November in the garden - my top 5 jobs for this month

November is here and whilst it's still very mild, the garden is well on it's way to shutting down for Winter. Enjoy the vibrant colours that the Autumn garden offers before the leaves fall as temperatures drop. Here's my top 5 gardening jobs for November.

1. Plant Tulip Bulbs

   November is the best month to plants tulips to avoid the risk of tulip fire. Plant with the pointed side up at a depth 3 x the size of the bulb and add grit to the bottom of the planting hole to improve drainage. A little chilli powder sprinkled on the soil should help deter squirrels.

   

   White tulips in my E11 Naturalistic Planting Design

   
   
   
   

2. Plant bare root hedging & roses

   Bare root season begins in November so for a more cost effective hedge or rose, buy your bare roots now. Plant them as soon as you can, soak the roots for a couple of hours before planting, plant in a hole with a cone shaped mound at the bottom and water in well and mulch.

   

   Fagus Sylvatica Purpurea (Purple Beech) hedging in my N12 Edwardian Front Garden

   
   
   
   

3. Cut down faded perennials

   Cut back any herbaceous perennials which are looking a bit tatty but try to keep as many seed heads as possible to provide food and shelter for wildlife over Winter.

   

   Perennial seed heads at RHS Hyde Hall

   
   

4. Collect fallen leaves

   Collect leaves from paths, lawns,patios and the crowns of plants but leave them on the beds to break down and improve the soil. Store in bin bag with some air holes in it out of the way and use the created leaf mould as a mulch on your flower beds.

   

   Fallen leaves

   
   

   5. Prune Apple trees

   You can prune Apple and Pear trees once they become dormant from November to March. Aim to remove around 20% of wood each year, starting with dead, diseased and decayed and try to create a open canopy which will encourage healthy fruiting and good air flow.

   
   

   

   Apple tree in my N12 Dog Friendly Garden