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Under cover

The garden can seem an uninviting place in a wet and windy November. This is less the case in a polytunnel, or greenhouse, where you have some protection from the elements.
You don’t need to be out there every day – in fact, if you put in an hour or two a week you will probably keep everything under control – but don’t let the month slip by without doing a few necessary jobs to keep your undercover space in tip-top shape.

Above: Green tomatoes and peppers will still turn red if left among ripe fruit

Planting out

You can still plant out late sowings of spring cabbage this month. These will be ready to eat in late April or May. If you only have a small greenhouse, it possibly isn’t worth doing such a late planting, as you may need the space for summer crops before the cabbage has formed good heads.
Winter lettuce is still worth planting, even in a small space. This will give good pickings next March or April, especially if you are happy to use the leaves while plants are still small. You may still be able to buy some plants even if you didn’t sow your own.

Sowing seeds

Anything that is sown in November will grow very slowly and may not give a crop until well into the spring. However, you will still get crops much earlier than late winter sowings outdoors and the April/May ‘hungry gap’ should be a thing of the past.
I always sow ‘Oregon Sugar Pod’ peas under cover in November. These crop weeks ahead of outdoor sowings, even ones started under cloches. The same is true of broad beans such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’. I sow broad beans singly in 7cm (3in) pots. Peas do well in the deep plastic tubs that fruit is often bought in – I space seeds evenly at six per tub. You can give a little extra heat with a propagator if you want, but this can cause leggy plants. Try to avoid soft growth that will be set back by winter cold when planted out in an unheated structure. More on planting beans and peas on page 19.
If you live in a more southerly climate, it is always worth making sowings of mizuna, rocket and mibuna even at this late stage. Sow in situ and put an extra cloche as covering and you may find these crops do well.

Weather eye

With the weird and wonderful weather that 2007 has managed to produce so far, it is hard to predict if November will stick to any usual patterns. For all I know, we may get the heatwave that failed to materialise in July! However, if the winter months are in any way true to form, November should bring an abundance of rain and a few gales, or at the very least, some strong winds. Enjoy the protection of gardening under cover, but don’t forget that what is going on outside can have an impact on your protected space…

Water!

High rainfall means that the soil moisture content will rise, even in borders under cover, and the need for watering should be minimal. Borders may well stay damp enough through the next few months, so that only the occasional sprinkle is required. You can tell by the appearance of the soil’s surface, or push a finger into the bed if you are at all unsure. Containers will of course still need watering as will any bed that is not connected to, or is raised well above, the outdoor soil level.
Remember that an over-wet soil can lead to mould and mildew problems in the winter months.

For more advice, see this month's issue, available to buy online!

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