Episode 673: The New Growing Season Starts Now

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

There’s a definite change happening in the garden now. Summer might still be hanging on, but I’m already looking ahead to autumn, winter and, believe it or not, the growing season of 2027.

The recent rain has been very welcome after such a dry year and it has made a big difference to the garden. There’s plenty going on as we start preparing for the months ahead, so let’s get into this week’s episode.

Allotment

The rain has finally arrived, and after such a dry year I certainly wasn’t complaining. The moisture has made the soil much easier to work and, more importantly, it has made pulling those pesky weeds out considerably easier.

I’ve been getting stuck into the autumn and winter growing season, planting out winter and spring cabbages, kale and cauliflowers. Some of the kale planted earlier struggled during the dry weather, but the new plants are now going into the ground with much better conditions.

I’m also preparing beds for my overwintering crops. The garlic will be going in towards the end of September, with the overwintering onion sets following in October, so now is the time to get those beds ready with compost and make sure they are weed-free and in good condition.

Green manures are also playing a big part. I’ve been sowing winter tares between my rows of leeks and using green manures in other beds where there is still space. It’s a technique I’ve been experimenting with, effectively getting two jobs done in the same space while the soil is still warm enough for those green manures to establish.

Supporters Club

This week I also take a look at what’s been happening in the Veg Grower Podcast Supporters Club.

September’s seed pack is now being sent out, with a selection of seeds chosen specifically for sowing during the month. This includes winter tares, cauliflower, mibuna, tatsoi and spring onion ‘White Lisbon’, along with our herb seed of the month, chervil.

The Supporters Club costs just £5 a month and includes extra podcasts, the monthly seed pack and our monthly newspaper, which contains growing instructions, jobs to do and space to keep track of what you’re growing.

Potting Shed – Seed of the Month

This month’s seed of the month is spring onion ‘White Lisbon’ from Premier Seeds Direct.

Spring onions might traditionally make us think of spring and summer, but ‘White Lisbon’ is a great variety for growing through the cooler months. I like to sow them every few weeks from September through to March, giving us a succession of spring onions to harvest.

They can be sown directly into the ground, or started off in trays and planted out later. They don’t need a huge amount of attention, but keeping them moist and weed-free will help them along.

Once established, they can be harvested from around six to eight weeks, although I prefer to let mine get to a decent pencil thickness before pulling them up.

Kitchen Garden

There’s still plenty happening in the kitchen garden despite the change in season.

The recent moisture has brought some of the carrots that were sown earlier in the year back to life, with seeds that had been sitting in the dry soil finally germinating. Hopefully that means we’ll get a late crop of carrots from those beds.

I’ve also been continuing with my polyculture approach, filling spaces as they become available with winter and spring brassicas. Cauliflowers, kale and cabbages are all being planted out, while some plants have been thinned out and potted on to give them a little more time to grow before going into their final positions.

I’ve also been adding more herbs around the garden. Cuttings of rosemary and sage have been rooted and potted on, while thyme and other herbs are being planted around the edges of the beds. The idea is that these plants will eventually help create a useful border, provide some shelter and act as companion plants.

And we’re still harvesting plenty of summer produce, including tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, chillies and courgettes. The grapes have also been particularly good this year, with plenty being harvested and enjoyed fresh – although there are plans to do something else with some of them too!

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe makes the most of two crops that are producing well right now: aubergines and tomatoes.

I take two small aubergines, slice and fry them in olive oil until golden, then set them aside while I cook tomatoes and garlic in the same pan.

Meanwhile, breadcrumbs are fried with butter, oil and herbs until crisp. The aubergines are then topped with the tomato mixture, crispy herby breadcrumbs and some grated cheese.

It’s a really simple dish, but it makes a delicious meal and is a great way to use some of those late-summer harvests.

In the Potting Shed with Ade Sellers

Throughout August we’ve been reading The Plot on the Hill: The Carrot Catastrophe by Ade Sellers, and this week Ade joins me in the Potting Shed to talk about the book.

We chat about Ade’s journey from working in television and film to becoming a gardener, writer and garden media personality, as well as his allotment and the inspiration behind the book.

The Plot on the Hill: The Carrot Catastrophe is aimed primarily at children aged around 8 to 12 and is built around the magic and imagination of an allotment. At the centre of the story is Hornbeam, a little sprite who lives beneath an allotment shed and acts as a guardian of the plot, along with a collection of animal friends.

Ade explains how his own childhood experiences of visiting an allotment with his dad helped inspire the story, and we talk about encouraging children to put down their phones, get outside, get muddy and let their imaginations run wild.

We also look at the possibility of future books in the series and Ade's work on the In Conversation stage at Gardeners’ World Live.

Your Questions

This week Lynn gets in touch with a question about overwintering onions grown from seed.

She’s already sown her onion seeds and wants to know when they should be planted out and whether they need any protection over winter.

I explain why it’s important to let the plants get strong before planting them out, why September and October can be good times to get them into the garden, and how hardy onions actually are.

And Finally...

That’s another packed episode of the Veg Grower Podcast.

As we move towards September, it’s easy to think that the growing season is coming to an end. But for me, it feels much more like the beginning of the next season. There are brassicas to plant, garlic and onions to prepare for, green manures to sow and plenty of crops still producing food.

So don’t put the gardening tools away just yet – there’s still plenty to grow.

If you would like to support this podcast then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club or use some of affiliate links below for items you might be buying. We might get a little commission

• Premier seeds direct for all your seed needs
• Autopot uk a revolutionary watering system for growing the best veg easily. User discount code auto10rvg for 10%off