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Why I’m Choosing Organic Spring Bulbs
October in The Organic Yarden
October in The Organic Yarden
What to Sow, Plant & Do in Your Organic Garden
What to Sow, Plant & Do in Your Organic Garden
October might feel like the month when the garden starts winding down, but I think of it rather differently.The summer garden may be slowing down, but the autumn garden is only getting started.
Cooler temperatures make October a wonderful time to sow and plant hardy crops that can keep giving through autumn, winter and into spring. And you don't need an allotment or a huge vegetable patch to make the most of it. Pots, containers, raised beds and even a sheltered corner can all earn their keep.
Here in The Organic Yarden, that means there is still plenty to do
What I'm Growing in October
What I'm Growing in October
October might look like the month when the vegetable garden is beginning to slow down, but here in The Organic Yarden, there is still plenty happening.
My autumn growing is all about crops that enjoy the cooler conditions and can keep giving us fresh leaves and roots as the seasons change.
This year I'm growing:
Kale – Uncle John's
Kale – Uncle John's
Kale is one of those crops that earns its place in an autumn garden. Once established, you can harvest the outer leaves as you need them while allowing the plant to continue growing.
I'm growing Uncle John's Organic Kale, which is one of my autumn and winter crops.
Uncle John’s Kale is a hardy, productive kale variety with tender, sweet, flat leaves. Excellent for continuous harvesting, it thrives in cooler weather and produces nutritious greens well into winter.
Radicchio
Radicchio
Radicchio Palla Rossa is another one of my autumn crops this year.
I love growing something a little different from the usual winter greens, and the deep colour of radicchio adds a lovely bit of interest to the vegetable garden.
Radish – White Icicle
Radish – White Icicle
I'm also growing White Icicle Radish 'White Icicle' is a long white radish with short leaves. This cylindrical radish develops quickly. It can be ready for harvest in as little as four weeks in warm temperatures.
Radishes are brilliant for smaller gardens because they don't need huge amounts of space, and they're particularly useful when you're looking for crops that can be grown directly in containers or raised beds.
Lettuce – Brune D'Hiver
Lettuce – Brune D'Hiver
I'm growing Brune D'Hiver, a winter lettuce, which is perfect for keeping the salad garden going as temperatures drop.
I love having lettuce growing through the cooler months because it means the salad bowl doesn't have to disappear just because summer has packed its bags.
Lettuce – All Year Round
Lettuce – All Year Round
And, appropriately enough, I'm also growing All Year Round Lettuce.
It's another useful crop for keeping fresh leaves coming, especially when you're growing in a small space and can use sheltered areas. I love lettuce in Autumn and we grow this in the Cold frame.
Lamb's Lettuce – Vit
Lamb's Lettuce – Vit
I'm also growing Vit Organic Lamb's Lettuce.
Lamb's lettuce is particularly useful for an autumn and winter salad garden, giving you another option for fresh leaves when many summer crops have finished. It is harvested throughout Winter when little else is happening in the garden. It has a nice nutty flavour. Vit is a high yielding variety. It is also known as Corn Salad or Mâche.
Pak Choi - Tai Sai
Pak Choi - Tai Sai
Pak choi is another autumn favourite here.
It's a great crop for containers and smaller growing spaces, and I like the fact that you can grow a useful amount without needing a massive bed.
Pak Choi Tai Sai is a fast growing leaf vegetable from Eastern Asia with grey-green leaves like a loose rosette. Its broad white leaf stems and white veins are remarkable.
And because apparently I don't believe in having too many salad leaves...
I'm growing Wild Perennial Organic Rocket too!
Rocket is such a useful crop for small gardens. You don't need much space, and being able to step outside and snip a handful for lunch is exactly what growing your own food is all about.
Purple Milan Turnip
Purple Milan Turnip
Finally, I've got Purple Milan Turnip growing.
Turnips are another excellent autumn crop and work particularly well in a productive raised bed or a deeper container.Turnip Purple Top Milan is an old vegetable with a beautiful bi-coloured turnip that tastes very good, even when it’s still raw.
And there's a little something extra...
And there's a little something extra...
Mark is growing Red Veined Sorrel microgreens.
These are a lovely way of bringing growing indoors or into a very small space. You don't need a vegetable patch, greenhouse or even a collection of 130 pots to grow something edible!
Sometimes a tray on a windowsill is enough Find out more about Microgreen growing = HERE. Great for those who want greens but don't have an outdoor space.
What Else Can You Plant in October?
What Else Can You Plant in October?
October isn't only about seeds. There are also some hardy crops that can be planted now and allowed to settle in before winter.
Kale
Kale
Kale is one of those crops I wouldn't want to be without in an autumn garden. Find how I grow it HERE
It's a brilliant autumn and winter crop. Pick the outer leaves as you need them and allow the plant to continue producing.
Spring Cabbage
Spring Cabbage
Plant sturdy young spring cabbage plants into prepared beds or larger containers.
They can sit quietly through winter before putting on fresh growth in spring.
Perpetual Spinach
Perpetual Spinach
Perpetual spinach is another useful crop for containers and raised beds.
Harvest a few leaves at a time rather than stripping the whole plant, and it can keep providing leaves over a long period.
Don't Forget the Garlic!
Don't Forget the Garlic!
October is also a lovely time to get your garlic planted.
Choose healthy planting cloves and prepare a free-draining growing space. Plant the individual cloves with the pointed end facing upwards. You can read how to Grow and how not to grogarlic here. If
If your soil is heavy or tends to stay wet, containers and raised beds can be particularly useful because good drainage is important for garlic.
There is something rather magical about planting one tiny clove and eventually digging up a whole bulb.Tiny investment.
Big garlicy excitement!
Growing in Containers in October
Growing in Containers in October
One of my favourite things about autumn gardening is that you don't need lots of space. The Organic Yarden guide recommends grouping containers together so they are easier to water and protect.
You can use:
Small pots: - Radishes, salad leaves, mizuna and spinach.
Larger containers: - Pak choi, turnips, winter lettuce and spinach.
Raised beds: = Kale, spring cabbage,raddichio, garlic, turnips and spinach.
Sheltered spaces: - Like a cold frame - Winter lettuce, salad leaves and hardy herbs.
So if your garden consists of six pots beside the back door, congratulations.
You have a vegetable garden.
Your October Organic Garden Jobs
Your October Organic Garden Jobs
October isn't all about planting. There are plenty of little jobs that will help your garden through the colder months.
October checklist
October checklist
☐ Keep harvesting summer crops while they are still producing
☐ Remove tired or diseased plants
☐ Add suitable healthy plant material to your compost system
☐ Refresh containers before planting new crops
☐ Keep newly planted crops watered while they establish
☐ Add mulch where appropriate
☐ Protect vulnerable young plants from wind and cold
☐ Keep an eye out for hungry garden visitors
☐ Leave some flowers and seedheads standing for wildlife
☐ Make use of sheltered areas, cold frames and greenhouse space
☐ Keep harvesting!
These jobs are all included in the autumn garden checklist in the Organic Yarden guide.
Autumn in th Organic Yarden what to sow .pdfDon't Be Too Tidy!
Don't Be Too Tidy!
This is one of my favourite October gardening jobs:
Don't tidy everything.
Leaving some flowers and seedheads standing can provide food and shelter for wildlife. Autumn_in_The_Organic_Yarden_Gu…
An autumn garden doesn't need to look perfectly manicured.
A few fading flowers, seedheads, leaves and slightly scruffy corners can be part of a healthy organic garden.
And let's be honest, it's much nicer for the gardener too.
Less tidying and more tea. Everybody wins!
October in The Organic Yarden
October in The Organic Yarden
There is something really lovely about an October garden.
The frantic watering and harvesting of summer begins to ease. The days are getting shorter, the air is cooler and suddenly the garden becomes quieter.
But underneath all that, things are still growing. There are tiny seedlings appearing in pots. Garlic is putting down roots. Kale is getting ready for winter. Spinach is producing fresh leaves.
And the soil is preparing for another season.
So don't look at October as the end of the gardening year.
Look at it as the beginning of the next one.
And remember:
Don't measure your garden by its size. Measure it by what it gives you.
Don't measure your garden by its size. Measure it by what it gives you.
Keep Growing. Grow Where You Are. Grow What You Can.
Keep Growing. Grow Where You Are. Grow What You Can.
Whether you're growing in a raised bed, a courtyard, a balcony or a collection of pots, there is still plenty you can grow in October. Autumn_in_The_Organic_Yarden_Gu…
Happy October gardening from The Organic Yarden.
Happy October gardening from The Organic Yarden.
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