[nednoodle]

Hi all

I am new to allotmenting.  This is my first year and as I had a baby in January, I haven't had much time (there I was thinking maternity leave would be like an extended holiday! LOL).  I feel like I have been playing catch up all year and have consequently been planting everything late.  I have a heavy clay soil so have had to dig everything over which has taken me quite a while.  So far most things have grown okay, perhaps due to the great weather rather than anything I have done.

My next step is that I would like to plant some roots and brassicas and other bits and bobs but I fear that for most things I may be pushing my luck with as they are so late.  I was thinking of maybe buying some plants but maybe even these are too late?  The things I would like to grow are:
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cavallo Nero Kale
Cabbages - any ones for this time of year?
Globe carrots
Beetroot

Also hoping to plant some:
Rocket
Chard
Salad leaves
Sugar snap peas

I am in the South west so it is mild. What do people think? 

Thanks

[ptarmigan]

Someone will be along soon with more knowledge than me I'm sure. But if you can find some plants for sale - on line or where ever there's no harm in trying the brassicas etc.  You may not get huge plants at the end but certainly enough leaves or shoots to liven up a stir fry and feel like you've achieved something! You could try sowing cabbage (the seed is cheap) and you will almost certainly get some spring cabbage (i.e. cabbage leaves)  if not a fully hearted cabbage. There's winter lettuce available to sow and oriental lettuce like mizuna. 

Also its coming up to a good time of year to plant fruit bushes if you are thinking long term.  Have a look at John's growing guide for August on the main website. Good luck.

[ptarmigan]

Oh - and its a good time to think about planting shallots and onions and garlic  - which make the allotment look green over winter!

[seaside]

You might just get some brassicas like PSB, kale, January King cabbage, red cabbage ( but not brussels sprouts... too late ) away ok if you get some garden centre plants into the soil this weekend. They won't all make it, but maybe half. Some advanced leek plants as well.
But you would have to make sure the brassicas were netted properly, as any setback whatsoever, like bird attack, would render them pretty pointless at this  time of  year. Worth a go at say  15p a brassica... all good experience.

I'm in mild South Devon, the weather seems set fair for a while, and with luck some brassica plants can really do well in a good September.
I grew some beetroot plants last year at this time, but in a cold greenhouse. Too late for outside. I would forget carrots until the Spring... my "Winter/Christmas" crop were seeded 2 July.

[Headgardener22]

I just bought some spring cabbage plants (Durham Early) from our local nursery. They'll overwinter and be ready about April next year.

[mumofstig]

I just bought some spring cabbage plants (Durham Early) from our local nursery. They'll overwinter and be ready about April next year.

Mine are still in pots waiting to go in 

Rocket
Chard
Salad leaves

will all be ok, but it's too late for peas.

[Headgardener22]

Mine are still in pots waiting to go in 

I didn't say I'd planted them 
I've potted them up to get bigger. The soil at my allotment is clay and really hard on small plants so they're going to have to be bigger before they get planted.

[maxibo]

Hi there! We're in our second year of allotmenteering.  Thankfully this summer has been good and we've done really well.  It lifts the spirits and makes it all worthwhile and great fun.  How about Broccoli Raab (60 days)?  According to my packet of seeds they can be sown in Sept.  They better be - I'm planning on sowing ours on Monday on my day off.  I've not tried it before but it looks good.  I asked on here a couple of days ago about sowing some more kale, as my seedlings sown in July didn't survive our summer hols, and was advised to give it a go now as it will overwinter well.  Have fun!

[nednoodle]

Thanks very much for all your good advice and encouragement.  I'll give the suggested plants a go if I can find some. Went to  a big B & Q this evening and they had virtually cleared their plant area, just a few sad looking pansies, few herbs and some shrubs left, no veges.  I'll try some garden centres tomorrow and will also try and hunt down some Broccoli Raab seeds, they sound fab!

[3759allen]

i would say it depends how long the warm weather holds out, with the seasons the way they nobody knows when it will change.

i'm new to growing as well and as well as listening to everyone on here i am trying new and different things. you never know until you try, just learn from the results.

remember to net all the brassicas with fine netting, i could only acquire net with 1cm holes and all my brassicas are getting decimated by caterpillars. there seems so many of them they're eating anything green they can find.

when the nights start getting colder and longer it may be better lay fleece over them. the colder it gets the more layers.

[gobs]

"The things I would like to grow are:
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cavallo Nero Kale
Cabbages - any ones for this time of year?
Globe carrots
Beetroot

Also hoping to plant some:
Rocket
Chard
Salad leaves
Sugar snap peas"

As per Mum of Sticks, everything goes. First three, you need plants, but even Cavalo you can sow for next year, spring cabbages are just by rule sown now.

On;y the peas, but even then: you can do autumn sown early peas, cropping in spring.

[Headgardener22]

remember to net all the brassicas with fine netting, i could only acquire net with 1cm holes and all my brassicas are getting decimated by caterpillars. there seems so many of them they're eating anything green they can find.

when the nights start getting colder and longer it may be better lay fleece over them. the colder it gets the more layers.

I've never fleeced my brassicas, they either survive the cold or they don't.

In our case, winter netting is to keep the birds off (pigeons have anything) so it doesn't need to be fine mesh, in fact larger mesh is better so that any snow doesn't settle on the netting & tear it

[mumofstig]

Still got cabbage whites and cabbage moth round here, though - so fine netting required for a while yet!

[seaside]

I can't wait to replace the enviromesh with a bird net over my brussels sprouts. At least then I can water properly in this dry spell and see what's going down without a faff. I'm tempted to do it now and then pick off whatever caterpillar might show itself in the next month. In fact, I'm going to.

[RJR_38]

I just water straight through my enviromesh (well debris netting). It doesn't come off unless I am harvesting or weeding (and even then only sections are 'opened'. I think I am going to leave my enviromesh on all winter as its easier than changing it. If we get snow forecast then I might reconsider but of for months and months yet.