November Garden Guide: What to Plant, Protect, and Prep for Spring Success
As November sets in, the UK garden enters a quieter phase, yet there are still plenty of tasks to help you prepare for a successful spring. While the growing season winds down, November offers gardeners a chance to set up their spaces with hardy crops, vibrant spring flowers, and crucial frost protection. With the right planning—and some support from sustainable products like the Hortiwool Garden Pad—you can keep your garden thriving even in the cooler months. Here’s your guide to gardening in November with everything you can sow, plant, and protect to set the stage for next season’s success.
Vegetables to Sow in November
While the frost settles in, there are a few hardy vegetables that can still be sown, helping you get a jump on the spring growing season.
Broad Beans
Varieties: Aquadulce Claudia, Super Aquadulce
Tips: Sow seeds directly outdoors in a sunny, sheltered spot, spacing them 20cm apart and 5cm deep in well-drained soil. These broad beans will establish themselves before the hard winter and reward you with a productive early spring harvest.
Garlic
Varieties: Carcassonne Wight, Germidour
Tips: November is a perfect time for planting garlic. Simply separate cloves and plant them 2.5cm deep and 10-15cm apart. Hortiwool Garden Pads can be laid around garlic rows to help regulate soil moisture and protect against harsh frosts.
Winter Lettuce
Varieties: Arctic King, Winter Gem
Tips: Sow hardy lettuces under cloches, in a cold frame, or greenhouse. Lettuce thrives when sheltered and can provide fresh leaves even through winter. Using Hortiwool Garden Pads around these crops can help insulate the soil and create a mild microclimate for continued growth.
Vegetables to Plant/Transplant in November
These vegetables are hardy enough to establish themselves through winter, setting you up for an earlier start next year.
Onions
Varieties: Radar, Senshyu Yellow
Tips: Plant onion sets around 10cm apart, just under the soil surface. These will root over winter and develop into strong bulbs by early summer. Laying Hortiwool Garden Pads around young onion sets helps insulate the soil and retain moisture, supporting steady growth.
Asparagus
Tips: November is ideal for planting asparagus crowns in well-drained, sunny spots. Space crowns 30cm apart in trenches around 20-30cm deep. This is a long-term investment, as asparagus will establish and produce reliably for years to come.
Spinach
Varieties: Giant Winter, Medania
Tips: Spinach enjoys cool weather and can be planted now for harvests in early spring. Hortiwool Garden Pads can provide frost protection, helping your spinach seedlings stay warm and thrive.
Herbs to Sow in November
Though most herbs are best planted in spring, a few varieties can handle cooler temperatures and will offer fresh flavour when spring arrives.
Chives
Tips: Hardy and frost-resistant, chives can be sown in pots or directly in garden beds. These hardy herbs will establish over winter and provide fresh onion-flavoured shoots in early spring. Try placing a Hortiwool Garden Pad under potted chives to shield roots from the cold.
Parsley
Tips: Parsley can withstand the cooler months, making it perfect for autumn sowing. Sow in pots or raised beds near the kitchen to enjoy easy access.
Flowers to Plant in November
For a vibrant display next spring, November is an ideal month to plant hardy flowers and bulbs.
Tulips
Varieties: Queen of Night, Apeldoorn
Tips: Plant bulbs 15-20cm deep in well-drained soil. Tulips benefit from deeper planting to guard against frost and wet conditions. Hortiwool Garden Pads can be placed over planted bulbs to help prevent waterlogging, keeping the soil well-drained.
Crocuses
Varieties: Golden Yellow, Remembrance
Tips: Crocuses are known for their early blooms, providing some of the first signs of spring. Plant bulbs 7-10cm deep, ideally in sunny spots. If you’re planting in pots, place a Hortiwool Garden Pad beneath to create a layer of insulation.
Sweet Peas
Varieties: Painted Lady, Matucana
Tips: Sow seeds in a cold frame or greenhouse to overwinter. This gives you an early start on these beautifully fragrant flowers, setting the stage for a burst of colour next year.
General Tips for Gardening in November
Tidy Up: Clear away fallen leaves and dead plants, but keep healthy debris to compost. Diseased material should be disposed of to prevent pests from overwintering.
Mulching: Apply mulch or Hortiwool Garden Pads around the base of established plants. This retains warmth, conserves moisture, and suppresses weeds, offering an extra layer of winter protection.
Frost Protection: Move tender plants into greenhouses or indoors, and protect others with Hortiwool Garden Pads, cloches, or fleece to keep frost at bay.
Lift Root Vegetables: Harvest any remaining carrots, parsnips, and other root crops before frost fully sets in.
Plant Spring Bulbs: November is your last chance to plant daffodils, crocuses, and tulips for a colourful start to spring. The Hortiwool Garden Pad can be placed over bulb areas to regulate moisture and insulate against harsh frosts.
Though November marks a slower phase in the gardening year, there’s still much to be gained from a bit of autumnal preparation. Embrace the changing seasons and give your garden a head start for spring by investing in key protective measures like the Hortiwool Garden Pad.
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