15th September 2017 Autumn

The weather has been difficult but manageable, apart from damage to climbing beans. Leafy crops have enjoyed the rain and lack of sun more than fruiting ones. However September’s second half looks q

31st August 2017 Autumn

New season and Homeacres news – autumn is near and we need to prepare. Make new sowings, continue weeding and tidying including old brassica leaves and leek rust, watch for pests and tomato blig

16th November 2016 Autumn

In this darkening time of year, a path to good cheer is out in your plot, absorbing as much light as you can, harvesting, weeding, and mulching ground for next year. See the last section for detail

31st October 2016 Autumn

Winter is nearly here, time for some last and beautiful autumn harvests. The radish below were sown between lettuce which were still cropping. You can still sow garlic, and November is excellent for s

16th October 2016 Autumn

16.10.16, the middle of autumn and there is still no frost here, though I hear that some valleys and northern areas of Britain have frozen a little.  Because of autumn’s increasing mildness, over t

29th September 2016 Autumn

In recent years, October has been milder than average, sometimes with nicer weather than the preceding summer: last year it was 18C at Hallowe’en, the year before it was 21C! Its looking to be warm

11th September 2016 Autumn

At Homeacres, the first ten days of September were a gardener’s dream. Summer warmth continuing, of (average) 14C 57F by night and 21C 70F by day, also with 47mm (1.9in) rain falling onto dry soil.

30th August 2016 Autumn

August has been warmer than usual here, despite the weather forecasts! The sunniest August since 2013, second sunniest since 2007, and the second driest since 2003. Plants have responded with healthy

15th November 2015 Autumn

As so often, unusual weather means unusual growth. Here the first half of November has been exceptionally mild, around 3C (5F) above average and no frost yet. We are picking better quality salad leave

30th October 2015 Autumn

Growth continues! Even though days are as short as February, the southerly winds are bringing warmth to grow leaves and swell roots – the mean temperature this past week, night and day, has been

15th October 2015 Autumn

It is full-on autumn now, the season of important harvests and of final plantings before winter. Some of the visitors to my garden in the last two weeks  have expressed surprise that beds are still f

30th September 2015 Autumn

Another year of stunning growth, helped by a balance of fair and wet weather. The current sunshine shows the importance of light for healthy growth. Also the recent dry weather has been good for hoein