Despite the return of warm weather over the weekend, the cold nights we have had over the past week or so have had a definite autumnal effect on our summer crops. The tomato plants grown outside have finished their productive lives. They, along with their counterparts in the greenhouse which have also ceased fruiting, will be consigned to the compost bins this week. The raised bed in the greenhouse where the main crop of tomato plants were grown, will be cleared, new compost added and replanted with winter salads such as mustard greens and rocket. The wall behind it has two large shelves added to it in the autumn and winter to house any tender plants and crops that we want to overwinter. The aubergines and peppers growing on the greenhouse staging are still going strong and the greenhouse heater should keep them happy for a few more weeks.
Outside, our climbing French beans have still been providing us with a decent crop, but the leaves of the plants have begun to yellow in recent days, so it won’t be long before they are over. In the meantime we’ll keep picking what we can. The courgette plants are now looking very bedraggled and the small fruits that are on the plants are not growing very fast. The tidy gardener in me is desperate to pull them out, but the greedy gardener voice in my head just wants one more courgette…!
Our celeriac plants area very healthy size this year. We usually grow them in the ground in full sun but they never provide very large roots. This year we have tried them in a raised bed at the back of the garden where it is slightly shady. This has meant that the plants haven’t dried out as much and they seem to be faring better for it. This week we will be pruning of the horizontal shoots to expose the crown.
And of course, as we enter autumn, we will continue to clear leaves and debris from the trees and plants surrounding the Kitchen Garden in the never-ending battle to keep the garden tidy.
