What to sow & do in the October kitchen garden

There are still a few seeds to sow and plenty of garden jobs to do in the October kitchen garden, even if it’s starting to feel more autumnal at this time of the year.

In particular, it’s a good opportunity to have a big tidy up on the plot before the weather deteriorates, and the majority of plants start to drop their leaves or die back altogether.

Seeds to sow in October

The list is relatively small this month, as it’s getting cooler and there are fewer hours of daylight. The earlier you can sow your seeds in October, the better.

You’re looking for a few speedy crops to grow very quickly, and other seeds to start off under protective cover now (or cover once there’s a risk of frost at night) for crops early next year.

Some of my favourite places to get seeds and small plants include:

• Dobies – great seed catalogue from long-established company
• Fothergills – reliable seeds, bulbs, plug plants and more
• Marshalls Garden – good variety of seedlings and plants
• RHS – good for ‘Garden Merit’ tried and tested varieties
• Suttons – lots of 99p seeds and handy advice for beginners
• Thompson & Morgan – all kinds of seeds, strawberry plants, fruit bushes etc
• Wilko – the bargain seeds are back, plus lots of multi-buy offers

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Now on with the list of best seeds to sow this month:

• broad beans (winter-hardy Aquadulce types)
• broccoli raab / rabe (very quick growing brassica)
• carrot (winter-hardy types like Nantes Frubund)
• cauliflower (summer types, under cover)
• chard (under cover)
• coriander (under cover)
• garlic cloves
• ‘green manure’ plants to improve the soil
• lettuce & other salad (baby leaf or winter types, under cover)
• leaf beet (under cover)
• mustard leaves
• oriental greens like pak choi (under cover)
• parsley (curly types, under cover)
• peas (round-seeded winter-hardy types)
• rocket (under cover if needed)
• spinach (short-day types, under cover)
• spring onions (hardy types, under cover)

You can also grow some baby leaf lettuce, pea shoots or soft herbs on an indoor windowsill to get your green fix, whatever the weather.

Garden jobs to do in October

Here’s a handy reminder of the most important garden jobs to do this October:

1. Planting out in October

• Fruit bushes (raspberries, blackberries, hybrids, currants, gooseberries, etc)
• Garlic
• Herb seedlings
• Japanese onion sets

2. Vegetable care in October

• Cut back stems of asparagus and Jerusalem artichokes
• Lift and store beetroot, potatoes, carrots and turnips, and keep in boxes or sand clamps
• Lift Whitloof chicory and store in sand for forcing later
• Mulch celeriac, globe artichokes, parsnips etc to protect against frost
• Remove any yellowing leaves from brassicas, earth up and stake overwintering types – and remember to protect from pigeons

3. Fruit care in October

• Bring citrus plants indoors
• Pick and store apples and pears
• Re-pot container-grown fruit
• Add anti-moth grease bands to tree trunks

4. General garden jobs this month

• Add to the compost heap as you clear old crops
• Clean and disinfect the greenhouse
• Collect fallen leaves to make leaf mould
• Dig manure or compost into the soil
• Make a ‘bee hotel’ for friendly insects
• Protect tender crops against frost

My October kitchen garden diary

I freely admit to being quite lazy with the kitchen garden once the rain or sleet sets in and the nights get darker, so earlt October’s the perfect time for a quick burst of activity. Time to dig up any last fading courgette and tomato plants and get them into the compost, along with any fallen leaves and whatever’s come up in the last round of weeding.

One or two of the tomato plants still have a few green fruits on them, so my other main job for the weekend will be to pick any that look developed enough and bring them indoors to ripen. I’ll put some of them on a warm windowsill with other riper tomatoes, and stick the rest in a paper bag with a banana (it gives off a gas that triggers them to start going red).

Later this month I’ll start wrapping a few pots in sacking material to protect against frost. I’ll also be moving a few small plants into the mini greenhouse, and putting fleece and cloches over anything else that needs it.

Enjoying this post? You may also like:

• What to sow & do in a September kitchen garden
• British seasonal food in October (what to pick this month)

Have you been growing your own fruit or veggies this year?

Are you thinking about growing some next year?