What to Do in the Garden in November (Canada)

Finish winter protection

• Complete burlap screens, mulch towers, or blanket protection on tender shrubs (roses, new cedars) if not done in October.
• Top up mulch over strawberries, garlic, and tender perennials once the ground has cooled.
• Shovel snow onto beds as it comes — snow is excellent insulation for perennials.

Indoor stewardship

• Hold storage vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets) at about 4 °C (39 °F) and check regularly, removing anything spoiling.
• Continue ripening green tomatoes indoors and process them as they turn.
• Keep microgreens and lettuce going under lights for winter salads.
• Compost jack-o-lanterns rather than trashing them.

Plan ahead

• Request seed catalogues and research Canadian seed companies while inventory is full.
• Schedule maintenance for mowers and power tools now to beat the spring rush.
• Note this season's wins and failures in your garden journal while they are fresh.

Regional notes

On the Prairies, protection work must be done before deep freeze — often early November at the latest. In southern Ontario and the Maritimes there is usually more margin, and in coastal BC the garden never fully shuts: winter-harvest crops planted in summer keep producing, though West Coast Seeds notes growth nearly stalls from November through February in the low light.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• Gardening at USask — Gardening Timeline (November) — November: research seed companies and request catalogues; schedule power-tool maintenance; continue processing ripening tomatoes; keep storage vegetables at 4 °C; compost jack-o-lanterns
• Gardening at USask — Preparing your garden for winter — Protect tender shrubs (roses, new cedars) with burlap, mulch towers, cardboard or blankets; save leaves for garden beds
• West Coast Seeds — Winter Gardening (coastal BC) — Coastal BC winter gardens keep producing but plants grow very slowly November-February due to low light

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