So this year we’re going to extend our growing season longer than usual (to date we’ve been fair weather home-growers, with few crops to harvest during the winter months).

We’ve ordered some broad bean, cabbage, winter greens and green manure mix seeds from the Irish Seeds Savers Association and tomorrow plan to hit up Mr Middleton’s in Dublin city centre to see if they have any onion sets in yet to get them in the ground this month, to be followed by garlic later in the year.

We’ve beetroot throughout the garden what should keep us going from October to January, and plan to plant more, along with carrots and coriander to live under cover in the glasshouse and hopefully keep us supplied into the spring.

So now we’re turning our attention to improving soil health for the more challenging months ahead with a combination of liquified chicken manure (shop bought, we don’t have any chickens yet), nettle tea (pictured above) and fresh compost.