7 Things You Must Avoid to Do in November (Japanese Gardener's Warning), by Nobu Japanese Gardener on YouTube. 15 min 41 s.
- Video length
- 15 min 41 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Lift dahlias and other tender bulbs a week or two after the first light frost. Dig with a fork well away from the stem, then ease the clump up so you keep the tubers whole.
Brush off soil instead of washing it, cut the stems back to about 10 cm (4 in), and let the tubers dry somewhere cool and airy for a few days before packing.
Store the tubers in a box of barely damp compost, sand or newspaper at around 5 to 10 C (40 to 50 F). Check them once a month and remove any soft ones.
Skip late nitrogen feeding. It pushes soft new growth that winter kills. Spread compost or a little mulch instead and let the plant wind down.
Water deeply before the ground freezes, especially evergreens, which keep losing moisture all winter. Once the soil is frozen, stop so the roots are not sitting wet.
Tie upright evergreens like arborvitae loosely with twine or wrap them in burlap. The aim is to stop snow splitting the branches, not to squeeze the plant.
Stay off wet soil and do not till it. Digging or tilling when it is soggy wrecks the structure and turns it into hard clods. Wait until it crumbles in your hand.
Leave the leaves. Rake them into borders as free mulch or pile them in a corner to rot. A few loose leaves also shelter ladybugs and other helpful insects.
Hold off pruning bigleaf hydrangeas. They flower on old wood, so cutting now removes next year's blooms. Prune maples in late autumn after leaf fall, or in late winter while dormant.
Tips and common mistakes
Label stored bulbs by name and colour so you know what you are planting in spring.
Never store bulbs in a sealed plastic bag, because trapped moisture rots them.
In mild areas a loose tie is enough for evergreens, so skip tight wraps that trap damp.
Squeeze a handful of soil before tilling. If it stays in a wet ball, wait a few days.
Questions
Can I still plant spring bulbs in November?
Yes, most spring bulbs can go in until the ground freezes hard. Plant them at two to three times their own depth and water once.
Should I cut back perennials before winter?
Leave most of them standing until spring. Seed heads feed birds and hollow stems shelter insects through the cold.
How do I know when to lift dahlias?
Wait for a light frost to blacken the tops, then lift within a week or two. Get them out before the ground freezes solid.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
