Your Gardening To-Do’s for November

November is upon us, and it doesn’t always feel as easy to get out in the garden as it does in the springtime but there’s still plenty to do as we edge ever closer to the winter season. This month is full of beautiful bulbs and sumptuous salad, so don’t miss out on all of the gardening delights that November has to offer.

Plant

Wondering what to plant in November? You still have plenty of planting you can do this month, inlcuding…

Flowers

Your Spring flowering bulbs, including tulips and daffodils.
Bare root roses can also be planted between now and March.
You also have time to plant some winter flowering annuals in November.

Vegetables

You can still plant herb seeds during this time if you have a Sprout! Try basil, parsley, chives and dill.
Winter salad is also possible to grow in a Sprout in November, we recommend almost anything that is ‘cut and come again’ for ease.
Onion, shallots and garlic can still be planted out during November .

Fruit

You can sow rhubarb crowns out in well-prepared soil.
Different varieties of berries are also best planted in November, such as raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.

Gardening Tip!
Most seeds are best sown in a Sprout mini greenhouse before being planted out which will hopefully increase your chances of delicate seedlings surviving the harsher temperatures.

Mulch

It’s always a good time to mulch your beds, but November provides lots of leaf mulch for you to get your hands on quite easily. With the leaves of Autumn falling, autumn is a great time to trap that moist, warm soil in and keeping the winter weeds at bay.

Wintering your Greenhouse

If you have a Harvst mini greenhouse, such as a Sprout, then it’s time to think about changing the settings of your watering so it’s less frequent.
The same goes for heating! Make sure your greenhouse is winter ready with some warmth for your plants. You’ll want to connect your heated seed trays or heater cable and adjust the settings for the winter.
Our 4 season mini greenhouses include heating, so you don’t have to spend time lining your greenhouse, but if you don’t have a Sprout or wanted to line your larger greenhouse we encourage you not to use single use plastics like bubble wrap! Instead you could try cardboard which could be used for mulch later on.
Adding lighting to your greenhouse can also be a great way to boost the growth of your plants as we get shorter, darker days in Autumn and Winter.

Protecting Wildlife

Make sure there are some water sources in your garden during November in order to attract birds.
Continue to feed birds with fatty nuts in November.
Create homes for wildlife by putting up bat boxes, bird nests or leaving wood piles for hibernating animals.

Irrigation

Your irrigation set-up will probably need some adjusting as you enter Autumn, with less watering and possibly changing from drippers to other irrigation methods.
If you have an irrigation system set up like WaterMate in your greenhouse or Polytunnel, we recommend leaving your control unit turned on, with the solar panel connected, but the irrigation turned off in winter (this could be done at the end of November or start of December – depending on your location). This will keep the battery trickle charging through the winter so it’s fresh and ready for spring!