GARDENING: Sprouts aren’t just for Christmas

By Joyce Russell

DAYS are getting shorter and there isn’t much heat to dry things out. You may have already done the last mow of the year, but if not, you should pick the best day you can and just go for it. You can get away with mowing wet grass if it is short. You will empty the bag more often and might even have to clear clogged blades (only when they aren’t moving), but you should be able to get the job done. The main thing is that the ground should be dry enough to support the mower without leaving tracks. If it’s all just too wet, then you can choose to wait and hope for a dry spell to mow later, or look to a new regime of mowing less often and letting grass grow longer. Many gardeners have opted to sow wildflowers, in the interests of biodiversity, where the lawn used to be. Maybe this is something to think about for next year – you can still mow paths through it to allow you to enjoy the vibrant flowering mix.

Brussels sprout season

Sprouts aren’t just for Christmas and the season is in full swing. A lot of modern varieties are more prolific, and possibly tastier than some older ones, so it is well worth growing a few plants. You can pick delicious firm sprouts over four or five months – grow an early variety and a later winter hardy variety if you like this vegetable. I grow some outdoors and some in the polytunnel too. This stretches the cropping season and provides plenty of pickings through the coldest months. 

Sprouts lower down the stem will start to swell first – pick these while they are firm and before they get nibbled by pests. There might be a few near the base of the stem that are unusable, but the higher up you go, the tighter the sprouts will be. Higher sprouts might be a little smaller than lower ones, but these get a chance to swell as you work your way up the stem. The longer the stem, the more sprouts you get – which is a good reason for growing tall, long-stemmed varieties. There comes a point in the spring when you will pick the tiny ones for  a really special treat before clearing the lot.

Last tomatoes

Undercover tomatoes are finally coming to an end. There may be one or two fruits still green or just colouring up, but if leaves are mouldy or fruit is split, then this is as good a point as any to pick the lot and bring them inside to finish ripening. 

If plants are healthy and weather is mild, then you can get tomatoes through until the end of the year and even beyond that. I would advise clearing plants out of the greenhouse before you reach that point. There are always some spores attached to leaves and fruit that can carry disease forward into next year. 

If you clear plants out by the end of this month, you can clear the surface of debris then leave the soil to dry out. This reduces the number of disease spores that survive. Turn the soil over when all is dry and don’t water this bed again until a week before you want to plant anything in it next year.

Pak Choi

It is hard to keep Pak Choi growing through the winter. Stems turn brown if exposed to frost and low temperatures cause early bolting. You can grow this vegetable in a polytunnel or greenhouse but, even there, it struggles to remain in a healthy state through the winter. Keep harvesting plants before you lose them. The stems and leaves make a delicious addition to many dishes. Cut plants will stay fresh in the bottom if a fridge for one or two weeks, but they won’t keep much longer.

Start pruning

Or at least work out what you want to prune. Trees and shrubs grow fast in our climate and many need clipping back so they don’t grow too big for their location.

Start reading and understanding how to prune fruit trees and bushes before you launch into chopping. You may inadvertently reduce fruiting next year if you don’t know what you are doing.

Still time to sow

• This is the latest point to sow autumn-sowing pea and broad bean varieties. Start the seed under cover to provide a better chance of good germination – a cloche or cold frame will provide some protection if you don’t have a greenhouse.

• Winter lettuce, rocket and mustard greens can do well in a greenhouse from late sowings in a mild winter. Cover with a layer of crop cover to give extra warmth.

• Still time to plant some tulip bulbs in pots to give a bold splash of colour next spring.