November in the Garden: What to Plant, Prune and Tend This Month
November is when the garden shifts gears. Spring growth is racing along, the soil is warm and the first real heat of summer is only a few weeks away. It’s a lovely month to be outside, and a little effort now saves a lot of work (and a lot of dead plants) once the hot weather settles in.
Australia is a big place, so what you do depends on where you live. I’ve covered the basics for most climates below, with a few notes for cooler and tropical gardens along the way.
Plant summer vegetables and herbs
If you’re in a temperate or warm climate, now’s the time to get your summer crops in the ground. Tomatoes, capsicums, chillies, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, sweet corn and pumpkins all love the warmth. Basil is another one to plant now, and it grows happily beside your tomatoes. Cooler regions, such as Tasmania, Canberra and the highlands, can still get a late frost, so wait until the risk has passed before you plant out tender seedlings. If in doubt, harden your seedlings off for a few days first.
Mulch and water smartly
Mulch is the best thing you can do for your garden this month. A layer about five to seven centimetres deep keeps the soil cool, holds moisture and stops weeds taking hold. Keep it a little away from the stems and trunks so they don’t rot. When it comes to watering, deep and less often beats a quick sprinkle every day, because it encourages roots to grow down rather than stay near the surface. Early morning is the best time, as less water evaporates and the leaves dry quickly.
Feed and tend your favourites
Roses are in full swing, so feed them, deadhead spent blooms and keep an eye out for aphids. Citrus trees appreciate a feed this time of year too, along with a good soak during dry spells. If you have a lawn, give it a feed and mow a touch higher than usual. Longer grass shades the roots and copes better in the heat.
Prune after flowering
Once your spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming, give them a tidy-up. Pruning straight after flowering means you won’t cut off next year’s buds. It’s also a good time to give hedges a light trim and to pinch back leggy herbs and annuals so they stay bushy.
Keep an eye on pests
Warm weather brings out the bugs. Check the undersides of leaves for aphids and caterpillars, and hose aphids off with a strong jet of water before they multiply. Snails love a damp evening, so go on patrol after dark if you can. If you grow fruit, think about fruit fly traps or exclusion netting now, before the problem begins.
Add colour to pots and borders
Marigolds, zinnias and portulaca all love the heat and keep flowering right through summer. They’re easy, cheerful and good value, and they fill gaps quickly. Pots on a patio or balcony dry out faster than garden beds, so check them often and water them as needed.
If you garden in the tropics or subtropics
For those in the tropical north, the build-up to the wet season is starting, and that changes the gardening rules. Sweet potato, pumpkin, snake beans, okra, lemongrass and basil all do well as the humidity rises. Mulch heavily to stop soil washing away in heavy rain, and check your drainage before the downpours arrive. Watch for fungal problems on leaves as the weather turns humid.
Get ready for storm and bushfire season
It’s not the most glamorous job, but November is a sensible time to prepare. Clear the gutters, trim branches that hang over the house and rake up dry leaves and twigs from around the home. Secure loose pots and garden furniture, since strong winds can turn them into projectiles.
You don’t need to do everything on this list. Pick two or three jobs, put your seedlings in, mulch well and enjoy the garden while the weather’s still kind. A little time now makes for a much easier summer.
