In November, the chill of winter arrives in the garden. So we’ll pay attention to the vegetable patch before the frosts, tend to the trees, and of course work in the greenhouse if you have one. Let’s discover what to do in the garden in November.
What to plant in November, what to do in the garden in November?
On the plant side, it’s the right time to sow sweet peas and hellebores, also known as Christmas roses. As for the poinsettia or Christmas flower, which has been kept in total darkness for more than 12 hours a day since September, it will be able to resume its natural rhythm from mid-November.
In the greenhouse in November
If you have one, you know that under the greenhouse everything goes faster… even diseases. Better to:
- keep an eye on seedlings and on frost-prone plants tucked away inside
- closely monitor diseases and pests
- set up protections for winter
It’s time to provide heat as needed for the plants you’ve grown, and to ventilate during the day when it’s milder and sunny. Water in the morning.
We can also take a few cuttings, notably through air layering.
Vegetables: what to do in the vegetable garden this month?
In the warmer parts of the country, there will be work to do in the garden in November: you can sow carrots, beans (broad beans), peas, radishes, but also lettuces (winter lettuce varieties such as lettuce, Batavia, and winter romaine) that can be harvested in April.
In colder regions, we will prepare the winter garden: take advantage of sunny days to till heavy soils, shelter seedbeds, and protect winter vegetables to be harvested later. For example, mulch lamb’s lettuce. Clean the garden after harvest and prepare tunnels and row covers to act quickly when frost is forecast.
It’s also time to force chicory witloof roots to produce endives.
Fruits: fruit trees and the orchard
The end of autumn is the perfect time to plant a fruit tree. For this, take good care of the soil, enrich the earth, and, once the trees are planted, begin pruning and cleaning. You can take cuttings from raspberries, hazelnuts, chestnuts, figs, and grapes.
In the warmer south, plant olive trees, almonds, avocados, and pomegranates.
Trees, shrubs and roses
In the south, take care of mulberries, mimosas, and oleanders. Plant cypresses, eucalyptus.
Everywhere, prune conifers, alders, maples, forsythias, spireas, and Virginia creeper.
We plant deciduous trees and shrubs, hedges, and willow. We protect fragile plants like camellias in cold weather.
In milder weather, you can plant, stake, and prune roses. If it’s cold, mound the young roses with soil.
What to do for the lawn and the ornamental garden in November?
Rake fallen leaves and add them to the compost, for example. Also, you can do one last mowing and store the mower, but take care of the moss. Be sure that the soils do not stay bare.
If you have a pond, there will be more work to protect it from freezing.
If there are still summer bulbs in the ornamental garden, dig them up and divide the summer perennials. As soon as frost has withered their foliage, lift and overwinter dahlias, and cut back asters and canna lilies.
If you haven’t finished planting the spring bulbs yet, finish now.
