Merryhatton gardening column: November planting tips

It may surprise you to know that some crops actually need a cold period as part of their growing cycle, while others benefit from being planted into the still-warm soil in autumn to settle before the colder weather arrives.

Vegetables

Sowing or planting vegetables before Christmas can result in being able to crop earlier and for longer.

Some legumes including early peas and broad beans can be sown in autumn and reliable varieties such as ‘Douce Provence’ (pea) or ‘Aquadulce’ (broad bean) are an excellent choice.

Whilst these seeds can be sown directly into the ground provided there is protection, we suggest that in our area it might be more successful to germinate and bring them on in pots in a cool but frost-free place, ready to plant outside once the worst of the winter weather has passed.

Many onion varieties will also produce improved crops if planted in autumn. For a white onion, ‘Radar’ onion sets are an excellent variety, producing large golden bulbs with a strong flavour. If you like a red onion, ‘Red Winter’ is one of our most popular varieties.

Spring onions start from seed rather than sets, and both ‘Performer’ or ‘White Lisbon Winter Hardy’ varieties are well suited to winter planting. Being relatively small plants, they can be grown for quite some time in pots and this also makes it easier to move them for protection from the harshest weather.

Spring onions (Image: Contributed)

We couldn’t talk about alliums (onions) without mentioning garlic, the hardy, sun-loving crop that is a staple in many kitchens.

Red and white garlic (Image: Contributed)

Garlic is grown from the individual cloves of the bulb and is particularly suited to planting in autumn, as it benefits from a cold spell which helps it form a good bulb. Plant the cloves just below the surface and about 15cm apart.

Planting garlic cloves (Image: Contributed)

It's also possible to grow salad leaves in winter, although in Scotland we’d recommend that you grow them on the kitchen windowsill, where they will enjoy reasonable temperatures and light levels.

Spinach and mizuna are both reliable salad leaves that can be grown in autumn/winter, but if space is an issue, why not try micro-greens? These super-tasty mini salads can be harvested just a few days after sowing and, if sown successively, you’ll have a constant supply of micro-salad for flavour and garnish.

Interestingly, we find children are particularly attracted to growing microgreens, possibly because they germinate quickly and can be harvested and eaten very shortly afterwards.

Flowers

Here’s an insider tip to remember: you can get fantastic bargains in herbaceous plants in autumn.

As you may know, herbaceous plants drop their leaves and the roots ‘hibernate’ snugly underground over winter, reappearing again when the better weather arrives in spring. Consequently, the pots of herbaceous plants have fading/ dying leaves in autumn and they certainly don’t look as attractive as they might in spring and summer.

If garden centres have herbaceous plants left in stock in autumn, they often sell them at greatly reduced prices.

Apart from the bargain prices, the additional benefit is that the plants will love nestling into soil that is still relatively warm after the summer months, and will be ready to grow bigger and better next year.

An example of seed that needs a period of cold to germinate is Eryngium (also known as sea holly): it can be bought as a herbaceous plant or raised from seed. Sow the seed in late autumn into trays or pot and place in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse over winter. Once they have undergone the cold spell, they will germinate in spring.

Eryngium (Image: Contributed)

Autumn-sown sweet peas are often suggested in the gardening press, as they will flower earlier and for longer than spring-sown ones. Although they can be sown directly into the ground in the south of the UK where the cool temperatures are tolerable for sweet peas, it can be tricky to achieve a well-balanced plant from autumn-sown seed in Scotland, where our temperatures can be lower and the frosts deeper.

Trees

It’s also worth briefly mentioning that autumn is an ideal time to plant trees.

Although pot-grown trees can be planted at any time of year, planting them into the warmer autumn soil gives them an added advantage, allowing the roots to settle in and be ready to start growing well in spring.

As always, there’s only space in this column to briefly discuss what you can sow and plant in November and, if you would like further information or advice, check out our website or call in and have a chat with our experienced plant team.