Summer’s Over, Time for Change | Autumn Seed Sowing in Mid - September

Well howdie, thank you for stopping by and reading this video description.
With a forecast of 2 degrees for Friday 13th September (feels very fitting that it’s happening on this date) bringing a huge risk of frost to the vegetable garden, I’m taking drastic action to try to ripen the remaining tomatoes on my plants in the polytunnel before it’s too late.
I have many frost sensitive plants in my polytunnel and this risk of an early frost is worrying. What are you doing to protect your crops and plants in your home garden, allotment or vegetable plot?
I’m still largely in denial, so I haven’t fleeced anything. Will I regret it?
How to find your estimated first and last frost dates:
UK : www.plantmaps....
USA: garden.org/app...
In this episode you follow me as I give the tomatoes a brutal prune and interplant some autumn crops underneath them in my First Tunnels 20 x 12 ft Polytunnel.
Most of the peppers are now over, so I clear those plants out of the sowing greenhouse before I get around to showing you what I am sowing mid-September for autumn and winter abundance. I’ll be cabbages and cauliflower later this week as well.
I will never be self sufficient, but I do reflect on this season and things I’ve not bought this year because of having my own kitchen garden.
Growing your own food is wonderful for mental health, getting us outside to smell the fresh air and soak up nature.
If you enjoy my content, please consider subscribing. Leaving a comment or even just a thumbs up helps all KZbin channels to grow, motivating us to create more videos for you to enjoy and I adore sharing my growing space with you.
Channels mentioned in this video, please hop over to check out their content, if you don’t already.
‪@Garden-of-weeden‬ ‪@TheGrowUpChannel‬ ‪@TheRightPearPlot‬
77 cell seed tray by container wise:
containerwise....
Greenhouse staging by Copagrey
Check out their website: www.copagrey.com
#garden #growyourownfood #vegetablegarden #englishgarden #kitchen #allotment #polytunnel
Music by Storyblocks for LumaFusion Paid Subscription

[@gardentours]

I'm still hoping for some nice days because there are so many blossoms on my peppers 🌶 and eggplants 🍆 Tomatoes 🍅 are really high maintenance. Yesterday I've cut off ✂️ all the leaves 🌱 that got yellow during the heatwaves. This is the time to get a lot of compost material to produce new soil for spring 🤗 Have a nice Sunday 🌞🏖

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

We have some nice weather forecast this coming week, (said whilst it’s raining heavily). Hopefully that will help with the tomato ripening. We are still on a countdown to our first frost dates though. Really hope autumn is mild for us all 🙏🏻 Compost making, making new soil for spring, is such a wonderful resource for us all to make ❤️

[@dogontheplot]

Yes I've been brutal with the toms too. No messing about now! Your poly still looks amazing tho and that loofah!!!! 🥰😍

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I really hope they have time to mature! I’m getting worried 😅😅😅

[@TheGrowUpChannel]

The weather is that irratic I wouldn't be shocked if we have a heatwave at Christmas the way it's going clare haha. Melons are definitely on my list to succeed at next year! Thanks for the mention. April cabbages are beautiful! Danny 🌱

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I hope you’re right Danny! A mild and fairly dry autumn would be marvellous. Can we dream? 🙏🏻 I have ordered April cabbage seeds, so I’ll get those sown as soon as they arrive. All year round cauliflower is sown now. The little dibber works so well, thank you ☺️

[@Garden-of-weeden]

Really enjoyed this episode Clare! Some wise words too about being self sufficient, even if it’s only 1 or two things! I love my 77 cell trays, they’re miles better than the CD60’s In my opinion 😊 it might be the end of summer but it’s certainly the beginning of autumn and lots to still be doing 😊xx

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

You can get so much in them too! Excellent stuff. I have the deeper ones too So much to do and so much still growing. It’s a good forecast for the next week too 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@Garden-of-weeden]

@@TheFarmyardGarden yeah here’s hoping it’ll ripen the toms… not that I don’t have enough lol

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Jo has hundreds on her bushes. If they all ripen she’s going to need a third freezer ❤️😂

[@Garden-of-weeden]

@@TheFarmyardGarden canning all the way 😂🤣

[@trold1969]

Our frost date is a little later than yours, but the warm crops don't like it below 5, so I've cut some tomato plants all the way down and harvested all that's close to ready. Still finding new side shoots on those I've left up, got to admire that will to grow even though it's gotten colder. I'm thinking the peppers can stay until they die. I did overwinter two habaneros last winter. Just to try it, really, they are way too hot for me. The jalapeños have been like nadapeños, I might as well grow sweet peppers next year. You've gotten amazing crops this year, I'm happy for you, it's fun to watch. Nice to see some animals too!

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Thanks Trude. I think we’ll mainly grow sweet peppers next year too. What’s stunned me is how much stronger our peppers were anyway than store bought. It’s what we eat more of anyway. Hoping to make a mild and hot chilli powder to use over the year. One of my melon plants has been very unhappy this week, which must be the few nights of cold temps. Forecast a bit better this coming week though 🙏🏻 They’re newly weaned calves. Cute aren’t they ❤️

[@haydngreenow8407]

We had our first frost last week in County Durham, finished off most of my runner beans, and today I cleared all my tomato plants out as the cold had ruined the plants

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Oh no. I’m sorry to hear that Haydn. Rach from Our Allotment Plots shows us a frosty windscreen Friday morning too, and she’s in the NE too. 😭

[@Littlesheddiaries]

Well done for salad self-sufficiency, that was my goal this year but it didn’t work out. I’ll try again and aim for next year. Autumn has crept up on us hasn’t it. I’ve started seeds for hardy annual flowers but really need to crack on with onions and other veg. I haven’t been to the Malvern show but it does look like a nice day out. Have a great week, enjoy the glorious September sun 😊

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I bet it’s a long way for you to travel isn’t it? I haven’t been to the autumn show before, so I’m really excited. It’s funny to realise you’re suddenly self sufficient in something… I should have added up how much all the salads would have cost us. I have a few more onions to sow for next year. I need to find the seeds. “Mammoth” I think was one

[@Petetrenouth]

To make it easier to sow seeds one at a time Clare, if you get a matchstick, wet the end, it will pick up a single seed really easily and you can place them in the cell trays easily. Hope that’s of some help. Take care, Pete.

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Oooo that’s a great tip. I’ve found my brassica seeds now, so I’ll try that this week. Thank you Pete ☺️☺️

[@Jacqui-Pen]

Wetting the end of a pencil also works 😊

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@@Jacqui-Pen thanks ☺️

[@Feelgoodgardens]

Wow Clare, I'm loving your melons 🤭😂❤️ Some fab seed sowing there. I have Ishikura spring onions on the go. Danny said my dibber is perfect instead of using a pencil. I told him I'm keeping it for best. It's on show in my shed 😂. You've had a good run with your marigolds your polytunnel was and still is looking stunning. Wow your peppers look great too, ours are still tiny. Fab video ❤

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

He’ll have to give you a second dibber, Linda 😂😂 I have some cabbage and cauliflowers to sow now. I don’t like pak choi, otherwise that would be on my list too. I think you grow it don’t you? Yes, the polytunnel has looked amazing all summer hasn’t it? It turned out so well. I have been really pleased with it. My early peppers were all huge. The second flush not so good. Those melons… 😂😂😛

[@Feelgoodgardens]

@@TheFarmyardGarden Danny did mention giving me a working dinner 😂 I haven't grown pak choi yet. Always loads to do isn't there Clare. x

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@@Feelgoodgardens always but it keeps us out of trouble … until we go to shows and get spendy! I hope you have your trolley ready to put your Malvern purchases in 🙌🏼😂❤️

[@Feelgoodgardens]

@@TheFarmyardGarden Of course I do! I'm pulling it at the beginning of my latest video as I enter the plot, you must have missed it 😂 x

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I know. I saw it… that’s what I meant.. I hope you have it planned to take to Malvern! Of course I actually watched the video 😇🤗

[@AnyKeyLady]

Some great autumn seeds there Clare! We got down to 3c Friday morning -6c average temps they said! We put some old net curtains on our peppers and courgettes. They seem ok thankfully. Our first frost comes about end of Dec/ Jan 1st to end of March but sometimes we get a light frost in Nov for a couple of days. We normally take down our tomatoes end of Oct and have had them in Nov some years outside/ n cover. That being said i have still topped and stripped as much of the tomatoes down early this year. It isn't the temps i am worried about but the other forecast for this autumn. The Met Office are predicting it to be a much milder, wetter and windier few months, so it's the latter two i am worried about. It does get so humid here in London, this time of year. It was so bad last year, it was setting off our smoke detectors! I am hoping to get out the tomatoes and replace them with cabbages this year. I normally plant garlic in between about Nov/Dec but because of the warm wet weather i am going to wait until Feb now, so i am planting some Chinese cabbages and kohlrabi. We grow our chilli's indoors due to space but initially it was because i was told it would be too cold to plant them outside... Anyway, this year has been really bad with them and some how aphids have managed to get in the house and cover the the Thai Dragons! We have got one red hot chilli on our smaller pepper plant. I am intending on taking the Thai chilli's out through the window and cutting them back to over winter and deep cleaning the windowsill area. I usually over winter tomato cuttings so want to make sure they don't spread. Anyway, it's looking good next few weeks so hopefully everything ripens ok. So lucky we had good weather on Sat for our child's birthday outdoor event and party! I have to admit getting nervous about it all leading up to it weather wise! Great to see Duncan and the Moo Moo's! :o) How old are they and how old are they when they go to market? Take care and have a lovely week Clare! x

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Hello … You have so much milder weather in London. Nik was saying earlier that they rarely get frosts at all. Seems unreal to us northerners. Blight is always a worry the older the plants are, so I can understand you also wanting to speed up the season for them. Sounds like you’ve a good plan for winter productivity there too. Hope you can control the aphids too. I’ve seen a few people over winter tomato cuttings. It sounds hard work.. I’m looking forward to sowing my indoor crops slightly later next year. I don’t think I needed to sow my peppers and chillies as early as January this year. I think I might wait until February 1st next year. Only thing I know I’ll have to sow just as early are the luffa seeds. They’re still not ripening on the vines yet and they were sown 19th January. Definitely need a long season. Hope you have a great week ☺️

[@jkhuntress]

Did you know you can over - winter pepper plants . That way they have a headstart in the spring. I'll be attempting this , this year ( my first allotment year ) 💜

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I did, I was debating over wintering Morris, the one I self seeded. To be honest though, none of mine looked overly healthy towards the end of their life, so I decided to let them go. I may have considered overwintering King of The North but my plants were clearly cross pollinated seed as my peppers were elongated

[@TheRightPearPlot]

Hey thanks for the mention lovely 🤗 have you not received the seeds yet?? Let me know, plenty more x

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Oooo I just asked Duncan if he’s seen any handwritten letters… apparently there’s one in his farm office. He’s not the best at bringing post in to me 😂🤪

[@RobinGardens]

When I stopped doing onions from sets, is when everything improved with my allium success. Ali sent me Kelsae and I'm excited to try those. Interesting that I can't buy them in the US. Patterson is my "go to" variety for storage and flavor. Really want to watch your radichicco as I disliked the variety I have called Verona. I want the hearting purple type. that one never hearted or got purple.

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I think I have some kelsae seeds somewhere. Rings a bell, now you mention it. How strange that you can’t buy them there. I’ve not heard of Patterson. I’ll look them up! Personally I prefer red onions, so I have bought the variety called Mammoth in the red variety. I had the same as you. My radicchio last year never hearted up and never went the nice purple colour either. Worth a try again 🙏🏻🙏🏻 The season is flying by. I can’t believe it’s time to start ensuring I have enough garlic cloves/varieties to plant in another month. A whole year has passed in the blink of an eye.

[@GardenofEmma]

Oh my so early frosts down your way. I think mine is in December. I need to do the same to my tomatoes in the greenhouse. Job for the weekend

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

December frost date!! WOW! Envious. When is your last frost date?

[@GardenofEmma]

@@TheFarmyardGarden Uually around 14th December is my first frost. Very lucky

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Yeah, you said December… I asked when the last frost date is, to make me extra depressed how soon that is for you.

[@GardenofEmma]

@@TheFarmyardGarden Oh sorry totally misread that. My last frost date is 10th April roughly usually the start of April we are ok

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@GardenofEmma wow! Ours is 10th May 😭

[@HopeFCharity]

I over winter my peppers for an early crop. Somewhere frost prof. With light. Not greenhouse or olly tunnel

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

I might try it with the orange habanero, we’ll see. How many years do you do that for?

[@Jacqui-Pen]

I absolutely love pruning my tomato plants. I find myself spending hours in the polytunnel it just flies by. I must say, though, I'm fed up with the slugs eating my chillies. They pick on 1 particular plant. I'm hoping we do get some more warm weather. I've got 2 honeydew melons growing. 1 has started turning a little yellow but the other isn't ready yet. Unfortunately I doubt it will make it. The stalk which attaches the melon to the plant has begun to die. Not really sure if there's anything I could use an unripe melon for? Next year I'd love to try the minnesota midget. Great video & a beautiful location 😊

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

Hi Jacqui I did enjoy pruning them earlier in the season but the late season hard chop back does seem so extreme. It feels so brutal. I’ve had slugs attacking one aubergine plant, I’ve called it the sacrificial plant..they all seem to gravitate to it. Very frustrating isn’t it? I’ve had a similar thing suddenly happen with one of the Minnesota midget melons this week. I don’t think they’re ripe enough yet but the entire vine seems to be dying back. So sad. I believe slightly underripe honeydews can be left on the counter to soften a bit and then used in smoothies etc.

[@Jacqui-Pen]

@TheFarmyardGarden if all else fails, then I will definitely give the melon time in the house. I did read that once honeydew are cut from the vine, they won't ripen. However, yours should continue to ripen based on my research. I definitely won't be cutting my melon plants down. See what Mother Nature decides 🙄 Fingers crossed 🤞

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@@Jacqui-Pen they don’t ripen (get sweeter) but they do soften, which means you can then add them to smoothies. Apparently some people like them at that stage of less sweetness in salads with feta cheese

[@Jacqui-Pen]

@@TheFarmyardGarden I'll definitely try that if all else fails. Thank you

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@Jacqui-Pen I may do the same with one of mine I don’t think will ripen. Here’s hoping they do though. 😅😊

[@JasonSarah-ep6jx]

Were did you get that greenhouse potting table? Such a good little design

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

The greenhouse staging is all from Copagrey www.copagrey.com The little plastic potting tray is by Garland, bought at our local garden centre. Here it is on Amazon though: amzn.eu/d/fuIgjdg

[@JasonSarah-ep6jx]

@TheFarmyardGarden thankyou so much ill be looking at that ❤️

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@JasonSarah-ep6jx you’re welcome. So many of the plastic potting trays have a weird shape to the back of them (I know as I bought one initially too without realising) but the garland one is perfect 👌🏼