Kitchen Garden Magazine

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Jobs for September

September is a great month on the plot; there is much satisfaction to be had in bringing in the harvest and seeing the results of your labours.
But as Sue Hoy, head gardener at Normanby Hall in North Lincolnshire, explains, there is still plenty to be done to ensure autumn/winter harvests and early crops for next year

KG quickies

● When digging maincrop potatoes, try to make sure that you lift even the tiniest tubers, so that none are left in the soil. These ‘volunteers’ are not only a nuisance as they pop up throughout the next growing season; they can harbour diseases too, so it’s important to get rid of them. It’s worth forking through the rows after lifting to find any that may have been missed.

● In the past few years we’ve been blessed with long warm autumns, but it pays to be prepared for early frosts. If frost is forecast, pick outdoor tomatoes; even green ones will ripen quickly on a windowsill indoors, or in drawers in paper bags – or use them as they are to make delicious green tomato chutney.

● For the best crops of garlic, plant now so that the cloves can put on good growth before winter. Plant 15-18cm (6-7in) apart, with the tips just below ground level. This will give larger bulbs than from a spring planting. If you have heavy soil, it’s probably best to leave planting until spring, as the cloves may rot off in a wet winter.

● It isn’t usually recommended that kohl rabi is sown at this time of year, but if you sow now, you’ll have small roots in six to eight weeks time. If the weather is kind, they’ll stand well and crop into the winter. Sow thinly in drills, thinning out to 15-23cm (6-8in) apart as soon as the seedlings come through.

● Make a note to buy a potful of Welsh onions. These are like a slightly larger version of a clump-forming spring onion, with the bonus that they can be harvested all winter except in the most severe frosts. Just ease a few bulbs away from the main clump when needed. They’re available from herb specialists.

KG TOP TIPS

● Sow short rows of lettuce now which will give you crops until the first frosts start to take hold.

● Spring onions, sown now, should crop in all but the coldest of winter weather. Sow thickly to make up for any losses due to bad weather.

● Runner beans should still be cropping well, but think about leaving one or two plants to run to seed. Harvest the seed when the pods are dry and brown, and store in a cool dry place for sowing next year.

● Make a note of this year’s successes and failures, so that you remember which varieties to re-order and which to avoid.

For lots more advice, see this month's issue, available to buy online!

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