Ben Haggitt Boma's outdoor plant horticultural expert offers his top ten tips for gardeners in November, with plenty of jobs for outdoor space winter garden preparation.
Top 10 gardening tips for November
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Start clearing up discarded leaves as they fall. Removing them from the lawn, pond, and borders will ensure these areas remain tidy and disease free. You could store your leaves in a perforated plastic bag or leaf litter bin and use it as a leaf mould next year.
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This month, use terracotta or glazed terracotta pot feet to raise your pots from the ground. This will allow maximum drainage over the cold months, helping protect your plants and pots from winter's frosty coldness.
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As the colder days creep into November and the ground starts to cool, it's the perfect time to plant your Tulip bulbs, as the cold will help prepare your Tulips for a magnificent display in the new year.
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Plant out your winter/spring bedding this month. I would recommend a few small evergreen shrubs like Skimmia or Euonymus with a splash of viola for colour or maybe some gorgeous Cyclamen with some trailing Ivy and underplant with a fine selection of spring bulbs.
Skimmia at Boma Garden Centre
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Cover your Brassicas with crop netting to prevent any damage from pigeons.
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Prune your Roses this month, as this will help establish a good framework for next year and prevent wind damage from occurring over the winter months.
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Grease bands wrapped tightly around the trunks of your trees will help prevent winter moth overwintering in your trees.
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Mulch your borders during November with a generous serving of Farmyard Organic Matter (manure) and some composted bark and mix. This will help to improve the structure of your soil, which will, in turn, hold nutrients and moisture better; it will also help to suppress any weed growth.
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You can plant containerised trees and shrubs this time of year as the ground is still reasonably warm from the summer, and with steady rainfall, a good root will develop, giving your plants the perfect head start for the spring.
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Prune your summer flowering deciduous shrubs this month, opening their frames and removing dead or diseased growth and crossing stems. Do not prune your Prunus species, as they may contract silver leaf over the winter months and prune your evergreens in the early spring.
Bonus Tip:
Don't forget to feed your garden birds as the weather cools. There is a wide range of foods and bird tables to choose from, offering the birds in your garden a veritable smorgasbord of flavour.
Beat the winter blues with a visit to Boma Garden Centre, where you'll find everything you need to prepare your garden for a great display next year!
" No shadow, no stars, no moon, no care, November, It only believes in a pile of dead leaves, And a moon that's the colour of bone. "
( Tom Waits )
