November, the Bare-Root Window

November slows everything right down, but it’s a genuinely good month to plant — bare-root season is here, and the soil’s still workable in most years.

Sow now

Little to sow outdoors this month. Broad beans, in mild areas only, for an early start next year.

Plant out

This is prime bare-root season: fruit trees, roses, and hedging can all go in now while dormant, and it’s often cheaper and better-establishing than container-grown planting later. Tulip bulbs — the classic November job.

Harvest

The last of the leeks, parsnips, and any remaining brassicas. Parsnips are often best after the first frost’s sweetened them.

Prune

Deciduous trees and shrubs once fully dormant (avoid stone fruit like plums, which prefer summer pruning to avoid disease). Established apple and pear trees.

General jobs

Insulate outdoor taps and any vulnerable pots before a hard frost. Raise containers onto pot feet to help drainage over the wet months. Order bare-root plants now for the best selection. Give the lawn one final cut, slightly higher than usual, before growth stops for winter.

This weekend

If you’ve been meaning to plant a fruit tree or hedge, now’s genuinely the best time of year to do it — bare-root stock is cheaper, and dormant planting gives roots a full winter to settle before spring growth starts.

The North, Scotland, and Northern Ireland typically see the ground freeze or waterlog earlier — plant bare-root stock as soon as you can if you’re in a colder region.