The autumn planting window usually lasts until mid-October when temperatures start turning properly and the nights draw in. Still, there are some veggies that will be much better if you can plant them asap, in the next 1-2 weeks ideally…
Carrots
Please, please, please water these in REALLY well when you plant them, having dug over the soil really well – get them in the ground asap and you should be able to harvest some lovely carrots, perhaps around Christmas time, if not before….
Beetroot
Plant these outside now and they should do well and be harvestable before the harsh frosts arrive in winter. If you can’t get them in the ground in the next 2-3 weeks, by mid-September, then they would be better planted in a greenhouse/polytunnel.
Bulb Fennel
This is a wonderful time to plant fennel – water them in well, and keep them regularly watered while it’s still dry, to prevent them from bolting and then enjoy harvesting them in a couple of months or so – they will do much better if you can plant them in late August as they do like the sunshine and warmth. Once they’ve grown, they’ll stand reasonably well as the weather turns a bit colder.
Leeks
Get some extra leeks planted up in late August, and you’ll be able to enjoy a fab harvest in spring next year. Even if you’ve already got some growing for a winter harvest this year, it’s worth adding more now. They’ll have a good amount of time to grow well before the cold weather comes, and then will have another growth spurt as the temperatures warm up again in spring. A great way to keep your leek supply going!
Turnips & Swede
The earlier you can plant them, the bigger their roots will grow – they make such a useful winter veg when there aren’t many other root crops to harvest, and they are great for adding to stews and casseroles when it is cold…. or use the swede to make a Cornish Pasty. Delish.