Autumn in the Garden

[MaryN]

For all you gardeners out there, it's Autumn. Time to get the garden put to bed for the year. This week I am clearing away any dead leaves from brassicas in the vegetable patch. They hide slugs and mould and will be burned to keep pests down. I'm in the process of cutting back the leaves on the strawberry patch and culling any unwanted shoots. You can put these leaves on the compost; they rot down nicely.

Dig the last of the summer potatoes before the wireworms and beetles get to them. Keep any clean ones you want to use later in a cool, dark place. Use any damaged ones as soon as you can. Thoroughly dig over any unused areas of your veggie patch and get as much manure or compost as you can get hold of dug in ready for next season. Leave it on the surface if you don't have the time to dig it in, the worms and weather will slowly do your job for you.

My asparagus patch romped away this year and we had more than we could eat. This plant is a gross feeder, so it will get piles of well-rotted horse manure. The idea is to keep your perennial plants in good condition and happy - you may well need what they produce in good quantities.

Trim back perennial herbs to tidy them up and remove any dead leaves. Herbs do not usually require much feeding but will appreciate a bit of nourishment. Cutting them back will encourage new slower growth.

Runner beans and haricot beans are still going, but growth is slowing and there are many overgrown pods. Pick these and dry them out for next year's produce. Remember to remove the beans from the pods to keep mould at bay.

Hopefully your gardens will potter gently through the winter, but a little tlc now will really bring dividends next season.

Happy gardening.

[Highlander]

Thanks Mary,..all good advice, my first year in the polly tunnel has, and is still doing very well, although mistakes were made, which will not be repeated next year

I have plenty of cabbage doing well, and the third lot of carrots coming through, Brussels sprouts starting to bud up, beetroot swelling nicely, and the fourth sowing of lettuce doing well, spring onions about to be harvested

The worst were the Peas, none of my sowings were up to much, but asking around, no-ones around here have done well this year, and Broad beans could have been better, I still have some on the go, but not up to much

Generally speaking we think we have done well, we have had fresh veg on the plates all year round so far,... not bad for a home made 27ft x 11 ft tunnel..>>>> http://forum.survivaluk.net/showthread.php?tid=4354

[BFG Central]

Im just starting again out there.
Im building a 30 square meter greenhouse and putting an aquaponics set up in there.
Im going to use12 volt 5050 water proof LED strip lights and 240 volt florescent T5 & T8 strip lights to extend the light period to 18 hours a day to keep the plants productive.

[Hex]

BFG good luck with your aquaponics set up im thinking of having a go at setting one up myself over the winter so its ready for next summer.

sadly i havent got much that will produce through the winter but hopefully a little might