November Garden Chores & Tasks (PNW & Similar Zones)

A simple list of easy November garden chores and tasks you can do for fruits and vegetables, flowers, and general yard tasks to get ready for winter. Includes a printable checklist to download and customize.

Happy November!

Believe it or not, there are still a number of things we can get done in the garden this month – if we are willing, which I am the first to admit I’m often not, ha!

I’m terrible about cleaning up in the fall – I’m usually just ready to be done with gardening and preserving, plus I’m a fair-weather gardener at that.

However, I have come to learn that there are benefits to leaving some things alone all winter – especially flowers and perennials, as it helps to protect them from the cold as well as provide food and shelter for birds.

It’s also a lot easier to remove brown and dry vines than it is green and still trying to grow vines, so if there’s no mildew or blight to worry about, I also leave the vegetable garden alone.

So take this list of tasks as something you can do this month if there’s a nice day, and if you’d like to get out in the garden.

Just do what you can and call it good.

I’m here to assure you it will all be there in the spring and nothing awful happens if everything isn’t done.

The one thing I do always take care of is to clean up the pots on the porch and store the hanging baskets, plus plant tulips in a few places if I haven’t already. Things just look better AND then the porch is ready for Christmas decorations!

What are your must-do tasks for the November garden?

November Garden Chores

Vegetable & Fruit Garden

• Cut raspberry canes that fruited and mulch all berries if haven’t yet.
• Cover perennial vegetables like rhubarb, asparagus, and artichokes with composted manure and straw.
• Cover any fall/winter vegetables with cold frames, plastic tunnels, or row covers.
• Continue to harvest cool weather greens like kale, chard and turnip greens.
• Check potatoes, onions, carrots if they are in storage.
• Apply chicken manure to any dormant garden beds to produce a soil in spring full of nutrients when time to plant.
• Pull any spent vegetables that are mildewed or diseased and throw them away or burn them (don’t compost). You can leave the rest for the late winter when things are easier to pull and dispose of.

Flower Garden

• Lightly prune roses to protect from wind damage (save hard pruning for late winter/early spring).
• Pull the last weeds and mulch around perennials, if needed.
• There’s still time to plant bulbs for spring blooms (tulips, daffodils, etc.) in most areas.
• Cut back chrysanthemums that have bloomed down to 4-6 inches.
• Plant trees and shrubs (great time to see the fall color of tree varieties) or divide and move perennials.
• Wrap tender plants in burlap, if needed.
• Clean and store hanging baskets and containers.
• Force bulbs for holiday blooms.

Other

• Bring in houseplants still outside or any tender plant to overwinter.
• Clean and store tools. Here are the simple steps I take either in fall or spring.
• Drain irrigation systems, unhook hoses and store, and insulate valves; drain and clean any water features or fountains.
• Apply lime to lawns.
• Rake and compost leaves – to use as a mulch around tender plants, run a mower over them a couple times.
• Clean and store patio furniture and/or cushions.