It is weird to think that last weekend we were giving you the heads up on possible frosts, and this week we’re encouraging you to make the most of the warm sunny spell to plant up for autumn.
Get planting!
It really is an excellent opportunity to get some plants in the ground. The sun will have raised the soil temperatures again which will help plants to get their roots established quickly, and they’ll be able to get in a good dose of early growth. This is so helpful in terms of setting them up for the colder weather that will come later in the year. Strong healthy plants will be much better equipped to withstand frosts and strong winds.
What to plant
Our top picks for planting would be Kale (Red Russian is a great option or Curly Kale for smaller plots), cabbage greens (we offer winter cropping or spring cropping, so you could easily grow both to keep your supplies going right through till spring) and winter salad leaves which will grow quickly for you to start picking in early October all going well.
It’s great for peppers, chillies, tomatoes & aubergines too
If you are growing peppers, chillies, tomatoes and aubergines, they will love this sun and heat right now. It will really help them to flourish and ripen. It’s a great idea to give them a liquid feed too now, to boost nutrients and help them thrive. If you’re growing them in containers outdoors, you may want to move them under cover (if possible) as soon as the weather starts to cool again. If you can’t do this, or if they are growing in beds and can’t be moved, you could cover aubergines, peppers and chillies (and bush tomatoes) with horticultural fleece to help keep them warm when the weather turns.
Prune out squashes and pumpkins
This is also a great opportunity to help any winter squashes and pumpkins to ripen ahead of harvesting next month. Prune out the growing tips, and cut back the leaves around fruits so that they are exposed to the sun.
Cucumbers, courgettes, beans & peas may keep growing a bit longer
If you’re growing any of these crops, you may find you get a last little flurry because of the weather – keep harvesting regularly to keep them coming longer!