October
In The Vegetable Garden This October
Finish harvesting peas and beans. When they’ve finished cropping simply cut the plant away at ground level, leving the roots in the soil. These crops fix nitrogen which is slowly realsed into the soil as the roots break down.
When you harvest your cabbages, leave the root in the ground and make a cut across the stem to encourage a flush of smaller leaves.
Hang any tomato plants and pepper plants with green fruits updside down indoors to ripen.
Harvest pumpkins and squashes before the first frosts. They quickly turn mushy if left outside.
Protect autumn cauliflower heads, like ‘White Step’ F1 hybrid, from frost by wrapping the outer leaves around them and securing them with string. Alternatively use a cloche or fleece.
Cut back yellowing aspargus foliage to within 5cm of the ground.
Reuse old grow bags by cutting away the top and sowing late salad crops. Cropping can be extended into winter if grown under glass, cloches or inside polytunnels.
Top Tip:
If you plan to grow peas and beans next year, start preparing the site by digging trenches and filling with manure or kitchen waste.
This Month's Key Tips
- Clear up fallen autumn leaves on a regular basis.
- Cut back perennials that have died down.
- Harvest fruit trees - apples and pears.
- Move tender plants into the greenhouse for winter.
- Renovate old lawns or create new grass areas byt laying turf.
