NOVEMBER IN THE GARDEN

Officially the last month of spring, November often has many rainy days and as such, the garden is not frequented as much as in dry weather. The rain spoils many flowering plants and causes fungal diseases and rot in many plants. Good drainage becomes important at this time. It tends to be a bit of an in between season for gardeners. However, use November to get the garden ready for the imminent holiday season.

• Dead head flowering plants.
• Apply regular drenchings of water soluble fertiliser to ensure healthy growth.
• There is a long list of flower seedlings that can be planted now for a spectacular summer and autumn display.
• Planting now will ensure that the garden is in full bloom during the festive season.

• Plant out young plants of all the many different types of peppers and chillies. They will produce through late summer and into autumn.
• Continue with small sowings and plantings of weather tolerant veggies.
• Control weed growth to the best of your ability.
• Harvest any ripe vegetables that may be damaged by the constant wet weather.
• Fertilise regularly as the rainfall leaches away available nutrients.
• Watch for fungal diseases like powdery mildew on cucurbits (the pumpkin family).
• Put out bait for pumpkin fly.

• Some herbs literally drown in the wet weather conditions. They may need replacing with fresh young plants once the weather settles.
• Continue to prune back any aggressive herbs like mint.
• Apply a regular dosage of water soluble plant food during the wet weather.

• Spray apples and pears for coddling moth.
• Harvest peaches and early plums.
• Fertilise all fruit trees with a balanced general fertiliser.
• Stake young trees planted during spring.
• Check citrus new growth for psylla.

• Remove dead foliage from spring flowering bulbs.
• Perennials like day lilies and agapanthus perform well now. Check for pests and diseases.
• General applications of fertiliser are very important with all the rainfall.
• Prune back the last of the spring flowering shrubs.

• As rainfall increases, spraying becomes all the more important. Spray on any dry day, especially if there has been prolonged rainfall since last application.
• Continue with monthly fertiliser applications. Still use 8:1:5 or 5:1:5 for optimum results.
• Water deeply if there is little rainfall.
• Dead head spent flowers.

• Regular mowing can become a bit of a challenge with all the rainfall. Mow whenever weather conditions permit. Don’t let the grass grow too long.
• Continue fertiliser applications with a high nitrogen lawn feed.
• Trim the lawn edges regularly to prevent grass from invading flower beds.

• Weed control is particularly important at this time of year. Prevent the set of seeds at all costs.
• Continue with your pest and disease watch. Quick reaction time is paramount in controlling any problem that is detected.
• Check potted plants for drainage. Lift onto “pot feet” if need be to ensure drainage holes remain functional.
• Water plants that are under the roof overhang of buildings. They don’t benefit from all the rainfall and can die from drought.
• Check rampant plant growth in ponds and water features.