Top tips for gardening in November

Spring Flowering Bulbs

It’s not too late to plant spring flowering bulbs. In fact, Tulips are best planted in November as there is a better chance of preventing the bulbs from becoming infected with the fungal disease, tulip fire. We still have a very good selection from which to make your choice.

Leaf Mould

Turn those fallen leaves into leaf mould, which is an excellent ingredient in composts and also makes very fine mulch. Oak and beech leaves are a great bonus to the mix, but be aware of using horse chestnut leaves that have been attacked by the dreaded leaf miner – these should be burnt if at all possible.

Leaves are very slow at rotting, taking at least a year to mature into compost. The best method is to make a wire netting enclosure and keep adding as the leaves are collected. They should be well wetted. If space is limited, black plastic refuse bags make good containers, these can then be stacked out of sight and forgotten for a year. Don’t forget to wet the leaves before you tie the bag and punch a few holes around the sides.

Autumn/Winter Bedding Plants

Finish planting autumn/winter bedding plants as soon as you can now. Wallflowers, Forget-Me-Nots, Bellis Daisies, Winter Flowering Pansies and Sweet Williams will all benefit from the warm soil to enable them to establish before the winter. Gardening in November is also a perfect time to plant trees and shrubs and Aylett’s stock a large range to choose from to suit either large or small gardens.

Caring for Birds

Now is the time to clear out bird boxes and make any running repairs. Purchase fresh stocks of bird food in case of a sudden cold snap. We have a large selection of bird foods suitable for all different species. A parasite is causing a threat to our best-loved garden birds that can be transmitted through bird feeders and birdbaths. Its spread can be controlled by cleaning your bird feeders and birdbaths at least once a week with a disinfectant such as Citrox.

If squirrels are a problem, we have a large range of squirrel proof feeders, which will deter even the most ingenious of the little creatures.

Vegetable Plots

The earlier winter digging of the vegetable plot is done, the better, as this will allow the rain and frost to break down the clods of soil, making it much easier to cultivate next spring whilst improving the soil structure.

Contact our friendly team

Browse our range of plants, tools and accessories at our garden centre in St Albans – perfect for gardening in November.

For more information, contact our friendly team on 01727 822255 or email us on info@aylettnurseries.co.uk.