November Jobs For The Garden

November last year was wet and windy with frosts in the second half of the month and the met office seems to be predicting the same this year with temperatures around normal. So it looks like the frost will be arriving well before the end of the month.  Good gardening days are few and far between this month so take advantage of any late sun and get out in the fresh air. Although most of the summer’s flower power has gone now there are beautiful colours to see in the shades of the leaves and the richness of berries such as hollies, firethorns, roses and cotoneasters. Cut a few sprigs for indoors – mixed with dried grasses and ivy, common or garden rosehips look wonderful on a kitchen table.

The main emphasis this month is tidying the garden and protecting your “not so hardy” plants from the effects of the approaching cold and wet. Below, you’ll find a few reminders of other jobs you can do in November

Roses

Soak the roots for an hour or so in water and with secateurs reduce the height of the stems by about 30%.  Dig a hole wide with a spade enough so that the roots can spread and the graft union (the lumpy bit) is 2.5cm beneath the surface. Backfill with soil and firm in. To give your roses a tremendous boost throughout their lives, sprinkle granules of Micorrhizal Fungi onto the roots prior to planting. This natural product helps the plant to extract water and nutrients from the soil.

Tulip bulbs

November is the ideal time to plant tulips; the colder weather of this later planting helps prevent viral and fungal diseases that can be passed from the soil.  There are so many tulips to choose from and with careful planning you could have varieties blooming from early March to late May. As a general rule, plant the bulbs (pointy side up) at a depth of at least twice the height of the bulb, keep weed free and that’s it; and in Spring, enjoy the fruits of “not very much” labour.

Hardwood cuttings

At this time of year, when shrubs are going into their winter dormancy, it is so easy to take cuttings to propagate your favourites at no cost at all. No special equipment is needed and you really just let nature take its course. Choose young, vigorous growth and, depending on the size of the shrub, cut a length of shoot between 30-100cm. Push these rods into prepared soil and leave, and in spring new growth should appear. Flowering currants and roses are easy subjects to try.

Greenhouse and cold frame maintenance

Greenhouses and cold frames would benefit from a good clean inside and out. With the low light levels at this time of year any dull glass will cut out the light even more. Remove any mould or algae growing on the glass using a propriety brand of greenhouse cleaner or Jeyes fluid. Disinfect all staging equipment and to save time in the spring scrupulously clean and disinfect your plant pots. Clean out the guttering and check for leaks and finally give the glass a good visual inspection for any damage.

Let Jack Frost do the digging

Fork over any bare patches in the garden and leave as clods. For ease on your back, use a border fork instead of a spade and you don’t even have to dig to the depth of the fork. The freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw action throughout the winter breaks up the loam in a natural way leaving you only to “tickle” the soil in the spring. The added benefit of digging in November is by turning over the borders you expose many grubs and beetles, the perfect food for birds, your garden allies.

Finally, make a coffee, put your feet up and plan your garden for next year. Now is the time to peruse seed catalogues and surf the web for new ideas and trends. Visit us at Birstall and view our fantastic range of products.

Published November 11th, 2014 by Jordan. Article ref 3306

Tags: frost, greenhouse, tulips

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