November Allotments Tips
November is all about preparing your allotment for winter while making the most of the last of the autumn harvest. With colder days and frosty nights on the way, a little work now will help set your plot up for a successful spring.
🍂 Here are our top tips for November :
- 🌱 Dig over empty beds to improve soil structure and prepare for next year’s planting.
- 🌿 Remove weeds before they have a chance to spread or overwinter.
- 🛠️ Secure canes, netting, sheds and other structures against winter winds.
- 🧄 Plant hardy overwintering crops while the soil is still workable.
- ♻️ Add compost or well-rotted manure to empty beds to improve soil fertility.
- 🍂 Collect fallen leaves to make leaf mould or add them to your compost heap.
- ❄️ Protect tender plants with fleece or cloches if frost is forecast.
- 🏡 Clean and store tools to keep them in good condition over winter.
🌿 Jobs for November
November is a quieter month on the allotment, making it the perfect time to tidy up, improve the soil and prepare for the colder months ahead.
This month’s key jobs include:
- Dig over vacant beds and remove any remaining weeds.
- Plant garlic, onions, shallots and broad beans for an early harvest next year.
- Harvest winter squash, pumpkins, beetroot, apples and pears.
- Add compost or manure to empty beds.
- Collect fallen leaves for compost or leaf mould.
- Secure supports, netting and structures before winter storms arrive.
- Plant dormant bare-root fruit trees while they are dormant.
- Protect vulnerable crops from frost with fleece or cloches.
- Tidy sheds, greenhouses and tools ready for winter.
- Plan next year’s crop rotation while your plot is quieter.
🌱 What to Sow in November
There are still plenty of hardy crops you can sow and plant in November to give you a head start next season.
Sow outdoors
- Broad beans
- Onions
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Pak choi
Plant out
- Asparagus crowns
- Dormant bare-root fruit trees
Great winter jobs
- Dig and improve empty beds with compost or manure.
- Collect weeds and fallen leaves for composting.
- Protect overwintering crops from frost and strong winds.
- Prepare your allotment for the colder months ahead.
November may be a quieter month in the garden, but it’s an important one. By preparing your soil, planting hardy crops and protecting your plot from winter weather, you’ll be setting yourself up for a productive and rewarding growing season next year.