November has arrived

First up, let’s talk structure and protection. An unheated greenhouse or cold frame still holds value when outdoor conditions turn grim: there’s shelter from wind and wet, plus a little extra warmth to allow crops to hang on. I always begin by giving my greenhouse a good clean this month, clearing out dead foliage, cleaning the glass, checking gutters and making sure frames are sound. If you’ve got a cold frame, dust it off and check the hinge, the lid, the seal. Cold, damp is the enemy; if you curtail it early, you’ll suffer fewer casualties in December.

In my greenhouse I still keep things going. The longer nights and lower sun mean you’ll need to maximise light; clean panes and keep plants spaced so the light can reach them. While it’s not the time for big sun-loving tomatoes anymore, there are hardy crops you can keep going and even sow now for picking early next year. So, I’ve got trays of winter salad leaves lining a shelf, and in the colder corners I’ve set up a handful of pots for spring onions and early peas under glass. Outside of the greenhouse, under the cloche and in the cold frame, I’ve started sowing or planting hardy varieties: things like pak choi, winter lettuce, leaf salad mixes. You really can get ahead by acting while the rush of spring hasn’t yet arrived.

Using the cold frame and cloches is one of my favourite tactics. I cover raised beds with cloches or flip cold frame lids on when frost threatens, and inside I plant or sow things that will either give me a small pick now (if the weather is kind) or hang on for early spring. The simpler the cover, the more manageable it is, just protect soil and plants from the harshest weather and you’ll find things will hold on rather than die back. Good crops for this include salad leaves, spinach, kale, even root crops that will overwinter and be lifted early.

Here’s how I’m approaching it this month on the plot. I’m finishing off clearing summer crops, removing old leaves and anything diseased. Under glass, I tidy up benches, remove empty pots and clean, so no pests or disease lurk in the gloom. Outside, I rake beds, remove crop debris, and cover beds that will be used under cloches or frames. This helps stop wet cold from permeating. In the greenhouse I have winter-lettuce ‘Winter King’ and some lamb’s lettuce in troughs. Under the cloche I’ve sown pak choi, mizuna and a mixed ‘cut-and-come-again’ salad mix.  Salad leaves and spring onions sown in November under cover will help spread your workload in spring. While it may not seem like the time, forcing carrots like ‘Carruba’ can be sown this month in a cold greenhouse or under cloches in the open.  They will be slow to germinate and grow, but will reward you with a crop of small, sweet roots before you need the space back in late spring for tomatoes and other sun-lovers.

I’m also using the warmer end of the greenhouse to harden off broad beans for early spring, pot up garlic cloves for planting soon, and overwinter herbs in pots. You can sow beans and garlic in modules inside cold frames or greenhouses in November, but beware of mice.  Standing trays on upturned buckets will allow seeds to sprout without rodents discovering and eating the seeds before they can get going. Even under cover, beware of humidity and condensation, ventilating the greenhouse on mild days, dry off benches and pots, and keep soil moist but not soggy. Cold wet kills more than steady frost, and an unheated greenhouse still gives 5°C (about 9°F) extra warmth compared to outside in many cases, which is enough to make a difference.

One of my top tips: keep your greenhouse busy, don’t let it sit idle. Even if you’re removing summer crops, replace them with something. The shelter it offers is too good to waste, and if you don’t have a full-sized greenhouse, a well-managed cold frame or cloche will do many of the same jobs albeit on a smaller scale.

In November you won’t expect huge growth spurts, but steady survival, slow progress, and a head start for spring. Focus on protection, tidying, sowing what you can and being ready for next year. The effort you put in now (keeping things under cover, giving plants a few degrees of protection, sowing early) pays dividends when the light begins to lengthen and the garden takes off again.

Use your greenhouse, cold frame or cloche as a tool not just for rescue but for advancement. Treat November as a quieter but active month of preparation rather than simply waiting for spring. The soil is still workable, the structures are available, the plants that thrive in cooler, protected conditions can be sown or planted. Give them a sheltered start, and they’ll be racing ahead come April.

I’ll be making a cuppa, cleaning the glass and checking the seedlings, while the weather outside gets colder. It maybe a quieter month in the garden, watching what stays alive, what thrives under cover and what I’ll carry forward into next season, but if you look after the structures now, they’ll look after your crops through winter and reward you with an early, healthy harvest come spring. Here’s to November’s quiet productivity.