WHICH VEGETABLE SEEDS CAN BE GROWN IN NOVEMBER?

November can be a miserable time of year with persistent rain, cold winds and just a few sunny hours to brighten your day. However there should be times when the sun is out and the soil is dry and the crisp winter air draws you out into the garden, but other than the never ending tidying is there anything you can actually grow?

As you would expect the answer is, on the whole, no, but of course there are exceptions to every rule and growing seeds in November has three. They are Pea ‘Meteor’, Broad Bean ‘Aquadulce’ and Spring Onion ‘Performer’. See below for more information:

Pea Meteor

Pea Meteor has a neat, dwarf habit producing an abundance of small, well-filled pods. Unlike most peas this variety has very good winter hardiness - even in exposed areas - making it an ideal autumn planting variety. Pea Meteor is better flavoured than the old variety Feltham First, and ideal for that first dish of the season.

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Although best sown from October to November for overwintering, they can also be sown in March if you have any seed left over.

When then the plants are about 4 inches tall provide twiggy sticks or netting for support. Overwintered seedlings will be ready in May and regular picking will encourage further cropping. Remember to protect with netting to prevent damage from pigeons.

Broad Bean ‘Aquadulce’

Of all the broad bean varieties ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ is universally recognised as being the best for an autumn sowing.

It establishes itself quickly and is able to produce a very early crop. In fact it actually needs the cold winter temperatures in order to perform so plant early in cool conditions and try not to sow any later than mid January as this will have a detrimental effect on both the quality and the quantity of the harvest.

If the ground is frozen before sowing, lay and secure some polythene or other material down to warm it up.

Click here to learn How to Grow the Autumn Broad Bean 'Aquadulce Claudia'

Spring Onion ‘Performer’

For winter production of delicious spring or bunching onions, Spring Onion Performer is one of the best. It will produce upright, dark green leaves and mild flavoured stems which do not bulb up. The spring onions will prefer a fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. You can in fact sow spring onion performer even later, but they will need the protection of a greenhouse or cloche to perform.

For related articles click onto the following links:
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES FOR GROWING IN OCTOBER
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PLANTS FOR SOWING AND GROWING IN NOVEMBER
What to sow and grow in November
WHICH VEGETABLE SEEDS CAN BE SOWN IN JANUARY?
WHICH VEGETABLE SEEDS CAN BE SOWN IN AUGUST?

WHICH VEGETABLE SEEDS CAN BE SOWN IN SEPTEMBER?
WHICH VEGETABLE SEEDS CAN BE GROWN IN OCTOBER?
WHICH VEGETABLES ARE TOLERANT OF GROWING IN THE SHADE