It’s November, the last month of spring, the weather is moderate, deciduous trees are in leaf again, days are warm and there’s lots of green growth in the garden. The changeable and windy weather from October continues, but now there’s also the possibility of very sudden hot weather striking without warning so it’s important to protect plants from sun and wind. Also, regularly water newly planted trees and shrubs as the hot weather and strong winds can quickly dry out the soil.
Things to Do This Month:
- Mulch around fruit trees and plants to retain moisture in the soil and prevent water loss from
evaporation (keep mulch away from plant stems and trunks as this can cause stem rot/collar rot). - Mulch strawberries by placing straw underneath to keep the berries off the soil.
- Propagate strawberries from runners.
- Plant potted fruit trees and vines (having roots, can be planted anytime, best in spring & autumn).
- Tie growing vines back to supports or wires.
- Propagating plants by taking softwood (green) cuttings from now till January (after which they
harden off). - Last chance to plant evergreen shrubs and trees (this includes citrus trees).
- In ponds and water gardens, thin out existing aquatic plants, continue planting new ones, fertilise
aquatic plants and feed fish regularly.
Vegetables and Herbs to Sow:
| Sow in November | Harvest (weeks) | |
| Amaranth | ds | 7-8 |
| Angelica | ds | 18 months |
| Asparagus | d | 2-3 years |
| Asparagus Pea | d | 8-11 |
| Beetroot | ds | 7-10 |
| Borage | ds | 8-10 |
| Burdock | d | 17-18 |
| Cape Gooseberry | ds | 14-16 |
| Carrot | d | 12-18 |
| Chicory | d | 16-24 |
| Chinese cabbage | ds | 8-10 |
| Chives | ds | 7-11 |
| Climbing beans | d | 9-11 |
| Coriander | d | 30-45 |
| Cucumber | d | 8-10 |
| Dwarf beans | d | 7-10 |
| French tarragon | d | 30-40 days |
| Globe Artichokes | s | 42-57 |
| Horseradish | d | 16-24 |
| Jerusalem Artichokes | d | 15-20 |
| Kohlrabi | d | 7-10 |
| Lemon balm | s | 8-10 |
| Lettuce | ds | 8-12 |
| Mustard greens | d | 5-8 |
| Okra | ds | 11-14 |
| Oregano | s | 6-8 |
| Parsley | ds | 9-19 |
| Pumpkin | ds | 15-20 |
| Radish | d | 5-7 |
| Rhubarb | d | 12 months |
| Rocket | d | 21-35 days |
| Rosella | s | 21-25 |
| Rosemary | d | 12 months |
| Sage | d | 18 months |
| Salsify | d | 14-21 |
| Silverbeet | ds | 7-12 |
| Summer savory | d | 6-10 |
| Sunflower | ds | 10-11 |
| Sweet corn | ds | 11-14 |
| Turnip | d | 6-9 |
| Yacon | d | 25 |
Key:
d = sow directly into ground
s = sow in seed tray
ds = sow directly into ground or seed tray
*= frost tender
**= sow after frost
Download printable PDF version of Gardening Calendar (Australian Temperate Climate) – November
I know we are half a year off, but it is interesting to see how you do your gardening anyway. Your chart is actually simpler than mine is. I suppose I explain it too much.
Hi Tony, thanks for your comment, my gardening calendars are in point form and kept fairly brief so they can fit on a single page, that way people can print them out and work from them.
Sometimes, more information is better, sometimes less is more, what matters is that we share our knowledge and reskill our communities to enable them to grow their own food, eat healthy, become more self-reliant and live more sustainably!
? The information is fine. I just meant that I am on the opposite side of the planet. It is autumn here. However, I read quite a bit from Australia; and people in Australia read my articles. They just happen to be six months ahead of the game.
Yes, our seasons are switched over being on opposite sides of the planet! A lot of my readers are in the northern hemisphere, especially from the US, so I like to write technical DIY articles that aren’t seasonally dependent to keep everyone happy, good remainder for me to write some more articles, thanks! 🙂
People can adjust for the seasons. I read article from Australia all the time.
Great thanks. You always seem to post when I start to wonder about something- in this case mulching trees- was wondering if I should clear away mulch from the trunks. I will tomorrow. It’s only been a day or two…
It’s important to make sure that mulch is not resting up against the trunk of a tree as this can cause collar rot which effectively ringbarks the tree!
your gardening calender and to do list looks great. All I can say is:”How I wish it was spring over here.” lol. Have a nice one and nice job on the article