15 November 2023 , 14:58
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All green-fingered Brits know that sprucing up your garden is a year-long dedication, but with Christmas just around the corner, it can be difficult to know what seasonal jobs to tackle.
If you want plentiful blooms and a beautiful landscape when Spring arrives, garden designer and plantsman Henry Agg says there’s "plenty to do" in November. The outdoor expert, who goes by @henryaggdesign and boasts 34.2K TikTok followers, suggests refreshing tree ties is a good place to start.
Tree ties are commonly used on newly-planted trees, as they provide security and stabilisation until the plant has enough roots to stay steady. Henry advises: "Refresh any tree ties and make sure your trees and your climbers are well supported."
As we approach the windy weather, Henry recommends "going back through" the tree ties and ensuring they are supported for the season ahead. Next, you should bring inside any plants that are sensitive to frost, as plant cells can be damaged or even destroyed by the cold conditions.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), ground frost strikes when the temperature of the ground falls below freezing point (0ºC) and air frost occurs when the temperature of the air falls below freezing point. It warns that repeated freezing and thawing can be particularly damaging to plants, and once temperatures drop to below freezing, a strong wind can make the frost more harmful.
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The gardening charity notes: "Cold winds remove moisture from evergreen foliage more quickly than it can be replenished by the roots; this can cause leaf browning particularly at the tips and margins." Young plants are also more susceptible to frost damage.
When it comes to bringing them inside, Henry says: "You can put them in the green house, you can put them on a coal frame, whatever works best for you." If you have brick or stone paths, the garden expert reveals that November is the perfect time to tidy them.
A build-up of algal, moss and liverwort growths on paths are "most significant" during the winter months, which can be slippery and hazardous, warns the RHS. "Remove any moss and sweep in some sand, just for extra grippage over winter," highlights Henry. In the video, the gardening guru was seen removing the moss with a broom, but it can also be banished by mixing vinegar with water and applying it onto the paths.
If you’re lucky enough to have roses in your garden, Henry suggests pruning them back by around 20 percent to stop them from suffering from windrock over the blustery periods. Windrock occurs when high winds rock the plants all the way down to their roots, which can damage the root hairs - these absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil - explains Dave’s Garden.
Insufficient nutrient uptake can cause plants to die over the winter period and produce poorly when Spring arrives. Gardeners World suggests pruning roses back to an outward-facing bud - which is a small bump found where a leaf would meet the stem. The new stems grow in the direction of the bud, and the goal is to encourage them to grow outward, not inward, adds Garden Design.
Another task includes collecting fallen leaves to turn into leaf mould, which Harry describes as an "absolutely golden" soil conditioner. According to the Eco Gardener, soil conditioner is an additive to improve the soil's physical characteristics and help to support plant growth. The best quality leaf mould is produced from the leaves of oak, beech or hornbeam, notes the RHS.
When it’s raining outside and you can’t get into the garden, Henry recommends sprucing up your trusty tools by scrubbing them with a hard bristle brush. He also highlights a list of other November jobs to get your hands dirty with, these include:
Clean out your greenhouse
Insulate the greenhouse
Lift and divide perennials
'Aggressive' garden plants to avoid - or risk damage to your home
Plant out spring bulbs
Lift and store dahlia tubers
Plant bare root roses, hedging and trees
Repair fences, trellis and other structures
Start ordering seeds and planning what to grow for next year.