The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of. The mite which November contributes becomes equal in value to the bounty of July. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Month Planner - November

General

Keep digging and manuring if conditions are favourable.
Cover the compost heap with waterproof material to keep it dry and keep the heat in.
Service mechanical machinery ready for spring
Check the seed catalogues and order any seeds onion sets and plants required
Check sundries like stakes, bean poles, canes, netting, fertilisers etc.
Tidy up the shed while its still quite quiet.

Potato Family

Nothing doing.

Legumes

Sow hardy broad beans outdoors for a really early crop.

Brassicas

Remove yellow and decaying leaves from stems of brussel sprouts and other brassicas.
Complete the planting and earthing up of Spring cabbage - firm soil around plants.
Harvesting - Green Broccoli (and Romanesco), Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage (Winter and early Savoy Cabbages should now be ready for picking), Kale, Winter Radishes, Swede.

Onions

Plant Garlic.
Earth up leeks.
Harvesting - Leeks, and Spring Onions.

Roots

Complete the harvesting of root crops, drying them and rubbing off soil before storing.
Harvest - main crop Carrots, Parsnip, Salsify and Scorzonera.

Other Vegetables

Cloche Perpetual Spinach.
Cover Endive with pots in order to blanche it.
Harvesting - Spinach, Swiss Chard.

Herbs

Clear basil, chervil and dill, also fennel and parsley that has grown for a second season.
Cover September sown parsley and chervil with cloches.

Fruit

Hand weed strawberries and remove unwanted runners.
Prune existing currant and gooseberry bushes.
Take cuttings of currants and gooseberries.
Plant new bushes and rasp canes any time until February.

Blanching Endive

Blanched Endive

If they are to be eaten raw as part of a salad Endives are best blanched as they can be slightly bitter in taste.

Blanching simply means excluding light from parts of the plant so that it turns pale in colour. It also results in a less bitter taste.

Frisée endives are particularly suited to blanching. On frisée types, the best method is to cover the centre of the plant with a paper or ceramic plate. This allows some light to reach the outer leaves and leads to an attractive gradation from green to white.

To blanch the whole plant, cover with a bucket or alternatively tye the leaves together. Only blanch as many plants as you are likely to need, as the plants will start to deteriorate if left covered for too long. It should take about 10 days for blanching to take place. Use immediately, as once the cover is removed, the plants will soon revert to their dark green colouring and bitter taste.

Worth a Read!

The Winter Garden

Most gardens look dull in winter but this books shows you how to magically transform them.

Lively, information-packed and richly illustrated book offers not just a good read, but an enduring reference work. The result, however, is a highly accessible book, full of tempting titbits and attractively presented information…Jane provides just the inspiration needed to get us going. One would be hard pressed to find a more worthwhile memorial to her than this book