If bad weather keeps you inside, plan for next year
After a long dry spell in early summer when emerging seedlings sometimes struggled for lack of water and very few hot days thereafter, it came as a pleasant surprise that the harvest was so abundant. Courgettes, outdoor tomatoes, peas and beans all came good in the end. My potatoes escaped blight and are large and free from slug damage.
Daylight hours are fast decreasing so my early evening sprint to see what’s worth picking for dinner is over until next year. Some beetroot and carrots are still in the ground. I haven’t lifted any parsnips yet. They’re definitely a winter vegetable for me. However, feeling round the crowns, I think they’re going to be a good size. Leeks are fattening up too.
We’re coming to the time of year when weather dictates what can be done on the plot. If it’s cold, there are energetic jobs to do such as spreading compost. Finger numbing jobs such as pruning are reserved for warmer days. Gooseberry and redcurrant bushes need attention and old canes of summer raspberries have to be cut out. It’s much easier to do this when the leaves have fallen.
Autumn is a good time for planting new fruit bushes and other perennials which establish themselves well while the soil is still warm. It’s worth taking time to choose varieties wisely as they are a long term investment. Large garden centres may well import their plants from overseas carrying a slight risk of importing unwelcome pests or diseases. I’d rather support a local nursery which propagates its own stock and can offer expert advice about what’s likely to thrive. I’m keen to add another blueberry bush to the
Choose fruit bush varieties wisely as they are a long term investment
two I have already. Fruit trees for allotments should be grown on dwarfing root stock so harvesting is easy. Some allotment site rules restrict the height of any trees so as not to cause a nuisance to neighbours by shading their crops.
If it’s too wet to go to the plot, I have some fun working out where everything is going to be planted next year while I can still remember this year’s arrangements. Rotating crops to new areas each year is fundamental to keeping the soil in good health. My plan for where everything is going to be planted next year is already starting to be sketched out on a white board. n