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🍁 What Jobs to Do in the Garden and Allotment in November (UK Guide)

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🍂 Introduction: Why November Is a Key Month for Garden & Allotment Prep

November marks the shift from autumn into early winter. Days shorten, temperatures drop, frost becomes more likely, and many plants begin their winter rest. While growth slows, this month is packed with important jobs that help protect your garden and set up next year’s success.

Common November tasks include:

• planting hardy winter crops
• mulching soil before winter
• pruning the right fruit trees
• protecting tender plants
• raking leaves and clearing debris
• harvesting the last autumn vegetables
• preparing beds for early spring planting

With the right jobs done now, your garden and allotment will stay healthy through winter and burst into life when spring returns.

Below are the best products to help with November garden and allotment care.

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⭐ Check Out Our Recommended Products

• Frost Protection Fleece

Essential for protecting tender veg, shrubs and young plants in cold snaps.
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• Mulch & Bark Chips

Perfect for insulating soil, protecting roots and improving drainage.
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• Leaf Collectors & Garden Bags

Helps manage heavy leaf fall across paths, beds and lawns.
Click here to see them

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🌱 What to Plant in November

Even though temperatures are dropping, there are still plenty of crops and bulbs to get into the ground.

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🧄 Plant Garlic, Onions & Shallots

November is the ideal month to plant:

• garlic
• overwintering onions
• shallots

Cold improves garlic bulb formation and ensures a strong harvest next year.

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🌱 Sow Hardy Broad Beans

Sow hardy varieties such as:

• Aquadulce Claudia
• Super Aquadulce

These overwinter well and crop earlier than spring-sown beans.

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🌳 Plant Bare-Root Fruit Trees & Bushes

Bare-root planting season starts now.

Perfect to plant:

• apple & pear trees
• plum, cherry & apricot trees
• raspberries & blackberries
• gooseberries
• currants

Bare-root plants are cheaper, establish faster, and are ideal for winter planting.

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🌷 Plant the Last of the Spring Bulbs

Still time to plant:

• tulips
• daffodils
• hyacinths
• crocus
• alliums

Tulips especially love cold November soil.

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✂️ Pruning Jobs for November

Only certain plants should be pruned this month.

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🍏 Prune Apple & Pear Trees

This is the right time for winter pruning:

• remove crossing branches
• clear dead, dying or diseased wood
• open up the centre for airflow
• reduce height to manageable levels

Do not prune stone fruit like plums, cherries or apricots in winter.

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🌹 Light-Prune Roses

Reduce tall stems to prevent:

• wind rock
• snapped branches
• root stress

Save heavy pruning for February/March.

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❄️ Protect Your Garden from Frost

November is when frost becomes a real threat.

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🌱 Protect Tender Plants

Bring indoors or fleece:

• geraniums
• fuchsias
• salvias
• begonias
• citrus trees
• pelargoniums
• tender herbs (basil, coriander)

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🪴 Insulate Potted Plants

Use:

• fleece
• bubble wrap
• hessian wraps
• pot feet

This prevents root freeze in containers.

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🍁 Leaf Management & Composting

Heavy leaf fall can cause issues on paths, lawns and winter beds.

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🍂 Collect Fallen Leaves Regularly

Do this weekly to prevent:

• slippy paths
• dead patches on lawns
• pests hiding in thick piles

Use collected leaves to make leaf mould — excellent soil conditioner.

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🧹 Clear Gutters, Drains & Greenhouse Roofs

Leaves cause blockages that can lead to flooding and damp.

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🥕 Harvesting Jobs for November

Pick the last of your autumn produce.

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🥕 Harvest Root Veg

Lift:

• carrots
• beetroot
• turnips
• parsnips (taste sweeter after frost)

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🎃 Store Squash & Pumpkins

Store in a cool, dry place to last all winter.

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🧅 Pick Leeks & Winter Brassicas

Continue harvesting:

• leeks
• kale
• cabbage
• sprouts
• swedes

These thrive in cold temperatures.

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🍇 Overwintering & Preparing for Winter

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🪓 Lift Tender Tubers

Before heavy frost:

• dahlias
• cannas
• begonias

Dry and store somewhere frost-free.

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🌱 Mulch Beds Before Winter

Mulch helps:

• protect soil structure
• insulate roots
• feed the soil naturally
• suppress weeds

Use bark, compost, manure or leaf mould.

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🏗 Maintenance & Plot Preparation

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🔧 Check Supports, Netting & Tunnels

Winter storms can cause major damage.

Check:

• polytunnels
• greenhouse panes
• trellises
• fences
• fruit cages

Repair now before weather worsens.

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🧪 Prepare Your Greenhouse / Polytunnel

• clean panes
• wash staging
• remove old plants
• insulate with bubble wrap
• check heaters if using one
• organise tools and pots

A clean structure reduces pests next year.

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🐦 Wildlife Care in November

Supporting wildlife helps your garden too.

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🐦 Feed Garden Birds

Put out:

• fat balls
• seed mixes
• fresh water

Birds help control pests next spring.

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🦔 Create Shelter for Hedgehogs

Leave:

• log piles
• leaf piles

Avoid disturbing hibernation spots.

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🧤 Common November Garden Problems

❌ Frost damage

Young plants suffer quickly.

❌ Waterlogging

Heavy rainfall creates soggy beds.

❌ Wind damage

Tall stems snapping or rocking roots.

❌ Rotting tubers

If left unlifted outdoors.

❌ Slugs hiding under leaves

Leaf piles become perfect shelters.

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🌼 Reviving the Garden After November

In early winter:

• mulch beds
• protect crops
• tidy paths
• plan next year
• order seeds
• organise the shed

November prep makes spring gardening MUCH easier.

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🌸 FAQs

What can I plant in November?

Garlic, onions, shallots, broad beans, fruit trees and tulips.

Can I prune in November?

Only apples, pears and light rose pruning.

Should I mulch in November?

Yes — it protects soil and roots all winter.

Is it too late to plant spring bulbs?

No — tulips are perfect for November planting.

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🌼 Conclusion

November may feel like a quiet month, but it’s one of the most important for preparing your garden and allotment for winter. Planting hardy crops, protecting tender plants, mulching soil, pruning the right trees and organising your plot now will set the foundations for a healthy, productive year ahead.

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