Gardeners Calendar for November.

 

Autumn has arrived! This is a busy time in the garden. Pruning, planting and having a good clear up is the order of the month. Vary your jobs during the day so you don’t get ‘gardener's back’. Plenty of gentle exercise without the gym fees!

Autumn is a very good time to plant evergreen shrubs, conifers and hedging. Bare root plants such as roses are available now as well. Dig the area to be planted and fork in plenty of compost. Water the plants in well to settle the compost around the roots and water regularly if conditions are dry.

Check over trees for broken branches and remove them.  Leaves, if you have any left, should be cleared up and put on the compost heap. You should also pick of any late fruit that is still hanging on.

The greenhouse need to be cleared out now, the glass cleaned and any repairs carried out. Clear any snails that might be lurking in empty pots and trays and dispose of them. Bring in any plants that need protection over winter. Heaters need to checked over and tested. If you intend to heat your greenhouse it is worth insulating it first. Bubble plastic is a inexpensive way to do this. Remember to cut around windows and vents so you can ventilate the greenhouse especially if you use paraffin heaters.

Sow sweet peas in pots. Plant spring flowering bulbs in pots or direct in the soil. Winter flowering bedding can be planted now as well. Broad beans and early peas can be sown in pots now for planting out in the spring. Peas sown now are ready to eat in May.

Perennials and herbaceous plants can be trimmed back and divided up where needed. Leave some seed bearing heads for the birds to enjoy during the winter.

Insulate pots, taps and pipework from winter frosts now. Store watering equipment away in the shed. Store any pots that are not needed away in the shed. Check the guttering on sheds, greenhouses and the house, clean and repair if needed.

A final note

As we approach November and the ‘firework season’ which seems to start earlier each year could we remind you to check over any bonfires for hedgehogs before they are lit- not just a kick on the side as this just makes them curl up! If possible store the material away from where you want to burn it and move it on the day. If you find one it is best to leave it alone, but failing that a box in a corner of the garden packed with dry leaves and grass with a hole about 7-8” wide will do. Be careful moving them- wear thick gloves or cover them with a towel, the spines can draw blood!

See you next month!

Judith