What to do in the kitchen garden in October....

kippers

I write every month on my blog what to do in the kitchen garden. I know I can't link to it but I wondered if it would help anyone on here if I listed things below each month, as it is what I would find useful if I was first learning to grow fruit and veg? (I hope this is ok-pls remove if not).

October

October is known to be wet, windy and cloudy, also fog is more likely than in September. Don’t be caught out with frosts, as they can occur this month.

October is a lovely month as sunny days highlight the beautiful colours around the garden.

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Vegetables and salads to harvest:

Harvest the last of your summer vegetables and salads before the first frosts e.g. sweetcorn, potatoes, beetroot, pumpkins and winter squashes, chillies, peppers, courgettes, patty pans, french beans, runner beans, peas, marrows, kohl rabi, lettuces, radish, celery, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Also harvest cabbages, kale, parsnips, peas, broccolli, celeriac, turnips, leeks, cauliflowers, brussells, carrots, winter radishes, swedes, and spinach.

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Fruit to harvest:

Apples, pears, autumn raspberries, cape gooseburys, grapes, late plums and the last perpetual strawberries.

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Vegetables and salads to sow:

Over-wintering broad beans, early summer cauliflowers, winter lettuces and over-wintering peas.

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Things to plant:

Garlic, overwintering onion sets and transplant spring cabbages.

Bare-rooted fruit bushes can be planted this month e.g. blackcurrants, cranberries, gooseberries, red and white currants, grape vines and strawberry plants.

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Jobs to do:

Earth up brussel sprouts to avoid the roots from loosening as the wind blows them. This causes your sprouts to ‘blow’.

Keep removing yellow leaves from brassicas as these can harbour pests and diseases.

‘Cure’ pumpkins and butternut squashes by cutting them from the plant and leaving them in the sun to harden the skin, so they will store longer. Be careful of frosts though.

Cut down the yellowing foliage of asparagus and jerusalem artichokes.

Dig any beds where the soil has become compacted and add manure or compost to the soil if required.

Clear away old bean poles and store them under cover if possible.

Lift carrots, beetroot, potatoes, turnips, swede and store.

Chop up and dig in green manures that won’t overwinter and sow green manures in beds that will remain empty until spring.

Cover late crops with cloches to give a bit of protection.

Finish pruning summer raspberries and blackberries by removing this year’s fruiting canes and tie in this year’s new, non-fruiting canes.

Order new fruit bushes and fruit trees.

Dig over your potato patch to make sure you haven’t missed any smaller potatoes which will carry diseases and viruses into next year e.g. blight

Collect up leaves and store for one or two years to make leaf mould.

Prepare globe artichokes for overwintering by cutting down the dead stems and yellowing foliage and spread a mulch of compost topped with straw over it.

Compost dead foliage.

Fix grease bands, or paint fruit tree grease on the trunks of fruit trees to prevent the winter moth from climbing up to lay their eggs.

Do not prune cherries or plums now as this may allow the silver leaf fungus to enter the trees.

If you have a greenhouse, close the doors and windows in the early afternoon to ‘trap’ the heat.

Clean your greenhouse, wash the shade paint off the windows and work in organic matter into the soil, before sowing winter crops.

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Octobers pests and diseases:

Aphids on brassicas are likely to be at their worst this month. Spray with a soft soap or wipe them between your fingers.

Leek moths finish feeding this month and you can find them in a cocoon where they pupate. These can be picked off and destroyed.

If you haven’t already done so, net your brassicas from pigeons.

Check for brown rot on apples and pears and destroy the fruit.

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I hope the above information will be helpful.
:beer:

danih

This is great - please keep posting!

EpsomOldie

Thank you Kippers.

I've just had a look at your blog (click on Kippers' name and choose Visit Kippers' HomePage) and it's wonderful! Well done and thank you for posting. I'm quiet new to allotmenting and enjoy reading about others' experiences and advice.

EO x

kippers

Thanks for your comments, I don't know why I didn't think of putting this on here before. I am really passionate about vegetable gardening and I want as many people as possible to have a go, as it really is easy provided you know what to do....(the hard part is finding out what to do which is why I write about it).

neet87

Thank you for such a user friendly list, your instructions are well written and easy to follow. I have printed off a copy and will be using it as a check list!

kippers

neet87 wrote: »

Thank you for such a user friendly list, your instructions are well written and easy to follow. I have printed off a copy and will be using it as a check list!

I will write it every month and put it on here again at the beginning of each month from now on, if it's helps?