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November, I think, is always a good month to tidy up gardens and vegetable plots and use the long dark evenings to plan for next year.

1. Garlic can be planted in November, direct into the vegetable plot. If the soil is too wet, plant the individual cloves into small pots and place in a cold frame or cold greenhouse. These will start to grow and can be planted outside later as soon as soil conditions improve.

2. If, like me, you enjoy growing fresh vegetables, well this month is the perfect time to sow some Broad beans and Peas outside on the vegetable plot, provided the soil is not waterlogged. When sowing Broad beans at this time of year, you will need a hardy variety like Aquadulce Claudia, and a hardy variety of Peas like Meteor. Both Peas and Beans should be sown in drills, on the vegetable plot, and are best sown under cloches for early winter protection. Sowing these vegetables this month will give you an early harvest next spring. If the soil is too wet this month, you can sow right up to early December and still achieve good crops next year.

3. Autumn is a good time to plant New Soft fruit bushes and strawberries, these will establish through the winter months, so are ready to produce fruit next year.

4. Take advantage of the long winter evenings and browse through the pages of your seed & plant catalogues and plan your crops, or display for the year ahead. Early ordering is always advisable to guarantee you get the seeds and plants you require.

5. Soft fruit bushes at this time of year will benefit from having a thick mulch of well-rotted farmyard manure or old compost put around the base of each plant. This will help keep the ground free from weeds as well as add nutrients to the soil, and increase your crop next year. Working in some High potash fertiliser into the soil around bushes at this time of year will also help encourage fruiting next year.
6. Any containers you have plants growing in for the winter months are best raised slightly off the ground from now through to the spring. Simply stand your pots on some stones, bricks or laths of wood, as this will help to keep the drainage hole off the ground and allow free drainage. This helps prevent your containers becoming waterlogged during very wet spells of weather.

7. November is the best month to plant Tulip bulbs. These should be planted at least twice the bulb depth. Plant in an open sunny site in borders or containers. There is also still plenty of time to plant Daffodils and Crocus as well if not already done.

8. Vegetable plots can have the last of old crops removed to the compost heap and the plot cleaned up ready for winter digging later in year. Empty rotted down compost heaps onto spare ground, or have deliveries of well rotten farm yard manure or mushroom compost. These can be spread on the soil ready for winter digging. I like to try and get this digging done before the weather gets too bad, so the plot can be left clean and tidy over winter, and allow the winter weather to help break up the soil ready for next spring.

9. Check over winter greens like Brussels Sprouts, Savoy cabbage and Broccoli. Remove any old leaves and spray plants if required with a suitable insecticide or Organic soap solution to help combat any whitefly that may be present at this time of year, so your crops are clean, as and when required for the kitchen.

10. As light levels are low and days are shorter, now is a good time to Wash down glasshouses and Polytunnels, cleaning the glass or polythene, inside and out, so maximum light can get in and benefit any overwintered plants, and so you are clean and ready for the start of next season.