Column: "With the chill of winter approaching, it can be difficult to maintain momentum at the allotment throughout November"

Cold, wet and muddy conditions can be off-putting if you’re not quite in the right mindset. I must admit, sometimes I have to talk myself into going, but I always love it once I’m there, and I don’t think I’ve ever regretted it.

With daylight hours dwindling this time of year, spending time outside is more important than ever - anything to help ward off the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I am fortunate to be able to change my working hours to allow time at the plot during the week, saving rainy days for desk work and heading to the plot when it’s dry.

My focus for the month or so is to prepare the ground for spring and over-wintering crops. It’s a race against time to prepare the beds and get things sown before winter sets in fully.

I’ve been sowing onions, garlic, and shallots. These crops can withstand the cold and will be ready to harvest in late spring to early summer. Broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) are on my autumn list, and if I pull my finger out, they should establish and be ready to grow strongly as soon as spring arrives. Field Beans are a new one for me. Apparently, they make excellent green manure, enriching the soil with nitrogen while helping to suppress winter weeds; I’ve been sowing these as I clear the beds.

Along with plenty of groundwork and tidying, we will be repairing fences and allotment structures over the winter. Our grapevine has grown massively over the summer and will need something to ramble over next season – its weight was far too much for the flimsy fence it’s growing along!

We recently had to prop up our peach tree after it took a battering during a storm, using a temporary measure to keep it upright. We’ll replace it with something more permanent this winter to ensure it stays stable through rough weather.

As time allows, I’ll tackle a few other tasks to get the plot back into shape. Removing any remaining annual plants, weeds, and debris and adding a protective layer of mulch to the unplanted soil. Paths and edges will get some much-needed attention too - trimming the borders & tidying pathways.

I’d love to hear what fellow Derbyshire gardeners are up to; please connect on Instagram; my handle is @sarah.diggingtheearth.org.uk.

Have a great month! Sarah.