Reduce weed problems in spring by taking action in your garden now

You may assume that because the weather is colder, the jobs are done and dusted when it comes to your lovely garden, but there are things you can do to make life easier for you come spring 2025.

It’s November (where has this year gone?) and Michael, who posts on TikTok as @themediterraniangardener, has got some key jobs for you, and if you manage to complete them, your garden will not only look prettier now, but you’ll thank yourself for it next year.

He said it was time to plant “tulips in lasagnas, pots and borders as the weather starts to get colder”. He also warned: "You also want to Lift dahlia tubers and store them in a dry, frost-proof place."

If you have empty pots laying around that could use some plants in them, Michael said "it’s the perfect time to add some winter colour into your gardens with violas, heathers, conifers and hardy tub plants" which will stand the test of time.

Of course, your garden will likely be covered in leaves as well, but rather than just whacking them into your green bin, you could "collect them up off your lawns which you can then keep to make leaf mould".

It’s also a good time to collect your garden furniture cushions so they don’t get “damaged in freezing temperatures when wet.”

Also, if you don’t want to have a weed problem come spring, it’s a good time to tackle them - even though it’s chillier.

"Tackling them in autumn will reduce weed problems in spring," he urged, so it’s best to get it done now if you want your garden to be ready to go in springtime.

Finally, the last thing you can sort out in your garden before snow and ice sets in is "once the birds have feasted on the seeds, cut down faded perennials that are looking tatty, then mulch the surrounding soil".

In the comments, others pointed out it was “still warm for the season”, so these jobs could potentially be left a little longer.

Someone penned: “My Dahlias are still flowering. Do I leave them until they have finished or take them out now?”

Another responded: “I've got the same as we are still getting temperatures of 15 deg C. Seems wrong to cut off the flowers and dig them up.”

A green-fingered gardener shared their wisdom, writing: “I don’t tend to uplift clients Dahlias unless they’re in a high risk area. Front pocket or flooding risk. If I do lift them wait till the first frost. It’s still warm for the season!”

Someone in Norway said there was “snow already”, so they wouldn’t be able to follow these tips as the weather doesn't allow it.

“This is great advice for beginners, thank you," one woman wrote.