Page 44 - Simply Veg 4 2022

November
You can still sow broad beans and peas for overwintering as I suggested last month, and I told you the varieties then. It is too cold now to sow them outside so sow them in pots in the greenhouse and plant them later. They are hardy enough to stand the winter outside, but they need a bit of warmth to start them off.
You can also sow herbs for winter use on the windowsill such as parsley, dill, chives, basil, and coriander if you didn’t do so last month.
It is not too late to plant onion sets and garlic but do it as soon as you can before the really cold weather comes. I have already told you the varieties to plant at this time of year and their suppliers.
Rhubarb can still be planted, and congested clumps can be divided and re- planted. Also, if you want some early sticks next year you could try forcing a few roots. Dig a few up and leave them on the ground for a few weeks to expose them to cold weather. Then plant them in deep boxes or pots and take them into the greenhouse. When they start shooting, cover the plants with a bucket or a large flowerpot with the drainage hole covered to exclude light. These plants can be planted outside again after, but do not force them for three years.
A vegetable that needs forcing is chicory grown for chicons. Lift the roots, stand them in boxes or pots of sand and cut back the foliage. Put them somewhere warm and exclude light with a bucket or pot as I have said for rhubarb. Don’t do them all at once, just a few at a time.
I have said before that November is the start of the dormant season, when any bare root fruit trees and bushes can be planted. It also applies to any kind of shrubs, including roses. If you have ordered any through a supplier, this is the month they are likely
to arrive. I suggested in September that if
Cabbages for harvesting
you intend planting any this month that you prepare the ground well so if you haven’t done so, do it as soon as you can. Dig over the site, removing weeds and fork in some manure or compost.
When planting, dig a hole deep enough and wide enough to take all the roots and fork over the base. If it is a tree that you are planting put in a stake first, large enough
to support the tree. Fruit trees and roses are grafted onto a rootstock. You can see
a swelling on the stem where the tree has been grafted. When planting is finished, this union should be just above soil level. Place the roots in the hole so that this union is at the correct level. You may have to put some soil back first. Mix some bonemeal with the soil from the hole and when you are putting it back in the hole, keep firming it down
but make sure that the tree remains at the correct level and doesn’t sink down.
You can still plant the spring bulbs that I mentioned in the last two months but in September I said that tulips should be left till November. If you have not ordered any, there should be plenty in large stores and garden centres.
I mentioned last month that dahlias may have been blackened by frost, but if not, it is likely to happen this month. The stems need cutting down to about 6 inches (15 cm.). If you live down South and if we
get a mild winter, they may survive in the ground. If you want to take a chance, cover the plants with straw. However, the most reliable method of keeping them is to dig up the tubers and keep them frost free over winter. Also, you can take cuttings from
the tubers in spring. I described my own method of preparing and storing the tubers last month.
Swedes
44 Simply Vegetables