ORCHARD : Bare roots, autumn soil
November opens the bare-root planting season, and today’s descending moon is a fine ally. Apple and pear trees go in now: dig a wide, generous hole, loosen the base, and spread roots naturally without bending them. Set the union point 5 cm above soil level. Backfill with the excavated earth mixed with a shovelful of well-rotted compost, firm gently, and stake against prevailing winds. Space apple trees 4–5 m apart, pears 3–4 m. Cherry and plum trees follow the same logic — plant them while the soil still has some warmth from autumn.
Before the sign change this morning, the day opens as a leaf character — use that early window to transplant leeks 12 cm apart in rows 30 cm wide, pressing the soil firmly around each stem.
After the change, a fruit character takes over for the rest of the day. Take hardwood cuttings from currant bushes and blackcurrants: cut 20–25 cm sections of healthy current-season wood, insert two-thirds of each cutting into loose, gritty soil 15 cm apart, and leave them to root over winter. Raspberry canes can be planted now too, 50 cm apart in rows, with a generous mulch of straw or bark at the base to protect young roots.
LANDSCAPING : Roses establish beautifully from bare-root stock planted in November. Dig a cone-shaped mound at the base of the hole, drape the roots over it, and backfill with compost-enriched soil. Space bush roses 60 cm apart; climbers at least 1 m from a wall to avoid the rain shadow.