The Cut Flower Podcast

November Jobs for your Cutting Patch

• Roz Chandler • Season 1 • Episode 139

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Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.

In this conversation, Roz discusses the challenges of maintaining a cutting garden in November, emphasizing the importance of preparation for the upcoming year.

 She highlights the need for protection, planting, and overall garden maintenance during this damp and chilly month.


Takeaways


Preparation in November is crucial for next year's success.
Protecting plants is essential during colder months.
Planting in November can set the stage for spring blooms.
Garden maintenance should not be overlooked in November.
Enjoying the process can make gardening more rewarding.
Planning ahead is key to a successful cutting garden.


Roz (00:00)
Hello and welcome to the Cut Flower podcast I'm Roz Chandler, cut flower farmer here in the little village of Lathbury where I've been growing beautiful British blooms for the past 15 years. We grow for weddings, funerals and local wholesalers and I absolutely love helping others discover the joy of growing cut flowers whether it's a tiny garden patch or a field full of blooms. Now November isn't a glamorous month in the cutting garden it's damp, it's chilly and there aren't many flowers left to pick.

But as this is a big but, what you do this month sets the tone for next year's success. It's about protecting, planting and preparing. So do grab yourself a drink, pull on your gloves and let's get started on what to do in your cutting patch this November. So the first thing is planting bulbs. Now, typically you would plant your bulbs, all except tulips, in October and then you would plant your tulips from November onwards.

But, and this is a big but, the climate in the UK at the moment is definitely warm with daytime temperatures of about 15 degrees and this is too hot to plant tulips. Tulips will get lots and lots of viruses if we plant them too early. So I'm going to say this with a caveat that normally November is a moment for tulips and all those other bulbs things like daffodils, paper whites, crocuses and mascaras.

But tulips do love cold soil, so don't panic if you haven't done them yet. We haven't done ours. November, December and even January are fine. Just avoid soggy soil. That's the enemy. Plant deeply about three times the height of the bulb and you'll have a beautiful display come the spring. But honestly, no panic at all. I've seen so much of it on Instagram of people, flower farmers actually, planting out their tulips and I'm thinking...

Gosh, I think that soil is too warm. The risk is too high. So I don't rush would be my answer to that. Number two, take hardwood cuttings. This is one of my favorite November jobs because it feels a little like magic making plants for free. Take hardwood cuttings from deciduous shrubs such as dogwood, roses and willow and pop them into pots of compost or straight into the ground in a sheltered spot. By spring, many will have rooted giving you strong young plants for next season.

Number three plant bare root plants November is the perfect month for bare root roses fruit trees and hedgings The soil is still warm enough for roots to establish before the hard frost sets in I love this job because it shapes the garden structure for years to come hedges windbreaks or a new rose border they all start now Number four sow under cover if you're keen to get ahead sow hardy annuals and sweet peas under cover

A cold frame, an unheated greenhouse or even a bright window sill will do the trick. Those early sown seedlings will give you strong early flowering plants in spring. Number five, mulch and protect the soil. Once your beds are clear spread a layer of compost or well-rooted manure over them. It feeds the soil, it suppresses the weeds, that's the number one reason why we do it, and it protects it from winter weather. Think of it as tucking in your garden for its long winter sleep.

and if you haven't done it already this is the time to turn your compost heap a quick stir helps air circulate and speeds up decomposition it's one of those five minute jobs that makes a big difference later on. Number six, dahlias, whether to lift or to mulch. Now let's talk dahlias, we love them but they can be a little bit tender if you're leaving yours in the ground give them a thick snug blanket of mulch to protect them from frost if you lifted them already store them somewhere frost free

garage, a shed or even under a bench in the greenhouse and while you're at it check stored tubers and bulbs make sure they're dry and firm not soft or mouldy, remove any that looks suspect, a little attention now saves a lot of heartache later. Number seven make leaf mould this is where you go out into the garden and you're just kicking around on the leaves and you think yeah I can make some leaf mould don't waste them they're gardening gold

Pile them into the compost bins or black bags with holes punched into them and next year you'll have the most wonderful crumbly leaf mold. It's perfect for enriching soil or using as a mulch around perennials. Great it's all free. Number eight leave it be for wildlife. I know traditionally and probably our grandparents always used to say let's prepare the garden for winter but here's your permission to be a little bit lazy.

Resist the urge to tidy every corner, leave seed heads standing, there food for birds and shelter for insects. If you can pile up some twigs or leaves in a quiet corner, hedgehogs and frogs will thank you for it. A slightly messy garden is actually a thriving living one. Number nine, prune your roses lightly. You normally take them down by about third to prevent windrock at this time of year. You can go in for a harder prune later on in January.

Don't be afraid in January of cutting them back hard. Roses actually thrive on a really good haircut. Number 10, bring tender plants inside. Before the frost bite, move things like lemon trees, pelagoniums, acupuncthous indoors or into a greenhouse. I've been caught out by early frost before. One cold night can undo all your hard work. Also think about tender perennials

or shrubs like pitosporum or things like eucalyptus you need to have your fleece ready for that one. Reflect and take some notes this is a lovely quiet job for a lovely rainy afternoon grab a notebook and jot down what worked this year and what didn't. For us we had too many orange dahlias, gorgeous but they dominated everything and I planted Ami in the tunnel too late so it's blooming beautifully now with absolutely nothing to go with it.

Every season teaches us something doesn't it? Number 12 plan next year's patch Once you've reflected start sketching ideas for next year. Think about colour schemes, successional planting and which beds might need a rest or a crop rotation. Planning now means you'll be ready to hit the ground running come spring. Number 13 and one that I love doing is ordering your seeds and while you're in planning mode order your seeds early.

The best varieties like the popular cut flowers like zinnias, cosmos and amoe sell out quickly. I love doing this on job on a dark evening with a cup of tea. It's a bit like choosing hope out of a seed catalogue and looking forward to next year. Number 14, weed and clean. I know not the favourite of jobs. Take a moment to dig out perennial weeds now before they get a head start in the spring. It's not glamorous, but it's incredibly satisfying. Those brambles can be really hard work.

Number 15, clean and sharpen your tools. Before you put tools away, give them some love. Clean off the soil, sharpen the blades and rub wooden handles with linseed oil. A little winter maintenance now means your tools will last for years and make spring work a joy. Number 16, you've got a lot to do in November. When you thought about November, you thought it was a quiet month. I think probably the quietest month in the cut flower calendar is

January. So check tunnels and structures, finally have a quick check of your polytunnel, your greenhouse or any structures, tighten up any frames, fix any small tears and make sure there's nothing flapping around before the winter storms arrive. Prevention really is better than cure. So there you have it November in the cutting patch, it's a quieter month but one full of small satisfying tasks that will reward you come spring. Protect, plant and prepare that's our motto.

November. Take your time, enjoy the slower pace and remember every small job you do now is an investment in next year's flowers. If you like to see what we're up to behind the scenes come and join me on Instagram at fieldgateflowers and of course stay tuned right here on the cut flower podcast for more seasonal growing tips. Until next time happy gardening and may your winter be full of planning, dreaming and maybe a few muddy boots by the door.