In September, I look at the weather forecast with more eagerness than at any other time of year, hoping for gorgeous golden autumn days. Sunshine will help the squash to fully ripen, and the storage beans pods to dry crisp and brown. Harvesting, storing and preserving is in full swing: jars of preserves stored everywhere (even under beds!), bunches of herbs drying from hooks and sacks of spuds under the stairs. We have enough jam and chutney to feed the whole village for a year.
SAVING SEEDS
As harvests are gathered in, it's an excellent time to save some seeds to grow some of next year's crops for free. Beans and peas are easy to save. If they haven't dried fully on the plant, open the pods and spread across the drying baskets. Leave in a dry airy place, until dry. To test whether they are dry, wiggle your fingers through the beans or peas. If they feel hard and make a rattling sound, they are dry.
STEPH'S RECYCLING TIP
Now is an excellent time to stock up on those plastic mushroom trays that many grocers discard, saving them from landfill. Designed to be stackable, they are excellent for storing and drying produce. Line with clean tea towels or kitchen paper to make instant free drying baskets for veg, flowers and herbs.
Store in clean, dry labelled jars or envelopes, ready for sowing next year.
SAVING TOMATO SEEDS
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2023-Ausgabe von Kitchen Garden.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2023-Ausgabe von Kitchen Garden.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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EASY DOES IT!
As the growing season gathers pace there's one thing often in short supply: time! Ever feel like you're chasing your tail? Benedict Vanheems offers some tips to save valuable time and effort
A NEW Kitchen garden!
It's time for sowing and planting in the new garden and while Martin is busy with that, Jill is making a tasty asparagus soup
OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH
Kitchen Garden readers rose to the challenge when we asked for pictures of their plots to appear in the magazine this year. It's time to meet another of our talented competition winners
MANAGING WEEDS, NATURALLY
Weeds are never far away but you can keep them at bay without recourse to weedkillers
Meet the apple doctor
KG editor Steve Ott chats to Glyn Smith, head gardener for the National Trust's Erddig estate in Wrexham, about his career and love of the garden he has tended for 38 years
A CORNUCOPIA OF COURGETTES
It's time to sow a first batch of tender crops such as courgettes for picking through the summer months. KG editor Steve Ott has some tips for a super harvest
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT CURRANTS
you If I want to plant some soft fruit that is easy to grow and will give you plenty of flavour, how about trying currants?
TRY AMARANTH! The dual-purpose veg
Garden Organic's research manager Anton Rosenfeld extols the virtues of amaranth and how to grow it
A SPACE APART
Instagrammer James Martin shares his love of gardening and how much it has helped him and his family both mentally and physically under very difficult circumstances
HITTING THE SWEET SPOT
Welcome to the wonderful world of sweetcorn as Rob Smith takes a look at both old and newer varieties, with some growing advice too