Allotment jobs month by month - Horfield and District Allotments

January

Vegetables

Plan this year’s vegetable plantings, ideally rotating crops by not planting in the same place as last year..
By mid January, start ‘chitting’ tubers of early potatoes in trays in a cool, light, frost-free location.
Continue to harvest sprouts, kale, cabbage, leeks and parsnips as needed.
Keep kale, winter cabbages and other brassicas covered with netting to protect them from hungry pigeons. Remove any yellowed leaves, so that fungal diseases don’t take hold.
Sow summer brassicas and spinach on a windowsill to plant out in late February.
Aubergines can be sown under cover on a sunny windowsill from late January.

Fruit

Begin forcing rhubarb for an early crop by placing a bucket or forcing jar over the crop.
Prune gooseberries, redcurrants and whitecurrants by removing dead wood and low lying shoots. Prune last year’s growth of the main stems by about a half. Prune all side-shoots back to one to three buds from their bases.
Prune overgrown blackcurrant bushes; remove a third of the old, weak or unproductive stems to ground level to encourage new basal shoots
Prune apples and pears to control their shape and size, maintaining an open centre. Do not remove more than 20% of the crown in one winter
Prune grapevines before mid January
Plant bare-root fruit trees. If they need a frame to grow on (e.g. espalier apple trees), now is a good time to construct it.
Apply winter washes to fruit trees to control overwintering pests.

Flowers

Sow later sweet peas now and pot on autumn-sown sweet peas, pinching out the tip after 4 pairs of leaves have developed or when plants have reached 3.5 cms. Place on a sunny windowsill, in a cold frame or greenhouse.

General

Clear any remaining debris on the plot and cover cleared soil with weed suppressant.
Complete winter digging of bare beds and cover the ground to warm beds for early crops.
Spread manure to areas as required to increased fertility and improve the soil structure.
Clean polytunnels and greenhouses, pots and seed-trays ready for the coming growing season

Gardening for wildlife

Put up a bird feeder on your plot and regularly replenish it.
Clear out bird boxes by removing old nests and rinse out boxes

February

Vegetables

If the weather is suitable the following crops can be sown outdoors:

- Broad beans,
- Spring garlic,
- Peas,
- Jerusalem artichokes,
- Spinach.

The following can be sown in a cold frame or greenhouse beds or under cover:

- Radishes
- Cabbages,
- Early leeks in deep pots,
- Early lettuce.

In a heated propagator or sunny windowsill, sow the following:

- Celeriac in deep modules;
- Aubergines
- Sweet and chilli peppers from mid February (chillies need 21 degrees to germinate.)
- Tomatoes (at the end of the month).
- Sow mustard and cress in a small seed tray (ready to pick in a few weeks)

Continue ‘chitting’ tubers of potatoes in trays in a cool, light, frost-free location.
Prepare a new asparagus bed by digging in well-rotted manure and order asparagus crowns
Continue to harvest sprouts, kale, cabbage, leeks and parsnips as needed. Purple sprouting broccoli may also be ready to pick
Keep kale, winter cabbages and other brassicas covered with netting to protect them from hungry pigeons. Remove any yellowed leaves, so that fungal diseases don’t take hold.
Plant out summer brassicas and spinach seedlings in late February.
Apply lime to the soil at 270g per sq m, 8oz per sq yd. where brassicas are to be grown. This will help reduce the risk of infection by Club root that affects the roots of brassicas.
Calcified Seaweed can be used as a natural alternative to lime, fork it in 140g per sq yard / metre about a week before planting.
Prepare for early vegetable crops by warming soil before sowing, covering seedbeds with polythene or cloches

Fruit

Continue forcing rhubarb for an early crop by placing a bucket or forcing jar over the crop. Pick the tender shoots as required.
Top-dress all tree and soft fruit with sulphate of potash.
This month, complete pruning of apple and pear trees, gooseberries, redcurrants and prune out a quarter of blackcurrants’ older growth at ground level.
Prune autumn raspberries, cutting all canes down to the ground.
If summer-fruiting raspberries have grown above their supports, cut back to one or two buds above the top wire.
After pruning, apply a general-purpose fertilizer to tree, bush and cane fruit and mulch with well-rotted manure or garden compost.
Spray dormant fruit trees and bushes with plant oil-based winter tree wash to kill overwintering eggs of aphid pests.

Flowers

Sow sweet peas under cover in deep pots or Root-trainers.
Pot on and pinch out autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage side-shoots to form.
Sow hardy annuals for companion planting such as calendula and tagetes indoors for earlier blooms.

General

Apply general fertilizers such as blood, fish and bone or seaweed (organic) or Growmore, (inorganic).
Poultry Manure pellets are a non-chemical alternative to Growmore. They are slower to release their nutrient content, some of which will not become available until the soil warms up
Later in the month, if the soil isn’t too wet, start to dig in overwintered green manures (e.g. Grazing Rye, Winter Tares or Overwinter Mix sown previous August to November) as the frost should have killed them off.
Organic Rock Dust and Bio Char can be used as soil improvers to replace minerals in the soil lost to leaching
Continue to tidy up and re-cut grass path edges if the grass has encroached on your plot.
Clear any remaining debris on the plot and cover cleared soil with weed suppressant.
Clean pots and trays by scrubbing in hot, soapy water before starting to sow new seeds. Pests and diseases can overwinter in old potting compost, surviving to damage newly emerging seedlings.

Gardening for wildlife

Continue to top up bird feeders. Avoid giving large foods, such as peanuts, as nesting time approaches.
Put up nesting boxes if you have a suitable spot on a tree or hut.
Avoid turning the compost heap until mid-spring as it could be sheltering hibernating frogs, small mammals and insects.

March

Although the weather during March can be variable, the soil will start to warm up as the days get longer. Where we have sunny days it may be possible to prepare the ground for planting or sowing later in the month. Weeds will also start to appear more during March, so hoeing is an essential activity to suppress weeds before they take hold. Mulching can also be done around any plants that emerge.

Vegetables

Raise the soil pH by adding lime to brassica beds. This will help prevent club root and encourage growth.
Sow outdoors early cultivars of beetroot, broad beans, peas, early cultivars of lettuce, radish, early spinach, parsnips and turnips.
Towards the end of the month early varieties of carrot can be sown.
Sow indoors or in the greenhouse Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, celeriac, early leeks and tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, peppers and chillies
Start herbs from seed. Sow dill, fennel, parsley and sorrel in plots to transplant later.
Watch out for signs of damping off in seedlings and be careful not to overwater.
Prepare trenches for runner beans with well-rotted manure and shredded paper at the base.
By the end of March, if the weather is warming, plant first early potatoes when the shoots are 2cms long
By the end of the month direct plant shallots and onion sets.
Plant asparagus crowns
Protect new spring shoots from slugs
Feed cabbages and other brassicas with pelleted chicken manure or other nitrogen-rich fertiliser.
Buy trays of young plants if you don’t have the time or space to grow from seed.

Fruit

Prune blueberries.
Pick rhubarb tender shoots as required.
Feed fruit trees and bushes, including cherries and plums.
March is the last month for planting bare-root fruit trees and bushes.
Plant out any remaining bare-root strawberry runners,

Flowers

Many annuals can be sown towards the end of the month
Candytuft is an easy an attractive plant for children to sow from seed

General

Prepare seed beds in readiness for sowing seed later in the month
Hoe weeds as they appear
Cover soil with cloches, fleece or a thick layer of manure to warm the soil.
Top- dress overwintering vegetables with a general fertilizer.
Apply a general fertilizer to all areas required for early crops
Clean polytunnel sides and/or greenhouse panes to maximise light levels.
Compost heap can be sorted now to provide compost for spring planting

Gardening for wildlife

Look out for birds nesting in nest boxes around the allotment
Keep on the lookout for slowworms and other wildlife on your plot

April

Vegetables

Draw up soil around the base of peas and broad beans to support them and increase the rooting area.
Plant early potatoes when chits are 2cms long.
Earth up early potatoes when they have made 8” growth.
Second early and maincrop potatoes should be sown by the end of the month.
Plant out indoor-sown peas
Sow broad beans and peas.
Make direct successional sowings of beetroot, Swiss chard, lettuce, radish, summer spinach, spring onions, parsnips and turnips.
Sow early varieties of carrot when the ground has warmed up.
Sow indoors or in polytunnel Brussels sprouts, cabbage, early leeks, cucumbers, courgettes and peppers and sweet corn for later transplanting.
Sow indoors or in polytunnel climbing or dwarf beans for later transplanting.
Sow indoors or in polytunnel tender vegetables such as runner beans, squash and pumpkins.
Finish planting onions and shallots.
Plant up new asparagus and globe artichoke beds.
Cut asparagus late in the month (if ready!)
Sow herbs – oregano, thyme, dill, fennel and parsley from seed.
Cover radishes and turnips with horticultural fleece to protect against flea beetle.

Fruit

Harvest rhubarb by pulling a few stalks at a time. Put the leaves on the compost heap.
Once leaf buds open, start formative pruning of plum and cherry trees.
Use fleece to protect blossom of trees such as pears if frost is forecast.

General

Keep ground covered with fleece to warm up prior to planting seeds or transplanting.

Remove weeds before they flower to avoid seeding.
Keep grass paths manageable by regular cutting.

Flowers

Plant out indoor-sown sweet peas or direct sow outdoors.
Sow annuals to attract pollinating insects such as Nigella, marigolds, Cosmos, poppies.

Gardening for wildlife

Keep some wild patches (e.g. rotting wood, nettles, etc.) around your allotment plot for wildlife to feed on and to hide in
Plant a wildflower mix to encourage bees and other pollinating insects
Try not to use inorganic fertilisers and pesticides

May

Vegetables

Harvest asparagus by cutting stems just below the surface.
Earth up potatoes when shoots are approx. 20cm tall, pulling the earth up to form peaked rows. This should help prevent cold damage and stop tubers turning green.
Put out sticks or netting for peas to climb up; cover with netting to protect from bird damage
Keep beds containing onion and shallots free from weeds.
Sow salad crops successionally, including radishes, spinach and beetroot and herbs such as basil, coriander and parsley.
Sow cauliflowers, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts and leeks for harvesting next winter.
Sow sweet corn, French and runner beans direct into the soil.
Sow carrots. Use insect mesh to protect from carrot fly.
Make late sowings of peas by the end of the month.
Start hardening off tender plants for planting out during the month.
Plant out tomatoes towards the end of the month watching out for drops in night temperatures below 12 degrees C. Be ready to put protection such as fleece or cloches around plants on cold nights.
Sow pumpkins, squashes and outdoor cucumbers under cover now or outdoors towards the end of the month..
Support broad beans with string attached to stakes. Watch out for blackfly on broad beans and rub off. Pinch off the tops with blackfly above the flowers.

Fruit

Remove raspberry suckers encroaching onto paths or between rows.
Harvest stems of established rhubarb when the stalk reaches 20 – 30 cm. Pull stalks, taking no more than half at any one time.
Net blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes and cherry trees to prevent bird damage.
Place straw under strawberries to keep fruit clean and deter slug damage. Feed with tomato fertiliser every week.
Watch out for early summer dryness. Recently planted trees, shrubs and fruit need regular watering for the first two growing seasons.

General

Prepare seed beds when the weather is suitable, ready for sowing and planting out later in the month
Add garden compost or well-rotted manure to maintain soil structure and retain moisture and nutrients.
Weed the plots regularly, taking out annual weeds before they produce seeds.
Dig out perennial weeds such as bindweed and couch grass- try not to leave any part of the root in the ground.
Continue to keep grass paths down by hand-shearing, mowing or strimming (ideally by battery-powered strimmer!).
Sow fast-growing green manure where there are areas of bare soil where summer or autumn vegetables are to be planted out. Dug in before July it will fix nitrogen in the soil.
Plant comfrey. The leaves can be used as a compost activator, as well as a making an excellent liquid feed.
Cover vulnerable plants with fleece if cold nights are forecast.
Be vigilant for slug damage to vulnerable plants – use your preferred slug deterrent

Flowers

Prepare a fine seedbed and sow flowering annuals to attract pollinating insects.

Gardening for wildlife

When trimming hedges and trees be mindful that birds may still be nesting.

June

Vegetables

Continue to earth up potatoes when shoots are approx. 20cm tall to stop tubers turning green.
Towards the end of the month early potatoes may be ready for harvesting. Tubers should be ready when plants begin to flower.
Autumn-sown broad beans should be ready for picking. Continue to check for blackfly and pinch off the tops above the flowers if blackfly appear.
Regularly pinch out side-shoots on cordon tomatoes and tie in plants to supports.
Feed tomatoes every 10-14 days with a liquid fertilizer, changing to a high potash fertilizer once the first fruits begin to set.
Water crops when planted in and when flowers or pods are forming
Plant out sweet corn in blocks to aid wind pollination.
Continue planting out or direct-sow runner and French beans., courgettes, squash and pumpkins
Plant out outdoor cucumbers and peppers. Protect with fleece on cold nights.
Successionally, sow spinach, beetroot
Successionally salads, rocket and basil etc every two to three weeks for continuous picking.
Make a late sowing of peas for an autumn crop.
Put netting over brassicas to prevent bird damage
Quick-maturing radishes or salad leaf crops can be sown between brassica rows.
Sow overwintering carrots such as Autumn King or Chantenay. Cover with insect-proof mesh to prevent carrot root fly.
Transplant pencil-thick leeks now into 15cm deep holes. Cover with insect-proof mesh to prevent leek moth damage.

Fruit

Place straw under strawberries to keep fruit clean and deter slug damage.
Protect soft fruit, especially strawberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants, from bird attack by netting securely
Tie in new raspberry and blackberry canes.
Check for sawfly larvae on gooseberries. Hand pick off.
Put out pheromone traps on apple tree and plum trees to prevent codling moth and plum moth damage.
On plum trees, after the ‘June drop’ of excess developing fruits, thin the fruits to prevent over laden branches breaking.

Flowers

Quick-germinating annuals, such as cosmos, that attract insect pollinators can still be sown.
Sow wallflowers for next year

General

If necessary water plants; however see Watering Vegetables for advice on which crops require watering
Continue to hand-weed or hoe regularly to keep on top of weeds.
Dig deep to remove highly invasive bindweed as it appears.
Continue to mow or clip grass paths weekly.
If you have sown green manure, dig it in this month to fix the nitrogen in the soil.
Make regular cuttings of comfrey every 4 to 6 weeks and lay the leaves around crops as a mulch, or put into a tub of water to turn into an excellent liquid feed.
Be alert for slug and snail damage to young plants, especially on wet nights and use your preferred slug deterrent

Gardening for wildlife

When trimming hedges and trees be mindful that birds may still be nesting.hen trimming hedges and trees be mindful that birds may still be nesting bit
Try not to disturb slowworms when topping up your compost heap.

July

Vegetables

Harvest early potatoes when the flowers die down. Also continue to earth up maincrop potatoes to prevent tubers turning green.
Pull up garlic plants and onions when tops start to die down. Place bulbs in sun to dry out for two weeks.
Harvest broad beans and peas.
Harvest courgettes regularly to prevent them developing into marrows.
Pick lettuce, radish, carrot and beetroot when they reach required size.
Continue to pinch out side-shoots on cordon tomatoes and tie in plants to supports.
Feed tomatoes with a high potash fertilizer once the first fruits begin to set.
Plant out sweet corn in blocks to aid wind pollination.
Ensure runner beans are climbing up poles/frame, tying in if required.
Successionally, sow spinach, beetroot, lettuce, rocket basil
Plant out any remaining greenhouse-grown plants such as sweetcorn, leeks, squash, cabbage, broccoli and any other brassica plants.
Inspect brassica plants for caterpillars and pick off to prevent excessive damage

Fruit

Continue to harvest strawberries as they ripen.
Peg out strawberry runners into pots of compost/earth to produce a new strawberry plant for planting out next year.
Pick any remaining blackcurrants and redcurrants
Harvest any remaining gooseberries
Pick raspberries and, later in the month, the first blackberries may be ripe.
Continue to check plum trees and thin the fruits to prevent mildew spreading and over laden branches breaking.

Flowers

Pick flowers for decorating the house as they bloom.
Regularly dead head flowers once they finish flowering unless you wish to keep the seeds

General

Water plants that require it – see Watering Guidelines page for advice
Continue to hand-weed or hoe regularly to keep on top of weeds.
Continue to mow or clip grass paths weekly.
Regularly add waste clippings and other organic matter to the compost heap
Continue to cut comfrey every 4 to 6 weeks and make a comfrey “tea” for an excellent liquid feed to ripening crops.

Gardening for wildlife

For general tips on wildlife gardening follow this link

Leave some wild patches (e.g. nettles, rotting branches) for insects, butterflies and other wildlife to hide and lay eggs in.
Remember to top up any water supplies on your plot (e.g. pond or open bucket so that birds can take a drink in the hot weather.

August

Harvesting is one of the main activities this month. You should aim to regularly harvest crops like French beans, runner beans and courgettes to prevent them getting too large, and to encourage new growth.
Certain crops can still be sown this month and planting out of brassicas and leeks can still be done.

Vegetables

Harvest 2^nd early potatoes and, later in the month, main crop potatoes once the foliage dies down. If signs of blight appear immediately remove the foliage.
Pull up onions, shallots and garlic when stems are tops are dry and papery; once fully dry store indoors in a trays or bags in cool dry area.
Continue harvesting courgettes, tomatoes, french beans and runner beans regularly
Pick lettuce, radish, carrot and beetroot when they reach required size.
Harvest sweet corn when a grain exudes milky juice when tested with a fingernail.
Plant out winter brassicas, broccoli, kale and cabbages.
Sow Swiss chard, perpetual spinach and make last sowing of beetroot and carrot at the beginning of the month.
Sow fast growing ‘catch crops’ for autumn use, such as radish, lettuce, rocket and turnips.
Sow oriental vegetables such as mizuna, pak choi and mustard greens for salad leaves- they bolt less at this time of year.
Sow parsley to last through till spring and basil on a sunny windowsill.
Divide clumps of chives.

Fruit

Harvest early ripening apples and pears.
Plant new strawberries now, either as detached runners or new plants.
Harvest blackberries and plums every few days as they ripen.
On grape vines shorten fruit bearing branches to two leaves beyond the fruit bunch.
Prune out fruited canes of summer raspberries.
Tie in new canes on raspberries and blackberries.
Summer prune trained fruit trees such as fans, espaliers and cordons.
Prune plum and damson trees after fruiting.

Flowers

Pick flowers as they bloom
Regularly dead head flowers to encourage further blooms

General

Sow green manure crops such as mustard or phacelia to dig in during autumn.
Water plants that require it – see Watering Guidelines page for advice
Regularly add waste clippings and other organic matter to the compost heap

Gardening for wildlife

Leave some wild patches (e.g. nettles, rotting branches) for insects, butterflies and other wildlife to hide and lay eggs in.
Remember to top up any water supplies on your plot (e.g. pond or open bucket so that birds can take a drink in the hot weather.

For general tips on wildlife gardening follow this link

September

Vegetables

Harvest maincrop potatoes. Check each tuber for disease or damage and do not store damaged tubers. Store in a cool, dry place. Let the tubers dry off before storing in jute, hessian or paper bags in a dark frost-free place.
Store onions that have been dried in nets or slatted trays in well-ventilated conditions.
Continue harvesting courgettes, tomatoes, french beans and runner beans regularly
Pick lettuce, radish, carrot and beetroot when they reach required size.
Continue to harvest sweet corn.
Leave autumn squashes to ripen on the plant as long as possible. Place fruit on a wooden board or tile to prevent soiling. Fruits are ready when richly coloured and ring hollow when tapped.
Plant out spring cabbage.
Plant overwintering onion sets.
Protect leafy vegetable crops with bird netting.
Spinach, coriander, rocket and parsley can all be sown until the middle of the month.
Sow fast-growing Oriental greens such as pak choi and mizuna.
Sow winter greens such as land cress, corn salad and hardy lettuce cultivars (including ‘Arctic King’ and ‘Valdor’) for spring picking. Sow kale for early spring harvesting and rocket for autumn harvesting.
Sow broad bean varieties such as Aquadulce or Masterpiece Green Longpod in late September for harvesting in late May, early June.
In the polytunnel sow herbs, salad leaves such as pea shoots, beetroot and chard for winter leaves
Cut herbs for drying and use throughout the winter.

Fruit

Continue to harvest apples and pears as they ripen. Store in a cool, well-ventilated place. Any damaged fruit will not store well and should be eaten now or can be cleaned sliced and frozen.
Continue picking autumn raspberries and blackberries.
Pot up strawberry runners to make new plants for next summer or plant out new strawberries.
Cut out the fruited canes of summer raspberries, blackberries, loganberries and tayberries. Leave the new green canes, as these will crop next year.
Summer prune trained fruit trees such as fans, espaliers and cordons.
Prune blackcurrants by taking out some branches near to ground level
Plant fruit trees at the end of the month while the soil is still warm.
Apply grease bands to fruit trees at the end of the month to deter winter moth.

Flowers

Sow hardy annuals such as calendula officianalis in shallow drills for late spring flowering next year.
Plant daffodil bulbs for early spring flowering.
Continue to dead head flowers to encourage further blooms

General

Empty the compost bin by bagging up compost from the bottom of the bin or heap. Store it ready for use next spring and start a new mix.
Deep-dig out perennial weeds such as bindweed. Keep weeding to prevent weeds seeding.
Begin to add well-rotted manure to bare areas.
Clean the polytunnel to reduce overwintering pests.

October

October is the month when most crops have finished cropping – any last vegetables and fruit should be picked or dug up.
Some seeds can be sown to over-winter to get a late spring/early summer cropping.

Vegetables

Harvest any remaining maincrop potatoes. Store in a cool, dry place in jute, hessian or paper bags in a dark frost-free place. Check for blight damage occasionally and discard any rotten tubers.
Continue harvesting any remaining runner beans
Continue to pick any remaining radish, carrot and beetroot when they reach required size. Ensure carrots are protected with insect mesh as carrot flies are most damaging in late summer and autumn.
Pick autumn squashes and set to “cure” in a warm, dry place for 10-14 days, then in a cool, light place at around 50-55F until ready to eat. Many squash can be stored for up to 6 months.
Plant overwintering onion sets and garlic. Soil must be well drained. Onion sets should just peep above the surface. If the ph is lower than 7 add a little calcified seaweed. Plant garlic 1.5- 2”deep, spaced 7” apart. Both benefit from onion fertilizer.
Plant over wintering peas and broad beans (Aquadulce) for harvesting in late May, early June.
Winter salads and oriental greens can be sown in the green house or cold frame.
Check that the bird netting on brassicas is secure in preparation for more wintry weather.
Collect seeds of plants that have not been harvested. Peas and beans save well. Collect directly from the plant on a dry day to avoid fungal rot and put straight into paper bags.
Plant out spring cabbage 6” apart.

Fruit

Continue to harvest apples and pears as they ripen. Store in a cool, well-ventilated place. Any damaged fruit will not store well and should be eaten now or can be cleaned sliced and frozen.
Plant fruit trees at the end of the month while the soil is still warm.
Apply grease bands to fruit trees to deter winter moth.
Order bare-rooted fruit trees to be delivered November onwards.
Take hardwood cuttings, 1ft long, from gooseberries and currants. Plant in pots of compost.
Lift and divide rhubarb plants that have been in situ for more than 5 years or are less productive. Keep and replant the newer outside growth and discard the centre.
Clear away strawberry foliage to prevent build-up of pests and diseases.

Flowers

Plant daffodils, alliums and other spring bulbs for early spring flowering. (Hold off planting tulips until November.)
Sow sweet peas in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse for early summer flowering. Sow in root trainers or 3” pots.
Sow hardy annuals such as calendula officianalis in shallow drills for late spring flowering next year.
Continue to dead head flowers to encourage further blooms

General

Continue to clear the ground of this summer’s growth, weeding as you go, especially perennial weeds (e.g. bindweed, couch grass).
Turn the compost heap to speed its decomposition.
Compost fallen leaves in hessian bags. Compost pea and bean foliage,but leave the roots in the ground as they contain nitrogen.
Spread manure to areas planned for next year’s brassicas and lime in the spring if the ph level is below 7.
Sow green manures such as field beans, vetches or rye grass to be dug in next February.

Gardening for wildlife

Leave decorative perennial seed heads as food and habitats for wildlife
Build an insect hotel or install a log pile.

For general tips on wildlife gardening follow this link

November

Vegetables

Any remaining potatoes still in the ground should be dug up and stored in hessian sacks or paper bags.
Take down any remaining bean poles and store away for the winter
Harvest carrots, cabbage and celeriac as needed.
Plant overwintering onion sets and garlic. Soil must be well drained. Onion sets should just peep above the surface. Plant garlic 1.5- 2”deep, spaced 7” apart. Both benefit from onion fertilizer.
Plant over-wintering peas and broad beans (Aquadulce) for harvesting in late May, early June.
Check the nets covering brassica plants so that the leaves stay well clear of the nets as they grow. Adjust netting if necessary.

Fruit

Blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries can be pruned from now on until March. Cut out any dead, dying or diseased wood and aim for an open, goblet shape.
Take hardwood cuttings, 1ft long, from gooseberries and currants. Plant in pots of compost.
Cut down autumn-fruiting raspberries once they have finished fruiting, All of the old canes need to be cut to the ground, as they bear fruit on new wood.
Check apples and pears that have been stored in a cool dry place, as any rotten fruit should be discarded
Apply grease bands to fruit trees to deter winter moth.
Order bare-rooted fruit trees to be delivered November onwards.

Flowers

Move any pots of flower into the greenhouse or polytunnel for protection from frost.
Plant tulips and any remaining daffodils, alliums and other spring bulbs for early spring flowering.
Sow sweet peas in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse for early summer flowering and showing. Sow in root trainers or 3” pots.
Sow hardy annuals such as calendula officianalis in shallow drills for late spring flowering next year.
Prune roses

General

Rather than burn woody material try to shred it or let it rot down into usable mulch/compost.
Gather up fallen leaves and put into a large sack to produce leaf mould in about a year’s time.
Continue to clear the ground of this summer’s growth, putting as much as possible on to the compost heap.
Roughly dig over the ground ready for the winter frosts to break it down, weeding as you go, especially perennial weeds (e.g. bindweed, couch grass).
Get delivery of manure and cover with a non-permeable covering so that rain doesn’t leach away the nutrients.
Spread manure to areas as required to increased fertility and improve the soil structure.
Sow green manures such as field beans or ryegrass to be dug in next February.

Gardening for wildlife

When clearing up garden debris be careful not to disturb any hibernating hedgehogs.
Leave some woodpiles and leaf litter for wildlife to use.

For general tips on wildlife gardening follow this link

December

Daylight hours are short this month, but if the weather allows, a few hours spent on the allotment at this time of year will not only warm you up and reward you with some tasty crops – you’ll reap the benefits next year, too.

Vegetables

Regularly check potatoes stored in sacks for blight damage occasionally and discard any rotten tubers.
Harvest cabbage, leeks and parsnips as needed.
Harvest Brussels Sprouts when they are around one inch in diameter, before they ‘blow open’, picking them from the base of the plant upwards
Keep kale, winter cabbages and other brassicas covered with netting to protect them from hungry pigeons. Remove any yellowed leaves, so that fungal diseases don’t take hold.

Fruit

Blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries can be pruned from now on until March. Cut out any dead, dying or diseased wood and aim for an open, goblet shape.
Check apples and pears that have been stored in a cool dry place, as any rotten fruit should be discarded
Plant bare-root fruit trees. If they need a frame to grow on (e.g. espalier apple trees), now is a good time to construct it.
Apply grease bands to fruit trees to deter winter moth.
Prune apples and pears this month to control their shape and size, and to increase their productivity

General

From November 1^st bonfires are allowed on the allotment, so you can burn any woody or diseased material that cannot go on to the compost heap./
Start planning next year’s plantings on the allotment. Consider what went well this year – and what didn’t – and think about rotating your crops.
Roughly dig over the ground ready for the winter frosts to break it down, weeding as you go, especially perennial weeds (e.g. bindweed, couch grass).
Get delivery of manure and cover with a non-permeable covering so that rain doesn’t leach away the nutrients.
Spread manure to areas as required to increased fertility and improve the soil structure.

Gardening for wildlife
For general tips on wildlife gardening follow this link