VEGETABLE CARE IN SEPTEMBER 2009

ASPARAGUS
When the foliage turns yellow or brown cut the plant down to 5cm (2in) above ground level.
September is a good month to prepare an asparagus bed for planting crowns next spring.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing asparagus.
BEETROOT
Water if conditions become dry and harvest. That's all that's needed for beetroot in September.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing beetroot.
BROCCOLI
In September earth up over-winter varieties of Broccoli. Gently draw up the earth around the base of the plant to encourage a strong stem and roots. Calabrese types will be at their peak now for harvest.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Brussels Sprouts should basically be left to themselves in September, definitely do not feed them because this will only encourage leaves at the expense of sprouts. If they get dry, water them. Keep well-weeded but be careful when doing this because they are shallow rooted and the roots can be damaged if you dig around them.
Click here for more information on caring for Brussels Sprouts.
CABBAGE - WINTER
Only one month more and Winter cabbage will be ready to harvest. No special care is required in September.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
CARROTS
Carrots can still be harvested throughout the whole of September. They are ready for harvest when the foliage begins to wilt. Carrots harvested a bit earlier than this will be smaller but will also much more tender. Experiment with harvesting to see what suits you best. Other than watering and weeding your carrots will look after themselves at this time of year. Don't feed them which would only encourage foliage growth at the expense of root growth.
If you have a bumper crop of carrots, store them in a box of slightly moist peat or sand and place them in a cool dark place. They will keep for a couple of months.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
CAULIFLOWER - SUMMER
Nothing complicated for summer cauliflower in September, just water if conditions become dry. Harvest and enjoy.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
COURGETTE / ZUCCHINI
Harvest courgettes / zucchini when they are about 10cm (4in) long. Let them grow longer and they will gradually turn into marrows and loose their taste and texture. By harvesting young you will encourage more fruit to appear.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
CHICORY / RADICCHIO
Continue to harvest chicory sown in previous months.
Click here for instructions and advice on how to grow this versatile vegetable.
FRENCH BEANS
French Beans are ready for harvest throughout September. Their only need now is water if conditions become dry and weeding. Try an extra feed of tomato fertiliser, they love this. 2006 has been a great year for French beans because of the hot July. Pick them often to ensure the pods don't set. If the pods set, French beans will start to stop cropping. Almost all French beans are ideal candidates for freezing.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on caring for your French beans.
LETTUCE
Lettuce are cool weather plants so keep them well watered in September. Lettuce should be ready for harvesting throughout September. Early September is a good time to start sowing Spring maturing lettuce. Sow in succession to avoid a glut when they are ready for harvest next spring.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
ONIONS
Onions are good news in September because they require almost no attention other than weeding. Don't water them to encourage them to mature quicker. September is also the prime time for harvesting onions. They are ready for harvest two weeks or so after the foliage turns brown and starts to shrivel up.
Japanese Onions should be sown in mid to late August but early September is not too late.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing onions.
PEAS
In September, water is the main need of pea plants. Water well in dry conditions. Late varieties of peas should be ready for harvest throughout September - pick them young for the sweetest peas of all! As a guide, peas are normally ready for harvest three weeks after flowering.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing peas.
POTATOES - MAINCROP
Harvest all maincrop potatoes to avoid them being damaged by slugs.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing potatoes.
RADISH
It's still possible to sow radish up to mid-September with a good chance that they will mature OK
At the same time you should be harvesting previously sown radish. Radish require only water in September, don't feed them. If you have a glut of radishes give them away to friends because they do not freeze well and last only about 5 days in the fridge.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on radishes.
RHUBARB
Just let your rhubarb grow happily on it's own during September.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing rhubarb.
RUNNER BEANS
Runner Beans are also good news in September. Just keep them watered and they will do fine. Harvest them and remember to pinch out the growing tips when they reach the top of the supports. Pick Runner beans freqently to encourage heavier crops. If you have a glut, they freeze very well.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing runner beans.
SPINACH
Spinach prefers cool conditions and can be sown in September for an early winter crop.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on how and when to sow spinach.
SWEET CORN
Sweet corn are very easy vegetables to care for. Their needs in September are simple, water when dry and a fortnightly feed. The best feed is one rich in potassium - tomato plant liquid feed is ideal. September is the month for harvesting and enjoying your favourite vegetable.
The sweet corn can be tested for ripeness by pressing a kernel with your fingernail - if they are ripe, this will show a creamy coloured liquid from inside the kernel. If the liquid is watery, the sweet corn needs more time to ripen; if the liquid is almost like dough, the sweet corn is over-ripe. Start this testing when the silks (long silky threads which grow out of the cobs) turn brown and start to shrivel.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on growing sweet corn.
TOMATOES
Water and feeding are the main needs of tomatoes during September. Late August onwards is the time to stop feeding with tomato feed, feed with nitrogen rich food instead. This will keep the plants healthy and stop it producing new fruits which will never get the time to mature before winter cold sets in.
At the same time pinch out any new tiny tomatoes which also will not get the chance to mature. This will make the plant concentrate on the existing tomatoes and give them a better chance of maturing to good size. Keep an eye out for yellowing leaves and remove any that appear. Finally, continue to harvest and enjoy this most delicious vegetable.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on tomatoes.
 

FRUIT AND HERB CARE IN SEPTEMBER 2009

APPLE TREES
In September many apple trees are ready for harvest so enjoy them. The recipe section of this newsletter has a link to our apple pie recipe page. Personally tested by us, it's a great recipe and is fully illustrated with 12+ step by step pictures. Apple trees are normally planted in November / December but preparation before hand is essential.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
BLACKCURRANT
September is the best month for harvesting blackberries.
A great fruit because it requires very little attention, is very reliable and produces a large crop for the area occupied. Blackcurrant bushes are planted in November but like much fruit, preparation in September will pay dividends.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
CURRANTS
Now is a good time to prepare the ground if you plan to plant currant bushes in October / November. September is also the key harvest time, so enjoy them.
GOOSEBERRIES
If you haven't already prepared the ground for planting your gooseberry bushes in October, do so now.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
PEACH TREES
Peach trees should be planted in October so plan now in preparation.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
PEAR TREES
Pear trees are normally planted in late October to November but preparation in September will pay dividends. First decide what size of pear tree you want then select a suitable sight for the size of tree. Digging over the planting site in September will allow the soil to settle before planting in October. September is the month for harvesting pears so enjoy them.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
PLUM TREES
Plum trees are normally planted in October but a bit of preparation in September will pay dividends. First decide what size of plum tree you want then select a suitable sight for the size of tree. Digging over the planting site in September will allow the soil to settle before planting in October. September is the month for harvesting plums so enjoy them.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
RASPBERRIES
September is time for harvesting autumn fruiting raspberries.
If you plan to plant raspberry canes this year, October is the time to do it. But some preparation to the planting ground in September will pay dividends. First you will need to dig the area to a spade's depth incorporating as much organic matter as possible. Then you will need to erect supports for the plants.
Click here for easy to follow instructions on prepartion for planting raspberries.
STRAWBERRIES
If your area is not subject to hard frosts, September is the time to plant new summer fruiting strawberry plants.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
HERBS
All the main herbs can be fed this month, but sparingly. Keep them watered if in pots. If in the ground, only water in very dry conditions.
Click here for easy to follow instructions.
 

GARDEN PLANT CARE IN SEPTEMBER 2009

This month the spotlight is on
POTENTILLA CUTTINGS
Semi-ripe cuttings from shrubs are normally taken in July or August but semi-ripe cuttings are best taken from Potentillas in September. They are very tolerant plants so you stand a great chance of success. Propagate them for your own gardens or for friends gardens, they are great plants that will survive drought, heat and frost. A semi-ripe cutting is taken from this year's growth - the tips are new tender growth, with the lower part of the cutting being older and harder growth. For the first month or so, the cutting will need to be shaded from direct sunlight, but in a warmish environment - a cold frame or propagating case is ideal.
Click here for a full write-up on how to take semi-ripe potentilla cuttings.
GARDENACTION ADDRESS:
1 Gaydon Hill Farm Cottage, Gaydon, Warwick CV35 0HQ
 

This Month's Recipe

Traditional Homemade Apple PieApple pie and cream or ice cream is delicious when homemade hot or cold. This homemade apple pie recipe is very easy to follow but you definitely need detailed pictures, instructions and those valuable cook's tips to make a good job of it. This article gives you all of those and leads you through the process of making homemade apple pie with colour pictures at each vital stage of the recipe - 20 pictures in total! What other site does that for you?
Click here for this delicious recipe.
 

GARLIC FOLKLORE

Folklore concerning garlic is often proven fact - it is documented in many ancient books and inscriptions. In ancient times, people used to eat garlic before making a journey at night. It made them belch and gives one a foul breath. The primitive belief was that evil spirits would not come within the radius of that powerful smell! Greek athletes would take copious amounts of garlic before competition, and Greek soldiers would consume garlic before going into battle. It became custom for Greek midwives to hang garlic cloves in birthing rooms to keep the evil spirits away. As the centuries passed, this ancient custom became commonplace in most European homes. Hippocrates (300BC) recommended garlic for infections, wounds, cancer, leprosy, and digestive disorders. Dioscorides praised it for its use in treating heart problems, and Pliny listed the plant in 61 remedies for a wide variety of ailments ranging from the common cold to leprosy, epilepsy and tapeworm.
During World War 1, the Russian army used garlic to treat wounds incurred by soldiers on the Front Line. Although Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin in 1928 largely replaced garlic at home, the war effort overwhelmed the capacity of most antibiotics, and garlic was again the antibiotic of choice. The Red Army physicians relied so heavily on garlic that it became known as the "Russian Penicillin".
Today, garlic is used by herbalists for a wide variety of illnesses including high cholesterol, colds, flu, coughs, bronchitis, fever, ringworm and intestinal worms, and liver, gallbladder, and digestive problems. Several scientific papers have been published in the last two years which strongly indicate that garlic is highly efficient in preventing heart disease and cancer, and even reducing the severity of established cancer.
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