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October and November are a good time to tidy the plot and to plant a few crops that overwinter. Most of the jobs below cost very little. This article covers four: collecting leaves for leaf mould, planting garlic, sowing broad beans that survive the winter, and cleaning the tools. The timings are for the UK in general, so if you are in the north or on heavy, wet ground, treat them as the earliest date rather than the target.
Collect leaves for leaf mould
Fallen leaves are a free soil improver once they have rotted down, and they need nothing but time and moisture.
- Pick the leaves. Oak, beech and hornbeam make the best leaf mould according to the RHS. Thick leaves such as sycamore, walnut and chestnut break down more slowly and are better shredded first. Evergreen leaves such as holly and laurel are better added to the compost heap.
- Keep pine needles separate. They make acidic leaf mould, which suits ericaceous plants, and can take two to three years to break down.
- Collect them damp. The leaves need to stay moist while they rot, so wet them if they are dry, and moisten the heap if it dries out.
- Shred them if you can. The RHS says mowing leaves off the lawn shreds them as you collect them, and shredded leaves rot more evenly. Shredded leaves can be usable in 6 to 12 months, while whole leaves take longer, up to two years or more.
Two ways to make it
For a larger amount, the RHS suggests a cage: four stakes and some chicken wire in a sheltered corner. Ad A roll of galvanised wire mesh and some canes or stakes are all that is needed. For smaller amounts, bags work: dampen the leaves, pierce holes in the bag, tie the top loosely and store it out of sight, in a shed or garage. Ad A pack of heavy-duty garden bags can be reused each year.
A rake is the other piece of kit. Ad A spring-tine lawn and leaf rake lifts leaves off grass and paths without tearing the turf.
Using it
The RHS says leaf mould under two years old works as a mulch. Well-rotted leaf mould that is more than two years old can be used as seed-sowing compost, and mixed with sharp sand and garden compost it makes a potting mix. Leaf mould is a soil conditioner rather than a fertiliser, so it improves structure rather than feeding crops. The soil article explains how much compost a bed takes.
Plant garlic
The RHS says garlic is usually planted from mid-autumn to early winter. Autumn-planted garlic is ready from late spring to early summer.
- Choose a sunny spot with free-draining soil. Wet ground raises the risk of disease, especially for autumn planting. On heavy, wet winter soil, the RHS suggests starting the cloves in modules and planting them out later.
- Plant each clove with the pointed end up. The tip should sit 2.5cm below the surface. In light soil, deeper planting can give larger bulbs, but the RHS says to avoid it in heavy soil.
- Space them 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Mark the rows with a line before you start.
- Buy bulbs sold for planting. The RHS does not recommend planting supermarket garlic, because it may not suit the British climate and can carry disease.
Hardneck garlic has fewer, larger cloves and a stronger flavour. It stores for about four to six months and is more prone to bolting. Softneck garlic has smaller, tightly packed cloves, stores for longer and rarely bolts unless growing conditions are poor. Ad Garlic bulbs for autumn planting are sold as hardneck or softneck, so check the description.
If a plot is wet over winter, Ad seed and module trays allow you to start the cloves undercover and plant them out later.
Lift the bulbs once the leaves have turned yellow. The RHS warns that bulbs lifted late store poorly.
Sow broad beans for the winter
Broad beans can be sown in October or November in milder parts of the UK or very sheltered sites. In mild regions or warm, sheltered spots, a late autumn sowing can crop as early as May, according to the RHS.
- Choose a hardy variety. The RHS recommends 'Aquadulce Claudia' for autumn sowing and overwintering. Seed is sold under that name, so Ad Aquadulce Claudia broad bean seeds is the search to use.
- Sow with the scar facing down. Plant about 5 to 7.5cm deep and 15 to 23cm apart.
- Choose a row spacing. Single rows should be 45cm apart. For double rows, leave 23cm between them and 60cm between each double row.
- Sow a few extra at the end of the row. They fill any gaps if seeds fail.
- Protect them in cold spells. The RHS suggests covering young plants with cloches or plastic-free fleece. Ad Horticultural fleece can be pegged down over a row.
If you live somewhere cold or exposed, the RHS also lists sowing indoors from February, or outdoors in March, April and early May, with successive sowings a few weeks apart to extend the harvest. The sowing calendar shows the full year.
Clean and put away the tools
The RHS winter tool care guidance is short and practical.
- Spades and forks. Use a stiff scrubbing brush to remove soil from the blade and shaft, then dry them with an old towel. Oil them lightly. Stainless steel resists rust, but may still need occasional oiling.
- Secateurs and loppers. Clean dried-on sap off with a nylon pan scourer or wire wool, wipe off the residue with a clean cloth, and add oil to the pivot, working it in by opening and closing the blades. Ad A small can of general purpose oil is enough for both jobs.
- Storage. Keep cutting tools in a clean, dry place, and keep spades and forks cleaned, dried and undercover.
The RHS has a separate guide to sharpening hand tools if the blades need attention before spring.
The planner on the home page can show where each of these crops sits in a bed, which helps when you plan rotation for next season.