November in the Garden: Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead in New Jersey 🌾🍂
November in New Jersey is that in-between month for gardeners — the harvest baskets are mostly empty, the leaves have mostly fallen, and frost has started to nip at the mornings. But don’t pack away your gardening gloves just yet! There’s still plenty you can do to protect your garden, prep for next spring, and even sneak in a little planting before winter fully settles in.
1. Tuck in Your Beds for Winter
Think of your garden beds like cozy beds for your plants — it’s time to tuck them in before the cold. Clear out spent annuals and diseased foliage, but leave healthy perennials standing if they have decorative seed heads or provide food for birds.
Once things are cleared:
Add a thick blanket of mulch or shredded leaves around perennials, trees, and shrubs.
Avoid cutting everything down — leaving some seed heads (like coneflower or black-eyed Susan) helps overwinter pollinators and birds.
Compost the rest — November is perfect for turning your compost pile one last time before it goes dormant.
2. Finish Planting Bulbs
Yes, you can still plant bulbs in November in most of New Jersey — especially if the ground hasn’t frozen yet! Tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and alliums can all go in the ground now for a brilliant spring display.
Pro tip: Mix bone meal or bulb fertilizer into the planting hole to give roots a nutrient boost before the freeze.
3. Garlic Lovers, Rejoice 🧄
November is your last call to plant garlic. Break apart cloves and plant them root-side down about 2 inches deep and 4 inches apart. Add a thick layer of mulch, and they’ll snooze through winter before bursting to life in spring.
4. Protect Your Landscape Plants
Cold winds and fluctuating temperatures can stress evergreens and young trees.
Water deeply before the ground freezes so roots have moisture stored.
Wrap tender shrubs (like boxwood or hydrangeas) in burlap to prevent windburn.
Add mulch around the base — but keep it a few inches away from trunks to prevent rot.
5. Lawn Love Before the Snow
If you haven’t already, give your lawn a final mow (around 2½ inches tall). Remove heavy leaf piles that could smother the grass, and consider one last light fertilization with a winterizing formula rich in potassium to strengthen roots through the cold season.
6. Bring the Garden Indoors
The gardening fun doesn’t have to stop just because it’s cold outside. Bring in a few pots of herbs — like parsley, thyme, or chives — for sunny windowsill growing. You can also start experimenting with microgreens or windowsill lettuce for a bit of winter greenery.
7. Bird Buffet Time 🐦
Winter birds appreciate a helping hand this time of year. Clean out feeders, fill them with black oil sunflower seeds or suet, and leave some seed-bearing perennials standing. You’ll be rewarded with cardinals, chickadees, and finches flitting through your winter garden.
8. Reflect, Dream, and Plan
November is also the perfect time to grab a mug of tea, sit by the window, and think about next year’s garden.
What thrived?
What flopped?
What new plants do you want to try?
Make notes now while the memories are fresh. You’ll thank yourself when seed catalogs arrive in January!
