Maintenance tips for November

- Cut grass as necessary. Cutting height will be raised to avoid lawns becoming muddy when wet. Grass will continue to grow in temperatures above 5°C (41°F).

- Rake fallen leaves off lawns.
Fallen leaves block light and increase ground moisture increasing the chance of moss and algae.

- Established meadows can be cut but don't cut them as short as you would your lawn.
Recently planted meadows will not need mowing until the middle of spring.

- Tie wall shrubs and climbers to their supports to protect them from wind damage and prune off any growth that refuses to be trained.

- Check tree stakes and ties to see if they need loosening or tightening.

- Prune deciduous trees/shrubs/hedges from now and throughout the dormant season. Exceptions are tender plants i.e Prunus species (fruit with a stone). Evergreens are best left until the spring.

- Shrubs such as Buddleja davidii, Cornus alba and Lavatera that are normally pruned hard in the spring - can be cut back by half now to prevent wind rock and keep them tidy.

- If not already done so, Climbing roses should be pruned now at the very latest.

- Lightly prune bush roses as reducing their height will prevent wind damage as they often have shallow roots.

- Keep cutting down faded herbaceous perennials and add the cuttings to the compost heap.

- Dead head Penstemons. Cut back hard in the spring.

- Ornamental grasses and bamboos can be cut back and tidied up but some have attractive flower heads that will provide some winter interest. These can be pruned in the spring.

- Dig soil over to expose pest larvae to birds and frosts and improve soil structure. Add mulch or compost. Digging clay soils after autumn rain will be difficult.

- Hoe weeds regularly to keep them in check..

- Clean out old plants from greenhouses and then clean and disinfect the greenhouse with Jeyes Fluid or Citrox to kill off any pests.

Planting

- November is an ideal time to plant roses but don't plant them where roses have been planted previously or they may suffer from replant disease.

- Bare-root deciduous hedging plants, trees and shrubs become available this month. They need to be planted quickly so they don't dry out. You can still order and plant containerised trees and shrubs.

- This is also a good time to transplant trees and shrubs growing in unsuitable positions if they are less than 2 years old – otherwise you might not dig up enough roots for it to establish again.

- November is a good time to plant new herbaceous perennials while the soil is still warm but the soil is still moist.

- Plant tulip bulbs this month. Some tulips persist year to year but if you had a poor display this year you will need to treat them as bedding plants and plant more bulbs now.

- Last chance to plant out winter bedding plants such as wallflowers, Bellis, forget-me-nots, Primula, winter pansies (viola).

Propagation

- Take hardwood cuttings of ornamental shrubs such as Forsythia, Cornus, Hydrangea, Euonymus, Ilex and Salix.

- November is still a good time to lift and divide overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials to improve shape, health and flowers and will increase your stocks for you to keep or give to a friend.

- Lift and store dahlias, cannas and begonia tubers planted in flower beds after the first frost Only in mild areas can dahlias/cannas be left to overwinter in the ground if well covered by soil/mulch/straw.

- Begonias should always be brought in, dried out, and stored in a similar way as dahlias.

Treatments

- As the soil isn't waterlogged, in mild parts of the country you can still carry out autumn lawn care i.e. scarification, aeration and top dressing.

- Don’t feed the lawn with left-over summer feeds. Use an autumn lawn feed, which contains more potassium and phosphorous and strengthens the roots.

- It is too late to apply lawn weed killers. They work best when the weeds are in active growth.

- Toadstools often appear on lawns at this time of year - Most are harmless saprophytic fungi but are best removed if small children are present.

Landscaping

- It is too late to sow grass seed, but if the weather is not too cold, new lawns can still be laid from turf.

- Watch your lawn for signs of water logging. You may be able to remedy this. Ask us for advice.

- Now is a good time to make plans for garden projects while the garden is in its bare bones such as pond digging, digging new flower beds, fence building and paving.

- Be aware that decking and stone slabs can become slippery in wet weather. Pressure wash paths.

- Suggestion: build a compost heap to collect autumn leaves.

- If your lawn suffers die-back from treading during the wet winter, you may wish to lay stepping-stones to allow easy access without causing damage.

- Protect exterior water pipes from frost damage.

- Remove submersed pumps etc and clean them so that they can be stored safely for the winter.

Pond care

- You can still divide hardy water-lilies and pond plants to increase your stocks and keep them under control. - A maximum of 50% of the water’s surface should be taken up with planting.

- Remove dead foliage from floating plants.

- Regularly shake off leaves from nets over ponds to prevent them from building up and rake out fallen leaves from ponds that do not have a net.

- Remove submersed pumps etc and clean them so that they can be stored safely for the winter.