Garden Calendar - November

November is the last autumn month. The garden is slowly settling into winter sleep. To ensure all perennials, ornamental shrubs and other overwintering plants survive the winter without problems, they need to be properly winterized. Roses should be mounded with soil and covered with conifer branches. Straw, non-woven fabric or special protective bags designed for plant wintering can also be used as a winter coat for overwintering plants. When covering, proceed in such a way that moisture doesn't accumulate under the insulation layer, which could ultimately damage the plants more than winter itself. Another common cause of death of ornamental and fruit trees is drying out, so don't forget to water these trees thoroughly before winter, especially if autumn is dry. The more effort you put into preparing your garden for winter, the more joy it will bring you in spring.

Which seeds to sow in November?

There aren't many seeds suitable for sowing in November. You can sow plants intended for year-round cultivation. These plants include, for example, early carrot variety Marion F1 or year-round head lettuce variety Lento. In the greenhouse, you can also sow the year-round radish variety Lada. The advantage of autumn sowing of year-round and early varieties is that in spring you gain an advance and therefore an earlier harvest. To protect young plants at least a little, cover the beds with non-woven fabric. As long as the soil isn't frozen, you can also sow the much-loved or much-maligned rocket (arugula). You can conveniently plant it using a seed tape. Place the seed tape in a furrow about 1 cm deep, water it, cover it with soil, compact the surface slightly and water the sowing thoroughly again. The harvest depends on weather development. You might get the first leaves this year, but if winter comes early, you'll harvest them in spring. When listing seeds suitable for November sowing, we cannot overlook those that can be grown year-round in pots without problems - for example chilli peppers and cress.

Garden Tasks Not to Forget in November

Although it might seem that gardeners and growers have little to do in November, the opposite is true. November is the peak time for winter preparations. The more carefully the garden is prepared for winter, the more joy it will bring next year. Raking leaves is one of the important tasks this month as well. Don't forget about it. Another important activity is covering plants for winter. In November, it's necessary to cover, for example, frost-resistant yuccas that overwinter outdoors. Hill up soil around roses and cover them with conifer branches. Build a glass shelter over lewisias to keep water away from them during winter. Plants grown in containers should either be well insulated with polystyrene or other insulating material, or buried deep enough in the ground, even with the pot. Roots in containers are very sensitive to freezing, even in trees that otherwise survive winter without problems. You'll save yourself a lot of time in winter by tying up trees (especially thujas) - you won't have to walk around the garden after each snowfall shaking snow off the trees. For trees that cannot be tied up and could easily break under snow load, build shelters. Protect young saplings from browsing wildlife. Nothing can upset a gardener more than a hungry deer that feasted on a newly planted sapling during the night. Water all trees and shrubs thoroughly before winter arrives. Drought is another reason for the death of trees and shrubs during winter. If you haven't managed it yet, November is the last suitable time for turning your compost pile.

Fighting Diseases and Pests All Year Round - What to Do in November?

In November, most deciduous trees are already leafless, making it possible to apply sprays that could damage leaves. In November, during frost-free weather, you can spray against peach leaf curl. This is a very common fungal disease of peach trees, with symptoms including blisters and deformed leaves that fall off very soon after budding. Products containing copper are effective against peach leaf curl. In our e-shop, products for fighting peach leaf curl include, for example, Syllit and Delan. As prevention against the spread of diseases and pests, it's essential to regularly rake fallen leaves and collect rotten or disease-affected crops. Don't forget to check plants indoors and in indoor winter quarters from time to time in November to see if they've been attacked by any pests that need to be dealt with promptly.