November (Or May if you live in the Northern Hemisphere ) is a wonderful time in the garden. The weather has warmed up although there may still be the chance of late frosts or even snow in the cooler parts of the country. But everything can be planted from now with a second sowing of many vegetables sown earlier in spring. This post is especially for you if you are following the Crop Rotation Poster .
Group 1. Legumes and Sweetcorn.
November is an inspiring month in the backyard vegetable garden. Everything starts to grow and you might even start getting to harvest some of the fruits of your labour! You should be harvesting autumn sown broad beans which I have in the previous bed still, and maybe even spring sown ones in the new season’s bed. No more sowing broad beans though. though – they prefer the cooler growing weather.
Just about everything can go in now that it has warmed up. Sow all other types of beans directly into warm soil. They won’t germinate until the soil temperature is right anyway. I find that the emergence of the perennial scarlet runner beans or any self sown beans is a sign that conditions are right. Plant taller growing varieties on supports and dwarf varieties in front of them. Dwarf beans are the only dwarf varieties of anything I grow as they are easy to get growing. Try different colours and varieties. A good plant to get the kids helping you with.
I do plant sweetcorn in with my legumes rather than in with the Group 3 plants. Firstly because there is usually more room in this bed, secondly because they enjoy the nitrogen offered by the beans, and thirdly because they are great companions to the climbing beans. You don’t need to stake them if they can wind up the corn stalk!
As always, keep liquid feeding and watering (if needed) anything already growing such as peas. Stake if you haven’t already. ‘
Group 2. Leafy Greens and Brassicas.
Keep sowing and planting lettuces and other green leafy vegetable. If you are sowing seeds, then start sowing brassicas to be ready for summer planting and winter eating. I have put some plants in and will watch and see how they do with the pesky white butterfly and it’s equally pesky green offspring around. Some people wait to plant out until the threat is over but be prepared to cover plants over summer if planting now.
All gardens are different so get to know your garden. Observe what goes on and when and make notes in your diary. This is the way to learn what works and what doesn’t. Think about how some plants grow to maturity earlier than others – in this bed you can have quick growing lettuces interspersed or in a row next to your slower growing brassicas. Plant your other green leafy crops such as silver beet, asian greens etc as well. Keep sowing for regular planting. Keep harvesting silverbeet and spinach to keep it going. Celery can either go in this bed or with the leeks in the Group 4. Bed. It likes similar conditions to leeks and onions.
Group 3 (Heat loving plants such as tomatoes, courgettes, capsicums etc
If it was too cool or windy at Labour weekend then get your tomatoes in the first few weeks of November. Make sure they go into a warm spot – either protected by wall or in a hot house of some sort. They are gross feeders so should be loving all the manure you put in over winter and now well rotted. Keep moisture up until fruit set next month.
Plant out your earlier grown courgettes, pumpkins, cucumbers, capsicums etc or sow direct into the ground. Sow basil in any gaps – this herb is more like a green leafy vegetable in cultivation needs – it prefers warm rich soil rather than the dry bony soil of the more Mediterranean types.
Group 4. Root Crops and Alliums
Liquid feed, weed and mulch growing garlic and onions. Meanwhile sow carrots, beetroot or parsnips. This might be your second sowing if you have already done one last month. It is important that the soil is well cultivated as these root crops don’t like lumpy bumpy soil. They want their strong root to go down directly into the soil. Sow direct into the ground. Once your bed is nicely dug over, firm up the bed (seeds like firm soil to anchor into) then make a furrow. Carefully sow the fine seeds down the row. Some people mix with sand to make it easier but otherwise use your forefinger and thumb to space out as much as you can. Later on you will thin them out. I find I get a better germination if I cover the row with a wide wooden board for a week or two. Keep checking underneath. This keeps the soil moist for germination and protects from cheeky birds. Keep watching though and remove the covering as soon as the seeds start to emerge.
I often grow my potatoes in a separate bed but once they have emerged from the ground, you can start mounding up. You will need to do this especially for your main crop. Dig extra soil dug from the furrow beside each row – you will quickly learn why you need a bit of space between rows! If you have plenty of compost use that and top off with straw or mulch of some kind. The reason you mound up potatoes is to provide extra growing area and increase your crop. The plants will grow further and therefore have more tuber growing capacity. It also protects them from the light which can turn your potatoes green. You don’t want to eat the green bits as they are poisonous.
Get your kumara in if you are in the warmer northern parts of the country. As with potatoes you might like to have a separate bed somewhere else if you have the room but if you can slip a row in – go for it. Traditionally you plant Kumara when the shining cuckoo starts to call in spring. They will take up to 5 months to mature though so if you still haven’t heard the bird – plant anyway!
Jobs for this Month
Sow: All leafy green salad veges such as lettuces plus winter veges such as cabbage, cauli, broccoli etc. Beans can be sown direct 15 cm apart and 5 cm deep. Sow beetroot seed about 1 cm deep. Carrots. Sweet corn 15cm apart groups to aid wind pollination. Main crop potatoes.
Plant: Plant out seedlings you have been growing indoors in pots as weather warms and days get longer. Onions, pumpkins, tomatoes, capsicums, courgettes, celery.
Cultivate: Keep weeds at bay by hoeing or hand weeding. Mulch. If your early potatoes are up you can mound up now and mulch with straw.
Harvest: Broad beans, asparagus, lettuces, silverbeet and lots more.
Fertilise: Keep the liquid fertilizer up to your garlic bulbs as they will be putting on some size underground now.
Crop Rotation Poster
If you haven’t got one yet - then click here to download your digital copy of the vegetable garden plan that will help you know what to plant and when in a 4 year crop rotation cycle.