You are here: Home » Veg Journal » 2011 » November

 Veg Journal - 2011 November

We pulled up the last of the summer vegetables this month and sowed the over-wintering peas and broad beans. Although we've managed to control the aphids on the brassicas, the kale has lost a lot of its leaves but hopefully they'll regrow. After cutting the asparagus down we filled the trench with compost, and noticed that the wasps have finally left the nests!


Week ending 8th November

1st - Pulled up the one remaining lettuce, cut the runner beans down and dismantled the cane support frame. Composted the outdoor tomato plants and put the soil out of the pots on the raised bed where the maincrop potatoes had been growing. Raked some general fertiliser into the bed where the over-wintering peas will be sown. The wasps in the nest under the seat at the back of the plot have more or less gone now, but the ones in the compost heap are still active. Sprayed the brassicas to try and get rid of the grey aphids and whitefly as the plants are looking a bit bedraggled.

2nd - Noticed there were still some raspberries forming on our plant. Will probably leave them for the birds now.

5th - Picked 2 carrots (2.7oz).

Click on a photo to see a bigger version:

  • After the runner beans had been removed (2nd Nov)

  • Various aphids on the back of the broccoli leaves (2nd Nov)

Week ending 15th November

11th - Slight disaster... we were going to sow the over-wintering peas and broad beans today, but discovered we hadn't actually bought the seeds yet. Whoops! Will try and buy them tomorrow.

12th - Went to Pennells garden centre and bought 2 packets of Aquadulce broad beans and a packet of Meteor peas, which cost over £6 in total, so we think going to Wilkos is defintely more cost effective.

13th - The aphids on the brassicas seem to have died, but have left a dirty residue on the leaves - hopefully the kale will grow some more as most of it looks rather unpalatable at the moment.

14th - Sowed both packets of broad beans, and a 6" wide block of peas - put chicken wire over the top to deter birds and cats. Tidied up fallen leaves in the brassica beds and did some weeding. Picked 3 carrots (3.3oz) and some calabrese.

Click on the photo to see a bigger version:

  • Autumn colours (15th Nov)

Week ending 23rd November

17th - Picked 2 carrots (3oz), a very long parsnip (11oz), a beetroot (10oz) and a few kale leaves. It was quite difficult to dig the parsnip up as it was so long!

18th - Picked 2 beetroot (2lb) and made 5 jars of beetroot chutney.

19th - Picked an autumn cabbage (9oz) and 5 small carrots (4oz).

22nd - Picked 3 carrots (8oz).

23rd - Cut the asparagus stems down as most of them are turning brown now, weeded the trench and filled it with compost. Discovered whilst digging the compost from the heap that there are still a few wasps in the nest there. Also pruned the branches from the raspberry plant which had fruited - it's good to see that there are some very healthy looking buds on the remaining branches and also some suckers coming from the roots. Pulled the basil up from the greenhouse border as it was shrivelling.

Click on a photo to see a bigger version:

  • Beetroot, carrots and one very long parsnip! (17th Nov)

  • Making beetroot chutney (18th Nov)

  • Cutting the asparagus fronds down to ground level (23rd Nov)

  • Filling the asparagus trench with compost (23rd Nov)

  • The raspberry plant after pruning out the older branches (23rd Nov)

Week ending 30th November

27th - Picked 5 carrots (8½oz).

30th - The kale is looking a bit bereft of leaves at the moment, presumably due to the aphid infestation which has been sorted for now by the pesticide. It does look as if more leaves are growing though, so there is hope yet!

Click on the photo to see a bigger version:

  • Recovering kale plants (30th Nov)

 Related Pages: