Jobs for your Gardener in November

Just because the clocks have gone back and the winter nights are drawing in, it doesn’t mean that there is a lack of things to do in the garden. As well as the obvious ‘clearing up’ tasks to get the garden ready for a period of slow or no growth, there’s a multitude of preparation jobs that can be done for the coming spring, or even further ahead.

This month we’re looking at the various areas of the garden and suggesting some of the things that you could ask your gardener to take a look at. You’ll not only have some great winter interest but you’ll ensure a well-planned and beautiful start to the coming growing season.

Lawns

· Once the temperature hits about 5C, most lawns will go dormant and stop growing until the spring. Lawns can be trimmed but raise the blades on your lawnmower by a notch above summer cutting height.

· Rake as many of the autumn leaves from the grass as you can. They can look pretty but will block out the light and stop excess moisture escaping which will lead to bare or mossy patches that will need dealing with next year.

· Don’t bother with chemical lawn weed killing products now, they work better when the weeds are in growing season.

· If the ground isn’t waterlogged yet, or hardened with frost, November can be a good month to scarify, aerate and apply a top dressing. This can leave the grass looking a bit battered for a week or two so it’s better to do this now rather than in the spring and summer when you want it looking it’s best.

· You may still be able to lay a turf lawn, but it’s too late now for seed.

· Once you’re sure that the lawn has stopped growing and the winter temperatures are here to stay, give your lawn a final once over with the mower and remember to drain the fuel from the mower – unleaded petrol doesn’t keep and will cause problems when you come to start it up in the spring.

Landscaping

As a lot of the summer foliage will have died back or been cut back by now, it’s a good time to think about any landscaping or hard maintenance that you’d like your gardener to do. Climbers such as Virginia Creeper will have lost all their leaves by now potentially exposing the areas of fence that couldn’t be reached with the wood stain brush in the summer!

· Pressure wash decking or stone slabs to remove any green algae as this can get slippery in the wet and icy conditions.

· Touch up the fence in areas that were under foliage in the summer.

· Check outdoor furniture for signs of wear and tear and if you have space to let them dry under cover such as a garage, you may want to give benches a fresh coat of paint or stain. If not, it’s better to make a note of what needs addressing and do this in dryer, warmer weather.

· Any new plans for the garden layout could be discussed and put into action now. Your gardener will have less plant maintenance to keep on top of so should be able to spare the time to help with this.

Pruning, Clipping and Hibernating

Many summer perennials will have past their best and will benefit from an autumn haircut at this time. Hedges that are trimmed now should mostly hold their form until active growing starts again in the spring so it’s a good time to give them one last chop. Tender flowers such as tuber begonias and dahlias won’t survive outside in British conditions so will need storing inside over the colder months.

· Once the first frost had blackened the dahlia foliage, lift the tubers and dry out to store until they can be planted out again after the winter.

· Begonias can be treated the same way, using the dahlias as an indication that the time is right.

· Any deciduous trees or shrubs can be pruned and trimmed back now whilst they are dormant.

· Any spring hard pruning shrubs such as Buddleja can be trimmed by half to prevent wind damage.

· Rose bushes can also benefit from a light prune for the same reason.

· Any climbing roses should have been pruned by now but get this done in November done if not. Frost attacks recent wounds on plants and can cause unsightly browning and damage if left too late.

· Any corms or bulbs that are sensitive to waterlogged or cold conditions such as gladioli may also need lifting and storing.

· Adding a mulch can protect some plant roots and rhizomes from the worst of the frost and many will rot down in the wet conditions to improve the soil for next year.

Planting

Although you’d think there’s not much to be done in the area of planting at this time of year, there’s still plenty that can be done to provide some winter interest and get a head start on the spring.

· Tulip bulbs can be planted in November. Timing this can be tricky as if they go into soggy ground they can rot so it’s best to leave it as late as possible but before a hard frost hits.

· Bare root deciduous hedging plants, trees, shrubs, roses and fruit plants become available this month. These are often a cheaper alternative to potted plants but they need to go straight in so they don’t dry out.

· Hardwood cuttings can be taken from ornamental shrubs and placed in a propagator. This will give you free plant stock for next year and protect against frost losses in some species if the winter is particularly harsh.

· New herbaceous perennials can respond well to planting out in November as the ground is still relatively warm and moist.

· Decide whether you like the winter interest of frosted seed heads or would prefer your gardener to cut them back for tidiness. In many flowering perennials this is a matter of personal preference, so take an artistic judgement based on your space and design.

· November is the last chance to plant out winter bedding plants such as winter pansies (viola), forget-me-nots, primula or wallflowers.

November might not be the most rewarding or pretty month in your garden, but there’s still plenty to keep your gardener busy to make sure that you have the longest season next year.