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Gardening To-Do’s – Countrywide – November

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What to do in your garden during November

Plant & sow

Sow winter-flowering annuals:

Plant these bedding plants:

Sow these vegetables:

Sow seed of the following perennials:

Plant quick-maturing summer annuals like:

November is a great time for planting almost anything, visit your local nursery or home improvement store and have a look at what’s available.

Garden Maintenance

Pests and Disease

  • This time of year provides perfect environmental conditions which inevitably see the emergence of pests and disease, so it is important to take a regular stroll through the garden and check the succulent fresh new growth of your ornamentals and pot plants for signs of mildew, aphids, thrips, red spider mites and other buggers. Treat them in time to avoid over infestation and remember to use pesticides responsibly.
  • Keep an eye out for the tiny little caterpillar eggs or baby caterpillars on your amaryllis and clivias and the underside of cabbage and kale leaves.
  • Treat conifers with Aphicide if cypress aphids are still present.
  • Powdery mildew may become a problem as damper conditions creep in.
  • Only spray where necessary to keep the garden free of pests. – There are a number of organic products and remedies available.
  • Treat fruit trees for pests with a spray. Remember to spray your roses and affected ornamentals as well as many of them harbour pests which attack fruit trees. Particularly spray Pyracantha and quince.

Weeds

  • The weed war will continue at full force during November so remember to weed before the flowers are formed and seeds are set and don’t put weeds on the compost heap.
  • Remove weeds from the lawn by applying a broad-leaf weed-killer, weeds in the garden bed are best removed by hand before they flower and set seed.
  • Minimise weeds by applying mulch and weed guard or landscape fabric and refrain from turning or “cultivating” the soil.

Feed and Fertilize

  • To ensure a spectacular display throughout the next few months feed the Hydrangeas, Fuchias, Hibiscus and roses well and remove spent blooms as they appear. The Azaleas, Camellias and other early bloomers finish flowering around now so give them a good dose of food too to help them set buds for next season.
  • Container plants always benefit from good fertilization round about now. Always water before fertilizing and remember it is often easier to feed pot plants with a liquid fertilizer opposed to a granular.
  • Thin out peaches, apricots and plums before the pips get hard. As the fruit starts to swell, give trees their second application of fertilizer because this time of year always harbours the larvae the fruit fly and codling moth.
  • Now is also a good time to feed your hedges to stimulate aggressive thick and dense new growth to be pruned in to shape during the next few months.
  • Continue to fertilize fruit trees and checked that they are well mulched, water them regularly.
  • Feed shrubs, trees and climbers and mulch well.
  • Feed flowering annuals every 14 days with a water-soluble fertilizer like Nitrosol or Multifeed.
  • Freshen up vegetable beds with fresh compost and organic fertilizer, after harvesting your vegetables and herbs.
  • Liquid fertiliser can be applied every 14 days or so to encourage a heavy yield
  • Leafy vegetables like spinach and lettuce can be fed with 2:3:2 or a liquid plant food like Multifeed Classic.
  • Lemon trees can be fed 2 kg (for a mature tree) of 3:1:5 and mulch with compost around the tree.
  • Summer and Spring flowering bulbs can be fed with bulb food and should be kept moist, but not overwatered.
  • A dose of 3:1:5 would do your summer-flowering bedding plants well.

General maintenance

  • Lift and divide irises after they have finished flowering.
  • After the foliage of spring, bulbs have died down, lift them and dust them with sulphur before storing them.
  • Feed and mulch cannas and dahlias; water agapanthus well.
  • Continue feeding the lawn, also continue mowing and watering.
  • Water hydrangeas well and give them a thick mulch.
  • Feed hydrangeas regularly.
  • Spray roses and fruit trees regularly

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