October Guide

October Growing Tips

What's going on in October?

As the seasons change to Autumn we’re nearing the end of the main growing season, however there are still some winter crops to plant and manage so that they’re ready for Christmas. Did you know it’s still possible to plant and grow everything you need for our Christmas dinner in October. Check out our dedicated blog on exactly this!

Use this month to harvest and store all of your fruit and vegetables, and try out new recipes and ways of cooking with the lovely food you’ve worked so hard to grow.

But October provides the chance to really enjoy the golden reds and browns of Autumn. Any Autumn-fruiting plants will look glorious. And of course, who can forget about showing off your amazing pumpkins for Halloween!

The weather in October

October sees a significant drop in temperatures. There will still be warm, sunny days but frosty mornings are much more common. Wait until the frosts have thawed before working on any soil outside.

High winds and gales are also a lot more frequent, so make sure you’re clearing leaves and other debris when you get the chance. With wind inevitably comes rain, so October is usually the wettest month we’ve had in a while. If you have heavy clay soil, now is the time to dig it over before the heavier rains.

Main things to accomplish

Harvest the last of your fruit before it gets damaged and store. Make sure you’ve planted everything you need to grow for Christmas/ Winter, and keep on top of general tidying.

If you’re carving all of those pumpkins you’ve gown, don’t forget to save the seeds. Lynne has a fantastic recipe for a tasty snack – nothing goes to waste!

If you’re feeling really adventurous and are thinking about creating new growing spaces for next year, now is a great time to do it. Pick a warm day and get outside, whether it’s building a raised bed or upcycling old household items. Getting this new space ready now, whilst the weather is still pleasant, is a lot nicer than doing it on a freezing day in January or February and it will be ready to go at the start of Spring.

Digging Deeper into jobs for this month

Prep

- Order new Fruit Trees
- Rake up/ collect leaves
- Empty compost bins and use them for mulch
- Dig over heavy clay soil before winter rains
- Build raised beds for next Spring
- Prep beds for planting Asparagus
- Clear out old Tomato & Pepper plants
Sowing & Planting

SOW OUTSIDE
Winter Lettuce
PLANT OUTSIDE
Christmas Potatoes, Garlic, Spring Cabbages, Winter Salads (Radish, Cress)
Tending

- Add compost to empty/ cleared beds
- Cut down dead tops of vegetables
- Lift Rhubarb
- Earth Up Celery
- Remove yellow leaves from Brussel Sprouts/ other Winter Brassicas
Harvesting

- Pick the last of the Runner Beans
- Lift the last maincrop Potatoes
- Lift Carrots, Beetroot, Parsley, Mint
- Pick Apples
- Forage Bullace Plums
- Freeze excess Runner Beans
- Bring Basil plants inside to keep growing
Eating

- Make Pumpkin risotto
- Make Bullace jam

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