Gardening in November: Essential Fall Garden Care Guide

Your guide to gardening in November

Prepare your garden for winter with our complete November checklist — from planting and pruning to frost protection and wildlife care.

November marks a crucial time for gardeners to prepare for the colder months ahead. It’s the perfect opportunity to clean and insulate your flower and vegetable beds, plant spring bulbs, and prune trees or shrubs that need a little extra maintenance. You can also focus on indoor plant care by starting new houseplants, forcing bulbs indoors, and planning next year’s garden layout.

Fall garden clean up for winter preparation

What to do with fallen leaves in November?

Planting in November: bulbs, fruit, and root stock

Transplanting Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

Supporting garden wildlife in November

Conclusion

1. Fall garden clean up for winter preparation

Frost protection and storage essentials: lift and store tubers, insulate containers, use cold frames
Winterise tools and equipment: clean and oil tools, drain water systems, store clay pots
Winterise the water garden: net your pond and prevent hard freezing

As November temperatures dip into single figures, frost becomes a familiar morning guest in the garden. Now’s the time to lift tender plants like begonias, dahlias, and gladioli, and store them in a dry, frost-free space for the winter.

To protect pots and containers, wrap them in hessian or bubble wrap — this simple step can prevent cracking during freezing weather. You can even line the inside of your greenhouse with bubble wrap to help retain warmth.

If you’re nurturing young plants that can’t be brought indoors, consider building a cold frame to keep them safe and growing steadily through winter.

2. What to do with fallen leaves in November?

Raking: finding the balance between clearing leaves and leaving some for soil health
The power of leafmould: composting and mulching

With trees shedding their final leaves, November is prime time for garden tidying. Remove any leaves from infected plants — such as rose bushes affected by blackspot — to prevent disease from returning next year.

Regularly rake fallen leaves off your lawn to keep it looking neat and healthy. And here’s a great November gardening tip: start making your own leafmould. Shredded leaves will decompose faster, giving you a nutrient-rich mulch ready to use within a year.

This is also your last chance to tackle those lingering garden jobs — raise pots to stop them from becoming waterlogged, paint fences, trim hedges, and clean water butts. For a healthier lawn, aerate the soil with a garden fork and give it one last watering before the frost sets in.

3. Planting in November: bulbs, fruit, and root stock

Spring bulbs and hardy flowers
Fruit and root stock planting

There’s still plenty of life to bring to your garden in November. Plant hardy spring bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and bare-root roses for a stunning display next season. Indoors, sow seeds of sweet peas, foxgloves, and lupins to get a head start for spring.

When it comes to fruit and vegetables, November is ideal for planting strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and blueberries. Pear and apple trees can be pruned, though you can continue this task through winter until February.

If your vegetable patch is still going strong, now’s the time to harvest parsnips and ensure your brussels sprouts and brassicas are well supported with stakes.

Read our full article: What to plant in November for an in-depth planting guide.

4. Transplanting Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

Transplanting established plants
Planting new trees

November is one of the best months for transplanting trees, shrubs, and perennials. Cooler weather and moist soil help reduce stress on roots, giving plants a better chance to settle before spring.

Transplanting offers many benefits — from refreshing your garden layout to giving established plants more space to grow. Carefully dig up the plant and move it swiftly into a new, slightly wider hole than the root ball. Fill in the soil, firm it gently, and water thoroughly.

Pro tip: Choose a day after rainfall to transplant — damp soil makes digging and replanting much easier.

5. Supporting garden wildlife in November

Caring for birds and pond maintenance

As frost sets in and food sources become scarce, birds rely on garden feeders more than ever. Keep your feeders topped up with seeds, nuts, and fat balls to help them through the coldest months — and to enjoy their cheerful presence all winter long.

If you have a pond, cover it with a fine net to keep out falling leaves and clear away excess pond weed. This will keep your water healthy and safe for fish and amphibians throughout winter.

6. Conclusion

November is the perfect month to get ahead on winter garden prep. From planting spring bulbs to protecting your plants, tools, and wildlife, a little effort now ensures a flourishing garden when spring returns.

And don’t forget to look after your garden’s wildlife — they’re a vital part of your ecosystem.

Read next: November wildlife gardening jobs to learn how to support birds, insects, and other creatures through the colder months.