Pippa's Plot (November)

Save yourself time and plant damage next year by hunting for snails now. Colder weather sends snails into hibernation so you should find lots of them in protected, out-of-the-way spots such as loose paving slabs, piles of flower pots, loose tree bark, dense wall shrubs and climbers.

I always have one or two large terracotta pots containing favourite herbs on the doorstep or patio – it’s excellent for sudden cooking needs. But now that temperatures are dropping, it’s essential that the pots are given a bit of winter protection. Raise them off the ground by a few centimetres to prevent the drainage hole from becoming blocked and wrap some old hessian or bubble wrap around the sides of the pots.

Cut back any deteriorating foliage and stems from water plants and marginals growing around or in ponds and planted water features. Doing this now prevents them flopping into the water where it will rot off and produce gases potentially toxic to pond wildlife and fish.

Using sharp secateurs, prune redcurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberries, removing dead, diseased, congested and dying shoots as well as any which are growing towards the centre of the bush. Also, prune all the side shoots made this year back to three or four buds from their point of origin.

Ornamental bamboos make a great garden feature but keep them looking their best by thinning out the established canes and allowing more space for the remaining canes to move about and provide you with some sturdy homegrown plant supports for next year too!

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