November in the Garden

November marks the steady slide into winter. Days are shorter, the pace slows, and the focus shifts from growing to protecting. It’s time to care for the soil, finish tidying, and make sure your garden is ready for the colder months ahead.
There’s still plenty to do – from sowing broad beans to planting garlic and protecting crops from frost. With a little effort now, you’ll give yourself a head start for spring.
The full list for November sowing can be found in the easy seed planner.

🥕 Vegetable Highlights

Sow outside: broad beans and hardy peas (if the weather is mild and the soil isn’t waterlogged).
Sow under cover (cloches, cold frame or unheated greenhouse): winter lettuce, corn salad (lamb’s lettuce), rocket, and hardy oriental greens.
Plant out: spring cabbage, overwintering onions, and garlic.

Tip: plant garlic cloves in well-drained soil or raised beds so they don’t rot in wet winter weather.

Veggie jobs this November…
• Clear away finished crops and compost the healthy remains.
• Cover bare soil with compost, manure, or a mulch to protect it from rain and frost.
• Check fleece and cloches are secure for the coming gales.
• Lift and divide any perennial veg such as rhubarb and chives if needed.
• Cut down yellowing asparagus stems.
• Keep an eye on brassicas – remove dead leaves and check netting is secure against pigeons.
• Harvest leeks, parsnips and sprouts as needed – they’ll stand well in the ground through cold weather.

🪴 Herby Highlights & Things to Do

Herbs may be slowing down now, but there’s still plenty to pick and prepare for winter. You can harvest sparingly from outdoor parsley, thyme, sage and rosemary on mild days. Other fresh herbs you can pick are basil, bay, hyssop, marjoram, and mint.
• Pot up a clump of mint and a clump of chives, both can go in the greenhouse for winter use.
• Protect established herbs with a mulch of leaf mould or compost.
• Move tender herbs such as bay and lemon verbena into shelter.
• Sow parsley and coriander under cover.
• Sow Sweet Cicely in a tray, cover with glass and pop in a coldframe so that it gets a good period of cold stratification.
• Cut back on watering of all potted herbs and give them a prune so that they rest over the winter.
• In milder areas still keep an eye out for slugs in sheltered corners of the herb bed.

🌻 November Flower Power

• Cut back dead stems on perennials once the foliage has collapsed, or leave some standing for wildlife and winter interest.
• Plant tulips and other spring bulbs if you haven’t already – November is perfect.
• Lift and store dahlia tubers once the foliage has been blackened by frost.
• Tidy borders, weed thoroughly, and mulch to protect soil.
• Sow sweet peas in pots or root trainers under cover for an early start next year.
For more ideas, filter the flowers by sow in November in the Easy Seed Planner.

🍓 Fruity Actions

• Finish planting bare-rooted fruit trees, bushes, and canes before the ground freezes.
• Prune apple and pear trees once they’ve dropped their leaves.
• Prune gooseberries (leave the centre open for easy picking next year) and currants and take cuttings if need be.
• Check ties and stakes on young trees and replace or loosen where needed.
• Mulch around the base of fruit bushes with compost or leaf mould.
• Protect soft fruit from birds using netting if berries are still ripening.
• Rake up fallen fruit and leaves from beneath trees to reduce disease risks.

🧹 General Bits and Bobs

• Collect and compost fallen leaves to make lovely leaf mould for next year.
• Insulate outdoor taps and water butts before hard frosts arrive.
• Empty old growbags and spread the contents over beds as mulch.
• Store canes, stakes, and netting in a dry spot.
• Clean greenhouse glass to make the most of winter light.
• Ventilate greenhouses on mild days to prevent mould.
• Check stored crops – remove any that are soft or showing signs of rot.
• Give tools a clean and light oil before storing them for winter.

🦔 Wildlife-Friendly Corners

As the garden settles for winter, it’s a good time to think about the creatures who share it with us. November is the time to make space for wildlife – and it doesn’t take much effort to make a real difference.
• Leave a small pile of leaves or twigs in a quiet corner for hedgehogs and insects to shelter in.
• Keep some hollow stems and seed heads standing – they give ladybirds and lacewings somewhere to hibernate, and birds will enjoy the seeds.
• Clean out bird boxes and feeders, and start topping them up regularly as natural food sources fade.
• Put out a shallow dish of water, refreshed when it freezes, for birds and small mammals.
• Avoid too much tidying – a slightly scruffy corner can be a lifesaver for garden wildlife.
Your garden will thank you in spring with more pollinators, fewer pests, and a healthy balance all round.

🍂 A steady pace now will pay off later.

November is about preparing, protecting and pausing to enjoy the quieter side of gardening. A few thoughtful jobs this month will make winter easier and set you up for a flying start in spring. Check the Easy Seed Planner and our November Offers for more ideas to keep your garden thriving.