Your Gardening Tasks — November / December 2026

Your gardening calendar for November / December 2026.

Your gardening tasks

Plant the replacement peach

Remove the failed tree and prepare a wide planting hole without adding rich fertiliser. Plant the replacement peach at its previous nursery depth, spread the roots carefully, firm the soil and water thoroughly. If it is fan-trained, attach the main stems loosely to sound support wires. Do not prune peach wood during winter because cold, damp conditions increase the risk of canker and silver leaf.

Timing and precautions: Plant while the peach is dormant, provided the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.

More advice: Planting espalier and fan trained fruit trees.

Protect the fan-trained nectarine from peach leaf curl

Fit a clear rain cover above the branches and buds while leaving the sides open for ventilation. Keep plastic from touching or tightly enclosing the tree. Check the supports and soft ties, loosening any that could constrict the stems. Keeping winter rain off the buds reduces the risk of distorted, blistered foliage in spring.

Timing and precautions: Maintain protection throughout the winter rain period and check it regularly after windy conditions.

More advice: Growing Fan-Trained Nectarines.

Replace the wisteria

Install strong permanent wires or another support before planting. Set the replacement at the same depth as it grew in its pot or nursery bed, firm it well, water deeply and secure the main stems with soft ties. Avoid planting against a dry wall without allowing adequate soil volume and future access for watering.

Timing and precautions: Plant during dormancy when the soil is workable, postponing the job if it is frozen or saturated.

Plant the yew hedge

Set out the hedge line before digging so the plants form an even row. Plant bare-root or root-balled yew at its previous soil level, spread the roots, backfill carefully and firm each plant to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly and add an organic mulch without banking it against the stems. Good drainage is important because yew dislikes waterlogged ground.

Timing and precautions: Winter is suitable for planting dormant yew, but work only when the soil is friable rather than frozen, sticky or saturated.

Add rhododendrons only where there is enough long-term space

Check the expected spread of the existing Roseum Elegans, Cunningham’s White, Nova Zembla and Blue Jay before adding more plants. Set new rhododendrons with the top of each rootball level with or slightly above the surrounding soil. Use acidic organic matter, water with rainwater where possible and mulch the shallow roots. Do not use lime, wood ash or mushroom compost.

Timing and precautions: Plant container-grown rhododendrons during a mild spell when the soil is workable and free-draining.

Install the irrigation framework

Plan separate watering zones for the lawn, borders, hedge and shallow-rooted rhododendrons. Lay protected main pipework, fit an isolating valve and position outlets where they can deliver water directly to the soil rather than wetting foliage. Leave the system drained and isolated after testing so trapped water cannot freeze and damage fittings.

Timing and precautions: Use dry, workable periods for installation; postpone trenching if the ground is frozen or saturated.

Aerate compacted lawn areas but postpone feeding

Push a garden fork into compacted areas and gently rock it back to open channels, or use a suitable aerator. Avoid working on frosted, waterlogged or very soft turf because this can smear the soil and damage the lawn. Do not apply a high-nitrogen lawn feed while the grass is largely dormant; complete the feeding part of the recorded job when active growth resumes in spring.

Timing and precautions: Aerate only during a mild, relatively dry period when the turf is firm and the soil is moist but not wet.

More advice: Climate Change, Lawn Thatch, and Ant Infestations.

Clear collapsed perennial foliage selectively

Cut down dead stems and foliage from Leucanthemum Becky, Leucanthemum Goldfinch, Astilbe White Gloria, Iris sibirica Sparkling Rose, Artemisia lactiflora Guizhou, Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Lupinus Gallery Yellow, Campanula lactiflora Senior and Aster Mönch. Remove dead Hosta sieboldiana Elegans leaves to reduce slug shelter. Leave Echinacea seed heads for birds and keep Pennisetum growth standing to protect the crowns until spring.

Timing and precautions: Complete this tidy-up after the plants have died back, choosing a dry day so the border is not trampled while wet.

Protect tender and moisture-sensitive plants

Move container-grown Pennisetum Rubrum and any tender pelargoniums into a bright, frost-free position. Shelter potted agapanthus and Tulbaghia, raising containers on feet so excess water drains away. Apply a light protective mulch around outdoor agapanthus and Tulbaghia without covering their crowns. Protect the roots of the container-grown Podocarpus and shelter it from cold, drying wind.

Timing and precautions: Keep protection in place through cold periods and check pots occasionally so compost remains lightly moist rather than waterlogged.

Remove finished annual sweet peas and inspect climbing supports

Pull up dead Lathyrus odoratus plants and compost them only if they are free from mildew or other disease. Remove old ties, seed pods and tangled stems from their supports. Clean and repair the structure now so it is ready for the next crop and does not harbour diseased debris.

Timing and precautions: Carry out once the annual plants have completely finished and died back.

Gardening projects

• Start a bag of leaf mould: Collecting remaining fallen leaves keeps lawns and paths clear while producing a useful, moisture-retentive soil conditioner. Dampen dry leaves, place them in a reused bag with ventilation holes and store the bag in a shady corner.
• Mulch one manageable section of border: A surface layer of well-rotted compost helps protect roots, improves soil structure and reduces moisture loss. Weed the chosen area first, spread the mulch without burying perennial crowns or touching woody stems, and postpone the project if the soil is frozen or saturated.