There are many positive things happening outside in autumn. Harvesting edibles, including carrots, kale, leeks, spinach and Brussels sprouts, continues, depending on the weather and the region. It’ s the season for swedes, turnips and pumpkins. Even beetroot does well if you stagger your planting times. There are some late pears and apples to be enjoyed, and foraging will bag you some berries, including sloes and rosehips.
The days are short now. One of the best ways to tackle November is to make the most of the hours of light, because we have a long way to go until the balance tilts in the opposite direction.
Rooting for autumn It’ s the very best month in which to plant trees. The bare-root season has begun, which brings down the
Conkers from the horse chestnut tree are not edible
Nuts about trees
By Caroline Knight
cost of buying both trees and shrubs. Plant them during November so their roots can start to establish before the really cold weather sets in. They will be ready to romp away in spring.
While many people plant fruit trees, only a few think of nuts. Four types can be grown in the UK: walnuts, hazelnuts, sweet chestnuts and almonds, although the latter need special care, including a protected site and frost-free winters. Most gardens can only cope with a smaller tree variety and there are dwarf cultivars ideally suited for this purpose.
Hazel trees Hazelnuts are probably the easiest of all the nut trees but you will need at least two for pollination purposes. It’ s best not to plant them in soil that has been too heavily enriched, as this can cause them to put on a
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