I’ve had a few niggles recently, it’s the end of a long and difficult growing season, and I’m running on empty, so I have decided to take a break next week. I will not be delivering any boxes and I will not be at Wyken on Saturday 12th October. I just need to have a quiet week to recharge the knackered batteries – a Duracell bunny I ain’t. Apologies for the inconvenience, but I think that it is necessary. Everything will be as normal this week.

It’s proper autumn now after the Indian summer of the previous week – wind, rain, chilly nights, just as it should be I suppose at this time of the year. In the garden it’s a time for clearing many of the summer crops and preparing for next year. The cover crop that I sowed a week and a half ago has germinated really well, at least the rye grass element has, helped by the recent rain. It should provide a good covering to protect the soil over the winter. I gathered in the rest of the winter squash on Wednesday and have put them on the benches in the low greenhouse to cure. Much of the first batch that I harvested a couple of weeks ago, mostly Uchiki Kuri and Delicata, have been moved into trays in the potting shed for long-term storage. This week I will start clearing the polytunnel to make way for leafy greens for the winter and spring. The tomatoes have had it now, so I will collect any decent green ones for frying or making chutney with and put the spent plants on the compost heap. In the greenhouse there is still some fruit ripening, but very little. I will have to pick a moment to terminate them, otherwise I will miss the window of opportunity for planting/sowing winter crops. I am leaving the climbing beans for now because I want to collect seed from the pods of the runner and French beans when they have ripened. Meanwhile it will soon be time to sow the broad beans that I saved and dried several weeks ago.

I took another good load of apples to be pressed last week and I’ve still got plenty more to pick. Monday and Tuesday are looking pretty wet, so it won’t be much fun up a ladder in those conditions, but I might have to grin and bear it, I can’t let the crop spoil for a bit of unpleasantness.

The sweetcorn has finished now. I might have had some this week but the badger discovered it and had a right old beano on the cobs growing lower on the stems. I wonder if they get hyperactive after taking on so much sugar? The Romanesco cauliflowers are also done, but there will be purple sprouting broccoli again and Sweetheart pointed cabbages, as well as Cavolo Nero. I have a batch of green oakleaf lettuce that look about ready to cut. I just hope that there is not too much slug damage after the recent rain. I will pick some sweet peppers, but if you order it will be pot luck as to whether you will receive one that is green, red or orange. As well as the good for boiling Acoustic potatoes, this week there will be Marfona, which is a variety that is suited to mashing, baking, roasting and chipping – if you indulge yourself  in such naughtiness. I am giving some Spanish Satsumas a go this week, just to freshen things up a bit. When the limes arrived they were much smaller than anticipated, so I have knocked the price back this time.

As the batteries are running low I am calling it a day now. Have a splendid week.

Phil