This is the eighth in my series of blog posts, explaining how to grow vegetables and herbs which can be sown now to see you through the winter and spring – no hungry gap in 2018!
I have added the category No Hungry Gap, so you can find all of the blogs easily using the search facility.
The polytunnel is now planted out with all of the transplants I grew in the greenhouse. Some aubergines are still growing, a few peppers and edible flowers too and I have brought in all of the chilli peppers and other tender plants. There is no frost forecast but as I am going away for 2 weeks (I’m typing this at Heathrow) I didn’t want to rely on my sons remembering to rescue anything that might be affected by a sudden drop in temperature, should it happen.
The right hand side looks empty, but there are carrot and radish seeds sown here. A few radish have germinated already. All of the new plantings look so small, after a summer of tall plants in here!
The remaining tomato is still looking quite happy; despite being watered a lot by the sprinkler the blight hasn’t spread very far. I’m not sure what this plant is as the label mysteriously disappeared.
When I get back after my trip, I’ll be clearing anything that needs to be removed. It’ll be interesting to see it, I wonder how much things will have grown. Yesterday I watered the polytunnel very thoroughly using the sprinkler attached to a hose.
The morning glories are still looking fabulous.
Outside, I filled in gaps in my front garden raised beds with more transplants – rocket, mustards, kale, land cress. I forgot to take a photo! These three beds have chicories, kale, celeriac, leeks, spring onions, summer purple sprouting broccoli, kohl rabi and chard already growing in there. I needed to do some weeding first as it has been so mild. I have some wildlife areas in the front garden, mainly around the pond, which are fantastic for wild creatures but they do create a self seeding weed problem for me.
Next, to the allotment to hoe and harvest the squashes. Hoeing is so important – the mild weather we have been experiencing in Somerset is much loved by the weeds we were hoping would be slowing down now.
Time again was a main consideration here. I decided not to harvest the drying beans as there simply wasn’t enough time yesterday. The choice was either harvesting beans or spending some time with my son – the beans are less important than family. Hopefully they will be ok and I can harvest and dry them when I am home.  The allotment is still very full, I’m not sure where I am going to put the garlic and broadbeans!
Now is a good time to plant garlic. Select the largest cloves from your bulbs and plant those. Use the small ones in the kitchen.
(The only reason I haven’t is my travel plans, so it’ll go in at the end of the month/early November.)
Coming up for November … I’ll be planting broadbeans outside and a few in the polytunnel and early peas in the polytunnel – plus some peas for pea shoots.
Until then, I’ll be hoping everything is growing happily whilst I am in Thailand and Laos. It does feel strange writing a blog post at an airport!!
Have a wonderful holidayxx
Thank you, it was a long journey but I am here now!