A Real Autumnal Treat

Allotment Tales 25-09-2025

After a nippy start, the sun came out and the day remained warm and bright – a real Autumnal treat!

Pruning was today’s main activity.

We were joined by Marie from Caley Saughton, who helped us cut back the side shoots of the red and white currants and about a third of old and new growth from the blackcurrant. The plum tree als

o got some TLC after giving us such a bountiful harvest this year.

In early Spring, we’d marked old and crossing branches, able to see the structure well. Today, these were removed, and upper boughs were cut back, keeping the tree at a manageable height. We cut back this year’s fruiting stems from the bramble and tied new growth diagonally along its wire framework.

Remaining damsons were harvested, though we felt there were less than we’d left the week before, wondering whether someone had helped themselves.

Apples have done well this year, and we picked some large Adams Pearmain eaters – quite a dry-textured apple but good for storing. We also harvested raspberries, runner beans and still managed to pick a large bunch of sweet peas.

Update on the brassicas – we found more grey aphids on the underside of the sprout plants, despite an initial dose of rhubarb leaf spray last week. The cabbages seem to be quite pest free following their spraying with oil and drops of soapy liquid in water.

We pinched out strawberry flowers, weeded in the rhubarb bed, watered the carrots, parsnips and leeks and mowed the grass.

Jobs for next week: re-organise the second shed (no time today) bring long-handled loppers to prune the damson, which is shooting skywards; finish the currant pruning and tying in of  the bramble over at the potato beds; cut back and possibly pot up some of the strawberry runners; continue maintenance of the rhubarb bed – rose bay willow herb and buddleia needing cut back; keep on top of the aphids in the brassica bed