November Guide to Using Horticultural Fleece

Horticultural fleece is a lightweight, versatile garden tool—especially valuable in November when cold snaps, frosts, and sudden weather swings can threaten your prized crops and ornamentals. Using fleece smartly this month can make all the difference between thriving plants and frostbitten disappointments. Here’s your essential guide to getting the most from horticultural fleece in November.

Why Use Horticultural Fleece in November?

• Frost protection: Shields leafy greens, young salads, autumn-sown onions, winter lettuce, herbs, and new perennials from sudden cold.
• Extends harvest: Keeps cut-and-come-again salads, rocket, and Asian greens growing weeks longer outdoors.
• Guards tender crops: Offers low-tech shelter for overwintered sweet peas, strawberries, half-hardy annuals, and late-planted bulbs.
• Keeps out pests: A secondary benefit—provides a barrier against pigeons and late butterflies.

How to Use Fleece in November

1. Row Covers Over Veg Beds:

• Lay fleece directly over rows of leafy greens or root crops, anchoring edges with pegs, stones, or soil to keep out cold air and stop the fleece blowing away.

2. Cloche-Style Support:

• Tunnel or hoop the fleece over young broad beans, onions, or carrots using hoops (wire, bamboo, or plastic) for a mini “polytunnel” effect.

3. Wrapping Pots and Shrubs:

• Wrap fleece around the crowns of tender perennials, potted herbs, figs, or lemon trees. Tie securely but let the plant breathe.

4. Double Layer on Frosty Nights:

• For sudden temperature drops, use two layers on especially vulnerable crops or flowers.

Fleece Tips for Best Results

• Remove for Ventilation: On sunny days, pull fleece off to let plants get light and reduce humidity; recover at night or in cold snaps.
• Reuse and Recycle: Shake off mud and let dry, then fold and store for next use. Well-cared-for fleece often lasts for several seasons.
• Mark beds clearly: Fleece can hide seedlings and bulbs—use labeled pegs or sticks so you don’t accidentally disturb them.

What Not to Use Fleece For

• Not a substitute for a heated greenhouse in harsh winter—fleece is for light protection, not deep freezes.
• Avoid laying fleece too soon on waterlogged or heavy soil; plants need airflow to avoid rot.

With horticultural fleece on hand, you can relax knowing your November garden is shielded from the season’s worst chills—while extending your harvest and protecting investments for the coming year.