November is a great time to get planting for spring, and in his recent blog post, Monty has shared what can be planted throughout the month.
Monty wrote: “November is tulip-planting time. This is, to my mind, the most important and best job of the month.
“It is actually something that can be done at any time between now and Christmas although the earlier they get into the ground, the earlier they will flower.
“The essential thing with all tulips is to make sure that they have good drainage. This matters less if they are to be treated as annuals and dug up after they have flowered but even so, they will be happier with plenty of grit or sand added to heavy soil.
“If they are to be permanent it is important to plant them as deep as you can.”
Monty explained how he often uses a crowbar to make a hole 12 inches or more deep. The deeper they are planted, the stronger and straighter the stem will be.
If they are to be grown in a container, then drainage is easier and they don’t have to be planted so deep, but instead, Monty recommended layers.
Also known as a tulip lasagne, start with an earlier variety, such as Orange Emperor, planted deepest and which will flower first, followed by a mid-season variety like Negrita.
This should be followed by a top layer of a late-season flowering plant such as Queen of Night.
Garlic can also be planted this month, according to the gardening pro who said: “I start planting garlic bulbs in September, but it can be done at any time before Christmas to have a good harvest next summer.
“The garlic you mostly buy is almost always soft neck, which has a flexible plaitable stem, stores well and is often excellent.
“Like all garlic of any type, plant plump individual cloves, the bigger the clove the bigger the bulb it will generate, six to nine inches apart.”
Plant them pointed end up and bury them a good inch below the surface in well-draining soil.
Make sure this is in a sunny position, which has plenty of organic material dug into it, warned Monty.
He added: “Shotos will appear in about six to eight weeks.” There are also hard neck varieties but these are often slower to grow.
Another important job includes planting paperwhites which will be flowering for Christmas if planted now.
Plant the bulbs beneath the surface of the compost, keeping them watered and in a warm, light place.
