Clocks go back, days are drawing in quick and the threat of the first frost looms. Cold biting winds, falling leaves and dreary weather are signalling the end of the gardening year, take a moment to look around you and marvel at October’s autumn colour palette. It sure is beautiful, especially when the sun shines. There are still jobs to be getting on with on the allotment, so don’t put your tools away just yet!
- Keep picking courgettes and beans before the first frost arrives
- Sow green manures
- Tidy the strawberry bed, pot up stray runners and overwinter in a greenhouse or well-lit shed
- Make a leaf bin and start collecting fallen leaves to make leaf mould
- Start planting garlic at the end of the month
- Keep picking cut flowers for the house before the first frosts
- Harvest and carve pumpkins for Halloween/Samhain celebrations
- Autumn sow hardy broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) and peas (Meteor) for an early crop late spring
- Start the autumn garden tidy up, try not to be overly tidy though, leave messy areas for wildlife
- Leave sunflower heads for birds to enjoy
- Make or buy bug boxes or ‘hotels’ to help beneficial insects survive the winter
- Plant spring bulbs for a splash of colour
- Don’t forget to bring frost tender potted plants inside before the first frost arrives!
Allotment Haven 