JOBS TO DO IN NOVEMBER

Tidy ornamental water features and bring some of the more fragile ones indoors.

Tidy borders
Any perennials past their best can be cut right down, clearing away remains and adding them to the compost heap.

Plant new hedges
Container-grown evergreens and conifers planted now will get a really good start in life, so complete new hedging projects as soon as possible.

Wallflowers
Fill gaps in borders with wallflowers for a great blaze of spring colour. Space them so that they will grow into one another and, for extra impact, plant tulips with flowers in a contrasting colour in between them.

AVOID FEEDING

Grey mould or botrytis can be problematic in wet weather, as can powdery mildew in dry weather, particularly in warmer spots. It is best to control these by cultural methods or by cutting back fading herbaceous growth, rather than by spraying, which is less effective at this time of year. Avoid feeding plants late in the season, as this will encourage soft, sappy growth that is more vulnerable to damage by frost and by wet, and can encourage fungal diseases to develop.

Horticultural.

THE GREENHOUSE IN AUTUMN

Clean greenhouse glass

Every year give the outside of your greenhouse a good wash. General grime and algae accumulates on the glazing, reducing the amount of light getting through to plants inside. Use a hose and a stiff brush, slowly spraying and brushing every glazing panel in turn. Choose a warm day to complete the job.

Insulate your greenhouse

Insulate your greenhouse using bubble polythene. Choose grades made especially for greenhouses, as these contain UV stabilisers, which prevent them from breaking down in daylight. Simply pin the polythene to wooden-framed greenhouses. With aluminium models, use special plastic clips that twist into place in the frame. In addition, use sheets of white polystyrene to line the glazing under the staging. This also reflects extra light back into the greenhouse.

Check the health of plants

Check each week that plants being over wintered under glass are healthy and pick off discoloured leaves and dead flowers, which encourage diseases. Make sure plants remain pest free. Water plants more sparingly now conditions are turning cooler and make sure there is good circulation around their foliage, to prevent fungal diseases.

Horticultural.

TOP TIPS

FRUIT TREES

Pick apples as soon as they are ripe, remembering that some varieties can be eaten straight from the tree, while others are best left for a time, stored in a cool place to reach their peak of perfection. Trap female winter moths as they climb up fruit trees to find a crevice to over-winter in by tightly wrapping grease bands around stems and greasing tree stakes.

Money saving tip: Container grown spring bulbs are better off without too much fertilizer so use a cheap compost and then feed after flowering

Time saving tip: This is the time to dig over the vegetable plot. Instead of clearing the old leaves to the compost heap, dig a trench and bury them. They will soon rot down and you have done the digging as well.blod done not top bit

JOBS TO DO IN NOVEMBER

Photo: Red Lion pub in Bottesford

Even though there is not much growth at the moment we can still be busy in the garden what with tidying and planting for spring. Let us get straight down to business and have a look at what we can be getting on with.

Bulbs in bowls
Finish planting up bowls of spring-flowering bulbs, including crocuses, narcissi, dwarf irises and tulips. Then place them in a cool area, that's covered for protection from heavy rain.

Lettuces
Plan a continuous supply of crops for harvesting through the autumn months and into winter by planting hardy lettuce varieties such as 'Winter Density' in growing bags, pots or border soil.

GENERAL CARE

Lawn care
Spike lawns using a hollow-tined aerator and brush grit into the holes to improve drainage.

Frost protection
Watch out for frost, which can bring a sudden end to fading summer displays. Bring tender plants and crops under cover or, if time runs short, keeping a few sheets of fleece handy to throw over plants or containers to give some temporary protection.

Collect fallen leaves
Make light work of your autumn leaf collection by investing in a vacuum for the garden. Many have an internal shredder blade fitted that chops up the leaves as they pass into the collecting bag. This helps to speed up decomposition into leaf-mould. If you have a mower then use it with the grass collector to pick up the leaves. Set the blades on a high setting and ensure that the ground is not too wet. I mowed a piece of grass last week and the mower practically sank. It has left ridges, which will probably have to be filled in when spring comes!

Seeds
Saving seed not only spares you expense, but can produce novel results. Try leaving the last of the sweet peas on their plants to set seed and develop pods. Once ripe, they can be picked and the seed removed, cleaned and stored. Alternatively, sow sweet peas now for early blooms. Seed can also be saved from crops such as peas and runner beans.

Houseplants
Houseplants should be watered less frequently as temperatures drop.

Horticultural.