What to do now in November
November · In the country
Shorter days do not mean the growing year is finished. This is the month for tulips, a little winter preparation and making the harvest last. Choose the jobs that suit your garden and let the weather set the pace.
Garden jobs · Sowing & planting · Seasonal food · Outdoors & wildlife
The November garden
Plant where the ground is workable, protect what needs it and leave some quiet corners for wildlife. There is no prize for having a completely bare garden by December.
Plant tulips
November is a good time to plant tulip bulbs. Choose well-drained soil or containers with drainage holes. Clear fallen leaves from lawns and paths; gather them separately for leaf mould rather than bagging everything for disposal.
Keep the useful mess
Leave some standing stems, seed heads and undisturbed leaves in borders for shelter and winter structure. Clear paths where wet leaves make them slippery, and remove diseased plant material rather than adding it to a wildlife pile.
Prepare for frost and wind
Move tender container plants to suitable shelter before frost, check horticultural fleece and secure loose supports. Keep pot drainage holes clear. Check plants under cover regularly and water according to need; winter does not mean every pot should be kept either soaked or completely dry.
Give soil a rest
Avoid walking or working on saturated or frozen ground. Once weeds and finished crops are cleared, cover bare vegetable beds with garden compost. Plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes when the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
What to sow and plant in November
Think small, hardy and well drained. A cold, wet plot is a good reason to wait for spring.
Broad beans
Choose a hardy overwintering variety. You can browse broad bean seeds at Thompson & Morgan; check that the variety is suitable for autumn sowing. In mild areas, sow into well-drained soil, with cloches if needed. In colder areas, start seeds in pots in an unheated greenhouse. Protect young plants from hungry visitors. Autumn sowing is an option, rather than a requirement.
Garlic
Plant suitable autumn garlic outdoors in mild areas with free-draining soil. Where the ground is too wet, start cloves in modules of peat-free compost in a cold frame. Follow the variety's instructions and give plants room when they are planted out.
Make the harvest last
Check stored apples, potatoes and squash regularly. Remove anything rotting before it spoils neighbouring produce, and use sound fruit that is beginning to soften. Keep potatoes out of the light. Leeks, kale and hardy roots may still be ready to pick, depending on what you planted and local conditions.
In the kitchen, this is a good month for soups, roast roots and using the food already in store. Fresh blackberry picking belongs to the earlier autumn notebook; November is a better time to use the fruit you froze.
Short days, muddy boots
Choose walks that fit the daylight, check the weather and route conditions, and take a torch for the journey home. A short walk still counts.
Leave an undisturbed corner with leaves or logs for wildlife. Check heaps carefully before moving or clearing them, especially before lighting a bonfire, as animals may have taken shelter inside.
Give a hedgehog somewhere to sleep →
Five walks worth pulling your wellies on for →
Follow your garden
A sheltered Essex plot and an exposed northern garden will not be doing the same thing this week. Soil, weather and plant condition matter more than a date on a calendar.
Planting advice checked against the RHS November grow-your-own guide and November flower jobs.
Useful seeds and supplies
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