November gardening tips for homeowners

Posted on Wednesday, November 29th, 2017

As a gardener, you always have to make sure that you are planting not only the right things but also in the right places and at the right times. Therefore, you might particularly wonder how you should approach your gardening responsibilities now that November has arrived.

Unsurprisingly, adverse weather can make November a particularly testing time for a gardener; however, you can still make the most of the situation by adhering to these tips.

Be careful with how you lift carrots

Growing carrots in your garden? Then resist lifting them from the ground until you need them, The Telegraph advises. Removing those carrots can be less tricky when you use netting or horticultural fleece to fasten a 6-inch layer of cardboard, bracken or straw over the ground.

What if you find that you don’t need those carrots until after November? You don’t have to fret, as the ground can – unless it is very cold – still preserve the carrots until March.

Check for pests on plants to be returned indoors

You might have some plants that you know won’t contend with the winter weather and so you want to bring back indoors for now. However, before you take them inside, verify whether the plant has attracted pests like aphids, mealy bug, and red spider mite insects.

You should particularly look out for vine weevil grubs; if a plant wilts and dies, it could be due to these nasties having fed on the roots.

Plant tulip bulbs 

While most bulbs should be planted earlier than November, there’s an exception with tulip bulbs. By planting these now, you could counter the possibility of the tulip fire disease causing problems. Planting them now means that you can also anticipate seeing them on display in the spring.

Nonetheless, remember to use only bulbs that are healthy and do not have damage or mould. Also, the depth at which you plant them should be two or three times the height of the bulb.

Light a bonfire – if this is allowed and desirable

The Royal Horticultural Society advises using a seasonal bonfire to clear excess debris that can’t be purposed for composting. However, before lighting this bonfire, you should check not only that doing so is allowed, but also that sheltering and hibernating animals won’t be caught by the bonfire. Animals that you should particularly look out for include frogs, toads, and hedgehogs.

Check that a newly planted tree is staked well

If you will be planting a tree, then it should be sufficiently staked to secure the tree’s base and prevent the roots loosening in high winds, advises BT. A 1 metre – that’s 3 feet – stake ought to be used here; however, a more substantial permanent stake will be necessary if that tree has been grown on highly demanding rootstocks like ornamental crab apple or fruit trees.