The weather’s been quite nice overall with a couple of cold nights and stormy weekends…a typical late September down here in Devon.
By Andy
29.10.2025
We topped up beds with compost, cleared tired crops, and finally mowed the paths. A new compost bin swallowed the grass clippings nicely. Garlic and autumn onions are in for next year, and the roots kept us well fed.
What have we planted the month?
Garlic went in on 26th September. Cloves 15 cm apart, rows 30 cm. We set them just below the surface and firmed well. See spacing notes below if you’re new to garlic.
Autumn onion sets followed on 28th September at 10 cm spacing, 25–30 cm between rows. We mulched lightly to hold moisture.
We also sowed fenugreek as a quick green manure in cleared beds.
- Garlic:White Casablanca, 15 cm x 30 cm, 4–6 cm deep
- Autumn onions: Senshyu, 10 cm x 25–30 cm
- Green manure: fenugreek, thick broadcast in bare patches
What have we harvested this month?
Beetroot, carrots, Savoy cabbages, and potatoes carried the month. The beets were sweet after the cooler nights; most went into roasting trays and quick pickles. Carrots were crunchy and bright. Savoys gave us sturdy leaves for stir-fries and slaw. Potatoes came up clean after the dry spell between showers.
- Beetroot about 4kg - roasted/pickled
- Carrots about 2kg - raw snacks, stews
- Savoy cabbages 3 heads - steamed or stir fried
- Potatoes 10kg - jackets, fried and curries
Main work on the allotment this month
We shifted more compost to top up the main beds and cleared the fruit area of spent canes and weeds in one sweep. The grass finally got its haircut, which made the whole plot feel calmer. We also built a new compost bay just for the mown clippings and took down a stretch of deer proof netting to repurpose over the garlic beds.
Pests, problems & lessons
Caterpillars were still everywhere on brassicas. Hand-picking helped, and the re-used netting kept the worst off the young leaves. Next time we’ll net earlier and check daily after warm spells. If you’ve not tried it, a weekly inspection with a head-torch catches the late feeders. For brassica whites and caterpillar ID/tactics, see the RHS guidance linked below.
Action: keep brassicas covered with fine mesh, firm plants in well, and remove yellowing leaves promptly.
Change next time: net earlier in August, and consider sacrificial nasturtiums to draw them away.
Soil & sustainability
Soil first, always. The new compost bay means we can layer grass clippings with shredded cardboard (“greens” + “browns”) to avoid slimy heaps. Beds that emptied early got a quick sowing of fenugreek as a green manure; we’ll chop and drop before flowering to feed the soil.
Rotations stay simple: roots -> brassicas -> legumes/green manures -> alliums. Fruit bed clear-up also made space for more leaf litter as a wildlife-friendly mulch.
What are our plans for next month?
October’s for settling things in. We’ll plant out the purple sprouting broccoli, firm in stakes, and mulch. We’ll also lift the remaining potatoes, finish curing, and label sacks clearly. If the weather holds, we’ll edge paths, turn the new compost bay, and tuck in more green manures where gaps appear.
Quick tips
- Firm garlic to stop frost heave.
- Mix grass with cardboard when composting.
- Net brassicas before butterflies lay.
- Broadcast green manures thickly.
- Label stored potatoes by variety.
Useful links
- Garlic spacing & timing (RHS): https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/garlic/grow-your-own
- Onion sets: sowing and care (RHS): https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/onions/grow-your-own
- Caterpillars on brassicas: ID and control (RHS): https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/cabbage-caterpillars
- Green manures overview (Garden Organic): https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/expert-advice/how-to-grow/green-manures-guides
- Home composting basics (Soil Association): https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/the-absolute-beginners-guide-to-composting/
Shout-outs
Big shout out to River for the marathon grass-cutting and to Toby (plot owner) for sorting the compost. Legends.