November

Create new planting areas by sheet mulching over weed patches or unwanted lawn. Photo: Courtesy UC Regents

Maintenance and prevention

Mulch bare soil to hold in moisture, keep out weeds, and prevent compaction by hard rains.
Clean up the garden before the rains begin. Remove leaves and debris from under and around plants.
Create new planting areas by sheet mulching over weed patches or unwanted lawn.
Turn off irrigation system for the season; continue to water plants under overhangs.
Protect sensitive plants from cold injury when frost is predicted. Water the garden if it hasn’t rained recently. (Do not water succulents if frost is in the forecast.)
Clean and store any unused pots and containers that can be used as hiding places by overwintering insects, slugs, and spiders.
Clean garden tools. Disease microorganisms also overwinter on the surface of stakes, tomato cages, trellises, and other garden equipment. Remove all soil from the tools, and clean them with a 10% bleach solution or other disinfectant to protect tools from spreading diseases. Apply a light layer of oil to prevent rusting if you will not be using them for a while. Wash garden gloves.

Planting and propagating

Plant shrubs, perennials, and trees. Fall is for planting! Winter rains will help develop a strong root system.
Plant spring blooming bulbs.
Plant California natives. Late fall, just as the rains start, is the best time for planting natives and scattering seeds of annual wildflowers.
Dig, divide, and replant overgrown perennials for more profuse blooms next spring.
Plant bulbs for spring color, including daffodils, crocus, freesia and hyacinths.
Remove all but one fat bud from each camellia stem for larger blooms.

Cutting and pruning

Lightly prune Japanese maples while still in leaf. Select and plant maples for fall color.
Remove dead, broken, or diseased limbs from trees and shrubs.

Pests and weeds

Do not compost debris from fuchsias, roses, and the camellia/rhododendron/azalea family, as they can spread a variety of fungi and molds and allow undesirable insects to overwinter.
Manage rainy season weeds before they flower using non-chemical methods such as cultivation, hand weeding, or mowing. Use toxic chemicals only as a last resort.

Edibles

Plant garlic, shallots, and peas.
Learn more about crops to plant in November and other activities in the edible garden.

Fire-smart Landscaping

Create adequate spacing of trees and shrubs in your garden to minimize the transmission of fire from one plant to another and ultimately to your house.
Learn more about Fire-smart Landscaping.