November and December are not the quiet months that you might think.
For a start you have the switch from the tender vegetable harvest to the more hardy overwintering types. The carrots are still coming but are now being supplemented by the leeks, swede and brassicas (especially kale, cabbage and sprouts) on my plot. So plenty to keep me busy there (and more on this later).
But, as you will have seen last time, you've also got the preparation starting in earnest for next year now too.
It's a hard slog though through a typical wet English autumn. The weather is now either cold or wet or both. Those summer days and evenings where you watered every couple of hours to keep some crops alive are now just a distant memory. And if, like me, you have left one bed for a whole year. look at it (below) - honestly - more like a lawn (a lawn with a lot of weeds in!). Well, that weather combination makes the digging process a whole lot more difficult.
In these conditions, when you put your fork in to lift, you just get a whole clump of heavy clay and wet root and leaf attached to the prongs. Try to shake the fork and either the whole clump returns from whence it came or, if you're lucky, that little root free amount of soil/mud that will form the base of next year's growing material might just come free (with the rest quickly filling up a wheelbarrow to be carted somewhere to rot down). But the 'soil' that does fall free, then promptly sticks right back to the sole of your boot when you step toward to the next area of 'jungle' to be forked over. Before the process starts all over again. I wish I could do the 'no dig' method of growing (I'll cover that topic in a future blog) but the picture above is a pretty good example of why that will never work!
Progress is slow, but sure - It took me 3 weeks to dig the first potato bed and I've had a couple of 3 hour sessions so far on this one and I still need at least one more to complete the job...but I've had to stop for the moment as it's now just too wet to work on.
And I said earlier that I had left this bed for a complete year. True. But what I did was leave 3 or 4 purple sprouting plants from last year to set seed, before they died back...except they didn't do either. In fact I could be getting a second crop from my now purple sprouting broccoli 'trees' (above and below) which means that this bed, being prepared for next year's potatoes, will probably need another weed clearance exercise in early March before I can put the seed potatoes in.
You'll note also above the use of old carpet to help try and choke off the weeds in another area of the bed. It's a common trick used to try and surpress weeds. It does work to an extent, although I frequently find weeds rooting in the carpet fibre itself!
The rest of the plot is not looking too bad for this time of year. The nearest two beds below have been 'rough' dug (the left hand one has a couple of self set spinach plants and the right hand bed has the onion sets I mentioned last time).
There's a better view of the onion bed below, with a rogue row of brassicas which will come out early next year. Beyond that is that previously mentioned first dug potato bed for next year (well 3/4 dug as it has a row of parsnips in which will come out for Christmas dinner!). And beyond that is one of two netted brassica areas with this years cabbage, sprouts, kale and purple sprouting broccoli. The bed I've been digging in part one of this blog is the top left bed below (spot the carpet).
So that's the plot in early winter.This really is an all year round activity. In the winter, rain (or frost) just stops play more frequently. But at least at this time of year there's usually something to pick. And providing enough for Christmas dinner is always the year's focus. I'll tell you how I got on with that in the blog next time. Until then, and to borrow and credit a phrase from Frank (of the plot next to mine...with the polytunnel above of which I am extremely jealous!) Happy Vegmas! #dig #nodig #brassicas #potatoes
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