01 Nov
Top Tips & Advice

Your November Advice – Winter Edition

November Gardening Jobs

  1. Clear up fallen leaves – especially from lawns, ponds and beds
  2. Raise containers onto pot feet to prevent waterlogging
  3. Plant tulip bulbs for a spring display next year
  4. Prune roses to prevent wind-tock
  5. Plant out winter bedding
  6. Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem
  7. Insulate outdoor containers from frost – bubblewrap works well
  8. Stop winter moth damage to fruit trees using grease bands around the trunks
  9. Put out bird food to encourage winter birds into the garden
  10. Use a seasonal bonfire – where this is allowed – to dispose of excess debris unfit for composting. Please check for any wildlife before lighting.

Plants & Flowers

Cut leaves off Christmas type hellebores to make way for the flower.

Now is the last chance to plant out winter bedding. Flowers such as Viola, forget-me-nots, Bellis and wallflowers.

Apply an Autumn mulch to protect plants that are borderline hardy.

Tidy up leaves from around the borders and pop them in the compost pile.

Lawns

Apply an autumn feed if your grass needs a boost – do this after scarifying and aerating but before applying a top dressing.

Remove fallen leaves so they do not smother the grass.

Lay turf onto prepared soil. Avoid walking on newly laid turf – leave for several weeks to allow the roots to establish.

Mow recently sown areas of grass.

Ponds

Remove any algae reducing measures, such as straw bales or pads from the pond. Be sure to set these aside for 24 hours before composting to let the pond insects find their way back to the water.

Rake out fallen leaves and shake off any that have fallen onto any protective netting.

Any aquatic plants that are not fully hardy should be taken into the greenhouse.

Trees and Shrubs

It is an ideal time to plant roses. Be sure to avoid planting new rose shrubs where previously grown, as this can introduce replant diseases.

Protect newly planted trees, hedges and shrubs from the wind and cold by netting windbreakers.

Climbing roses should be pruned by now, these are usually done much earlier in the autumn.