30th October 2022 Autumn, Featured

Now is a great time to boost the life of no dig soil with new compost and other mulches, wherever you can find space to spread them. Growth here is still strong after a warm and sunny October with dec

29th September 2022 Autumn, Featured

Growth slows rapidly through October, while the volume of harvests can increase, depending what you replanted in summer. It’s a potentially difficult month yet also rewarding. No dig makes every

30th August 2022 Autumn, Featured

Like most of the year so far, August has been warm and dry with 19C/66F mean temperature. It’d the second warmest August I’ve recorded, after 2003 which was exceptional. That’s now

28th October 2021 Autumn, Featured

The change of clocks is matching a change of weather, and in both senses it’s now wintry more than autumnal. Follow my tips below for a last few sowings, making more and better compost, and enjo

3rd October 2021 Autumn, Featured

  September was lovely here, with gentle weather and abundant growth. We have continued to transplant outside, including spinach, spring onions, mustards, chervil and spring cabbage. In the green

28th August 2021 Autumn, Featured

After some dry summers recently, when we dreamed of having more rain, this summer we had welcome rain and growth has been abundant. And the other result is slugs, snails and late blight, especially on

31st October 2020 Autumn, Featured

Prepare for winter with a clear mind. Beware the seasonal misunderstandings which take root from misleading information. They waste your time and cost you money. My quotes below are to give you an ide

14th October 2020 Autumn, Featured

The transition from summer to winter vegetables is almost complete. It’s both sad and exciting: we just ate the first celeriac, yet still have tomatoes ripening in boxes. There have been cool ni

29th September 2020 Autumn, Featured

It’s a stark difference between the remains of summer in late September, and an entry to winter by 31st. I notice while picking salads every week, how leaves from the same plants become thinner, pal

14th September 2020 Autumn, Featured

We should continue to see strong growth for another month, until daylight levels fall off a cliff in late October. If you are still sowing seeds, every day now counts for a lot, so don’t delay (see

30th August 2020 Autumn, Featured

Growth this summer has been strong and abundant, with few weeds thanks to no dig. The garden is full, but we are still finding just enough gaps to set out new plants, and making new sowings in trays,

16th November 2019 Autumn, Featured

A principle which always works well (for me since 1982) is to mulch the soil and feed soil life, after clearing last harvests in the autumn. Any decomposed organic matter is good to use, enough that t

26th October 2019 Autumn, Featured

October was wet and November could be cold. I hope that frost won’t hurt some late harvests of fennel, which I want to cover with fleece. Most other autumn veg can stand light freezing, includin

13th October 2019 Autumn, Featured

Autumn has brought 160mm/6.4in rain in three weeks, but thanks to no dig the water is draining away, and without leaching nutrients. Almost all beds at Homeacres have had no compost since last year, a

25th September 2019 Autumn, Featured

We pass from late summer to early winter in a short space of time, and since the weather is already making that shift, here are my tips on being ready for the cooler and darker months. My recent inter

28th August 2019 Autumn, Featured

Often the weather flips in late August from summer to autumn, and this year is no exception. The last 7 days here had an average maximum temperature of 25C/77F, then next week’s forecast gives 19C/6

31st October 2018 Autumn, Featured

After a gorgeous summer and early autumn, we suddenly have wintry weather. However it’s also continuing to be dry here with just 60mm/2.4in rain in October. That makes 299mm/12in rain since April, w

14th October 2018 Autumn

Autumn has brought just 41mm/1.6in rain here so far in October, encouraging new growth but not yet enough to soak into the soil, which is still  dry below 4-6in/10-15cm. The average temperature has b

30th September 2018 Autumn

Quite soon the switch flicks and the last joys of summer cede to cooler and above all darker days. We have had many cool nights already and some ground frost, then many days of sunshine and temperatur

15th September 2018 Autumn

If you have not already sown salads for cropping undercover through winter and into spring, NOW is the moment. So they have time to establish before winter, make decent roots then crop in cool weather

31st August 2018 Autumn

September looks dry for much of the UK: no dig means easier watering, see below. There are still plantings for outdoor veg and sowings for veg under cover. August gave welcome rain at times, 85mm/3.4i