“It’ll soon be Christmas” stated my youngest, as he set off for school on the very first day of term, in early September. At the time, we told him not to be so daft, but low and behold, November has sneaked up by stealth and despite the (mostly) mild October, it’s worth being prepared for any wintry weather that might be coming our way.
September was spectacularly windy this year, with storm Ali amongst others wreaking havoc in many parts of Northern England. If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to tie in the longer shoots of climbers and wall shrubs. Check that tree stakes are firm, and that ties are not cutting in to the trunks.
Our beech tree has just about finished dumping its leaves out the front, just as the ash has ramped-up its efforts out the back. Keep on raking up those leaves, particularly on grass, so it continues to get enough light as the days shorten.
Rainfall tends to increase in November. Remember not to walk on or work the soil when wet, as this destroys the soil structure and can lead to compaction. Keep off wet grass too, for the same reason.
If you don’t have a greenhouse, keep an eye on the weather forecast and protect your containers from frost by wrapping them in hessian sacking or bubble-wrap; roots of container plants are more susceptible to frost than those in the ground. Move all pots and containers into a group, so they can protect each other.
Finally, according to the RHS, November is the month for planting tulips – plant them at about three times the bulb’s depth. If you haven’t yet got around to planting your other spring-flowering bulbs, don’t panic. Just get them in before the frosts. I definitely recall planting daffodils towards the end of the year, after work, with a head torch, and they all came up fine. Don’t forget to protect bulbs from the multitudinous Whalley Range squirrels with some chicken wire.
Promise of things to come; springtime in the Yorkshire Dales
Coming next; to dig or not to dig…