What to do in your no dig garden this month...

Lots of us think 'phew it is getting quieter now' but with climate change and the warm weather night and day we are getting, it is far from true.

The weeds seem to have been turbo charged this year with all the rain after the drought and warmth, and are growing like crazy so that needs to be dealt with - sorry! But if you take the view it is quite mindful exercise then it is more satisfying.

Get your onion sets and plants in for over winter and the garlic and broad beans as well. Remember that mice and other rodents love the taste of broad beans, and you may want to grow them covered in the greenhouse or undercover somewhere, and then plant them out when about 4 -6 “tall on a dry day on the plot in February.

You can also try sowing Japanese leaves in mushroom boxes or a similar tray in the green house that gives lovely winter leaves of Mustards, Mizuna Mibuna, Green in Snow, Rocket Chervil. Parsley and winter lettuces may produce leaves, especially under cover all through the dark days.

You could try obtaining some mint roots and putting them somewhere more for fresh mint leaves in winter.

You could try sowing peas for the shoots in gutters or trays - again, watch out for our furry friends taking them!

We are still furiously harvesting lots of leeks, celeriac, carrots and beetroot, pumpkins, chard and kale. If, which I suspect in our area is unlikely, we get a forecast for hard frost, then get the carrots, beetroot and celeriac in store. I have not done this in 10 years of growing, -the only hard weather we had in 2018 most of our veg had been harvested by March when the cold weather hit. The broad beans loved being under the snow!!!!

Storing veg is also easy, especially celeriac beetroot (the larger roots store best) and carrots, potatoes and onions all can be kept somewhere cooler and dry in paper sacks. It’s a good idea to check them monthly for evidence of rot etc. Pumpkins need it a bit warmer to keep and some types of pumpkins such as Crown Prince store until March or April.

When we clear a bed, we try and cover with compost now only about 1” on top of the bed, and that will last us all the year for fertility is the soil that we protect with no dig way of growing. It is a good idea to compost in November to allow the break down of the compost over the winter, but you can do this anytime if needs are such it is the only time you can do it. You can also spread the compost around the bed that still has crops in such as kale or chard.

November 3rd is NO DIG day and if anyone wants more information, you can contact Ali on alisedibles@btinternet.com and perhaps even visit alisedibles in Siginstone Lane, Llanmaes.