Gardening Tasks for November

November is a good time for contemplation. Take a good luck at your lawns. Happy with them? If not, look at an action plan for next year in terms of what needs doing and when.

There are some good companies operating nationally who will come and renovate your lawn and carry out all maintenance leaving you to do just the mowing to do!

It’s tulip planting time and there’s still time for narcissi too. Look on the packs and make sure you get planting depths right for successful flowering. You can also lift, split-up and replant bulbs of spring-flowering species if they have become overcrowded.

Planted winter/spring flowering pansies or violas? Make sure you remove faded flowers to prevent them going to seed and encourage the plants to put their energy into forming strong, healthy plants to see them through the winter.

In the vegetable garden, check the stability of tall plants like brussels sprouts and kale and if necessary firm them in by treading around the stems. ‘Wind rock’ can loosen roots and affect yields.

Hygiene in the garden is top of the list in November! Time spent now thoroughly cleaning greenhouses and frames will pay dividends next year. Don’t forget bird tables and feeders. A good clean of both will prevent any build-up of bird pests and diseases and help keep them healthy during the winter.

Lots then to do in our November garden, but on wet days get out your diary and start planning for 2022. Get those seed and plant orders in early. In the last two years the ‘boom’ in gardening has been a real problem for suppliers, becoming overwhelmed by too many gardeners leaving their orders to the spring. So be warned!

Now where did I put those catalogues?