Check the plant supports for all climbing plants, and indeed trained fruit, and that tree stakes are doing their job before the winter winds set in. On a more mundane level it is a good idea to clean and put away garden furniture. Lighter chairs and tables can have a habit of migrating across the garden in exceptional winds.
For the last lawnmow of the year set the blades high. Longer grass will withstand the winter better. Then give your mower a good clean removing any grass before storing it. You may want to think about getting your mower serviced over the winter too. People who have the skills to do this are rare and valuable and they are very busy in the spring, so it is a good idea to get your mower in early.
After all that planting, digging, training, pruning and mulching do enjoy settling down in the warm with a cuppa or a glass and a good gardening book, seed catalogue or just a pen and paper – to start planning for next year’s gardening adventures.
