To Do

Do not leave beds bare for the winter – sow a green manure, or cover with a thick layer of manure/compost and then black plastic or straw.  This will return nutrients to the soil, keep the worst of the weather off it, suppress weeds and prevent leaching of nutrients.  ‘Earth up’ or tie up vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.  Divide up your rhubarb if you want to propagate and cover it with a thick mulch of manure.   Prune apple trees.  Mulch fruit bushes.  Take cuttings of currant bushes from current season’s wood.

Sow

Sow broad beans outside now for an early crop next spring.  To avoid rotting before germination, make small newspaper cups and germinate them indoors first.  Next summer’s garlic does best if it’s planted before Christmas – plant outdoors in well prepared soil in a sunny spot.  Some varieties of onion can over-winter and will be ready to harvest in early summer. 

Harvest

Continue to harvest perpetual spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, swede, parsnips, apples, pears. Start harvesting leeks, winter cabbage, kale, artichokes, Brussels sprouts.  Time to lift carrots and turnips or at least cover them with a good layer of straw to keep them warm.