November can be a damp, raw month. Flowers may be scarce in the garden, but there are many berries, evergreen foliage, and trees with decorative bark to add interest on the dullest of days. You can warm yourself up by tidying up the yards and preparing for the winter ahead. It’s also a good time to check your tools, catch up on greenhouse maintenance, and begin planning your spring display.
Things to Do
Clean or discard any old pots and trays that you’re not intending to ruse. Clean out nesting boxes and put out food for the birds on a regular basis. If you have a late fall bonfire, check the pile for hibernating creatures before you set it alight.
Check your tools, and get the lawnmower serviced and sharpened. You don’t need to do much to the lawn itself, but stay off it in frosty weather. If you have a pond or a greenhouse, you may need to install heaters—and don’t forget to insulate the greenhouse properly too.
Press on with winter digging. This is the time to plant bare-root trees and shrubs as well as new roses, and to get the tulip bulbs in. Protect all tender and newly planted shrubs from frost and wind, and the alpines from winter rain. Insulate any pots that will remain outside during the winter, otherwise both plants and pots will suffer.
Plant fruit trees and bushes, and winter-prune established plants. Lift and divide rhubarb crowns. If you have grown your own leeks, heel in a winter supply by the back door, ready to use when needed.
Last Chance
Protect bulbs so that they will flower at Christmas time.
Get Ahead
Now is the time to order seed catalogs. Begin winter-pruning deciduous trees and shrubs, start renovating hedges, and prune greenhouse vines.
Share your fall gardening tips to win a copy of DK’s Gardening Through the Year. Gather will draw one person to win. Comments must be posted by Monday, November 9th.
One entry per person who comments on this post. No purchase necessary. See official rules.
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 50
I do this too!
The leaves can really protect plants that need protection during the winter days. I had left some leaves on the grass one year when the snow melted the grass was green and growing new sprouts.
I know that we have planted tulip bulbs as they are to be planted before the first freeze.
I'd like to share a story with you. Our neighbor behind us diligently attempted to grow his garden every year although he was mostly a retired minister and not a gardener, he was willing to learn. When we moved here I immediately started a compost pile and a shrub pile for shelter for birds and other critters. I also had a giant stinky pile of manure delivered which really did not attract attention until after it froze and thawed, then it really smelled up the place. Fortunately it was hidden behind a fence so no one knew the smell came from my yard. I diligently collected all my neighbors leaves for the compost and made daily treks from my kitchen to the compost pile. I discovered the retired neighbors started calling me their crazy neighbor, saying "what is that crazy neighbor doing now"?
In the spring they trekked to the local store and bought bags and bags of compost, manure, fertilizer etc. and dutifully spread it around and waited for the garden to grow.
Meanwhile,I had beautiful tulips, squill, lettuce, all the spring stuff.
So who's the crazy neighbor now?
Vicki
I buy those snack-sized ziplock bags that are available now for Halloween treats and use those for the seeds I collect around my gardens in the Fall. I label them with a black marker and save them in a basket that I keep in a cool place until I need them in the spring. I always have the most gorgeous beds of cleomes, white echinaceas and dwarf sunflowers in town.
We own a lawncare company so I encourage these important steps of Fall lawn maintenance---
Aeration: to allow light, moisture, air and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the root system, creating healthier, stronger roots and improving drainage in your lawns.
Fertilization: to encourage rooting and carbohydrate storage for winter survival.
Overseeding: to reduce the available space for weeds to grow by increasing the thickness and density of your lawn.
(Of course we all know I will be the last one to get the service, right?... The Law of the Shoemaker or something like that)
BTW, I had some of those bags in my camera bag while I was on vacation. I fully intended to purloin some seeds from flowers I encountered in my travels. As many of you know, I left my camera in our airport hotel in Chicago before we boarded our plane. Sigh. My angel was looking out for me, I think. I might have landed in jail for agricultural theft or something, had I gone ahead with my intended theft of seeds?
Gardeners here are very busy this time of year.
Would love to win your book!