November Veg & Fruit Update - Winter is Coming

Winter Is Coming – November Veg & Fruit Update.

As I write in mid-November the last of the mild weather seems to have left with a bang. The first frosts are arriving and there’s even talk of snow…

Always sorry to see the warmth go, but the cold does have some benefits.

Firstly, the bugs disappear. A couple of cold frosts and they head for their shelters. Of course, such is the way of nature, other pests appear. For the leafy veg flocks of pigeons can strip the young leaves in no time. Support your local game dealer!

Some veg are also better after a few frosts too, notably Parsnips. Stored starches are broken down to sugars making some veg sweeter. The cold also halts or slows down the growing process, stopping the plants going to seed. A downside, particularly with snow, is that leafy veg struggles. Whilst Kales love it, it marks and end for less robust plants like Chard & Spinach Cavolo Nero can also struggle.  It will also mean the end of the Broccoli crop.

As with everything there’s positives and negatives about the marked change in temperature.

In the past week we have seen Brussel Sprouts start to appear, to compliment those traditional winter crops of roots & brassicas. Carrots, Beet, Swede & Parsnips have already started.

Brassicas, such a bonus this time of year, are also looking good. The Sprouts mentioned are a welcome addition to the Caulis, Cabbages & Kales already available.

In terms of stored veg then Squashes have all been lifted into storage. Obviously the cold helps them keep longer so with any luck they should last through to the new year.

The soft fruit lasted through to the second week of November thanks to the mild weather. From now until April its Apples & Pears from storage.

Looking forward into December there’s not a lot of new produce due. It really is about how long the current crops last and how difficult the weather makes cropping them.

Ideally no snow, no floods.

Steve