Autumn jobs on the vegetable patch

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The vegetable patch is beginning to look a little sorry for itself now in November. The Green Manure mix sowed a few weeks ago has really shot up, I possibly sowed a little to thickly, but it will do no harm and does at least add some foliage to the plot at this time year and is of course doing a very important job. I mentioned in a previous post how Green manures stop weeds spreading and prevent nutrients leaching from the soil over winter. With the amount of rainfall we have had at times in October I am very pleased I sowed the mix! The plants will be cut down and lightly dug into the soil come spring. 

The Runner Bean plants are pretty much done for with the last having been picked at the weekend. They have been brilliant this year, I have bags and bags of them frozen to get me through the winter. I will leave the plants for a week or two as they die down to let the leaves fall off; makes it much easier unravelling them from their supports. All the remains will naturally be composted. At the same time I will cutback the cans of the autumn raspberries and get them composted as well. 

The winter crop experiment appears to be going well with the Carrots and Spring Onions coming along nicely in the Greenhouse. The two rows of carrots sowed outside have pretty much failed baring a few here and there that have germinated. It was all for little more than a bit of fun but does confirm the benefit of a greenhouse and all being well I should have Chantenay Carrots through the winter for the odd roast dinner and a few Spring Onions for a stir-fry or two. 

In front of the Green Manure on the big bed there are a number of rows of Parsnips still in the ground. The Parsnips are ready yo lift when the foliage starts to die down which is just about beginning to happen on mine now in early November. My old Grandad taught me that a light frost on the plants does them no harm and I have had just the one very light frost so far this autumn so I am yet to lift any on the roots. They can stay in the ground over winter and in my raised beds even on the coldest of days can be lifted with a little gentle encouragement with a fork. I look forward to sampling the first soon. 

Cheers 🍺


Location: London Borough of Havering, UK

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