Hi everyone. Hope you have all had a good growing season; winter will soon be upon us. Time for the seed catalogues and preparation for next year; be it digging the plot and incorporating well-rotted manure/compost or adding these to the surface to top up your beds if you are no-dig.
The allotment is capable of producing produce through, or for, most of the winter. Some vegetables produced in the summer can be stored for the winter and keep well in a dry cool frost-free room. Potatoes are an obvious choice, but squashes such as pumpkin and butternut squash will keep several months. Celeriac, although difficult to grow well, also stores well through most of the winter. Carrots will store in some slightly damp peat or sharp sand. Borlotti beans store in an airtight jar. So I suggest that you grow some vegetables that you like and which do not need any preserving methods.
The excess summer produce can also be stored, soft fruit preserved in jams or frozen. Runner beans frozen, broccoli, peas, tomatoes and many more can be frozen then used in cooking.
Also, some plants can be grown during the summer for a winter harvest, or during the winter for a late spring harvest. So when you are browsing your seed catalogue don’t just consider the sowing date, consider the harvesting date so that you can have a succession of different crops for most of the year. I have in my plot growing for winter use, parsnips, January King winter cabbage, beetroot, salsify (just to see what it’s like), celeriac, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, carrots and swede. Hopefully I will have new potatoes for Christmas as I have sown some in pots, to grow on in a greenhouse. There are many salad vegetables you can grow under cover.
I will be sowing Aquadulce broad beans and Feltham First peas in October for a late spring harvest. I'm planning to grow some carrots on under a cloche for spring time use. Also I have planted spring cabbage for spring greens in March and also a late spring harvest of full-sized cabbages.
I have not planted garlic as I don’t like it. Have little success with over wintering onions so not grown this year.
So with a little planning it's possible to have fresh produce from the plot for most of the year.
Also overwinter many pests are not around; so many problems are avoided and there is little or no watering to be done. Difficulties arise if the winter is too cold and damp.
If you have spare ground but have no transport to get manure, then you can always try a green manure to improve your soil.
Have a busy winter
October
You can sow:
Dig your ground, digging in well-rotted manure or compost. Later months may be too wet to dig.
Now is a good time to collect horse manure from the stables at Bromley Common or alternative stables.
Kevin
The allotment is capable of producing produce through, or for, most of the winter. Some vegetables produced in the summer can be stored for the winter and keep well in a dry cool frost-free room. Potatoes are an obvious choice, but squashes such as pumpkin and butternut squash will keep several months. Celeriac, although difficult to grow well, also stores well through most of the winter. Carrots will store in some slightly damp peat or sharp sand. Borlotti beans store in an airtight jar. So I suggest that you grow some vegetables that you like and which do not need any preserving methods.
The excess summer produce can also be stored, soft fruit preserved in jams or frozen. Runner beans frozen, broccoli, peas, tomatoes and many more can be frozen then used in cooking.
Also, some plants can be grown during the summer for a winter harvest, or during the winter for a late spring harvest. So when you are browsing your seed catalogue don’t just consider the sowing date, consider the harvesting date so that you can have a succession of different crops for most of the year. I have in my plot growing for winter use, parsnips, January King winter cabbage, beetroot, salsify (just to see what it’s like), celeriac, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, carrots and swede. Hopefully I will have new potatoes for Christmas as I have sown some in pots, to grow on in a greenhouse. There are many salad vegetables you can grow under cover.
I will be sowing Aquadulce broad beans and Feltham First peas in October for a late spring harvest. I'm planning to grow some carrots on under a cloche for spring time use. Also I have planted spring cabbage for spring greens in March and also a late spring harvest of full-sized cabbages.
I have not planted garlic as I don’t like it. Have little success with over wintering onions so not grown this year.
So with a little planning it's possible to have fresh produce from the plot for most of the year.
Also overwinter many pests are not around; so many problems are avoided and there is little or no watering to be done. Difficulties arise if the winter is too cold and damp.
If you have spare ground but have no transport to get manure, then you can always try a green manure to improve your soil.
Have a busy winter
October
You can sow:
- Broad beans of a suitable variety e.g. Aquadulce Caudia.
- ready early next year
- Does not suffer so badly from blackfly
- When cropped leave roots in ground. Nodules on roots have fixed nitrogen from the air and will act as a fertiliser.
- Does not like a waterlogged soil
- Swiss Chard
- Chinese Cabbage
- Early summer cauliflowers
- Garden peas, choose an early hardy variety.
- Cover from pigeons.
- Green manure to grow over winter
- Do not sow mustard after brassicas (cabbage family) or if you have club root.
- Japanese onion sets
- Garlic
- Bare rooted gooseberries or currents
- Strawberry runners.
- Transplant spring cabbage
- Rhubarb
- Grape vine
Dig your ground, digging in well-rotted manure or compost. Later months may be too wet to dig.
- If you are cultivating with no dig
- Remove perennial weeds
- First year lay onto the surface wetted cardboard then a 10 cm layer of well-rotted manure/compost.
- Subsequent years top up bed with a surface 5 cm layer of manure/compost.
Now is a good time to collect horse manure from the stables at Bromley Common or alternative stables.
Kevin