OUTDOORS 41

October has begun, and within the first week I decided to clear the tomatoes at the plot. If I waited, I might get an extra 1-2 dozen, or might not - but we had already had one night where we almost had a frost which had caused the stems to begin to turn and I decided to pull them - having had 2-3 hundred fruits from my plants already this year.

I also brought the chili and lemongrass plants home after harvesting the former, to overwinter in the poly tunnel. Here you can see I also had one capsicum plant!

Taking a wander round the partially cleared for winter poly tunnel, you can see how I still have a half dozen tomato plants hanging on thru October, along with a couple buckets of spuds, and the chilies and lemongrass I will be overwintering. On the other side, its cleared and I have soiled up containers ready for February/March seed plantings - I just need to rip out the bindweed!

Down the plot, you can see the front is tidy and planted - garlic, broad bean, shallot in most of the plain mud, with a few onion and 2 other plants transferred from other places in front of the leeks and Brussels sprouts. Round the corner, you can see the next lumps - raised beds, cabbages, kale, more cabbages, leading back to the raspberries. Half the soil is dug over and half is not - yet.

The fruit corner has been tidied up - 4-5 gooseberry bushes and a blackcurrant removed to the freebie patch and up for grabs - to be replaced by blueberry bushes. I have two which I moved into the new patch - and there is now room for 4 more! Rhubarb is dying down for the year and will get a dose of horse muck when I next get there at the same time as a muck delivery.

Finally for today, I brought home some kale and Brussels sprouts from the plot - along with leek and cabbage I should have something home grown to keep me going thru til the close of the year - and I have been informed there will be a Brussels sprouts shortage this Christmas! (NOT for me!!)