Your Fruit and Vegetables in Mid November
If you are to be absent from home for any length of time, beet can be left in the ground covered with a cloche, but now is the time to lift and store Jerusalem artichokes and salsify.
Have you ever eaten salsify in a similar way to asparagus? It is good if you like it!
Cut the artichokes down and store them in a frost-proof shed or outdoor clamp.
Parsnips are completely hardy and can be left in the ground, but the long roots are difficult to lift when soil is frozen: a small store under cover, and handy, will be appreciated by the cook.
Horseradish is much in fashion, particularly with fish dishes, but beware of this plant, it can be a frightening trespasser immune to the majority of weed-killers!
Seakale can be lifted and forced in darkness.
Successional sowings can be made of mustard and cress, but please note that cress should be sown four days earlier than the mustard. Rhubarb will force under the staging in the greenhouse, and heel over the broccoli plants towards the north, and cover their stems in soil.
Is another apple tree wanted? I am often asked to name the best cooking apple. Bramley’s Seedling is one of my favourites, making a shady garden tree to sit under, while giving a generous crop of fruit.
Blenheim Orange is an alternative and an excellent dual purpose variety either for cooking or dessert, and another is Lane’s Prince Albert, which is ideal for small gardens.
Fig trees in cold districts grown as wall plants benefit by being thatched with branches of spruce. Virus-infected or reverted blackcurrants should have been marked for destruction on the bonfire.
Taking a look over the garden in general is a good thing at this time of year. Gutters and drains on house and greenhouse must be checked after leaf fall and cleared of debris and birds’ nests.
