This is the NOVEMBER installment of Horticulture Week's month-by-month guide to essential maintenance and management tasks for parks, gardens and grounds maintenance staff.
Office
Order seeds
Plan winter decorations for the house and events
Organise staff Christmas party
Stock up on de-icer and grit
Prepare for any in-house servicing of machinery by ordering main spare parts such as air filters
General
Clear autumn debris as it arises
Start winter digging
Clean pots and trays
Insulate outdoor taps, store hoses and drain down irrigation systems
Trees, shrubs and hedges
Inspect for wind damage and check ties and stakes
Clear snow off conifers
Start winter pruning where it needs doing
Renovate deciduous hedges
Protect newly planted and tender trees and shrubs
Plant deciduous bare-root stock
Plant roses
Beds and borders
Tidy beds and borders, cutting down old growth
Cut back ornamental grasses
Continue lifting and dividing herbaceous perennials
Take root cuttings
Finish planting spring bedding
Wall plants
Tie in long shoots
Complete planting
Bulbs
Check all stored bulbs, corms and tubers regularly
Plant tulips
Protect tender bulbs such as nerines with mulch
Containers
Move indoors if necessary and insulate large pots
Finish planting with spring bedding and bulbs
Greenhouses and conservatories
Check for panes loosened by gales
Prune vines
Ventilate when possible
Sow cyclamen
Water features
Remove old leaves and thin out oxygenating plants
Overhaul pumping equipment
Drain pipes for the winter months
*Jobs should only be undertaken when ground and weather conditions are suitable and will vary according to location and may vary significantly from year to year. And remember that while the year nicely divides into 12 months, activities often overlap.
