October News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

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The Summer is over, and we have moved into Autumn, and October is the tidy up month. It is a good month to get the garden put to bed unless you plan to work through the Winter. Personally, I retire to the kitchen these days to develop my interest in cooking which pleases the Duchess immensely.

September brought some much needed rain with it and cooler temperatures, which has allowed the garden to start the process of recovery and refilled the water butts. We didn’t even get a hosepipe ban, not to mention standpipes in the street. However, we need to learn the lessons from this year as ever hotter Summers may become the norm. Unless, of course, the world can face up to Global Warming. Good luck with that one!

The lawn is picking up quickly and is much greener, although there are some large brown patches of dead thatch and even bare earth that may need re-seeding next year. I have set about the lawn with a spring tyne rake to scarify the dead stuff and it is making a difference, but not easy work. There is still a chance for a low Nitrogen Autumn weed and feed, which will help to strengthen the roots over the Winter, ready for next Spring. The edges can be tidied up with a half moon cutter now that the soil is damp. Then it is best to avoid unnecessary foot traffic.

The vegetable patch finally managed to produce some Runner Beans, in fact, there is now a glut. The hot weather really set them back, and the first flush of flower failed to produce much of a crop. Hopefully, they will now continue well into October and make up lost ground. The Climbing French Beans are also doing well, although they finish a bit earlier than the Runners. Also, hoping for some October Marrows, which will be a bonus. One of the Marrows actually turned out to be a Pumpkin (gosh knows where it came from) which has become a staple for soup… pints of it! Also, I discovered a recipe for Thai Red Curry with Pork and Pumpkin. If you simmer it for over 20 minutes, the Pumpkin dissolves into the sauce and gives it a lovely sweetness. Anything that is frost sensitive needs to be harvested this month and stored in a cool dry place. That just leaves the Winter crops to stand in the ground.

The borders and containers should keep producing colour through to the first hard frost, and hopefully, you have a good number of Autumn flowering perennials in your garden. Chrysanthemums are a wonderful Autumn perennial and one of the finest plants. A lot of growers specialise in them, and of course, the Emperor of Japan sits on the Chrysanthemum throne. They can take a lot of effort to grow however, a Charm Chrysanthemum can grace any garden and gives a great flush of small blooms that look spectacular. Now is the time to plant Spring bulbs except for Tulips which can wait until next month, and think about Winter/Spring container plants.

Fruit picking should finish this month with the last of the Apples and Pears. It has been a bumper crop, and it is amazing how much dwarf rootstock has collapsed under the weight. My Braeburn is creaking at the stake and I am praying it will reach harvest before it gives way. I have hammered the stake into the ground and re-enforced the strapping, and still, it is keeling over at an alarming angle. Plum trees should be pruned before Winter and give everything a good mulch.

We are planning to move to Suffolk in October and will be saying goodbye to Upchurch. It has been a wonderful 18 years living in this village, and we have enjoyed it very much. The Upchurch Horticultural Society is going from strength to strength at the moment and is there for anyone in the village or local environs who would like to get involved in gardening. Dave Candy has asked me to be his special Suffolk Correspondent, so I will continue with a monthly article for The Gabriel and Upchurch Matters website.

Gardening is going to be a bit different up there, with heavy clay soil away from the coast that is prone to water logging in Winter, so I will have to lift the maincrop Potatoes. Also, from all accounts, there is no B&Q in Framlingham, although there are two Cs in Beccles. (Just an example of Suffolk humour).

I was born in Kent and will miss it, but I do like Adnams Ghost Ship, and they have brought out another beer called Sea Fog... sounds all very spooky. So it’s time for some practice… and I look forward to being with you again next month.

UHS is always looking for new members and tries to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables, and flowers or even enter any of the shows we hold each year, please get in touch. We would be happy to hear from you.

If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk

Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society