Gardening in November - what do I need to do?

Today’s carrot harvest / dinner.

So, like many others, I fully got my hands dirty this year - during Spring & Summer I practically lived outside. From breakfast to sun down and thanks to working from home, I really made the most of our little garden.

It was the first time we’ve had a successful crop from the garden (in fact we still have lettuce and carrots coming through and the last of the tomatoes we’re harvested today!) primarily due to having more time to nuture everything we attempted to grow.

And as we head into winter, I really don’t want to let all that hard work go to waste - so here’s what I have spent today doing - on advice from well versed parents and grandparents! It’s all easy stuff, so if you’re keen to nurture your garden through winter, here’s a few things to get your hands dirty and get you out in the fresh air as we settle into lockdown two!

PREPPING FOR WINTER
1) Prune. Yep, cut back those fruit trees and roses. Don’t worry, they will grow back. There’s a few benefits to doing this - the main reason is it encourages new fresh growth and will improve the quality of the fruit next year. Secondly, it’ll tame any unruly branches, and help you maintain a specific shape (we’re trying to get our apple tree to grow horizontally along our wall) if that’s your thing and lastly, you can use those chopped branches, along with any fallen fruit, to inject some much needed nutrition back into your soil - but more on that later!
NB: If you have a plum tree don’t prune it until Spring - otherwise it’ll be susceptible to silver fungus.

2) Spread manure. Have horses? Live near a stable yard? Or just pop by your local garden centre to stock up on some manure. Spread this over your veg patch, to return some much needed nutrients to the soil. This will rot down over winter and will mean your soil is in ship shape when it’s time to sow your next crop.

3) Tidy. It’s important to tidy just the right amount - and don’t bag and bin your garden waste! If you have a strawberry plant, then now is the time to trim out any yellowing or brown leaves. Snip these out with some sharp scissors, along with any long runners that are heading out of your patch and into your garden (as I found today! It had reached all the way to the ground from our raised bed!) or are starting to encroach on other veg space. It’s also a good time to plant currant and raspberry bushes.

4) Don’t forget your grass! Clear any fallen leaves and put them to one side. Then grab a garden fork to aerate the soil. Making small holes at regular intervals helps to allow essential nutrients, air and water in.

5) COMPOSTING TIME! I never thought I’d get excited about this - but I am and this is why. Making your own compost is easy, it’s better for your soil and means you don’t need to chuck all your food waste / garden waste in to a bin.
So there are two ways of doing it… the first is the traditional way, whereby you have a composter placed over soil where you can deposit all your garden waste (e.g. all those branches you pruned) and kitchen waste (eggshells, carrot ends etc.).
These decompose over time and in 6 months - 2 years.

The second way, is the one I’ve adopted for now, until we build a nice new wooden composter. I’m calling this way, ‘wild composting’. Potentially overkill but I’m already a fan. This involves placing your scooped up fallen leaves from your lawn, the branches you’ve pruned and your veg peelings and place them at the base of your fruit trees and in your planters. These will not only help protect the roots from frosts, but will also put essential carbon back into your soil directly as it decomposes.
Yes, you have to take a deep breath and be prepared for your garden to look a little less tidy, but, it does mean you’re ‘recycling’ your plant waste, to improve your soil quality for next year. And its free! Winner.

Mulch to be!

6) A last few notes - wrap up any pots or planters to protect them from the frosts. Polystyrene and bubble wrap can be used, but personally I’m going to be using hessian - it’s biodegradable and it looks nicer too. If you can, raise any pots off of the ground, as this also helps to protect them.

Most importantly, stay out there! Don’t be put off because it’s wet and cold. We’ve had to do a lot of this year ‘inside’ and winter is going to be no exception. Literally getting your hands dirty, spending time the fresh air and being able to step back and enjoy a sense of accomplishment - no matter how small, is going to make all the difference over the next few months.

Let me know how you get on / please share any advice you have!