September Allotments Tips
September brings the start of autumn, but there’s still plenty happening on the allotment. It’s a great time to enjoy the last of your summer harvests while preparing your plot for the cooler months ahead.
🍂 Here are our top tips for September:
- 🥕 Harvest crops regularly and store surplus vegetables so you can enjoy them throughout autumn and winter.
- 🌱 Clear finished beds and improve the soil with compost or well-rotted manure.
- ♻️ Turn or mix your compost heap to speed up decomposition and create rich compost for future planting.
- 💧 Continue watering newly sown crops and young plants during dry spells.
- 🥬 Sow hardy vegetables and salads for autumn and overwintering harvests.
- 🍂 Remove dead leaves and spent plants to reduce pests and diseases.
- 🐌 Keep checking for slugs, snails and other late-season pests.
- 🌿 Start planning your crop rotation and prepare beds for next season.
🌿 Jobs for September
September is all about harvesting the last of your summer crops while getting your allotment ready for autumn and winter.
This month’s key jobs include:
- Harvest ripe vegetables and fruit as they become ready.
- Lift and store crops such as potatoes, onions and garlic where appropriate.
- Clear away finished crops and tidy growing beds.
- Add compost or well-rotted manure to improve soil health.
- Sow overwintering vegetables and hardy salad crops.
- Continue watering newly planted crops if the weather remains dry.
- Turn your compost heap to encourage faster decomposition.
- Protect vulnerable crops with fleece or cloches if cooler nights arrive.
- Keep weeding to prevent unwanted growth over winter.
- Check plants regularly for pests and diseases before they become a problem.
🌱 What to Sow in September
September is an excellent month for sowing hardy crops that will provide fresh harvests later in the year or early next spring.
Sow outdoors
- Broad beans
- Garlic
- Peas
- Radish
- Shallots
- Spring cabbage
- Spring onions
- Spinach
- Turnips
- Winter salad leaves
Great for containers
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Kale
- Radish
Prepare for next season
- Add compost or green manure to empty beds.
- Refresh tired soil ready for autumn and winter planting.
- Plan your crop rotation while space becomes available.
With cooler temperatures on the way, September is the perfect time to balance harvesting with preparation. A little effort now will keep your allotment productive through autumn and give you a great start for next year’s growing season.