Sow and plant now for autumn harvest

LOCKDOWN has encouraged thousands of Scots to value our gardens and ‘grow our own’ as never before. Many early plantings are being harvested now but there are lots of new ones to plug the gap.

Choose carefully. However speedily some plug plants or seedlings grow, don’t expect miracles by winter. Down south, longer autumn daylight hours may give you a crop of sprouts for Christmas from July plantings but forget it in this country, whatever catalogues may tell you.

It is also too late for hearting cabbages, caulis, neeps or broccoli are out of the question. Large rooted carrots or parsnips are now the stuff of dreams.

Virtually everything I recommend here can be direct sown at some point over the next few weeks.

Between mail order firms and the newly opened garden centres, pricier plug plants are a simpler alternative to seeds.

Remember to add compost or other organic fertiliser to refresh the ground after the previous crop.

You’ll get excellent results with quick-growing leaf crops. I can’t fault Buttercrunch and Little Gem lettuce. And, to avoid bolting, slower growers such as endive En Cornet de Bordeaux and chicories Palla Rossa and Treviso are best sown now.

As an added bonus, these later sowings develop a striking red colour during the cooler autumn, so you could always fill any gaps at the front of flower beds as well.

And while on flower beds, why not try some wonderfully decorative kales?

Like the lettuce and endive brigade, you can also graze some fresh leaves. The plants will no longer develop fully, but will offer a delicious nibble. I can’t recommend Emerald Ice kale strongly enough. Beautifully frilled

Visit askorganic.co. uk. Follow Dave on Twitter @boddave