As we head deeper into autumn, there's still a lot to do in the garden. Below Aaron Bertelsen explains a few November gardening jobs this month.
Don't miss the best November flowers, November gardens to visit and what to plant and sow this month.
According to my own personal calendar, November is the start of the gardening year. If October was the time to take a break, now is the time to get back to work.
This is the time for clearing and cleaning up. Make sure any remaining produce that could be damaged by frost – potatoes, pumpkins, squashes and certain salad leaves – is harvested and either eaten or stored, and collect any remaining seed that you plan to keep for sowing next season. This is also a good time to reflect, looking back at what worked well and what didn’t, and to make plans for the coming year. (This is when you will be glad of taking my advice and making extensive notes over the course of the
year – assuming you’ve done so, that is.)
Key November gardening jobs
If you are planning to use your own compost in winter soil preparation, give the heap a once over to get rid of any weeds. If, like me, you also use the heap to grow gourds and pumpkins, get rid of any foliage and stems still hanging around.
Just as with digging, there are two schools of thought regarding the sowing of crops such as broad beans. Personally, I prefer to sow in spring, keeping the soil clear for digging and mulching accepting that I will have to wait a few extra weeks for my beans. But if you do prefer to sow in autumn, this is your last chance to get them in. They will be fine sown direct, provided the soil is still reasonably warm.
Clear the foliage from Jerusalem artichokes, cutting the stems down to the ground. They take forever to compost, so I tend to send them away in the green waste bin instead. The roots can be harvested throughout the winter, as and when you need them in the kitchen. Take them from the outside first to stop the plants from spreading.
Check netting on brassicas. With most crops cleared from the fields, the pigeons will be turning their attentions to our gardens now so it pays to be vigilant. Tie the sides of the netting in well so it can’t blow around and be damaged.
Keep an eye on any stored crops for signs of rot and decay, and check that they are safe from marauding rodents. Apples and pears should not be touching, and potatoes must be kept dry. Good ventilation is so important. Very often your nose is the best guide – to me, a potato starting to rot smells like vodka.
Make your own leaf mould. It is so simple, and such a valuable resource. The famed nursery De Hessenhof in the Netherlands uses it as a growing medium and its plants are some of the healthiest I’ve ever seen. I love it as a mulch for crops in the ground or in pots, or as a soil conditioner. Just collect the leaves together in a corner, cover with a tarpaulin and leave to break down for a year or so.
Here are some great leaf blowers to help you collect them
Check over your garden tools and make sure they are in good order. Use a wire brush to clean any dirt and rust off the metal parts. Sharpen secateurs and other blades, and rub linseed oil into wooden handles. I find that as well as preserving the wood, this makes it a little kinder on the hands. Here's our guide on how to clean your tools.
Get your seed order in good and early to guarantee the best choice. A huge range of seed is available online, but I still enjoy doing it the old-fashioned way. Settling down by the fire with a stack of catalogues and a notebook is one of life’s great pleasures.
Here's the best places to buy seeds online
Attend to your fruit trees to help them get through the winter in good shape. Check that stakes are still in place and replace those that are rotten or split. Weed around the base and add a layer of organic mulch to enrich the soil and help retain moisture in the summer. Leave a small gap between the mulch and the trunk itself, to avoid rotting.
Here's how to prune apple and pear trees
Stake any winter vegetables that could be damaged by the wind, such as broad beans, kale and Brussels sprouts. Choose a sturdy stake (chestnut, or thick bamboo) to match the eventual height of the plant. Tie in with twine, leaving enough slack to allow the plant to move in the breeze without snapping.
Expand your stock of fruit bushes. Currants can be propagated by taking hardwood cuttings. Each cutting should be 20-25cm long, with buds top and bottom. Push them into the soil, about 10cm apart and water in well. Gooseberries propagate themselves by layering – where branches touch the ground, they will form roots. Lift newly formed plants and replant them while the soil is still warm, or pot them up to overwinter, ready to plant out next spring.
What to harvest in the garden in November
Kale, this is your time to shine. After a summer spent doing battle with pigeons and cabbage whites, this invaluable winter green will be hitting its stride as the temperatures drop, turning the starches into sugar and noticeably improving its flavour.
If, like me, you prefer not to use chemicals in the garden, you may find rather a lot of whitefly on the leaves. Certain varieties – ‘Nero di Toscana’ and anything with ‘Russian’ in its name – do seem to offer some resistance, but you should still be sure to give the leaves a good shake and a wash before cooking. I love kale as a side dish, slowly braised in a stew or soup, and even in a smoothie.
