Page 44 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2023

plant them in large pots and put them in the greenhouse. When they start growing, cover them with a bucket or a large pot with the drainage hole covered to exclude light. They should be ready for harvesting several weeks earlier than those left outside.
Another vegetable that is forced is chicory grown for chicons. Lift the roots and cut back the foliage and put them in boxes of sand and put them somewhere warm. You can force a few at a time by covering them with a bucket or a pot as I said for rhubarb.
This is the month when tulips are normally planted. Other bulbs which I
said you could plant the last two months can still be planted but tulips are best left till November because it helps prevent
a disease called tulip fire. If new growth appears too early it is prone to this disease.
This is also the first month of the dormant season which last until next March. This is when bare root fruit trees and bushes and also roses and other trees and shrubs can be planted. If you have ordered any from a specialist supplier , this is the month they will probably arrive. If they arrive when the ground is either frozen or too wet, just plant them somewhere temporarily. I advised you in September that if you do intend planting any trees and shrubs to start preparing the ground by forking it over , removing weeds and forking in some manure so I hope you have done so. Did a hole large enough to take the roots and fork over the base. If you are planting a tree , knock a strong stake in first. Fruit trees are grafted onto a rootstock which controls the vigour and the eventual height of the tree. You can see the union between the rootstock and the tree. When planting is finished, this union must be at or just above soil level. When you put the tree in the hole, you may have to put some soil back first to get the tree at the correct level. Mix some bonemeal with the soil you are putting back round the roots. As you put it back, keep treading it down but make sure the tree stays at the same level and and doesn’t sink down. Finally, tie the tree to the stake.
The pruning jobs I have been telling you about, the last two months can still be done now or next month and cuttings of gooseberries, red, white and blackcurrants can still be taken.
Sprouts at Whitefield’s November Show
Bush roses can be pruned any time from now till next March. Cut away any dead wood , crossing branches and any growing inwards and prune the rest of the branches by half to an outward pointing bud.
This is the month when we are most likely to get the first frost of the winter. Occasionally it happens in late October but in most years it happens in November. This first frost puts and end to the dahlias. One day, they are still green, then next morning the leaves are all drooping and turning black. So now is the time to cut down the stems and put them on the compost. If you live in a mild part of the country and we get a mild winter, you could risk leaving them in the ground all winter. If you want to do so, cover them with straw for extra protection. For most of us, though, we have to dig up the tubers and store them somewhere frost free over the winter. Dahlia growers have their own methods of storing them which work for them. I cut down the stems to about 4 inches (10 cm ) and get most of the soil off the tubers with a long screwdriver. I then knock the screwdriver down through the hollow stem and out at the bottom. This frees any water trapped in the stem. I tie on the labels with waterproof string right round the tuber , not round the stem. As the tubers are drying, the stems shrink so if the labels are only tied to the stems, they would come off. I then put them upside down in boxes
under the greenhouse staging over winter. Another job to do at this time of year
is to collect leaves and make leaf mould. There are plenty of leaves about now. You can make a pen to store them in using
wire netting if you have room . I put them
in plastic bags with a few holes made in the side to let in air. They don’t rot down as quickly as green material but when they are partially rotted I mix them with the other compost.
Two jobs I wrote about last month were dividing and re-planting clumps of perennial flowers, and potting or boxing up chrysanth stools. Both jobs can be done now if not done last month.
Apart from dividing perennials, another method of increasing your stock is taking root cuttings. Dig up a plant and cut some of the roots into sections between 2 inches (5 cm ) and 5 inches (12.5 cm) long and plant then in pots of compost. Make sure you keep them the right way up and plant them to their full depth. If the roots are
too thin to do this , lay them flat on the compost and cover them with a thin layer of compost. Put them in the greenhouse if you have one but they don’t need extra heat.
Don’t forget to keep checking any veg or fruit that you have in store to see if they are still in good condition.
You should still have plenty to harvest this month.
Apple tree pruned
Carrots harvested
Falco turnips
44 Simply Vegetables