There’s a definite change happening in the garden now. Summer might still be hanging on, but I’m already looking ahead to autumn, winter and, believe it or not, the growing season of 2027.
The recent rain has been very welcome after such a dry year and it has made a big difference to the garden. There’s plenty going on as we start preparing for the months ahead, so let’s get into this week’s episode.
Allotment
The rain has finally arrived, and after such a dry year I certainly wasn’t complaining. The moisture has made the soil much easier to work and, more importantly, it has made pulling those pesky weeds out considerably easier.
I’ve been getting stuck into the autumn and winter growing season, planting out winter and spring cabbages, kale and cauliflowers. Some of the kale planted earlier struggled during the dry weather, but the new plants are now going into the ground with much better conditions.
I’m also preparing beds for my overwintering crops. The garlic will be going in towards the end of September, with the overwintering onion sets following in October, so now is the time to get those beds ready with compost and make sure they are weed-free and in good condition.
Green manures are also playing a big part. I’ve been sowing winter tares between my rows of leeks and using green manures in other beds where there is still space. It’s a technique I’ve been experimenting with, effectively getting two jobs done in the same space while the soil is still warm enough for those green manures to establish.
Supporters Club
This week I also take a look at what’s been happening in the Veg Grower Podcast Supporters Club.
September’s seed pack is now being sent out, with a selection of seeds chosen specifically for sowing during the month. This includes winter tares, cauliflower, mibuna, tatsoi and spring onion ‘White Lisbon’, along with our herb seed of the month, chervil.
The Supporters Club costs just £5 a month and includes extra podcasts, the monthly seed pack and our monthly newspaper, which contains growing instructions, jobs to do and space to keep track of what you’re growing.
Potting Shed – Seed of the Month
This month’s seed of the month is spring onion ‘White Lisbon’ from Premier Seeds Direct.
Spring onions might traditionally make us think of spring and summer, but ‘White Lisbon’ is a great variety for growing through the cooler months. I like to sow them every few weeks from September through to March, giving us a succession of spring onions to harvest.
They can be sown directly into the ground, or started off in trays and planted out later. They don’t need a huge amount of attention, but keeping them moist and weed-free will help them along.
Once established, they can be harvested from around six to eight weeks, although I prefer to let mine get to a decent pencil thickness before pulling them up.
Kitchen Garden
There’s still plenty happening in the kitchen garden despite the change in season.
The recent moisture has brought some of the carrots that were sown earlier in the year back to life, with seeds that had been sitting in the dry soil finally germinating. Hopefully that means we’ll get a late crop of carrots from those beds.
I’ve also been continuing with my polyculture approach, filling spaces as they become available with winter and spring brassicas. Cauliflowers, kale and cabbages are all being planted out, while some plants have been thinned out and potted on to give them a little more time to grow before going into their final positions.
I’ve also been adding more herbs around the garden. Cuttings of rosemary and sage have been rooted and potted on, while thyme and other herbs are being planted around the edges of the beds. The idea is that these plants will eventually help create a useful border, provide some shelter and act as companion plants.
And we’re still harvesting plenty of summer produce, including tomatoes, aubergines, peppers,
