september planting

[chirpy 0]

What should i be planting now i have a vegetable patch and a green house just want to keep it going for winter and spring any help would be appreciated cheers

[mattydski 560]

You could plant winter spinach, or spring cabbage. Lettuce can also still be planted under cloches or in the green house.

It is not too late for raddish either..

Matt

[chirpy 0]

cheers matt

[Jim Grant 4]

I normally do the following: Broad Beans, Early Peas, Spring Cabbage, Early Cauliflower, Onions, Shallots and Garlic. You will need ground that is well draining (I have raised beds). If heavy frost is forecast then throw fleece over them.

Good luck.

[Caravan Monster 323]

I normally do the following: Broad Beans, Early Peas, Spring Cabbage, Early Cauliflower, Onions, Shallots and Garlic. You will need ground that is well draining (I have raised beds). If heavy frost is forecast then throw fleece over them.

Good luck.

 

 

I' m going to have a go at putting some of those in now myself- I didn' t realise that you could put things in at this time of year. It was my first go at growing veg this year, and everything apart from the brassicas did well, especially potatoes, onions and shallots. Might a particular type of fertilizer improve the soil for brassicas for next year? Or was it just the weather this year that knackered my cabbages? I have plenty of rotted chicken, cow and pig muck, would any of those be any good?

[Jim Grant 4]

Hi CM

First thing you will have to try and get some sort of crop rotation. If you plant the same crop in the same place every year you just get a build-up of pests etc., Runner Beans might be the exception. Raised beds make it a bit easier to do that. A four crop rotation would be Potatoes, followed by root crops, followed by Legumes (peas & Beans), followed by your Brassicas.

 

As regards fertiliser here is the old standard: Potatoes Heavy manure, no Lime. Roots nothing (if you muck them they will fork). Legumes light manure light lime. Brassicas moderate manure heavy lime.

 

Now muck. Fresh muck is a no no. Farmyard muck is rated highly if well rotted. Chicken muck is strong keep it dry and for at least a year. Pig muck let the farmer throw it on his ground. Try and make up a compost heap to rot down your muck and get rid of grass cuttings, non cooked kitchen waste and other bits and pieces. Look up compost on the internet.

 

As for soil, all veg will do well in well drained ground, heavy clay soil is hard to work and grow on. Sandy soil will need heavy muck poultices each and every year. Heavy clay will get better with plenty of compost and Hort grit/sand.

 

Test the ground with a PH kit, get a cheap one from the garden centre, if you are serious it pays dividends. Aim to get your ground back to neutral PH6 or thereby.

 

Now about your cabbages. I take it if you pull one up with the roots, the roots look healthy. If so you do not have clubroot. If not then you are in for a long haul. If the ground is right then the wet weather we have had will not bother Brassicas, they will love it.

 

Ground is best mucked in the late Autumn. Remember that when you put in Autumn plantings. Also make sure you get the correct variety of whatever. Most Autumn planting does not need heavily mucked ground, it does however need to be well drained. Plants don't like wet feet.

PM me if you have problems with the above.

Jim

[Jan147 0]

Only have a small plot, decided to dig up a corner of the lawn to make it and have it as a raised bed.

 

I have just taken up my broad bean plants and frozen the beans I had so many. Yesterday planted some cauliflower plants and some brussel sprouts plants.

 

Also went to my local Wyevale Garden centre and bought some tomato seeds,lettuce, marrow, courgettes and herb seeds at 50p a packet ready for next season and well in date for next year. Brilliant saving on shown packet prices.

[Caravan Monster 323]

Thanks Jim, for taking the time to pass on all that information. It' s heavy blue/ brown clay here, and the water table is very high, so raised beds are on the cards, I think they will be necessary for autumn planting. Anyway, with your advice, I know what I'm doing now, so thanks again.

[Jim Grant 4]

Hi CM

I have gardened in raised beds for many a year, very versatile they are. There is a product "Gypsum" which is used to break up heavy clay (your stuff). It is widely available, check to net. Lots of luck, that should keep you fit over the winter.

Edited September 8, 2008 by Jim Grant