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Jobs for November

It can seem as if winter is well and truly on its way in November, yet the occasional sunny day, just crisp enough to keep you comfortably warm as you work, can be a real joy. There is still plenty to do in tending to overwintering crops and the fruit garden is a busy place, too, this month

KG top tips

• Woody shreddings can be stored in the large bulk bags used by builders’ merchants to supply sand and gravel. Tucked away in a corner (assuming you have the space) they can take as long as they like to rot down before being reused on the plot. However, if you don’t want to wait, the bags offer a great way to transport the shreddings to the local green waste tip.

• An alternative use for the bags is to use them as compost bin liners. Cut the bags along their seams and use them to line the bin. With the compost held apart from the wood the bin will last much longer; so far ours have lasted for a good five years on the KG plot.

KG quickies

• As we point out in our feature on page 44, this is a good time to plant most garlic varieties for the best possible crop next year.

• Despite falling temperatures weeds can still be a problem this month as mild spells ensure some growth still occurs. Keep the hoe moving around overwintering crops.

• Shred woody prunings as they are collected. They can be used to top up the covering on paths or stored separately and allowed to rot down (see KG top tips).

• Sweep up autumn leaves and store them in an open wire mesh container separate from other waste where they won’t be in the way during the year or two they will take to thoroughly rot down. Alternatively store them for a year in black polythene sacks which have been perforated in a few places with a garden fork.

• Go through overwintering crops such as brassicas and leeks, removing yellow leaves which otherwise act as hiding places for overwintering pests such as slugs and diseases such as leek rust.

• Dig in green manures that were sown in late summer unless they are a hardy type needed to stay in place over winter to protect the soil from the winter rains.

IN DEPTH: Propagate gooseberries and currants

Now is the time to buy new soft fruit bushes, but it is also a good time to propagate from existing gooseberries and currants, saving some pennies and adding to the winter interest down on the plot in the process.

Before you start however, do be sure that the plants that you intend to propagate from are healthy; the biggest cause of loss and vigour from fruit is due to viruses spread by sap-sucking insects such as greenfly and these take their toll slowly over a period of years causing symptoms such as poor growth, small, puckered leaves and low yields.

If you are confident that your bushes are healthy then wait until all the leaves have fallen before snipping off long shoots (30cm/12in) and removing the soft tip down to a healthy bud. In the case of gooseberries and redcurrants, which grow on a length of clear stem, carefully remove all but the topmost four buds. Remove the thorns from the gooseberries from the bottom of the cutting to the level of the retained buds at the same time. Blackcurrants are allowed to keep their buds since it is desirable for them to produce shoots from below ground level.

Bury the long cuttings in a deep slit trench (simply made by pushing the blade of the spade into the soil and pulling backwards. On badly drained soil add a little sharp sand to the base of the trench before placing the cuttings 30cm (12in) apart and closing the soil around them with your foot.

Cuttings should be rooted and ready for moving on by this time next year.

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

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