Last week we continued digging over some beds on the plot. We are quite pleased with what we have managed to achieve this autumn and hope that it will mean that come spring we are more ready to make a start on the new growing year than we were last year.
The rougher beds will remain uncovered over winter in the hope that the rain and frosts will break down the lumps of earth.
Other beds have been recovered with weed control fabric and wood chippings. Not only will this help cut down a bit of work come spring but should also help warm the soil.
This week's efforts have concentrated on one side of the plot which, other than one neglected bed is looking quite neat and tidy. The remaining large square bed that is overgrown is earmarked for a makeover. We just need the weather to stay kind enough to allow us to complete this and the beds on the other side of the plot that are still in need of some preparation work.
We managed to get more dry debris burnt.
We had a very early frost last week. Usually we are frost free until about the second week in November. This year Jack Frost decided to pay us an early visit. The kiwi is usually one of the first plants to give away the fact that he had sneaked in during the night.
The dahlias also withered at the touch of his icy fingers and so it was time to lift the tubers to prepare them for winter storage. The soil was still quite dry which made this task easier.
It was time to give our carrot and parsnip bed some protection. These like the leeks are left in the ground overwinter. A straw overcoat means that should the ground freeze we will have a better chance of digging up some roots without needing a crowbar.
We are harvesting according to need at the moment but we couldn't wait any longer to find our whether the parsnips had produced any decent roots or whether all the effort spent watering had been a huge waste of time and effort.
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| 29 October |
As you can see from the above photo the first root we lifted had indeed formed a usable root. I suppose technically it was the second root as a small plant right at the end of the row was tiny. We were hoping that this wasn't just a fluke. Fortunately a couple more parsnips were pulled later in the week so it's a case of so far so good.
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| 2 November |
We also dug more carrots and cut one of our Kilaton autumn cabbages.
The cabbage was the size of a football and solid, so should keep us going for a while
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That cabbage looks fantastic! I'm curious about your giant spinach - I haven't heard of it until now; it looks a bit like chard? Also wondering how you stop your straw covering from blowing about in windy weather; any tips?
ReplyDeleteIt's called Perpetual spinach, Caro and isn't technically a true spinach more a leaf beet, but it's used as a spinach. I guess that makes it a close relative of chard.
DeleteSurprisingly the straw doesn't tend to blow away even on our windswept site. Famous last words - I should say that it hasn't so far in previous years.
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DeleteSorry I pressed delete instead of reply and have lost your comment.
DeleteFound it in my email you wrote:
DeleteThat's interesting as I grew "Perpetual Chard" this year, which looks very similar (as Caro said, when I first saw your pic, I thought it was chard) - I'm wondering if it's the same thing?
My reply;
It could well be the same thing just under a different name.
Your carrots and parsnips look great as does that giant head of cabbage. I was planning to use agribon row covers to protect the carrots, beets, and turnips but it sounds like we would be better served to use straw.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard work getting the garden cleaned out for winter, but hopefully it'll make spring planting easier.
Straw is cheaper too, Phuong and we let it rot down and compost when we have finished with it. We may use it to mulch the strawberries first though.
DeleteYes we hope that all this work will pay off.
You have gotten so much work done, it has helped motivate me to do more this fall in my garden. Our soil stays so wet in spring it often delays planting, so it helps to do all I can in fall to get the beds ready.
ReplyDeleteWe just about completed our digging today, Dave. We have the same problem come spring. If we try to dig then we end up with muddy clumps that then dry out into solid concrete like lumps - no good whatsoever for planting,
DeleteYour plot is looking great, all ready for winter. That is a really impressive cabbage. None for me this fall, the rodents love it too much.
ReplyDeleteYou really have had a battle with rodents haven’t you, Michelle? I feel for you.
DeleteYour plot looks so neat and tidy. I am very envious. Do you find many slugs under the straw? That is the only reason why I don't use it. I do garden on very sluggy land.
ReplyDeleteOur overwintering carrots do have some slug damage, Joy but it doesn’t seem to make a difference whether we use straw or not. I did wonder whether our use of weed control fabric would be a slug haven but that doesn’t seem to be the case either.
DeleteYou have really made inroads into your prep for Winter.. we are lagging behind a bit here but hope to catch up. Kilaton cabbages are excellent aren't they? Grew them for the first time last year and was very impressed. There us a club root resistant savoy now and we might give that go next year too
ReplyDeleteThe club root resistant savoy sounds interesting, Kathy. What is the name of the variety? If on;y there was a club root resistant PSB.
DeleteI always say that this is the start of the gardening year, and you have got off to a flying start. Shame to admit that I still have to remove the nets from my fruit cage.
ReplyDeleteI thought my Holland Late Winter were cropping early - but seeing your picture reminds me that I did sow Kilatron too. Always hard to keep track, especially after filling in for failures.
We have been making a major effort to beat the rains, Mal.
DeleteYour cabbage looks so healthy. I'm getting problem with brassicas in my garden, especially with green worm.
ReplyDeleteAre your green worms the same as our small white butterfly caterpillars, Endah?
DeleteWonderful progress, you will have a great start next spring. Marvelous to see the parsnips and wow....what fabulous looking cabbages.xxx
ReplyDeleteI do hope so, Dina we were so far behind at the beginning of this year and some beds just never were prepared and were unused all year.
DeleteOur weather has been cold and wet lately so not a lot of work is being done outside, even though there is still a laundry list of tasks - I have a feeling that I'll be like you last year...doing a big catch up come spring.
ReplyDeleteYou just need to hope your spring isn’t as cold and wet as ours was this year, Margaret.
Deleteas usual everything looks so wonderful, you work so hard but it really pays off! xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carrie
DeleteIt looks as if you have been most busy Su and are ahead of the game. We had frost too in October which is a most unusual occurrence!
ReplyDeleteWe are getting there, Anna.
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