Whether it’s Spring or Autumn in your neck of the woods, there’s plenty for you to plant now…
As September approaches, southern hemisphere grow-your-own-ers are looking forward to a summer filled with the sort of produce those of us in the northern hemisphere are eating the last of. Regardless of where you’re living, the good news is that there’s plenty to do on the grow-your-own front in September. Here are some ideas, split between those of us heading into spring and those of us wondering what we can eak out of our gardens in the leaner autumn and winter months. Today, it’s the northern hemisphere…
Plants for your Autumn garden
For late August/September in the northern hemisphere, try these…All of which will crack on just as happily in a container as they will sown directly into the ground.
Garlic: Sown in autumn, overwintered garlic will usually produce a bigger, better crop than anything you plant in the spring. Simply sow individual cloves, unpeeled and pointed end up, directly into the ground or a container. Harvest in the summer, when the leaves have largely turned yellow/brown – and keep back a few bulbs for sowing later in the year. Which reminds me – don’t plant the garlic you bought at the shops, it’s usually treated to stop it from sprouting. Buy from your local nursery or order online – try Purple Wight, Sicilian Red or Ilico for a more colourful result than your usual plain white bulbs. Slightly useless but interesting piece of information: those giant “Elephant Garlic” cloves are actually a type of leek.
Swiss Chard: Like spinach, chard prefers cooler weather, so now’s a good time to sow for cropping all the way into winter. Because it’s a fast-germinating plant, it’s easy to keep growing in succession. Apart from bringing a welcome kiss of green to your garden, you can brighten the darkening days with an extra splash of colour by sowing the “Bright Lights” variety, which offers green leaves with orange, red, yellow and other brightly coloured stems and veins.
Oriental leaves: Fast-growing, hardy oriental leaves cost a small fortune in salad mixes in the shops -amazing, considering how easy they are to grow. Try Pak Choi, Mizuna, Mustard Greens such as Komatsuna and any of the seeming legions of Chinese cabbages to keep you in salads through the colder months. Make your own salad mixes by picking the leaves young on a cut-and-come-again basis or use in stir fries. Rocket and Butterhead lettuce are also generally hardy enough to last the winter pace, although you might need to cover them with a cloche or fleece when things turn icy.
