‘Not over yet!’ Vegetables to plant in autumn to have a beautiful ‘self-sufficient’ garden

It is the end of September which means the temperatures will begin to get colder, and for many people, it means the gardening season is coming to an end.....PROCEED.FULL.READING>>>

However, there is still time to plant and establish crops before the winter season sets in.

September is the perfect time for planting as the autumn soil is still moist and warm, which means roots will have time to develop and grow strong before the first frost.

Huw Richards, a crops expert and gardening author, has said gardens can still be green and active at this time of the year and explained which vegetables gardeners should try planting.

In a video online, Huw said: “What to sow in September for self-sufficiently…It’s not over yet, there’s a lot of things we can still grow both outside and undercover. “

Radishes are said to have better flavour when grown in the autumntime rather than the spring. They also grow very quickly, which means they can likely be harvested within only a few weeks.

Huw said that the summer radish planting season is almost over, and the winter radishes season is just beginning. He said: “Now is the last chance [to plant] your summer radishes outside, but you can also now sow your winter radishes.I have two different types. Daikon, which is one of my absolute favourites, and Spanish Black Round winter radishes.

These crops can either be grown outside or grown in a tub inside before being planted in the ground. For best results, protect the crops from the cold weather with some sort of cover.

Huw explained: “If there is any way you can incorporate a low tunnel or a cold frame, or even a fleece…that is going to help extend and improve the amount of productivity that you get outside without having to invest in something like a polytunnel.”

Spring onions planted at this time of year will frow strong roots because the warmer soil can germinate and establish the roots quickly. Healthier roots means the onions are likely to come out bigger, and will be able to be harvested earlier next year.

Huw said: “You can start these in modules to then transplant outside here in September. You can sow them directly or in modules and they are just such a lovely flavour.

“They’re really nice and productive, even if they are quite small you can still use them which is one of the things I love about them. Their leaves make a nice garnish for any dinner I make at home.”

The cool weather in September can easily keep this salad crop growing quickly and can be picked fresh on a daily basis to have fresher food in your kitchen.

Huw said: “Another lovely crop to sow in September for growing outside, that again you can start off in modules, is a rocket.

“Rocket is absolutely delicious and is less likely to not seed when you sow this late in the season, which is great as you can enjoy more of the green leaves. All of the beautiful flowers are also editable too, so can’t really complain.”

Lettuce is a hardy which prefers colder conditions, which means autumn is the best time to plant this leafy green. Most lettuce crips can be picked in five to seven weeks, meaning you can have fresh salad as soon as possible

Huw said: “Lettuce, especially winter varieties of lettuce, is such a fun thing to grow undercover over winter. One of my suggestions, if you have limited space, is that you can either use mushroom crates or you can use bigger pots to sow them and grow them in a container over winter.”

However, Huw warned that lettuce, as well as other colder crops, should be watered carefully. He said: “One of the most important things to understand when growing undercover during winter is that evaporation is much lower and you don’t want to overwater your plants.

“It can cause them to be mouldy, just because they are far less sunlight and heat. Just be very cautious when watering crops over winter.”

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