Beds mulched with lovely
leafmould for winter

What to do in your vegetable garden in November

The autumn is here now and the gardeners at Garden Organic Ryton are busy covering bare soil for the winter with leafmould or green manure crops. Windy days are bringing the much needed fallen leaves for making new leafmould. Cover crops are planted to protect bare soil and enrich the vegetable beds ready for next spring’s crops.

Things to do in the vegetable garden this month

• Protect cauliflower curds by folding over the leaves. This will delay opening of the flowers and keep the curds compact.
• 
  Brussel sprouts ready
  for picking
  
  
  Turnip
  Begin to pick early brussel sprouts. Pick the biggest ones from the bottom of the stem upwards and stake any plants that are likely to be disturbed by strong winds. (see picture)
• Lift and store all remaining root crops still in the ground now such as carrots, swede, beetroot and turnips.
• You can begin to force seakale and chicory. Sea kale is best done in the ground with forcing pots where as chicory is removed to a dark placed, defoliated and potted up. Chicons are ready in 4-6 weeks.
• Finish clearing crop remains and compost them. Most material is fine to compost but do not compost diseased plant material such onions with white rot or brassicas with club root. Add it to your green waste for collection or take to your local refuse centre.
• Stored crops should be checked regularly for signs of disease. Dispose of any showing signs of rot so it doesn’t get a chance to spread.
• Clear out bird boxes ready for spring. Put out food for birds; they will reward you by eating pests such as aphids, caterpillars, slugs and snails. For more information on feeding birds and other wildlife in the garden, visit the RSPB website.
• Don't forget to order you seed catalogues for next year. The Organic Gardening Catalogue 2009 is full of new varieties to choose from this year.
• Clean pots and seed trays now to make the spring rush less frantic.
• Start a compost trench - Bury kitchen waste at about a spade’s depth, preferably where the runner beans will grow next year. Cover the waste with soil, as soon as you add it, to prevent foxes or other animals from scavenging.
• 
  Make your own leafmould

• Winter cover
  Make sure that bare ground is covered. Autumn leaves make a good winter mulch spread over the soil protecting it from heavy rainfall.

  You can use leaves collected last autumn, or, when they fall this year. Your local council may deliver leaves on request to allotments and other sites where lorry access is possible. Ask for parks and cemetery leaves, rather than street swept ones.

  
  
  

• What a difference a leaf makes….
  In the compost display area at Garden Organic Ryton there are 3 plots, identical in size, which all grow the same crops. The only difference is in the soil treatment. These comparison plots have been running for over 10 years now, and the difference in the crops is really obvious now as can be seen in the picture below.

  
  Leafmould experimental plots

  • 'Bare' plot – turf removed at preparation; organic fertiliser applied in spring (right).
  • 'Green manure' plot – turf dug in at preparation; grazing rye grown over winter, organic fertiliser in spring (left)
  • 'Leafmould' plot – turf dug in at preparation; leafmould applied every autumn; organic fertilisers in spring (centre)

Sowing and Planting

• Keep on sowing

  Carry on sowing and planting for autumn and winter cropping, and for early harvests next season. Use cloches, cold frames, greenhouses and polytunnels to maintain growth over winter in cooler areas.

  
  Japanese
  onions
  
  
  Garlic

  Vegetable	Information
  Garlic	Plant in November, or even later on light soils. The sooner the better for the best crop. It is preferable to plant named varieties of garlic, such as Thermidrome and Printantor, rather than using left-over cloves from garlic bought from the greengrocer. This will avoid the risk of introducing disease, and help ensure you are growing a variety suited to the UK. Some varieties of garlic, such as Printanor, can also be planted in early spring, but will give much better yields if it goes through a cold period over winter. There is a useful article on garlic growing in issue 169 of The Organic Way (pages 29-31). Members can download back copies of The Organic Way here.
  Broad beans	Broad beans are traditionally sown in autumn (late October to early December) for an early summer crop. Autumn sown plants are also less attractive to blackfly. But their success can be variable; mice and wet conditions can cut plant numbers considerably. Sow in November in a well drained spot. Dress soil with a potash fertiliser if chocolate spot disease is a regular problem. Use extra hardy cultivars such as Super Aquadulce, Aquadulce Claudia, Imperial Green Longpod, or The Sutton (a bush variety good for small gardens under a cloche). If autumn sown crops tend to fail in your garden, don't despair; some of the spring sown cultivars can produce a crop that is almost as early.
  Hardy peas	Round seeded, hardy peas can be sown now for a June crop. Suitable varieties include Douce Provence, Feltham First, Meteor and Pilot. They can also be sown in the spring. Pea seeds are a favourite with mice, so it is not worth sowing them now where mice are a problem.

  Organic broad bean and pea seeds plus organic planting garlic and onion sets are available from the Organic Gardening Catalogue

• What you could be eating now if all had gone to plan

  - (fresh or from 'natural' storage)

  Artichoke, Jerusalem Beetroot Brussels sprouts - early Cabbage - autumn Calabrese Cauliflower - autumn Carrots Celeriac Celery Chicory Garlic Endive Kohl rabi

  Leek Lettuce Marrow Onions Parsley Parsnip Potatoes Pumpkin Rocket Salsify Spinach Turnip - main crop Squash Swede

Pest & disease watch

Brassica whitefly on
underside of leaves


Leek rust

• Brassica whitefly can be a problem in some areas depending on the weather. Although winter brassica crops (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage etc) can usually cope with this pest, the mild autumn we have had this year may have allowed the pest to build up to dramatic numbers, rather than showing a decline as is more common at this time of year.

  Where infestations are severe, a couple of sprays of insecticidal soap may be necessary. Use a good quality sprayer – preferably one with a lance - and try to spray in the cool of the morning when the whitefly are less active. Pick off any yellowing lower leaves before you spray, and remember to spray under the leaves too. Insecticidal soap must come into contact with the pest in order to be effective.

• Net Brussels, broccoli and other winter brassicas to protect them from pigeon damage. Secure the base to prevent any birds getting caught up in the netting and support the nets with canes to prevent damage to the plants.
• Leek rust - a fungal disease of leeks. Red/orange pustules develop on the leaves and stems. Sheltered sites, poor drainage and planting too close together can exacerbate this problem. Cold weather can halt the progress of this disease. In a mild autumn the disease may continue to develop, turning leaves yellow and resulting in reduction of plant size.
• For information on prevention and control, refer to our Leek rust factsheet. (Factsheet access requires Members' password)
• Check and repair fences, especially rabbit proofing if rabbits are a problem in your area. The netting should be buried at least 15cm (6in) under the ground in an 'L' shape to prevent rabbits digging underneath.

back to - What to do in your garden in November

Bookmark this page on:

StumbleUpon | Delicious | Reddit | Digg | Facebook

Top of page | Home | Privacy | Contact | Advertise | Support us

All content © Garden Organic  |  Registered Charity No 298104

Garden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
We are not responsible for the content of external web sites.

Supported by