Gardening jobs for November

Put away the lawn mower

By November, the weather should be cold enough for the lawn not to need regular cutting, although it usually needs an occasional tidy-up during winter. 

Clean the underside by scraping off dried clippings and make sure the collecting bag is empty. If it's a petrol mower, drain off the fuel, as unleaded petrol doesn't store well.

Plant tulips

Planting tulips in November won't avoid the fungal disease tulip fire, despite what you may have read elsewhere. However, it is a good time to plant tulips, as they enjoy the cool, moist conditions that are associated with this time of year. 

Look for bulbs that have intact skins and don't show signs of mould. Tulips should be planted two to three times the depth of the bulb. 

Sharpen secateurs

It's a busy time of year for tidying up, so make the job easier by sharpening your secateurs. Begin by cleaning off any hardened sap with wire wool. 

Then, use a fine-grade sharpening stone (alternatively, use a sharpening device), hold the secateurs firmly in your hand and sharpen both edges of the cutting blade on anvil secateurs, and only the outer edges of the blades on bypass secateurs.

If you don't fancy doing it yourself or you're experiencing other problems with the secateurs, check first as some manufacturers, such as Felco, offer servicing.

Order bare-root plants

Save money by ordering bare-root plants, which are usually cheaper than the pot-grown equivalents, by mail order. They are only available in the dormant season, so you need to be quick. 

Try to plant them as soon as they arrive. Otherwise, give them a good soak in a bucket of water then roughly plant in a corner of the garden until you're ready to put them in properly.

Veg jobs for November

• Planting garlic
• Tidying the plot
• Making compost

Watch our video guide to veg jobs for November.