Categories
Calendars
Guides
Reviews
Archive
Gallery
Articles
Ask Our Gardening Expert
WEEKLY GARDEN CALENDAR, OCTOBER WEEKS 1 & 2
Susan Explains Autumn Sowing Broad Beans
You should end up with a crop of broad beans about three weeks earlier
compared to a spring sowing and this will greatly reduce the amount of aphids which
attack your broad beans. Click here
for more information. The same autumn planting applies to garlic. But we tried this
last year and lost the entire crop to rust. The spring sown garlic was far more
healthy. Peach Trees
Blackberries
As well as planting now, make sure you prune all stems now which have produced fruit
this year. Full instructions on planting and pruning can be found
here.
Asparagus
Broad Beans sown in the spring inevitably become infested with aphids as the season
progresses. They don't seem to affect the plants too badly but there is a way to
avoid this altogether. Simply sow them around this time of year. Broad Beans are
relatively hardy plants and in many areas will germinate and grow very slowly in the
autumn and winter. Roughly speaking, if your weather conditions are average or
better they will survive.
Peach tree can grow well in the UK but in most areas they need to be fan trained against
a warm, south-facing, protected wall. Early late September to early October is the best
time to plant them. You need to set up most of the training wires at the time of
planting. You can find full details of how to plant and train them
here.
It's all very pleasant to pick blackberries from hedgerows but the fruits are small
compared to the cultivated varieties. Mid October is a good time to plant blackberry
bushes. Think carefully about where you plant them, that small cane planted will grow
much larger in two years time.
We receive lots of emails on when to cut down asparagus. The answer is to cut the stems
down to 5cm (2in) above ground level when the foliage is yellow. Don't cut the stems
earlier because they will be absorbing energy for the roots long after you have stopped
harvesting them. Now is about the time, in most areas, to cut them down.
Click here for more asparagus
information.