November - Growing Calendar

November - Growing in the Garden and at Home: How to Care for Plants in Beds and Pots in January. Tips, Advice and Guides from Sowing to Harvest...

November in the Garden and at Home

November brings shorter days and colder weather, but that doesn't mean the end of gardening activities. Whether you're tending to outdoor beds or indoor container plants, this month requires special attention to prepare your plants for winter and ensure healthy growth come spring.

Outdoor Garden Care in November

Preparing Beds for Winter

As temperatures drop, it's crucial to protect your garden beds. Mulching is one of the most effective methods - apply a thick layer of organic material like compost, leaves, or straw to insulate the soil and protect plant roots from frost. This also helps maintain soil moisture and suppresses weed growth during winter months.

Planting and Sowing

November is an excellent time for planting garlic cloves and certain hardy vegetables. You can also sow green manure crops like winter rye or vetch to improve soil structure and fertility for the next growing season. Hardy perennials and shrubs can still be planted if the ground hasn't frozen yet.

Tool Maintenance and Storage

Before winter sets in fully, clean and oil your gardening tools to prevent rust. Store them in a dry place where they'll be ready for spring use. Check irrigation systems and drain hoses to prevent freeze damage.

Indoor Plant Care in November

Adjusting to Lower Light Levels

As daylight decreases, indoor plants may need repositioning closer to windows or supplemental grow lights to maintain healthy growth. Monitor your plants for signs of light deficiency such as leggy growth or yellowing leaves.

Watering and Humidity

With heating systems running, indoor air becomes drier. Increase humidity around your plants by misting, using pebble trays with water, or running a humidifier. Reduce watering frequency as plant growth slows - overwatering is a common mistake during winter months.

Fertilizing Schedule

Most indoor plants enter a dormant or semi-dormant phase in November. Reduce or stop fertilizing until spring when active growth resumes. Exceptions include plants that bloom in winter, which may benefit from light feeding.

Planning Ahead for January

Seed Ordering and Planning

Use November to review seed catalogs and plan your spring garden. Order seeds early to ensure availability of desired varieties. Create a planting schedule based on your local last frost date.

Starting Seeds Indoors

Some slow-growing vegetables and flowers benefit from an early start. By January, you can begin sowing seeds indoors for crops like onions, leeks, and certain perennials that require a long growing season.

Common November Gardening Tasks

Rake and compost fallen leaves
Protect tender plants with frost covers or cloches
Check stored bulbs, tubers, and vegetables for rot
Prune dormant fruit trees and shrubs
Clean greenhouse glazing to maximize winter light
Monitor houseplants for pests that thrive in indoor conditions

Harvesting in November

Many cool-season crops reach maturity in November. Harvest Brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, and winter squash. Root vegetables like carrots and parsnips actually improve in flavor after a light frost. Store harvested produce properly to enjoy homegrown vegetables throughout winter.

Pest and Disease Management

Even in November, remain vigilant for pests and diseases. Slugs and snails continue activity in mild weather. Indoors, watch for spider mites, aphids, and fungus gnats. Remove any diseased plant material from the garden to prevent problems next season.

Conclusion

November gardening involves both wrapping up the current season and preparing for the next. By taking proper care of your outdoor beds and indoor container plants now, you'll ensure a successful and productive growing season ahead. Whether you're protecting perennials from frost or adjusting care for houseplants, these November tasks lay the foundation for January's gardening activities and beyond.

November Garden Tasks

November is the last preparation station before the approaching winter. Due to the announced inhospitable weather, we need to cover overwintering plants - that is, if you haven't done so already. Likewise, it's necessary to prepare the pond and dig over the beds. However, the fact that harsh winter is in the air doesn't mean it's time to say goodbye to all planting. Even at this time, you can still plant and continuously improve your surroundings. In recent years, the penultimate month has been very forgiving to us, giving us the opportunity to pleasantly enjoy these last tasks. The main part of garden care will be protecting it from the winter period and preparing for it.

Preparing for Snow and Frost

Even though some perennials are called frost-resistant, it's good to protect them from severe frosts just in case. Shallow roots are easily vulnerable, so it's good to create so-called blankets that will serve as insulation material. Use straw or hay remnants, you can also use conifer branches or twigs from coniferous trees, or fallen leaves.

Protect Your Trees and Shrubs

The biggest enemy of all woody plants is a thick layer of snow caught on branches. Under the weight, individual branches can completely break, which is why conifers are tied into cones. Fruit trees, on the other hand, need to be prepared for possible visitors from the animal kingdom who like to gnaw on tree trunks. Few would remember watering, which is most important during these months. Trees usually suffer from excessive drought in the winter period. Don't be afraid and give them a larger amount of water. Only then will it reach the root system. Ornamental conifers, evergreen deciduous trees, and evergreen woody plants need a water bath of about 10 litres per sapling.

Rose Protection

Give your attention to roses as well, which would most likely not survive the November month without human intervention. Mound them with soil enriched with compost to a height of 20 cm and carefully spread dry straw on top.

Fertilise, Improve, Plant

Dig a small amount of compost or manure under each tree and shrub. The ideal place is where the tree crown ends. This is usually the place where the largest amount of feeding roots is hidden under the soil. Strawberries will also benefit from an influx of new nutrients, and at the same time, a new layer of soil with compost will serve as protection against frost. Focus also on important autumn digging, which will help with better decomposition of organic remains. Through thorough digging, you'll eliminate all weeds that won't survive until spring, making your work easier when entering the new season.

If you want to plant something this month, reach for early carrots, root parsley, radish, lettuce, or onion. Give yourself an advantage for the final harvest and cover all newly planted areas with white non-woven fabric.

What to Harvest Before Winter?

In November, there really isn't much left to harvest, but you can still find something. Rowans may be preferred by birds, but if you have a cultivated sweet-fruited rowan, you own a very medicinal crop that has positive effects on blood sugar levels. For these reasons, it's suitable for diabetics. Try making a compote from the berries based on cranberries and you'll be surprised by the delicious taste. Mix a teaspoon of rowans with honey and white yogurt, and treat your body to a vitamin bomb during the winter months.