The Woodley Allotment Project is still going strong, following on from a newsletter setting out the essence of it, from just before the pandemic. And as the year advances, here are some “To Do’s” for September.
September is the month for reaping the rewards of your labours – such as runner beans, potatoes & raspberries being ready to harvest. You can also sow seeds for future harvests. September is often warm so you’ll need to keep watering. In the meantime, here are some jobs to be thinking about for the month.
(1) Crops are ready to harvest in September,
including onions, potatoes, courgettes,
autumn-fruiting raspberries, tomatoes, apples
and the last of the runner beans
(2) Now is the time to start thinking about sowing
the vegetables that will provide valuable winter
harvests and earlier spring and summer
pickings. Examples might include leafy veg
such as spring cabbages and spinach, winter
salads, broad beans and peas for earlier
harvests next spring, onions, shallots and
garlic, and quick-growing crops such as
turnips and radish. Plus of course many of the
oriental vegetables
(3) Now is also a good time to sow a green
manure, such as grazing rye, over any earth
that is going be left bare over winter – it will
suppress weeds and will add nutrients when
dug into the soil in spring. Find out how to
improve the soil with green manure.
(4) Complete the summer pruning of soft fruit
bushes, apple and pear trees. Continue with
their training and tying
(5) Feed all late crops with a general fertiliser such
as pelleted chicken manure
(6) Dig up and compost any plants that have
finished their season.