| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Behemoth |
September: Sowing, Harvesting and JobsAfter a gentle prompt with a sharp stick I'll be doing a regular monthly feature to build up into a resource for us on what to do and when on the fruit and veg plot. Much of this will be loosely based on what I'm up to with a generous helping of info from the Kitchen Garden Mag, Gavin's allotment website site and other places.It's not a complete list and I'm a bit backward on pruning any other fruit apart form raspberries. Also I don't grow anything under cover so those with a green house or poly tunnel may be able to advise what you can sow now for a winter treat. Please add any other tips and let us know what you are doing - what success and failures have you had? What are you planning now for winter and spring? I'll be deliberately running a month ahead so as to prompt you rather than remind you when it's too late, so I'm sure we'll have a bit of overlap on this month/next month. September Sowings Spinach - sow a late crop (mildew resistant if you can) - to harvest from late October if grown under a cloche, or late November until early Spring Salads Winter Hardy lettuces, corn salad, land cress, rocket, winter purslane and oriental leaves - should give you pickings from November through spring if given a bit of protection with a cloche or fleece. Spring onions such as White Lisbon will crop in early spring if sown now. Winter Radishes - harvest from late november to end of December Onions - overwintering onion sets to harvest from mid June It's still not too late (now in August) to sow some spring cabbages and plant these out in Sept to harvest from late April/early May. Plant them out 12 inches apart and harvest alternate ones as spring greens in April and the others will heart up for May as the days get longer. Remember if you haven't sown spring brassicas that you can buy plugs from suppliers and garden centres. Sow overwintering green manures such as field beans etc. I did this last year on the patch I'd designated for my brassicas and they've done really well this year. Last chance to plant strawberries. September Harvest Remember to make time to harvest! Keep harvesting those beans before the frost gets them - you may not feel like it but the moment they're gone you'll start looking back on them fondly, a bit like a visit from the in-laws. Sweetcorn - before picking them set a pan of water boiling then get 'em then cook'em as soon after picking as you can. If your allotment is far from the house take a mobile phone and let you OH know to get the pan on when you're on your way back. This is what mobiles were invented for. Potatoes - finish lifting and storing. Squashes - cut with a few inches of the stalk as to remove it all can cause rot in storage. Harvest when dry and leave in the sun for a few days before storing in a frost free shed. Fruit - blackberries, autumn raspberries, peaches, figs, plums and apples and pears Green Broccoli, Summer cabbage and cauliflower, Radish, Rocket, early Turnips, Carrots, Beetroot, Courgettes, Cucumber, Lettuce, Marrows, Spinach, Swiss Chard. Baby/young leeks - a luxurious treat - make sure to sow too many next time. September Jobs Thin any August sowings of salad, chard, kohl rabi, spinach etc Prepare your storage for carrots, beetroot etc. Prune fruited summer raspberry canes and tie in next year's canes. Thinning to about 10 canes per metre if necessary. Prune blackberries, loganberries etc after fruiting. Stake your big brassicas to protect them against rocking in the wind while they're standing opver winter. Or if you've got a large clump, stake the corners and run a line around the outside. Order your garlic if you haven't already. Asparagus - I haven't got any but Gavin says cut down the foliage and mulch bed well with compost or well-rotted manure. Order your manure and prepare a space to park it. Is there anything that I've missed? Any howlers or mistakes? Over to you.... |
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| tahir |
I sowed Fennel (a bit late but should still be OK), radishes, spinach and a new autumn sowing carrot (from T&M) today | ||||
| cab |
Is there time to get a harvest from an early variety of peas if I get them in now do you think? | ||||
| nature's child |
Much appreciated post, as a new allotment owner and complete novice gardener (veggies anyway) I haven't really got a clue what I should be doing when. 
Off to the allotment later to plant spinach, tried earlier at home but the pigeons had a very tasty meal. Still if you don't succeed at first try again. |
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| culpepper |
Thanks for the tips!
for the grown under cloches stuff... is it a good idea to get the cloches out now and set them out before sowing or is that only when sowing in early spring? |
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| Lozzie |
This is a great resource Behemoth - thank you for giving in to sharp-stick prodding 
The only other things that I have been doing (EDITED TO SAY "THIS MONTH" - NOT SPETEMBER) are: Lifting tomato plants with green fruit and hanging them upside down in the garage to ripen. Harvesting herbs: Drying some and freezing others in ice-cube trays. |
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| Behemoth |
I think you had to do this in July - I've not grown peas - but why not try - fleece protection may be enough to see you through. |
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| twoscoops |
Haven't heard that one. i'm facing my first successful crop after years of blight. How and when do you know if they won't ripen in the soil? |
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| wellington womble |
Can anyone reccommend a winter lettuce (preferably a baby one - we can't use much in one go) or do I just shove more little gems in under cover? | ||||
| bernie-woman |
I am about to sow lambs lettuce, mizuna and winter purslane for cropping in winter | ||||
| cab |
Valdor does allright... Nickys Nursery has that and a couple of other winter varieties. http://www.nickys-nursery.co.uk/seeds/pages/vegl-1a.htm |
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| Guest |
I was reading Joy Larkcom's book "Oriental Vegetables" and she says you can use young, tender pea shoots in stir fries. So even if they don't make pea pods, they can still grow into some tasty useful greens. Not tried it myself before but as I'm just getting to grips with an overgrown allotment so late in the year I'm giving it a try. |
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| Bugs |
True - they were on sale this year as a hyper-new vegetable, at Sainsbury...so they must be good  (they are quite nice actually, well, the parsley pea shoots we tried this year were nice so I think sprouted peas would be good but you might need to watch out and make sure to only get the tender tips)
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| cab |
I hadn't thought of that, thanks. I've had pea shoots before, and they're allright; I tend to nibble on a few if I have to thin pea seedlings out. |
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| CityChick |
Nice to hear from someone who's tried them. Thanks! I'll keep willing them to grow then 
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| Bernie66 |
Why don't you grow the "cut and come again" varieties,you take a few leaves off each plant when ever you want them and they are hardier so last longer into winter before going dormant . |
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| Mrs Fiddlesticks |
thanx for all the sowing tips, Behemoth. The only other thing I was going to start to look at was my shed and fences to see if I needed to make any repairs/painting before the winter.
Autumn is also a good time for planting fruit trees and bushes so I'm going to be preparing ground for that too! |
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| dpack |
radishes of various sorts.dill,late beetroot (for baby beet), garlic cloves (for green garlic)~salad crops do not have to get to full size to be nice to eat , it all depends on the weather. | ||||
| Lozzie |
Apologies to you Twoscoops - for some reason I didn't see your question until now. I can only speak from (limited) personal experience. This year my tomato plants seemed to be doing ok. The fruits reached a certain size and the, for what seemed like at leat 2 weeks, did NOTHING. They just sat there like fat green blobs. Then, the leaves started to look decidedly manky and I feared blight was on the way. I had to do something or lose the lot. In the end I made chutney, but a friend of mine ripped her plants up in disgust and threw them in her compost bin, whereupon the fruits started to redden almost overnight and she fished them out again!! No doubt the gasses from the rotting vegetation surrounding the fruits contributed to their reddening (like putting banana peel under the plants does, when they are still in the soil). The hanging-upside down-treatment may work like this: The plant realises that its number is up and puts all its remaining energies into the next generation. |
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| judith |
I had my first tomato from my garden last night! Sungold. Delicious it was. Next year I shall plant lots in a spot that doesn't get sapped by chickens 
Still waiting for my volunteer tomatoes to ripen - they look like a plum variety. Who knows, there might be enough for some sauce. |
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| Treacodactyl |
Not sure when it's best to do it but I filled some seed trays and popped under the strawberry runners today. They are still young plants so worth getting some more disease free plants for free. | ||||
| Goxhill |
I think it's been a really odd year for tomatoes. I blame it on extremes of weather; I don't know whether I'm right. My greenhouse ones have been very poor, some hit by botrytis, some just stopped growing.The outdoor ones look better. | ||||
| JB |
Excellent post Behemoth just the sort of what seeds can do sow now guide that I need.
Now all I need is a garden centre on the corent which has not decided to change all their stock and so reduce their seed selection to something almost non existent as noone plants seeds in september. (end rant!) |
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| JB |
Curious. I've had an excellent year for greenhouse tomatoes but those outside have been appalling. |