It’s been an interesting year of growing so far, and undoubtedly everybody’s veg patches will be looking very different, depending on when plants were planted, how much water they’ve had access to and how hot it is. But we’ve done our best to put together a little guide for the month ahead to keep your veg patch on track!
Pests to watch out for...
- Butterflies are laying eggs this month so watch out for caterpillars, particularly on brassicas.
- Blight could strike at any time – remove affected leaves as soon as you see them on potatoes or tomatoes to try to prevent it from spreading.
- Powdery Mildew is likely to affect cucumbers, squashes and pumpkins. Remove badly affected leaves to prevent it from spreading, and make sure you water consistently.
- Aphids could be a problem now so check leaves for this.
- Slugs and snails are unlikely to be causing too much trouble in the dry weather, but beware of them lurking ready for a feast when it does rain.
What to harvest
The below will depend a little on when your plants went in the ground, and the weather conditions that you’ve had. But as a loose guide:
Loads of leaves can be harvested, from spinach and chard to lettuces and rocket. Tomatoes, chillies and peppers should start ripening this month, and you should be able to harvest aubergine and okra too.
Beans and peas will be harvestable this month. Pick them regularly. Summer squash, courgettes and cucumbers will also be ready this month, but leave winter squash and pumpkins a few months more.
Summer sprouting broccoli might be ready and you may even start to see the first of your cabbages and cauliflowers towards the end of the month.
Beetroot and carrots will be harvestable this month, but other roots need a little longer, like celeriac and parsnips. Onions and Spring Onions should all be harvested, leeks will need a little longer. Corn may be ready soon – watch out for the tassles turning black.
What to plant
As you harvest crops, you’ll open up space for new plants. It’s definitely a good idea to get a few more things in the ground, especially since we won’t have such an extensive collection of veg plants/fruit/herbs available this autumn – snap them up while you can!
- Beetroot, carrots and leeks are good to plant now for autumn
- Get last minute lettuces & salads in the ground asap
- Plant spinach, chard & kale for a cut & come again harvest over autumn and through to winter
- Add broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages to the veg patch for late autumn harvest
- Plant sprouts for a Christmas harvest