November Jobs

If we’re lucky November can bring sparkling autumnal sunshine, but now the clocks have changed it’s hard to avoid the fact that winter is on its way. Frost is likely, storms will blow in from the Atlantic and even the first snow is a possibility, so make the most of any good weather to tackle your list of gardening jobs.

In the greenhouse:

• Unscrew the cylinders on the greenhouse’s automatic window openers and keep them somewhere frost-free room over winter.
• Close greenhouse windows securely so that they don’t blow open in windy weather.
• If you want to overwinter slightly tender plants in the greenhouse and it isn’t heated, insulate with bubblewrap. For metal greenhouses hold the bubblewrap in place with special clips available from horticulture suppliers; for wooden ones attach using small nails or drawing pins.
• Continue to ventilate the greenhouse on mild days to prevent fungal diseases building up.

In the garden:

• Plant bare root hedges, trees and roses. These come with no soil around the roots, which means they’re cheaper and easier to send by post, but it does mean it’s important to plant them as soon as possible after delivery so that the roots don’t dry out.
• Plant tulips this month, now that temperatures are dropping, as they’ll be less likely to suffer from soil-borne fungal diseases.
• Store hosepipes in the garage or shed so that they aren’t damaged by frost, and insulate outdoor taps with a special cover available from DIY stores or wrap with several layers of bubblewrap and hold in place with twine.
• Keep an eye on container plants gathered together next to your house as rain won’t reach them because of the rain shadow of the building. Remember to water them every now and again so that they don’t dry out.
• Take root cuttings of plants such as verbascum, oriental poppies and Japanese anemones.