This is one of the busiest moments in the gardening calendar and making an effort now can make a huge difference next year
A gardening expert has shared top tips for tasks to get done this November, saying it’s one of the busiest times in the horticultural calendar(Image: SCU)
A gardening expert has shared six essential tasks to do outside this November. These include tips for lawns, hedges, and shrubs, as well as information on which seeds and bulbs can be planted now, along with the pests and diseases to look out for.
Helena Jones said: “As winter edges ever nearer, you could be forgiven for thinking your garden will be making fewer demands on your time. In fact, this is one of the busiest moments in the gardening calendar.
“November is the perfect time to tidy, prune, move, and inspect existing plants, as well as plant and propagate new ones. Putting in time and effort now can make a big difference to your garden next year.” Helena’s top tasks to complete this month are listed below.
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1. Get on top of lawn maintenance
Aerate the lawn before winter fully arrives: If your lawn is prone to winter waterlogging, it’s a good idea to improve drainage by aerating in the autumn. The simplest way to do this is to repeatedly spike it as deeply as possible with a garden fork, or, on a larger scale, use an aerating machine. A layer of sand brushed into the holes will help the effects last longer.
Raise the height of the lawnmower blades: If we continue to have mild autumn weather and you are still having to mow the lawn, ensure you are doing so on a higher setting than during the summer. You need the grass to be in optimum health to withstand winter, and a higher cut means more photosynthesis and deeper roots.
Lay new lawn turf on mild, dry days:- November can be a great time to lay turf as the wet weather tends to take care of irrigation, and it will have a few months to settle in before the arrival of any hot, dry weather. But avoid doing this on very wet or frosty days.
Clear up leaves and debris from lawns: While this may feel like an endless task, keeping on top of it will keep lawns free of the smothering effects of decomposing material. However, instead of completely removing the leaves, rake them from your lawn and paved areas onto your flower beds. The fallen foliage is actually a great heat insulator and will protect the soil from becoming frozen in future cold snaps this winter. Wildlife also love leaf bundles as they can use them for nesting sites.
2. Prune hedges, shrubs, and trees
You will ideally have finished your trimming by late summer, so that the resulting new growth has a chance to toughen up before winter. What you can start thinking about now is renovation, i.e., hard pruning to reduce the size of a hedge that has become too large.
This is best done during dormancy (November to March), so that the plants don’t lose too much sap from the pruning cuts. Be sure to conduct some research beforehand to determine if your hedging plant can tolerate this treatment. Beech, hawthorn, hornbeam, yew, holly, and shrubby honeysuckle all respond well to a hard prune.
Many deciduous shrubs, such as Cotinus, Forsythia, and Syringa can also be given a hard prune between November and March
3. Sow flower seeds
Sowing hardy annuals in autumn rather than spring results in larger plants, which often flower earlier. Here are some hardy annuals you can sow this month:
Ammi majus: Commonly known as bishop’s weed, Ammi Majus has delicate, lacy white flower clusters from late spring to early summer.Nigella damascena: Also known as love-in-a-mist, Nigella is prized for its intricate, airy foliage and unique, star-shaped flowers, which appear in late spring to early summer.Papaver rhoeas: This annual species of poppy is grown for its papery, solitary, bright scarlet summer flowers.Centaurea cyanus: Better known as cornflower, this annual wildflower is grown for its vivid blue flowers in late spring to early summer.4. Plant out tulips
When it comes to bulbs, there is a straightforward rule: to plant during dormancy, and spring-flowering bulbs are dormant in autumn. This means we are now at the tail-end of the spring-flowering bulb planting season, meaning you will hopefully have already put your daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, scilla, chionodoxa, fritillaries, and muscari in the ground.
The only spring bulb still left to plant by now should be your tulips. These are best left until last to avoid the airborne spores of tulip fire disease.
5. Plant bare-root shrubs and roses
These are plants which are grown in the open ground, dug up during the dormant season, and sent to customers without any soil around the roots. This method offers a more affordable alternative to pot-grown plants, and they tend to establish more quickly.
Planting bare-root out in the autumn gives the roots the best chance of establishing by ensuring they are strong enough to support stem and leaf growth in spring.
When planting bare-root plants, prepare the site by removing any weeds to allow all the water and nutrients to reach your plant directly. Then, dig a V-shaped trench with a depth that allows for comfortable root space. Make sure you leave at least 30 cm on either side to allow the plant to spread as it grows. Dip your plant roots into the fertiliser, place them into your trench, and repeat. Avoid planting out during wet or rainy weather as soil can easily become waterlogged and wind can expose and dry out roots.
For bare-root roses, extra consideration needs to be given to the planting location. Roses sometimes struggle to establish if they are planted where there has been a rose before, thought to be due to a build-up of soil-based pathogens.
The best approach is to avoid reusing a former rose spot. However, if this isn’t possible, try lining the planting hole with a cardboard box and backfilling with soil from another part of the garden. The idea is that once the cardboard rots away, the plant will be established enough to cope with any soil-dwelling foes that may be lying in wait.
6. Look out for pests and disease
Toadstools will often appear on lawns at this time of year. They tend to be harmless and will disappear with good lawn maintenance. However, if children have access to the lawn, it can be a good idea to remove toadstools.
Grey mould is a common disease that’s particularly prevalent under grass and on soft fruit. This fuzzy mould tends to be terminal, so prevention is the best defence, aided by promptly disposing of dead plant material and ensuring good ventilation.
Also, check for white rust on chrysanthemums. This is a fungal disease that causes the yellowing of leaves, the development of white pustules on the undersides of leaves, and the overall weakening of the plant. Plants tend to present these symptoms during autumn, so remove and dispose of any affected leaves, and in severe cases, destroy the entire plant.
Additionally, be aware of brown rots on dormant perennials. Once these fungal diseases take hold, there is little that can be done, and the best course of action is to dig up and dispose of the plant. You should also consider installing guards around shrubs and trees to protect them from being chewed by rabbits, squirrels, and deer.
Helena Jones is head of commercial at Hedges Direct Limited. Her detailed guide can be found here.
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