Your November Gardening Checklist
November on the allotment is a month of preparation, protection, and late-season harvesting. Frosts are more frequent, daylight is short, and the soil is often damp—but there’s still plenty to do to keep your plot productive and ready for spring.
No time to rest!
There’s just enough daylight to clear and tidy the allotment of any old crops in preparation for next year. Don’t leave the remains of summer crops to rot and harbour overwintering pests and diseases. Please wait for a clear, crisp, sunny day and go for it. You might feel worn out, but you’ll be a lot better at the end of the exercise—and your allotment will thank you.
Soil Preparation & General Maintenance
Clear spent crops – Remove any remaining vegetables and annuals, compost healthy material and dispose of diseased foliage.
Dig and mulch beds – Fork over vacant soil, incorporating compost or well-rotted manure to protect soil structure from frost and erosion.
Protect bare soil – Cover it with garden fabric, cloches, or fleece to prevent nutrient leaching and damage from heavy rain.
Tidy paths and borders – Rake leaves, remove weeds, and edge borders to save work in spring.
Check water systems – Drain hoses, turn off taps, and store irrigation equipment safely for winter.
Vegetable Tasks
Winter cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leeks, and parsnips – Harvest these hardy crops. Wait until after a frost for parsnips; the chilling converts starches into natural sugars, producing a sweeter flavour.
Brussels sprouts – Pick from the bottom of the stalk upwards so all sprouts swell. Snap off yellowing leaves to improve air circulation and make harvesting easier on cold, wet days.
Leafy greens – Continue harvesting kale, winter spinach, chard, lamb’s lettuce, and other hardy leaves. Protect crops with cloches or fleece if frosts are severe.
Garlic & onions – Finish planting garlic cloves and overwintering onions before the ground freezes.
Broad beans – Transplant pot-raised beans to a sheltered spot; early-month sowings can still be taken if protected from frost.
Potatoes & root crops – Lift late maincrop potatoes and hardy roots such as carrots, celeriac, and Florence fennel before hard frosts. Leave parsnips in the ground under mulch until after frost.
Brassicas – Cover cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale with netting or fleece to protect from pigeons, slugs, and frost damage.
Fruit Tasks
Plant new fruit trees and bushes – November is an excellent time to establish new fruiting additions. Soft fruit bushes can also be moved if needed.
Autumn-fruiting raspberries – Cut old canes to the ground after fruiting; these plants bear on new wood, so trimming encourages fresh growth.
Take hardwood cuttings – Fruit bushes are easy to propagate now and can produce decent-sized plants in a few years.
Apples & pears – Check storage conditions regularly, and remove any fruits showing signs of rot.
Soft fruits – Mulch around dormant berries to protect roots from frost.
Greenhouse & Polytunnel
Insulate tender plants – Bubble wrap, fleece, or cloches protect tomatoes, peppers, and other frost-sensitive crops.
Sow hardy peas – Use 3-inch (9 cm) pots and transplant later when roots have reached the bottom.
Transplant lettuces – Move October-sown lettuces under cloches or frames, spacing 6” (15 cm) apart.
Transplant broad beans – Pot-raised beans sown earlier can be moved to sheltered areas; early-month sowings can still be planted.
Harvest greens – Continue picking winter spinach, mizuna, lamb’s lettuce, and oriental leaves for fresh winter salads.
Clean and tidy – Remove old foliage, scrub benches, and sweep floors to reduce pests and diseases over winter.
Store crops – Chillies, tomatoes, and herbs can be stored or dried in a warm, airy location.
Flower Tasks
Plant spring bulbs – Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocus go in now for a colourful spring display. Tulips can also be planted in pots.
Sweet peas – Sow fresh seeds now and harden off plants sown last month. Exposing them to cooler conditions strengthens growth, but protect them from heavy snow and strong winds. Hold off on pinching until after Christmas..
Divide perennials – Lift congested clumps of hostas, daylilies, and irises to plant elsewhere or share with friends.
Protect tender plants in pots – Move off the ground and wrap with bubble wrap or fleece to prevent frost damage.
Leave seedheads – Sunflowers, teasels, and grasses provide food and shelter for birds and beneficial insects.
Pest & Disease Watch
Slugs & snails – Continue monitoring damp areas, as autumn and early winter can still bring activity.
Cabbage white butterflies & caterpillars – Inspect brassicas regularly and net if necessary.
Allium pests – Leek moth and onion fly may still be active in mild spells; check leaves and mulch.
Root crops – Monitor stored potatoes, carrots, and onions for rot; remove affected items promptly.
Fungal issues – Powdery mildew, blight, and leaf spot may persist in mild conditions; remove infected foliage and dispose of it.
Planning Ahead
Seed saving & storage – Collect, dry, and label seeds from the year’s best plants.
Crop rotation planning – Decide which beds will host which crops next season to maintain soil health.
Prepare winter structures – Cold frames, cloches, and fleece tunnels should be ready to extend the season for overwintering crops.
Tool maintenance – Clean, sharpen, and oil tools before storing them for winter.
Compost management – Turn compost heaps to encourage decomposition before the cold slows activity.
Think About Wildlife
Feed the birds – Set up feeders and provide fresh water to support winter wildlife.
Create shelters – Leaf piles, log piles, and bug hotels offer habitats for beneficial insects and hedgehogs.
Leave some seedheads – Continue leaving teasels, sunflowers, and ornamental grasses to feed and shelter birds.
Final Thoughts
November may feel like a quieter month on the allotment, but it’s a vital time to prepare for next year. Focus on clearing spent crops, protecting plants, enriching soil, and planning. A crisp, sunny day spent tidying, mulching, and planting will leave you with a plot ready to thrive when spring arrives. Remember to wrap up warm, take breaks with a hot mug of tea, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your allotment is winter-ready.Become a National Allotment Society member and help to preserve and protect allotments for future generations.
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