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
This story is from the September 2023 edition of Kitchen Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2023 edition of Kitchen Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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
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
TRY AMARANTH! The dual-purpose veg
Garden Organic's research manager Anton Rosenfeld extols the virtues of amaranth and how to grow it
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
DIGGING THE DIRT PARSNIP WARS
All's fair in love and war, as John Holloway recounts the friendly rivalry he shares with fellow allotmenteer Joe
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT GROWING IN CONTAINERS
Want to grow fruit in pots on your patio or in your backyard? Top tips and advice this month from fruit expert David Patch
ASPARAGUS TIPS
Asparagus can be expensive to buy in the shops, but given a little space and time, it’s easy to grow this gourmet treat in your own back garden. Here’s how...
Paying it forward
We meet Ross Pearson, a gardening writer and horticultural lecturer from Northumberland, who was inspired and helped by his grandfather and now passes on his experience to the next generation of gardeners