Fiann’s gardening tips for the week: October

While you plant over-wintering veg let us not forget autumn-planted fruits. 

Not just the bare root fruit bushes such as blackberries and blueberries, the various currants and gooseberries, but strawberries and rhubarb can be planted now too.

We can extend the season by some gardening trickery — warming the soil, hot beds, cloches, tunnels and glasshouses are all potentials for this month — the manufactured warmth keeps plants active, keep germination happening and defers seed setting and hibernation.

We can try and maximise the daily portion of light too. Get some thin sheets of marine ply, paste with glue and kitchen-handy tinfoil to make wonderful portable reflectors. Staked at the foot or edge of beds to reflect in those vital rays.

For upward reflections of precious light, I like to utilise a dusting of silver sand around crops I wish to keep going and those just planted in.

If high winds are forecast in the coming days then pick your apple and pear crops.