Tales from the plot for October
Here we go it feels like we’re really now on the run down to winter, the days are noticeably shorter, the sun is lower in the sky and temperatures are dropping. Leaves are changing colour and beginning to fall and you are likely to get the first proper frosts.
At this time of year most of the work is mainly clearing away and composting the remains of the summers harvest, try to remove all dead foliage and old, dying plants and add it all to the compost. Clear away bean pole canes – if you can find somewhere dry to store them they can last many years, usually only the bottom rots so they can be shortened and used again for shorter plants.
I use weed suppressant membrane to cover areas that I have no use for over the winter, this keeps weed growth at bay and allows you to sow earlier next spring, it saves work which is always a bonus. As far as the potatoes are concerned the old way is to lift them and leave the crop to dry in the sun. This ‘curing’ hardens the skins, and the tougher the skins the longer they will store. In the past I’ve preferred the more idle approach and just leave mine in and take them as I want them but last year this practice was disastrous, we had some very early severe frosts and much of my crop rotted in the ground so I will lift mine and store in hessian sacks. Earth up leeks and celery to keep the stems blanched, I might be speaking too soon but my leeks are looking rather good this year, during the dry spell they stopped growing and I did an old trick of cutting them off about 6 inches above the soil, I watered them and fed them and wow! what a difference- they really took off. Definitely a practice worth remembering.
Use cloches to cover and protect any late sown crops, especially salad crops, continue picking apples and pears and cook or eat any that are damaged straight away: only store perfect fruit, any that are blemished will simply rot and infect the others stored.
Broad beans: you can now sow seeds of early varieties, they should overwinter and give you a crop in the following June, this works for some but not for me, I’ll delay planting mine until February. I had an excellent crop this year and all from seed I’d saved from the year before. I’ve saved some of the seed from this year’s crop for next year hoping for a repeat performance.
Cabbages – last chance this year for transplanting spring cabbages, plant them in ground that has been well firmed and cover with nets to protect from birds, especially pigeons, you can now plant garlic cloves as long as they are not in a waterlogged area they will overwinter, the longer they are in the ground the bigger next years bulbs will be for harvesting so I’m told. I must be the worst garlic grower in the country, I’ve never succeeded, including the times I’ve meticulously followed the practices of those that do succeed mine always fail so I should give no advice on growing garlic.
Rhubarb should be entering the dormant period from now until March, so now is the best time to plant new sets or divide and replant old crowns, I guess I’m rather selfish regarding rhubarb several of the plot holders around me grow rhubarb, most have told me to help myself as they get far too much so I’ve never bothered to grow any myself lol.
Don’t forget we change the clocks at the end of this month and bonfires are allowed down the allotments provided they’re within two hours of dusk, it can be a very pleasant thing to do especially with a couple of potatoes wrapped in foil left in the embers, a great thing to experience with your grandchildren (don’t forget the butter). Unsurprisingly bonfires have caused problems in the past Syston Allotments are surrounded by private houses and filling them with smoke does not help our image, remember we all want the allotments to remain in Syston for future generations, there have been offers made in the past by builders for the allotment land and no doubt more will come in the future, the last thing we want is surrounding residents complaining to the council about the allotments so try and choose a miserable cold day, near sun set, that way most of the houses have windows and doors closed, and hopefully no washing on the line!
Richard Thorpe Plot 15B Syston Allotments