Relaxed Farming - our farm in your classroom

Sowing... There is very little to sow this month, and all our energy is going into harvesting and cleaning up.

Harvesting... The marrows have done very well this year and we are able to sell quite a few to the local shops and to passers-by. The last of the peas and beans have been picked and the beds cleared ready for new compost. The butternut squash and pumpkin are ready for harvesting, and we need to start thinking about storage (a few potatoes are still in the ground) and turning some of the vegetables into soup for the winter.

Jobs... A massive clean-up of old vegetation (slugs love hiding under leaves) and the beds to make sure that all the old plant material is removed. Weeding has slowed down a bit, as has the growth of most of the plants. Whilst the days may be sunny the nights are now quite cold and the polythene covering of the polytunnel does not retain the heat for long. The asparagus stopped producing spears a little while ago, and has now grown into tall ferns with red berries. When this turns brown next month we will cut the foliage off and top up the bed with a general fertiliser and some well-rotted compost. The spring cabbages are ready for planting out now, and the beds we prepared last month have settled down ready for these new plants. As with the spring 'thinning out' we will plant some carefully in one bed, and leave the row we planted quite thickly to pick young leaves for our supper table.

Comments... The nights are closing in quickly at this time of year, and the heat of the day is soon lost - the soil in the beds starts to lose the warmth it had during the summer days and nights and the combination of shorter days and colder soil means many plants decide enough is enough, and stop growing!! The exceptions are typically brassicas and leeks and these are the staple vegetables for the winter months. We also order our seed catalogue this month to start planning for next year...

October and the compost heap is steaming away!
Relaxed Farming

Asparagus ferns

The ferns will go brown later this month and may then be cut back, allowing us to top up the asparagus bed with well rotted compost.

Some of the marrows we have harvested
Relaxed Farming