In the Garden - November
Officially November is the last month of spring and the plants in our gardens are all growing fast. To continue this rapid growth, regular light applications of fertiliser will help. For those organic gardeners regular mulching with well made compost encourages good growth while others may prefer applying prepared well balanced slow release fertiliser. Now is the time to ensure your irrigation system is working well for the long hot summer. Applying mulches is a good way to conserve water in the garden.
Ornamental Garden
Edible Garden
Outdoor Tomatoes. Plant them in early November. Put stakes in the ground at the same time as putting them in later will damage the roots. Tie the plants to the stakes as they grow and to support the weight of the fruit tie the stem just under the tomato truss. Water well and regularly. Remove side shoots from taller varieties. You may want to keep two upright shoots on a plant to give you more fruit.
Lawns
The Glasshouse and Conservatory
Fruit
Ornamental Garden
- Sweet pea, candytuft, larkspur, godetia, cornflower, mignonette, clarkia, scabiosa and livingstone daisy do not like to be transplanted, but will grow rapidly from seed if sown directly into a well prepared garden.
- Plant bedding plants now that the risk of very late frosts has gone and tries to get them in by mid November for best results for a Christmas garden. There are many different combinations the imaginative gardener can try.
- All need a fertile soil with plenty of organic matter. Sulphate of potash (30grams per square metre) helps strengthen the stems and intensifies the colour of the flowers.
- Plant out chrysanthemums and dahlias in permanent positions.
- Prepare and plant hanging baskets, pots and window boxes for a Christmas display.
- Look after the roses this month. Young stems can get damaged in the strong winds. Watch out for Aphids, black spot and rust and spray accordingly.
- Prune spring flowering shrubs after they have finished flowering. This will give the plants a long growing season to encourage them to flower next year. Remove seed heads from rhododendrons and azaleas.
- Deadhead any early flowering roses.
- Ensure the garden is well watered. A good soaking is better than just a little each day.
- Mulch borders to conserve moisture and add organic matter to the soil.
Edible Garden
- Try these out for your salad garden
- Radish of various types - succession planting every 2-3 weeks
- Spring onions - good for intercropping
- Red Onions - for your salads
- Lettuce (various) - succession sowings/plantings
- Dwarf beans - about 100 mm apart in a double row. Dwarf French Beans 'Hickok'
- Carrots - early varieties followed by a main crop
- Beetroot - great for pickling, use when they are small
- Capsicum - need warmth and lots of water.
- Plant tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini and make sure they grow unchecked for best results.
- Sow Beans (all Types), Cucumber, celery, corn, kohlrabi, leeks peas, potatoes, pumpkin,
- Harvest asparagus and rhubarb right through until Christmas. Do not harvest after Christmas as these plants need the rest of summer to build up their food supplies to produce next years crop. Give them a good mulch of compost and blood and bone.
- Mound up potatoes.
Outdoor Tomatoes. Plant them in early November. Put stakes in the ground at the same time as putting them in later will damage the roots. Tie the plants to the stakes as they grow and to support the weight of the fruit tie the stem just under the tomato truss. Water well and regularly. Remove side shoots from taller varieties. You may want to keep two upright shoots on a plant to give you more fruit.
Lawns
- Mow lawns regularly to obtain a nice sward of grass.
- Regular mowing at the same height each time is the best.
- Apply some fertiliser to encourage healthy growth.
The Glasshouse and Conservatory
- Plant out tomatoes and other glasshouse crops and keep the well watered.
- Do not let the glasshouse get to hot as this will slow down growth as the heat and water loss places extra stress on the plants.
- Glasshouses are shelters from the worst of the weather and provide a controlled environment not a HOTHOUSE.
Fruit
- Strawberries will be throwing out flower trusses this month and fruiting shortly after. Support the fruit on a pad of straw to stop them becoming dirty and to allow them to ripen nicely.
- On apple trees watch out for apple woolly aphids. These white fluffy insects can do a lot of damage to the tree and cause swelling of the branches. Try a little kerosene on them.
- Start spraying with pesticides to control chewing and sucking insects. If your trees are relatively free of pests and diseases, hold off on the sprays.
- Raspberry canes may need to be tied to keep them straight.
- Some fruit trees will go through a fruit drop as a natural way of reducing the number of fruit it carries. Its natures way of getting larger and healthier fruit. You can also thin fruit out with a fine pair of secateurs as well.