November 2024

JOBS TO DO NOW

Vegetables :

 Keep over wintering Brassicas covered with netting to help prevent damage

by pigeons. An attack will certainly occur as soon as the first cold weather arises. Chives

and Mint can be potted up now and kept on the kitchen window sill to force for winter use.

Dig up some Parsnips and Carrots and store in moist sand near to the house for winter use

before the ground gets too frozen to lift them. Clear away all plant debris from the

vegetable plot and compost, except for Brassica roots etc. Dig over the plot and leave

rough for the winter. Incorporate manure and/or compost in early spring.

Ornamentals :

Plant bare root trees and shrubs as soon as possible while the soil is still

relatively warm. Remove fallen leaves which can collect among the roots of Herbaceous

Perennials and cause rotting. Shorten the long shoots of Hybrid Tea and Cluster

(Floribunda) Roses to reduce wind rock. Complete the planting of spring bulbs as soon as

possible. Before the first real frosts start, protect vulnerable plants with straw or bracken

and wrap around the stems with Hessian or fleece. Do not use polythene as this will cause

sweating and dramatically increase the chance of losses. Several hardy herbaceous

perennials can be successfully propagated by root cuttings taken now. Dicentra spectablis

(Bleeding Heart) and Phlox are two examples.

Fruit:

 Check over Apples and Pears in store regularly for signs of decay before they start

to rot their neighbours in the tray. Now is an ideal time to put Grease bands around the

trunks of Apple trees to help reduce the attack of “Maggots” in the fruit next year.

Pests and Diseases Check the foliage of over wintering Geraniums in the greenhouse for

signs of Rust and Botrytis and remove all affected leaves urgently. Many other plants can

be affected at this time of year with Botrytis especially if the greenhouse ventilators are not

opened on every possible occasion to keep the air moving.

Lawns :

 Make the final cut of the lawn this month but remember to keep off the lawn in

frosty weather. Rake off fallen leaves on a regular basis.

Oil and grease the mower before it is stored away for the winter

Pot Plants Reduce the amount of watering and feeding as the plants prepare themselves

for winter. However, houseplants in your warmest room should be watered as often as it is

necessary but feeding can now be reduced to once a month.

RECENT QUESTIONS. 

Question 1:

Can I grow Blueberries in pots and are any varieties better than

others for this purpose?”Blueberries do very well when grown in pots but you must have

an ericaceous compost to pot them up into, also a ready supply of rainwater to water them

at all times. Tap water which is basically alkaline will severely damage or kill Blueberries

if used over a prolong period An occasional watering if the water butt runs dry will do no

harm, however, only use as a last resort. Among the best varieties to select from are Duke,

Patriot, Spartan and Sunshine Blue.

Question 2

Can I fertilize and mulch my plants with manure and garden compost in the

autumn or should I wait until spring? Fertilizers should only be used in the spring and

summer months when the plants are growing and able to take up the available nutrients

produced. If applied in the autumn or early winter so much of the available nutrients will

be leached out with the winter rains so by spring very little if any will still be available to

your plants when it is really needed. Even slow to breakdown fertilizers such as Blood Fish

and Bone meal or Chicken pellets are best left to late winter before applying. Mulches in

the form of manure, leaf mould, garden compost are best applied in early spring because of

the leaching out effect mentioned earlier. All mulches should always be applied to moist

 ground never on top.