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Where did the year go!! It’s now time to tidy up for the winter and
sort out the winter bedding and spring bulbs. I always aim to get this done by
the end of the month as November does not bring a lot of motivation and what
doesn’t get done waits until spring.
Finish off any lawn maintenance this month and start raking up the
leaves as they fall to allow the grass to get light. After October the lawn
tends to be permanently wet and it is best to avoid too much foot traffic which
compacts the soil and just creates a mud pie. Normally October is the time for
the last cut although if the weather remains warm and fairly dry this can be
done in November, although I never manage it.
With temperatures dropping the first hard frost will finish off half
hardy plants, so think about lifting dahlia and begonia tubers and gladiolus
corms. They can be stored in dry compost. Move any tender pot plants into a
frost free greenhouse or conservatory. Failing that, use fleece or bubble wrap
and get them off the ground to give them a chance.
Keep planting spring bulbs but wait for November to put the tulips in
(my wife does that). Just throw them on the soil and plant them where they fall
to give a random natural appearance. Continue planting spring bedding such as
wallflowers, bellis, primulas, pansies and violas for a good spring show.
Similarly any plants grown from perennial seed earlier in the year can go out.
Summer containers will be coming to an end so these too can be refreshed and
planted up with winter bedding.
Bareroot trees, shrubs and hedging can still be planted. Now is also a
good time to plant new clematis. Give everything a good tidy up, remove the
autumn weeds to avoid a big job in the spring. Re-position perennials that get
too crowded and divide large roots while the soil is still warm. After tidying
you can mulch with bark chips, well rotted manure or leaf mould.
Finish harvesting the beans and just cut them down at ground level and
leave the roots in the soil. This provides a slow release of nitrogen as the
roots break down. Dig your trench for next year at least 12'' deep and start
collecting all the compost and kitchen waste. Just leave it to rot down through
the winter and early spring. Tomatoes have been poor this year and mine are now
completely riddled with blight. I tried “Sweet Aperitif” which first suffered
hormonal damage now blight, so back to the old favourite “Suncherry Premium”
which I think is sweeter anyway. If you have fared better, take the crop, try
and ripen the green ones on a windowsill and clear the ground. Do not compost
if there is any sign of blight.
Harvest squash, pumpkin and marrows before the first frost, which will
ruin them and store in a frost free place. Finish lifting any maincrop
potatoes, cut cabbage leaving the root in the ground and cut a cross in the
stem to encourage winter greens. Wait for the frosts before starting on
parsnips as this breaks the starch down into sugar and sweetens them. Start
lifting leeks which will happily stand through the winter until early spring.
Protect autumn cauliflower with fleece or wrap the outer leaves around them and
tie with string. Give the vegetable patch a good tidy up and plant out the
autumn garlic and onions.
Complete harvesting apples and pears and make sure plum trees are now
pruned. Plant up next year’s strawberry patch using rooted runners, and plant
or divide rhubarb. Tidy the greenhouse, now is a good time to disinfect so that
pests and diseases do not overwinter and remove shading.
That’s nearly it for the year, time to slow down and think about the
year ahead. It’s a bit sad so I will cheer myself up......Cheers......that’s
better!
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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