Quick and easy veg plot jobs
Ruth explains how to keep on top of early autumn tasks
IT has been a tremendous year for fruit and veg. Our trees have been groaning under the weight of plums, apples and pears, with gluts of raspberries, strawberries and grapes, plus enough shallots, onion and garlic to see us well into winter. And all in a relatively small space, too!
Our runner beans have been the star of the show. Just two cane teepees in a raised bed kept us harvesting these delicious legumes right until the end of September. Their productivity was helped by the late-summer surge in warmth that brought about a fresh flush of flowers and pods, and now our freezer is well stocked with sliced beans. Runner beans are one of the easiest, tastiest and most prolific vegetables to grow, and because they can be grown in a relatively small space I have them down as one of my ‘must-haves’. They are hungry plants, so to get the best out of them start improving the soil now where you plan to grow them next year.
The simplest way is by digging a trench around 2ft (60cm) deep. Start adding kitchen peelings and tea bags, and when the floor of the trench is covered, add a layer of soil.
Repeat the process until the trench is full. The peelings will rot down over winter adding goodness to the soil and helping it retain moisture, so by the time you come to plant out your bean seedlings they will immediately be able to feed and grow strongly.
This simple method can also be used for growing other greedy plants, such as courgettes and pumpkins.