In November (almost) everything revolves around winter protection. In our gardening tips for the ornamental garden, we tell you what to do this month.
There is still a lot to do in the garden in autumn. Garden editor Dieke van Dieken explains in this video which work is important in November
MSG / camera + editing: CreativeUnit / Fabian Heckle
In November the days get shorter and the first frosty nights are waiting for us. In the ornamental garden, however, not only winter protection measures are now due, because at the same time November is still a good month for planting trees and bushes and planting onion flowers. In our gardening tips for the ornamental garden, we show you what can or should be done in November.
Hedgehogs are now looking for hibernation hibernation in the garden. Wood stacks, sticks or piles of stones are ideal. If you have already cut the first fruit trees in the garden, you should pile up the clippings together with autumn leaves in order to provide the barbed animal with a roost. Often there is also space for a hedgehog house in the garden. If you don't want to do handicrafts yourself, you can of course also buy a ready-made hedgehog house in garden shops.
Tulips, daffodils, crocuses and other early bloomers can be planted until mid-December, provided the ground is not frozen. When planting the onions and tubers, be sure to dig the hole deep enough. The rule of thumb for the planting depth is three times the bulb diameter. That means, a six centimeter thick daffodil bulb should later be covered by a twelve centimeter thick layer of earth. In the case of heavy soils, incorporated sand in the planting hole and in the surrounding soil ensures the necessary water drainage. While daffodils are spared voles, tulip bulbs can be protected with a close-meshed vole basket.
If you want a lush spring garden in bloom, you should plant flower bulbs in autumn. In this video, gardening expert Dieke van Dieken shows you which planting techniques have proven effective for daffodils and crocuses
MSG / camera + editing: CreativeUnit / Fabian Heckle
If there is an old, half-dead apple tree or a spruce tree in danger of being thrown by wind in your garden, now is the time to part with the trees. If the tree is not too big and cannot cause much damage when it falls, you can use the saw yourself - otherwise you should leave the felling to a professional. It often makes sense to leave a piece of trunk standing: You can, for example, top it with a clematis or decorate it as a stand for a bird feeder.
So that the winter beds don't look so bare, many plants are only cut back in early spring. The situation is different with perennial peonies, which are cut back close to the ground in late autumn as soon as the foliage has turned yellow-brown. In this way, the risk of infection with gray mold (botrytis) is reduced for the coming year. The fungus that hibernates on the leaves stops bud development so that they turn brown and dry out. Affected shoots also change color, wither and fall over. After work, do not forget to disinfect the pruning tools so that the fungus does not spread to other plants.
Autumn is the ideal time to plant deciduous hedge plants such as hornbeam or red beech. Place the plants at regular intervals in loose soil supplemented with ripe compost. Our garden tip: After planting, cut back all the shoots vigorously so that the plants branch out well and the hedge quickly becomes dense.
Prepare your garden pond for winter. So that the gas exchange works even when the ice cover is closed, you should leave bundles of reeds hanging in the pond in one or more places.
The petrol lawnmower has done its job for this season and needs some maintenance so that it can get through the winter break well. Thoroughly clean the device. Under no circumstances should the engine be cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner, as water penetrating it can cause damage. Fill the fuel tank to the top with gasoline and close the gasoline valve. Now start the device and let it run until the engine cuts out due to insufficient fuel. In this way the carburetor empties and cannot resinify during the winter break. Then disconnect the battery on lawnmowers with an electric starter. Before using it for the first time in the coming year, have the engine oil and air filter changed in a specialist workshop. The knife should also be sharpened if necessary.
Robust, bare-root or balled ornamental shrubs such as forsythia or scented jasmine should now be planted in November. The plants take root before the onset of winter and start the new season with a head start. On the other hand, it is better to plant evergreen and frost-sensitive woody plants such as rhododendrons, hibiscus and sacrum flowers in spring.
In the shade beds under the trees and bushes, you can leave the falling autumn leaves quiet.Perennials and shade-compatible ground cover are used to autumn leaves from their natural habitat. In autumn, however, the leaves rob the classic bed perennials and the lawn of the light. There you should rake the leaves and simply distribute them under your trees and bushes. Or dispose of it in the compost.
Perennials that bloom in spring are best planted in autumn, because then the flowering is a bit more abundant in the first year. The plants are hardy, but the root balls can freeze up in winter. You should therefore regularly check the perennials in frost-free soil in winter and carefully press them back into the ground if necessary.
Bare-root roses are relatively inexpensive and will easily grow if planted correctly. The optimal month for planting is November, because now the roses come fresh from the field and not - as when buying in spring - from the cold store. Cut back all the root tips and then place the roses in a bucket of water for a few hours. Then plant them deep enough in loose garden soil that the grafting point is at least two fingers' widths below the surface of the earth. It is best to mix the soil from the planting hole with some ripe compost and a handful of horn shavings.
If you want to create new flower beds next spring, you are already digging up the soil and - if available - working in half-decomposed leaf compost. The frost makes the clods of heavy, loamy soils brittle. The result in spring is loose, finely crumbly potting soil.
Some of the aquatic plants that swim on the garden ponds in summer come from tropical regions. Since they are not frost hardy, they die with us in winter. The water hyacinth (Eichhornia), water fern (Salvinia) and mussel flower (Pistia) are in good hands in a winter garden. Here they thrive in mini ponds and water bowls and are a welcome, attractive eye-catcher.
Before the garden goes into hibernation, the lawn edges are shaped again with an edge cutter. The devices have a flat metal blade with a bevelled or rounded, sharp edge. Cut a small piece from the edge and then remove it from the bed with the spade. To get straight edges, you should use a long board as a template or stretch a guideline. Finally, remove the remaining root runners with a narrow cultivator.
When the first frosts come, it won't be long before the dahlias' foliage has died. Cut it off completely and dig up the tubers. With a variety label, it is best to store them in a cool, dark, frost-free place in boxes with loose humus soil. Important: Sort out damaged and rotten tubers before wintering. You can compost the leaves or use them as mulch for harvested vegetable beds.
Before the first frosts come, all watering utensils are emptied, cleaned and stored. Watering cans and rain barrels are usually not frost-proof and should be emptied in case of doubt. The first layer of ice often acts like a kind of cork. If the water below also freezes, it expands and causes cracks in the vessels. Garden hoses and pumps can also burst if left outside with residual water. Basically, the equipment mentioned should spend the cold season in frost-free rooms so that the plastic does not become brittle. If there is a threat of a longer cold spell, the external pipe must be made winter-proof by closing the shut-off valve, draining the water and leaving the tap open.