Late autumn update

Not having written anything since late September pretty much sums up the amount of time I've spent at the allotment in recent weeks. With a continuing busy work schedule my free time for tidying the plot has been scarce to say the least. That said, I've been enough times over the past month or so to gather in the last of this year's fruits and summer vegetables.

Amazingly, the cougettes continued producing right up to the end of October and eventually it was me who curtailed their existence to clear some room. In previous years the first chilly nights of September had knocked them back but these were obviously made of much tougher stuff. The pumpkins (six from one plant) and the butternut squash (three from one) were picked before any frost could damage them and they have ripened nicely in our front room. After the fun of Halloween there are still a couple left for winter soups.

The sweetcorn was a great success and the last few cobs have now been frozen for use over the winter. I thought about leaving the plants in the ground over the winter but in the end they were uprooted and burnt on the allotment bonfire this weekend. I'll definitely grow the same variety again because they managed to ripen even in this poor excuse for a summer.

The final main crop of this year was the bramley apples. The old tree did us proud and we now have about two sackfuls awaiting treatment. I've given a fair few away but there are still more on the tree so some element of mass processing will be required. Spicey apple chutney will make stocking fillers for Christmas and, if I can get hold of a decent fruit press, I have my mind on a gallon or two of cider!

A quick visit this afternoon in the the drizzle and murk confirmed that the over-wintering veggies are doing well and will ride out the cold and damp until spring. I expect a good crop of purple sprouting broccoli, some fine spring cabbages, and a harvest of leeks throughout the winter months. I also checked the parsnips and was pleased to find long, clean tapering roots that were easy to lift thanks to the work I've put into the soil over the past few years. This year I started them off in grow tubes and planted them out individually once they'd germinated and got a good set of leaves. On the evidence so far it worked a treat and I'll do the same next year.

Once the bramley sheds its leaves it is in for a haircut as it has grown far too large and is also now shading some of the other fruit bushes. I have a number of winter tasks to keep me busy, such as some more raised beds and a new path, so there should be something to report on for the next few months. Thoughts also turn to next year and I have a selection of seed catalogues to peruse. After watching a rerun of the Victorian Kitchen Garden recently I'm keen to try some old vegetable varieties and see how I do with them. I'm also going to turn my hand to giant veg and have bought some mammoth onion seed to try. Apparently it should be sown on Boxing Day to maximise the growing season - that definitely beats cold turkey butties and an old Bond film!