November Gardening Jobs: The Ultimate Checklist

November isn’t necessarily a time of year associated with gardening, seeing off the end of autumn to welcome in December. However, following October there are plenty of important November gardening jobs that need to be attended to, especially if you want next year’s growing season to be as successful as possible. 

Even with temperatures only reaching daily highs of 9 degrees on average , green-thumbed Brits can still put together a suitable garden maintenance checklist for November. This guide will suggest some typical November garden jobs to apply to your outdoor space to ensure it thrives through the winter and beyond.

Winter preparation jobs

One of the most important garden jobs for November is doing all the preparation for winter. If you just leave your garden to fend for itself in the winter, you’re not likely to find much left for the spring. Winter prep tasks include: 

• Clear up any debris, such as raking fallen leaves and removing dead plants to prevent mould, pests or disease
• Putting any pots or containers onto raised feet to prevent waterlogging in the generally wetter winter months
• Pruning and cutting back any perennials or fading plants, using the scraps as compost to nourish the soil
• Mulching around any plants, trees or shrubs in your garden to better insulate their roots from freezing over the coldest nights

Jobs like this, focused on tidying your existing garden setup are essential during November, making it easier to approach other forms of gardening jobs in November. 

Protecting plants from frost

After taking care of basic garden preparation for winter, it’s important to dedicate some effort to specific protection tasks. 

Typical frost protection techniques include:  

• Overwrapping tender plants
• Covering soil with mulch, manure and fertiliser
• Placing potted plants in sheltered areas
• Setting up soil for proper drainage (airating) 

With this foresight, even the most sensitive plants should make it through winter with no complications.

 

Planting for spring

Planting for the coming spring is one of the most fun November gardening jobs, providing something productive when many of the jobs are about pruning and tidying up. 

Good options for November planting include:  

• Bulb plants ( tulips , daffodils etc) for spring blooming
• Deciduous trees and shrubs (crab apple, silver birch)
• Garlic, onions & shallots
• Peas & broad beans

 

Get them in now to enjoy them for spring (and every year from now on for the perennials!)

Other November gardening jobs

Beyond these essential pillars, it’s important to seek guidance for specific aspects of your garden, as not everything will respond to winter the same way. Other useful jobs to complete in November include:

• Tool tidying & maintenance
• Testing soil pH and nutrient levels
• Ordering seeds, compost and fertilisers
• Feeding birds, squirrels and other wildlife
• Planning the layout of your spring garden

There are plenty of things you can do to keep your green thumbs occupied during November, just make sure to approach every task with care. For more insights into gardening, visit our blog today .