Our summer crops are now winding down and finishing up. We pulled up our remaining, mildewed courgette plant today, salvaging the small remaining fruits, and the last three maincrop Kerr’s Pink potato plants, which are not the prettiest bunch, with much scab and a few other unenticing lumps, bumps and discolourations. 

The second crop of mange tout didn’t really take off, though it has borne a few bland-tasting pods, and the green beans, which did very well, are now winding down. In their place we plan to sow broad beans to over winter.

Only one of our four tomato plants was successful (with indoor ripening), so a small yield this year and no chutneys or sauces. The leeks we planted have failed to grow beyond pencil-width, and we doubt the seedling-sized ones are going to do much more as the weather shifts gear, but hopefully the spring onions will do ok over the next few weeks, ditto the pak choi seedlings that have survived the slugs and snails thus far (not hopeful they’ll make it too much longer).

Beetroot abounds, and we’ve planted carrots and coriander under cover and will move them and anything else that’ll fit into our little glasshouse once the cucumbers are done.

Brussel sprout, cabbage and winter green seedlings are started in the glasshouse, but we’ll let them get to a decent size before planting out to give them the best head start in the unpredictable winter weather ahead.

And hopefully we’ll have onion sets in the ground by the end of the month.

Whatever happens, there’ll always be kale galore.