Homeschool Garden Clubs - Jobs for October
There are multiple hues of orange and brown this month, as high season of summer crops comes to an end. but quickly in the place follow the more robust flavours of the earthy roots and the lovely leafy greens.
sow: broad beans, mizen, mustard, peas, radish, rocket. so rocket - this fast growing leafy salt can be sown and haversted in about 4 to 6 weeks time.
harvest: apples, aubergines, beetroots, brussel sprouts, cabbages, calbrese, carrots, cauliflowers, celeriac, celery, chicory, chinese, cabbage, endive, figs, florence fennelfresch beans, garlic, grapes, kale, kiwifruit, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, medlars, melons, mizen, mustard, onions, bak choi, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, quinces, radicchio, radishes, raspberries, rockets, runner beans, spinach, strawberries, sweetcorn sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes.
forage for chestnuts. there aren't many gardeners who have enough room for a full mature sweet chestnut tree, but there are lots of us who happen to walk past them in public parks and woodlands. gentle easing the nuts out of their prickly shells is an acquired skill, though fully ripe nut cases often split open. either the nuts fresh, pickle time or roast on a hot plate or griddle. I love these made in to a chocolate and chestnut pudding.
autumn-planted garlic often yields a lot better than a spring-planted crop. only use the largest cloves as these will deliver sizeable heads.
enjoy the last of the runner beans but start to cut back to the ground by the first frosts.
if you have any potatoes in the ground now is the time to lift them. left in the ground they will be damaged by frost and a grand dinner for slugs.
herbs: don't feel obliged to be too tidy here - leave this are for the wildlife.
get the last few rare sesson apples off the trend in to storage or processed into pie filling, crumbs etc.
if you layered strawberry runners back in the summer, dig up and replant them into their are positions.
make leafmould now
pull out any weeds to help them overwintering.
leeks my need some action now. weed the rows to prevent completion and remove any yellow leaves at the same time as these might harbour pests. pull a little sol up around the base and firm gently to prevent wind rock and to extend the balance, but the care not to get any grit or soil between the leaves.
continue to plant autumn onion sets while the soil is still warm. the bulbs will send up small shouts before winter but little else and yo many think they have stopped growing, bu the roots will be developing at a pace, giving them a head start next spring.
gather in you canes once the crops have been harvested and clean them by dipping them int a garden disinfectant over night before drinking and budding together and sorting in a dry place.
