Gardening Jobs for November

As the final autumn leaves fall from the trees, November is normally a chilly month when winter feels very much just around the corner. Tender plants will need protecting from the cold and winter weather. Move plants into the greenhouse, or into a sheltered spot, but if you can’t, it is worth wrapping plants or pots. Remember winter can be a tough time for birds, so keep water and food well topped up.

Plant Tulip bulbs

Tulips are popular bulbs, valued for their brilliant flower colours and shapes. Plant in autumn for a colourful spring show. Choose from short varieties for pots, taller stems for borders or small-bloomed species for naturalising in lawns.

Put away the lawnmower

y November, the weather should be cold enough for the lawn not to need regular cutting, although it usually needs an occasional tidy-up during winter.

Clean the underside by scraping off dried clippings and make sure the collecting bag is empty. If it's a petrol mower, drain off the fuel, as unleaded petrol doesn't store well. If it's a cordless mower, remove the battery and keep it in a frost-free place. Periodically charge it so it doesn't run flat over winter.

Mulch

s you clear summer crops on the veg patch, increase the bed’s fertility for veg by mulching with organic matter, such as garden compost or Meadow Grange Mulch. Apply a 5cm-deep layer and leave the worms to drag it into the soil.

Harvest Veg

Harvest celeriac, beetroot, and also turnips if they are large – small turnips may grow some more. In mild areas, all of these together with swedes and parsnips can stay in the ground, unless rodents are present as they may nibble them and cause damage.