Page 25 - ALG Issue 3 2016

SOW
Turnips and winter cultivars of lettuce and spinach.
GREENHOUSE
Start to defoliate tomato plants to allow the maximum amount of sunlight, warmth and air to reach the fruits. Snap
rather than cut off all of the leaves under the current ripening truss. As the month proceeds and according to the weather conditions, you may have to strip off all the leaves on the plants to improve the air circulation within the greenhouse. Ventilate to clear the glass of moisture and try to close the greenhouse up by tea time to trap warmth.
PLANT
Spring cabbage.
This is the last chance to plant strawberries if they are to have a chance of establishing themselves in readiness for next season.
Overwintering onion bulbs and garlic; it is safer to purchase clean garlic bulbs rather than risk using your home
saved stock.
GENERAL
Potatoes are best lifted when their skins are dry. It is also easier on the back to lift potatoes from dry soil. Pay close attention to the weather forecast and if rain is on the way, it will pay to cover the rows with a plastic sheet or similar to keep the soil dry. Flattened cardboard boxes will do the
job nicely. After you have lifted them, allow the tubers to lie on the surface of the soil for a couple of hours to harden their skins. This will prevent too much moisture loss when they are in store. It is safer to try and lift the entire potato crop by the end of September unless you live in a dry part of the country.
Keep harvesting all crops and remove any plants that have stopped production. Cut down the pea haulms to soil level, leaving their nitrogen xing roots in the soil to be dug in later. It is also a good time to take out next season’s runner bean trench. It can be lled with healthy
plant tops and
trimmings. Don’t
be tempted to use
carrot roots, old
potato tubers or
brassica roots as
they may be carrying
pest and diseases
and may regrow
during the autumn.
As crops are harvested or cleared, sow green manures on the bare areas
of soil.
SOW
Round seeded peas and hardy broad beans to overwinter. The plants will need protection against
the worst of the weather, especially over wet soil.
GREENHOUSE
Strip out all of the tomato plants, peppers and aubergines and put them on the
compost heap. Any green tomatoes can be ripened in a drawer; it may take a couple of weeks but they will taste better than any from the supermarket. Scatter the potting compost or growbag over the soil.
PLANT
Spring cabbage.
‘Winter Gem’ lettuces under cloches to protect against the long cold
GENERAL
Runner beans will keep on producing right up until the colder nights stop their ower production. We can expect wet and windy weather this month. The bean top growth will act as a sail. Take the bean poles down as soon as they are nished to
prevent them from being blown over and snapping. Clean the soil off the bottom of the poles, bundle them up and hang them on the shady side of a shed or outbuilding.
Start to lift leeks but leave the parsnips and sprouts to be exposed to a couple of frosts to sweeten them up.
The days are getting shorter and clocks go back at the end of the month so you will have less time available on the allotment. Plan and prioritise the work to make sure that you can complete the most important jobs on time.
Vegetables prefer an alkaline soil at around pH 7.5, so carry out a soil pH test and if you need to apply a dressing of lime, the job is best carried out at this time of the year as part of the winter digging. However, don’t apply lime and fertiliser at the same time, you should always allow at least 14 days between applications.
winter weather.
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SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER