What you can still sow in September
Lamb's lettuce, spinach and winter purslane can still go into the bed now. With a cold frame you will have fresh leaves into December, and the slugs are less hungry at this time of year.
I sowed the first row on Saturday, right after the rain. The soil was still warm, and the seeds came up after five days. That is faster than in spring, when the bed takes weeks to warm up.
What still works now
- Lamb's lettuce – sow thinly; it does not need much space and stands through frost.
- Spinach – the last sowing of the year; harvest the young leaves before Christmas.
- Winter purslane – happy with a poor spot and some shade; it germinates only when the soil is cool.
- Radishes – one more quick round, ready in four weeks if the weather stays mild.
Water once well after sowing, then leave the bed alone. Cover it with fleece only when the nights go below zero; under fleece the leaves stay soft and the slugs stay out.
What is too late
Carrots, beetroot and beans will not make it any more. They need warm soil and long days, and both are gone. Keep the seed for March – it lasts in a dry drawer without losing much.
⇩ Download the sowing calendar (PDF) 2
Which of these are you still sowing? Tell me in the comments – and if a row fails, tell me that too. Next month: what to do with the last tomatoes.
Comments
Tomek
I sowed lamb's lettuce on the balcony last year, in a box, and it lasted until January. Does it need a bigger pot?
ReplyAnna Author
A box is fine as long as it is at least ten centimetres deep. Water less than in summer – the roots rot before they freeze.
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