4 September – another Thursday on the allotment –

A dry day but it became increasingly windy as the latest American hurricane reached us. By this time in the growing year, we are coming to the end of the season for the summer veg and it is time to clear the beds. Today the peas and broad beans had a final picking over and the shaws were lifted and added to the compost heap. The last of the raspberries were picked and the netting taken off leaving a few fruits for the birds to enjoy. The onions were lifted and tied to the fruit cage frame to dry in the sun and wind. The winter brassicas are thriving and the last of them – the purple sprouting broccoli for March/April picking – was planted out and netted.

The fruit pruning continued with the redcurrants and the cordoned gooseberries in the fruit cage done today. The apple variety Discovery has always done well for us and the bright red fruits stand out like a beacon. This year it seemed to be fruiting as well as usual but a closer look today shows a lot of the fruits are damaged, no doubt due to the poor weather conditions the trees have had to face this year.

Jobs for next week: Prune the raspberries, cut back the cherries; Start forking over the cleared beds; Weeding round the hazels.