November in the Garden – Chem-Free and Growing Strong
Summer is fast approaching, and now’s the time to get your hands dirty and prepare for Christmas and the warm months ahead. A little effort now will reward you with a garden that’s bright, colourful and healthy — just in time for those summer barbecues and long evenings outdoors.
At Harmony, we’re proud to bring you our Harmony Grown – Chem-Free Range, a collection of plants raised right here using organic principles and no synthetic sprays. These plants are nurtured with living soils, compost, beneficial biology and natural predator control — it’s our commitment to cleaner, healthier gardens for you, your family, and the planet. Look for the Chem-Free tags around the nursery — they’re grown with care right here at Harmony.
Vegies to Plant Now
November is one of the most productive months in the garden — food almost seems to jump out of the soil.
Now’s the time to get stuck into planting Asian greens, beans, beetroot, capsicum, chilli, celery, cucumber, eggplant, kohlrabi, herbs, leeks, lettuce, okra, onions, pumpkins, squash, radish, spinach, swede, strawberries, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini and the very last week of certified seed potato
Sow sweetcorn, carrot, parsnip and peas directly into well-prepared soil.
If you’re planting brassicas like broccoli or cauliflower, give them a sunny position with a bit of afternoon shade — it helps stop them bolting to seed as the days get warmer.
Tomatoes – Let’s Get Them Cranking
Now that Hobart Show Day has passed, it’s tomato time! As the sun strengthens and the soil warms, tomatoes will really take off.
Calcium is important during the early stages of tomato growth, helping plants develop strong, healthy growth and reducing the risk of blossom end rot later in the season. We recommend paying attention to calcium supply early rather than waiting until problems appear. Consistent watering is just as important, as fluctuations in moisture can affect the plant’s ability to take up calcium. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist, not waterlogged, with a deep soak every few days and a good layer of mulch to help maintain that balance.
For feeding, we recommend the Organic LifeForce Trio to support healthy soil and strong plant growth. Be careful not to overdo high-potassium, fruiting fertilisers too early. Let your tomatoes establish and begin setting fruit before introducing these, so the plants have the right balance of nutrients at each stage of growth.
Our Harmony Grown – Chem-Free tomatoes are raised right here without synthetic sprays — strong, healthy plants that love Tassie conditions.
Lawns
This is your last good window to sow or repair lawns before summer.
Raise your mower blades — leaving the grass slightly longer helps shade the soil and conserve moisture. Deep, less frequent watering encourages roots to go deeper, and applying water-retention granules now will make a real difference once the heat kicks in.
A bit of effort now will reward you with a resilient, green lawn all summer long.
November Garden Tasks
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Pots & baskets: water regularly and feed weekly with a liquid fertiliser such as Powerfeed or a soluble bloom booster.
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Summer colour: plant Alyssum, Celosia, Cosmos, Impatiens, Lobelia, Nasturtium, Marigold, Petunia, Phlox, Portulaca, Zinnia.
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Roses: fertilise with Sudden Impact and watch for aphids and thrips – encourage ladybirds and lacewings to help control them naturally.
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Hydrangeas: starting to flower beautifully now — ideal for shaded areas or pots.
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Codling moth traps: set them now to protect your apples and pears.
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Mulch garden beds: keeps moisture in, weeds down, and makes everything look great for Christmas.
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Feed citrus and treat scale or sooty mould with a horticultural oil.
- New season citrus has just arrived for planting now
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Protea: trim spent blooms.
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Fruit trees: mulch with sugarcane mulch or pea straw.
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Azalea, camellia, rhododendron: remove spent flowers, then feed with an acid-loving fertiliser once flowering has finished.
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Lawn grubs: flood suspect patches with soapy water and let the birds do the rest.
In a Nutshell
November is a big month in the garden — everything’s bursting to grow. Prepare your soil, plant generously, water steadily, and mulch well. Keep feeding gentle and natural early on, then boost with potassium once fruiting begins.
Every Harmony Grown – Chem-Free plant you take home supports our promise to grow naturally, locally, and sustainably — the way gardening should be.
Happy Gardening