We’re just edging towards frosty mornings now, and with that in mind we’ve made a little to-do list so that you don’t lose any crops…
- Harvest pumpkins & winter squashes – ideally, wait until the stalks turn brown and the skin hardens as then they will store for longer. However, if frost is on the forecast, it is best to harvest immediately.
- Harvest beetroot & carrots – some gardeners leave theirs in the ground, but we find they are much better harvested before a frost.
- Cover tender salads with a cloche – if you’re growing any late planted lettuces, they can be covered with a cloche to protect them from frost and they should keep growing, especially the autumn/winter varieties.
- Harvest any remaining borlotti beans/cannelini beans/yin yang beans – even if they have not dried out yet, harvest remaining pods now. You can pod them and freeze those beans that are still immature.
- Dig over empty beds – unless you are growing for the winter, or following the no-dig method of growing, we’d recommend digging over empty beds ahead of frosts. The frosts themselves will then help to break down any hard lumps over the winter.
- Bring tender herbs under cover – if you’re growing in pots, bring lemongrass, tarragon, coriander, chervil and other tender herbs under cover. They should keep going for a little while longer if you can keep them out of the frost.
- Earth up parsnips – while the soil is still soft, bring a little soil around the roots of parsnip to help protect from canker.
- Bring potted chillies under cover – again, these will keep going for a while if you can keep them out of the frost.
- Harvest maincrop potatoes – any last tubers that you’ve been leaving in the ground should be dug up – you can store them in paper/hessian sacks in a cool, dry shed.