Seasonal jobs for November 2013

Glasshouse & indoor

To help ripening of crops remove shading as light levels fall
Plant prepared hyacinth bulbs for Christmas in pots
Reduce watering of Hippeastrum (amaryllis) to give the bulbs a resting period
Continue harvesting tomatoes, peppers and aubergines

Ponds and water features

Thin out oxygenating plants. Leave on side of the pond to allow wildlife to crawl back
Where possible cover the pond with netting to prevent leaves falling in and rotting in the water.
Continue removing blanket weed and duckweed

Seasonal jobs for the month: November

1.	Keep overwintering brassicas covered with netting to prevent pigeon damage. Hungry birds can strip unprotected plants.

2.	Plant tulips and finish the planting of other spring-flowering bulbs.

3.	Before the first hard frosts, wrap vulnerable plants with hessian, fleece or bubble wrap to protect their stems.

4.	Pot up chives and keep indoors on a well-lit windowsill for winter use.

5.	Early in the month you can still sow green manures such as grazing rye..

6.	It is not too late to take root cuttings from plants such as Lamprocapnos spectabilis (syn. Dicentra spectabilis). Bare-root stock from garden centres comes conveniently soil free. Pot up and overwinter cuttings in a cold frame.

Lawn

To establish new lawns sow seed or lay turf
Apply autumn law treatments with moss killers or proprietary moss killers
Apply biological control (nematodes) against leather jackets and chafer grubs in lawns
Consider planting bulbs such as C. tommasinianus, Chionodoxa luciliae, Narcissus 'February Gold' and Scilla siberica for naturalising in lawn

Kitchen garden

Plant out spring cabbage
Plant onion sets suitable for overwintering
Continue harvesting apples and pears
For best choice order bare root fruit trees and bushes early
Continue picking autumn raspberries and blackberries
Reduce damage to ripening marrows, pumpkins and squashes by placing the fruit on wooden boards or tiles

Ornamental garden

Plant new and divide well established clumps of hardy perennials
Clear gone over summer bedding and prepare ground for winter bedding/spring bulbs
Stop feeding hardy garden plants
Plant spring flowering bulbs in borders and containers
Move evergreen shrubs

Pest and diseases

Remove fruit affected with brown rot
Bright orange, raised spots (pustules) on leaves of leeks and chives are caused by leek rust
Keep leeks protected with enviromesh or fleece against leaf mining fly and leek moth.
Do not compost blight affected foliage and tubers of potatoes and tomato plants and fruit
Clumps of honey coloured toadstools at the base of trees and shrubs may indicate honey fungus

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