Fruit & vegetable growing guide for November

The month of November is usually when the UK experiences hard frosts and heavy rain so on the days when the weather is nice, it is important to try and get the gardening jobs done that you need to.

Gardening is such an accessible activity that even during the winter months, able-bodied gardeners and people who suffer from mobility problems (using aids such as walk in baths, wheelchairs or other walking aids in their daily life) can still do plenty of things around their garden.

You can still sow and plant vegetables in November, prune bushes and carry out a host of other jobs. This guide takes a look at the fruits and vegetables to plant in November and what you need to harvest.

Vegetables to plant in November in the UK

There are plenty of vegetable seeds that can be planted in the UK in November. Sowing them this month will actually give you a head start on the gardening year ahead as it brings vegetable harvest times forwards and takes up soil space that would usually remain empty. Sowing this month will save you valuable time when the temperatures begin to rise again.

Garlic

November is the perfect time to plant out your garlic as it likes a period of cold and inactivity before it starts to grow in the spring months.

If your garden is made up of a lot of clay or heavy soil it can hold water and there is a danger of the cloves rotting. Something that you will need to consider to prevent this from happening when you are sowing your garlic is to dig your planting hole and then drop some sand or fine gravel in the bottom of the hole as this will then provide enough drainage.

Kitchen Garden, the gardening magazine, share some tips for anyone thinking of sowing garlic: “Autumn is the best time to plant garlic because it actually benefits from a period of cold to induce good hearty bulb formation by summer.

“Whole garlic bulbs can be bought in early autumn from garden centres or by mail order from specialist growers.

“To plant, split up the bulbs into individual cloves and plant with the pointed end uppermost. Bury about 5cm (2in) deep and 15cm (6in) apart.”

Broad beans

Broad beans are an easy to grow vegetable as they are low maintenance, and it is because of this that you can sow them in the ground in autumn. Alternatively, if you feel the soil in your garden is too wet you can plant them into pots and transplant them at a later date.

By sowing broad beans in November, you can harvest them a few weeks earlier and they could be ready from May onwards. When you pick the beans, they can accompany lots of different meals and when fresh they taste delicious.

If you don’t have much space in your garden, there are dwarf broad beans that you can buy instead. This variety of broad beans can be grown in containers.

Peas

You can sow some of the hardy variety of peas this month. Meteor and Kelvedon Wonder are just two types that you would be fine to plant in the autumn and over winter and they will need to be harvested in early spring.

If you are planning to plant peas during this time of the year, something you will need to consider is to protect them from slugs, birds and mice. This can be done by growing the peas in covered containers.

Spring onions

Another vegetable that can be used in a multitude of dishes are spring onions and these can be sown in November, although you will need to use hardier varieties such as the Onion White Lisbon Winter Hardy seeds.

By sowing the spring onions in autumn, you can harvest them in the late winter or early spring months. You can also grow them in pots and sowing them in pots makes it easier to protect them. You can also protect them in a greenhouse or by using covers over them.

All the vegetables you can plant in November:

•Garlic

•Broad beans

•Peas

•Spring onions

•Salad leaves (indoors)

•Chillies (indoors)

READ MORE: Fruit & vegetable growing guide for October

Fruit to plant in November

There are still jobs that you can do in November if you are growing fruit and below are just some of the tasks that you can do in the month.

Bare-root fruit trees

November is the perfect time to plant bare-root fruit trees as they are dormant when planted. By planting them now, the fruit trees will have the full season to grow as soon as the temperatures rise during the spring season.

You can plant trees such as cherry, plum, pear, blackcurrant, raspberry, gooseberry and apple during this time of the year. If you need some tips about planting bare-root trees, Garden Organic shares their tips.

“If the fruit tree or bush is bare-rooted, it is important that the roots do not dry out. Keep them temporarily wrapped in wet newspaper and covered in plastic. If you don’t know immediately where to put the tree or bush, then plant it temporarily in a spare bit of well-watered ground (called ‘heeling in’).

“As fruit trees and bushes will be in the same spot for many years, good soil preparation is essential.”

“Fruit trees need a stake, so plant this at the same time. It should be approx. 1.2m long, with 45cm driven into the ground.

“Water plants well after planting, then apply a mulch (see below). Finally, tie the tree to the stake, using rubber strips or old tights (do not use string or wire, they will cut into the stem as it thickens with growth).”

All the fruits you can plant in November:

•Cherry trees

•Plum trees

•Pear trees

•Blackcurrant trees

•Raspberry trees

•Gooseberry trees

•Apple trees

READ MORE: Fruit & vegetable growing guide for September

Other gardening jobs to be done in November

There are still lots of jobs you can do in November as more ground in your garden becomes vacant, it is a great time for you to dig it over and spread manure over the surface. If you have mobility issues and need to use aids such as stairlifts or other walking aids, you can ask a family member or friend to help you with this task.

By digging over your soil it allows it to air and the freezing and thawing of water in the soil will loosen it and stop it from turning into a solid pan, making it easier for you to work during the spring season.

If you are growing cabbages, kale, turnips or swede, you should look to cover them over with some netting as this time of the year birds can get hungry.

Crops that are ready to be harvested in October:

•Leeks

•Brussels sprouts

•Kale

•Winter cabbages

•Cauliflowers

•Carrots

•Parsnips

•Celery

•Celeriac

•Kohl rabi

•Turnips

•Swedes

•Spinach

READ MORE: Fruit & vegetable growing guide for August

This article looks at just some of the fruit and vegetables you can plant in November and the jobs you should consider doing during the month. For more tips and blogs like these then head to our news section.