Blog

October has arrived, along with Storm Amy and some welcome rain, as the soil was very dry. Once the weather improves there are still plenty of jobs to get on with.

1. Once crops in Greenhouses or polytunnels finish, clear them out of the way. Then spend some time washing down the glass / polythene so you have a clean start before adding overwinter crops. Add a little disinfectant like Jeyes fluid to the water. Make sure all areas are scrubbed, this will kill off any bugs or diseases and clean the Glass / polythene so more light is available for winter spring crops over the dull winter months.
   
   
2. I always think that October is the best time to sow Sweet Pea seeds. If sown in autumn, you will get stronger plants that will flower earlier next spring. Another benefit of sowing at this time of year is you do not need a glasshouse or a heated propagator to obtain successful germination. All you need is a cold frame, or cloche to place your sown seeds under. I like to sow the seeds into pots or Root trainers filled with a good seed sowing compost. Once sown place in the cold frame and seeds should germinate in 10-21 days. Sweet pea plants sown at this time of year can be kept in a cold frame all winter, until big enough to plant outside next spring. Alternatively, you can sow direct into the ground where they are to flower, covered with a cloche and have a few Mouse traps handy to catch any unwelcome visitors. We sow our fields direct around the middle of this month, and the seedlings are happy enough outside all winter without protection.
   
   
3. October is the ideal month to tidy up Vegetable plots, taking down old bean canes and nets and storing away for next year. Crops that have finished can be pulled up and added to compost heaps and chopped up small to make future compost for your soil. I like to quickly run a hoe through any spare ground so any weeds are removed. I find it much easier winter digging a clean plot than one that is full of weeds. Order some manure or Mushroom compost to be delivered or empty compost bins and spread on soil ready for winter digging over the winter months.
   
   
4. Autumn Onion Sets like Senshyu Yellow can be planted this month. These are fully hardy and will happily grow throughout the winter and reward you with an early crop of Onions to harvest in June next year. These come in handy as they are ready just as your stored onions from this year are coming to an end.
   
   
5. This month usually signals the end of those few last summer bedding annuals growing both in borders and containers, as the plants are usually starting to look shabby by now. But don’t leave your borders or containers empty as it is the ideal time to pull these plants out, Fork over flower beds and replace them with some Winter flowering Pansies, small flowered Violas, Wallflowers, Bellis, Forget-me-Nots or Spring flowering bulbs like Daffodils, Tulips or Crocus so you have colour into next spring. 
   
   
6. If you have space in a cool unheated greenhouse or cold frame you can sow some Perennial Flowers that will happily grow all winter in this cool environment, until ready for planting out next Spring. Ideal Perennials to sow are Achillea, Aquilegias, Delphinium, Echinacea, Foxglove, Hollyhock & Lupin.
   
   
7. It is always nice to have your own salads ready for an early harvest next year, I like to sow some winter Lettuce Arctic King or Winter Imperial under cloches or in a cold frame during this month. Sow the seeds thinly in shallow drills; to grow on through the winter and these will be ready to harvest next March/ April.  You can also Sow undercover in a cold greenhouse or polytunnel some Mixed Salad leaves, Mizuna, Claytonia and Carrot Amsterdam forcing or Carrot Adelaide, all ideal sown into pots or the cold glasshouse or polytunnel borders.
   
   
8. October is a good month for sowing some Brassicas for an early crop next year without the risk of butterfly and caterpillar attacks. Sow seeds into trays of seed sowing compost and then once germinated prick out into individual 9cm pots and grow on all winter in a cold Frame or cold greenhouse. Then once the weather improves in March next year they can be planted out and you will have a tasty crop to harvest from May onwards. Ideal varieties to grow are Cauliflower Barcelona, Calabrese Ironman and Cabbage Caraflex.
   
   
9. Now is the ideal time to cut and store Pumpkins and Winter squashes. These fruits should be picked off once they have coloured up well, which is usually when the foliage has started to die back. Once harvested, allow the fruits to dry in the sun for a couple of days before storing them on a shelf in a cool shed or a garage. Winter squashes will store for up to six months and are very versatile in the kitchen and can be used in as many ways as the humble Potato. Pumpkins will be ready for making into a delicious pumpkin pie at Halloween towards the end of the month.
   
   
10. Towards the end of the Month Sow direct outside in the vegetable plot overwintering Pea Meteor & Broad Beans Aqualdulce Claudia, or the Dwarf Variety of Broad Bean The Sutton, to give an early harvest next spring.