September: A Month of Bountiful Harvests
Introduction
September is a time of transition in the garden, as summer winds down and autumn approaches. But it’s also a month of abundance, with many fruits and vegetables reaching their peak ripeness. If you’re growing your own food, September is a great time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Harvesting Your Crops
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Harvesting Maincrop Potatoes: Dig up any remaining potatoes that are still in the ground. Inspect each tuber and discard any that are damaged or have been burrowed into by pests.
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Picking Apples: Apples are ready to pick when they easily detach from the tree with a gentle twist. Avoid picking them too early, as they will not be as flavorful. Store apples in a cool, airy place indoors.
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Harvesting Autumn Raspberries: Raspberries are ripe when they easily fall from the plant when gently pulled. Check the plants daily, as the fruits tend to spoil quickly if not picked at their peak.
Preserving the Harvest
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How to Ripen Late Tomatoes: Keep watering tomato plants and providing them with a high-potassium liquid plant food. Remove leaves to allow more sunlight to reach the remaining fruits.
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How to Store Apples: Store apples in a cool, airy place indoors, ideally in trays. Wrap each apple individually and avoid storing them on top of each other.
Starting New Vegetables
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Sowing Broad Beans: Sow broad beans directly in the soil or in pots. Autumn-sown broad beans are more robust and can produce an earlier harvest next year.
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Sowing Spinach: Spinach can be sown directly into the soil or in pots. Cover the seeds with a layer of compost or soil equal to the height of the seed. Protect plants from cold weather with a cloche or fleece.
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Planting Autumn Onion Sets: Plant onion sets in a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Space the sets 10cm apart in rows spaced 30cm apart. Plant the sets so that the “tail” at the top is just above the soil surface.
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Planting Out Spring Cabbages: Plant spring cabbage seedlings that are around 12cm tall. Disturb as little soil as possible when making a planting hole. Plant one plant every 10cm and space rows 30cm apart. Protect the young plants from pigeons with horticultural fleece or netting.
Growing Tips
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Keep Plants Productive: Keep tomato plants well-watered and fertilized. Regularly pick beans to encourage continued cropping.
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Get the Biggest Tomato Crop Possible: Prevent blossom end rot by keeping tomato plants well-watered and fertilized. Remove leaves to allow more sunlight to reach the remaining fruits.
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Enjoy More Beans: Runner beans and climbing French beans should continue to crop well all month. Pick the pods regularly when they are young and tender.
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Leave Windfall Fruits for Wildlife: Allow windfall fruits to remain in the garden to provide food for butterflies, birds, and other animals.
Additional Tips
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Dig up clumps of chives and parsley and pot them up to bring indoors for a winter supply of fresh herbs.
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Save money on gardening supplies by taking advantage of subscriber discounts and special offers.
Conclusion
September is a busy but rewarding month in the garden. By following these tips, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables. And by starting some new vegetables now, you can extend your growing season and enjoy fresh produce all year long.