Here at Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden this week we will be sowing spinach and chard into our manger planters for overwintering. Our summer salad leaves are almost finished as they are beginning to succumb to the cold autumn nights. We will be clearing these and replacing them with winter crops. The mangers will then have their covers put on to give the seeds a snug environment to germinate in, as well as added protection over the winter.

We will also be giving our brassicas a good feed of blood, fish and bone. Our sprouts are beginning to swell and our broccoli is still producing lots of lovely spears. These have benefitted hugely from the insect mesh on the vegetable cage and are looking super healthy. A good feed now will keep them growing nicely.

Our Christmas new potatoes are beginning to appear through the soil in their bags and we will be topping them up with compost this week. They are currently nestled in our cold frame where they are enjoying the conditions. They will be moved into the greenhouse when the weather turns colder.

Leaves are beginning to turn yellow as the summer turns to autumn and it is important to remove any fallen leaves and keep the ground clear. This will help to prevent and pests or diseases lurking in dead foliage around our crops.

This week we will be harvesting blackberries, courgettes, kale, runner beans, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, broccoli, spinach, beetroot and celery.