It has been a wet and windy week in the kitchen garden and we are now keeping a very close eye on the weather forecasts for signs of frost.
The fruit tree covers are ready and waiting to be put on as soon as the threat of frost appears, we use these for the plums, apricots, nectarines and peaches. They offer really good protection for the trees and help stop any damage being caused.
With the threat of lowering temperatures, we have been able to plant the garlic out, this year we are growing elephant and Mikulov. We are growing them in one of our superior wooden raised beds I have prepared the soil with a good helping of seaweed meal and manure to help them grow and finished off with a top dressing of strulch.
We are still producing plenty to eat even though we are well into autumn but it is getting less and less on a weekly basis. This week I have harvested tomatoes, spinach, peppers, celery, blackberries and the last of the runner beans and sweetcorn.
It was time this week to cut the tops off the Brussel sprouts this will help the plant put all its energy into developing the sprouts, the tops were lovely so they have gone to the table for eating.
We are still waging a war against the slug population we do seem to be wining at the moment but just to make sure I have scattered some more Sluggo Ultra Slug and Snail killer around the more susceptible plants like the spinach, and sliver beet leaves. I have also set some slug traps this is a really good way of seeing exactly how many of these greedy little creatures we have got left attacking our plants.
Elsewhere in the garden the lawns are continuing to have there autumn care they have been re-seeded and fed so hopefully they will recover from this year’s lack of rain fall and hot summer. The roses have had a prune and we are still cutting back the rhododendrons which is late, but there are so many here its endless task.
