Garden jobs for November

It might be pretty bleak outside, but there's still lots to do in the garden. Don your best waterproofs and woollies, and get moving outside to beat the winter blues. Here are our jobs for November.

In your borders and pots

Plant tulips in pots
If you’ve been holding off on planting your tulip bulbs to avoid  now is the time to get them in the soil. Plant bulbs at least 15cm deep either in your borders or in pots. You can plant them a bit closer together in pots for a really good display. Stick them by your back door or where you can see them out of the window for some welcome colour on gloomy spring days.

Lift and store dahlias
Once frost has blackened the leaves, you might want to lift and store your dahlias. Cut back then dig up the plant, wash the soil off the tubers, then leave to dry upside down with the stem end pointing down for a couple of weeks. Once fully dry, wrap in straw or newspaper, label them, and store in a frost-free place over winter – a dry shed or garage is ideal.

You could also experiment with leaving your dahlias in the ground over winter as our climate warms up. Add a thick layer of mulch around the cut back dahlia, and cover with fleece if the temperature drops below -5 degrees. Avoid this if your garden is in a frost-prone area.

Plant up winter hanging baskets
As the garden starts to lose much of its colour, look for winter bedding plants to brighten things up during the darkest months.

Our winter flowering pansies are a guaranteed hit. Or mix it up with cyclamen, an evergreen fern and trailing ivy.

Check out our ready made hanging baskets and planters if you’ve not got time to play!

In the veg patch

Prune fruit bushes
November is the ideal time to prune your summer fruiting bushes, like blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries.

Aim to remove one third of the oldest branches, leaving the fresh new growth for next year’s fruits. Cut branches back as close to the ground as possible, taking care not to nick any of the newer ones. Older branches look woodier, paler and more brittle compared to the strong green growth of new ones.

Put pruned branches in your compost bin, or make a ‘dead hedge’ – layers of dead woody material woven together to create a hedge that’s ideal habitat for all kinds of wildlife. 

Plant onions, garlic and shallots
Get ahead with next year's harvest by planting edible allium bulbs like onions, garlic and shallots. Plant fairly shallow, with the rootbase pointing down, and a little bit of the top sticking out of the ground. Water in well, and you'll enjoy a harvest in early to mid summer.

Protect brassicas
Pigeons are getting hungry as crops get leaner, and may target your lovely cabbages, kales and Brussels without some protection. Cover crops with a fine meshed net, making sure to stretch it taut and secure firmly without any gaps, so small creatures or birds don't get trapped in it. Check the netting regularly in case you need to free anything that's got stuck.