Vegetable Garden in September - Hints and Tips

September in the vegetable garden is still a fruitful time but a time of abundance that the cooler air and shorter days tells the gardener that the season is coming to a close.

There are still things to do in the vegetable garden are here are a few hints and tips.

Tomatoes

Remember to keep up a good and regular watering regime which will help to reduce the chance of blossom end rot and split fruit. Remove split fruit as soon as you notice it, if left it will soon start to rot and introduce disease.

Any remaining outdoor tomatoes should be picked by the end of September and ripened indoors. The whole truss can be cut off to allow the fruits to ripen on the vine either on a windowsill or in a box with a ripe banana for company. Green fruits can be used in chutneys as can any red tomatoes surplus to requirements.

Potatoes

Potatoes should be lifted before slug damage becomes a problem. Leave the tubers to dry before storing in paper sacks or boxes. Take care to only store undamaged potatoes.

Keep a watch for potato blight, any blighted potato haulms can be cut off and burnt or disposed of with household rubbish. The good news is that the potatoes can still be harvested.

If there is a danger that inclement weather spreading the disease and you are happy using sprays try products such as Bordeaux Mixture, Dithane 945 and Murphy Traditional Copper Fungicide.

Wet weather at this time of the year, especially if you are gardening on clay soil, is when potato powdery scab makes an appearance and affected tubers should be disposed of. Crop rotation becomes very important to prevent the problem building up in the soil.

It is just not clay soils where problems can occur, common scab and other potato skin problems can be a problem in dry warm weather. An important regime here is watering and as alkaline soil worsens the problem use of acidic fertilisers may help).

Clear debris created when lifting potatoes and care should be taken not to damage the haulms. Potato debris left out in wet weather could cause the development of fungal diseases such as black leg or fluffy grey mould.

Reading the above might make you wonder whether it is worth growing your own potatoes but remember that with a good regime of watering and cleanliness most problems can be avoided.

Onions and Shallots

Sow seed of salad and bulb type over wintering onions to mature next spring.

Over wintering onion sets should be planted in late September.

Onions and shallots should be lifted as soon as foliage has started to die back. Succumbing to temptation and bending over the tops by hand can reduce their storage time. If the weather is dry allow them to dry on the soil face, alternatively dry them in a well ventilated shed.

Whichever method you use store them in a moisture free place and check over at frequent intervals to check for any rot which may spread to other stored onions. Thick necked onions should be used rather than stored as they may be more prone to rot.

Cabbage

If you sowed Spring Cabbages in August they are probably ready to plant out. Pigeons can devastate a crop in no time so it is best to take the precaution of covering them with horticultural fleece or netting.

Sweetcorn

As Sweetcorn becomes ripe harvest it, as if you need any encouragement. Push a fingernail into the kernel when the tassels at the end of the cob start to shrivel and brown, if the liquid looks milky they are ready.

Green Manures

Sow green manures, such as mustard and Italian ryegrass which will prevent autumn weeds establishing. When dug in during winter and spring this will also act as a soil improver.

An alternative is to place black plastic over bare ground after clearing old crops to suppress weed growth.

Parsnips

Leave parsnips in the ground until needed for a meal as they taste better once frosted. Very helpful if you have limited storage space.

Squashes, Pumpkins, Marrows

Leave marrows, pumpkins and squashes ready for harvesting in the sun or in a greenhouse or garage to let the skins harden and dry off.

Store them in a cool, dry, dark place.

Celery

Earth up celery for the last time in September just leaving a tuft of foliage sticking out of the trench or collar in order to blanch the stems.

If you are growing self-blanching varieties these are not so hardy and must be harvested before the first frosts.

Trench cultivars can be left in the ground but it is best to have some horticultural fleece or straw at hand to throw over the tops if severe frosts are forecast.

Asparagrass

Cut down asparagus when the foliage turns brown but watch out for the spines.

Mulch well, it is also a good time to prepare any new asparagrass beds.

Vegetable Seeds to Sow in September

Vegetables to sow for over wintering to mature next spring include:

Turnip
Spinach
Winter lettuce
Oriental vegetables
Seed of over wintering onions, both salad and bulb types

Carrots

Towards the end of September consider lifting and storing undamaged and disease free roots.

Beetroot

Towards the end of September consider lifting and storing undamaged and disease free roots.

Turnips

Towards the end of September consider lifting and storing undamaged and disease free roots.

Herbs

In September you can take cuttings of rosemary, lavender, bay and hyssop.

Flowered herbs should be cut back to encourage a second flush.

Herbs should be divided before they die back in the cold.

Pot up some of your favourite herbs and keep on the kitchen window sill for use in winter.

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