Growing Guides

As summer draws to a close and autumn begins to arrive, it’s a great time to be on the allotment. There’s still plenty going on, and hopefully many of us are now enjoying the rewards of all the work we’ve put in over the spring and summer.

Harvest time is well underway, so keep picking and enjoying your produce while it’s at its best. Whether it’s potatoes, beans, tomatoes, courgettes, fruit, pumpkins or squash, there’s something very satisfying about taking home food that you’ve grown yourself. And, as always, if you have more than you can use, why not share a little with a fellow plot holder?

As crops finish, now is also a good time to start getting our plots ready for the months ahead. Clearing spent plants and weeds, tidying beds and adding compost or well-rotted manure where needed will all give us a head start when spring comes around again.

But preparing for next year doesn’t mean we have to stop growing! September and autumn are ideal for planting overwintering onions and garlic, which can establish themselves before winter and get away quickly in the spring. Those with a greenhouse, polytunnel or cloche can also keep growing through the colder months with winter lettuce and other hardy salad crops. You could even try some potatoes under protection for a winter or Christmas harvest.

It’s also a good time to have a general tidy around the plot, check sheds and structures before the winter weather arrives and, of course, start thinking about what you might like to grow next year.

Most of all, enjoy your allotment. Autumn is one of those lovely times when we can enjoy this year’s harvest while already looking forward to what we’ll grow next.

Happy harvesting, planting and preparing from all of us on the Allotment Committee!