Halloween Pumpkins
There’s something satisfying about heading up to the allotment in early September, even when the weather has been a little damp underfoot. This week we’ve managed to make it up three mornings, which feels like an achievement in itself with the ever-shortening days and that unmistakable autumn nip in the air. Despite the wet ground, we’ve made solid progress, and as always, the allotment has rewarded us with more than enough to keep us busy.
This has been a week of change on the plots — the end of pumpkins, the start of preparations for winter crops, and the ongoing harvest of beans and tomatoes. It’s that in-between stage where summer is fading, but the rhythm of the allotment keeps you looking forward to what’s coming next.
Pumpkins at Their Journey’s End
One of the bigger jobs this week has been dealing with our pumpkins. They’ve reached their natural end, the vines beginning to yellow and collapse, signalling that it was time to bring them in. It always feels like a milestone in the allotment year when the pumpkins are cut free from their sprawling plants.
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| moved and lined up ready to go home |
We’ve been lucky again this season — plenty of pumpkins, some big and showy, the kind that really make you smile when you see them sitting there, and others smaller and more practical, perfect for carving or even eating if we fancy. I’ve always liked that mix. The giants are impressive, but the more modest-sized pumpkins are the real workhorses — easier to move, to store, and to use.
Once we’d cut them from their vines, we shifted them further down the allotment onto a patch of cleared ground. That way, they can sit and cure a bit before they make their journey home. Moving pumpkins is always a bit of a workout, especially the heavier ones, but there’s a sense of pride in stacking them up — a real picture of autumn abundance.
Clearing and Composting
With the pumpkins out of the way, we turned our attention to the patch they’d been occupying. It’s surprising how much ground pumpkins cover over a summer. Once the foliage begins to die back and you get it all cleared away, you suddenly see just how much space you’ve gained back.
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| pumpkin patch cleard |
We cleared the whole area of weeds and the old pumpkin plants, piling it all up into a good-sized heap. At the moment it’s sitting there drying out a little. Once it’s lost some of that damp weight, we’ll barrow it down to the compost bins. It’ll make fine compost in time — pumpkin plants are bulky but they break down well, especially when mixed with other material from around the allotment.
It’s jobs like this that really underline the cycle of allotment gardening. What has finished its course this year becomes the fuel for next year’s crops. Nothing goes to waste.
Preparing for Winter Crops
Of course, once ground is cleared, it’s never left idle for long. We’ve been busy preparing beds ready for the next round of planting. At this time of year, thoughts turn to the hardy crops that will see us through the colder months — lettuces, over-wintering cabbages, and onions.
We’ve been working the soil, breaking up any clods, and giving it a tidy finish ready for planting. There’s something very grounding about this work. While summer crops bring excitement with their speed and variety, the winter crops are about steadiness and reliability. They’re the backbone of the allotment through the darker months.
This week we got our lettuces and over-wintering cabbages in. Once planted, the cabbages were carefully netted to keep the pigeons and other pests at bay. There’s nothing more frustrating than losing tender young plants to hungry birds just as they’re getting started.
The onions will follow shortly, and once they’re in, we’ll feel we’ve got a good handle on the months ahead. There’s reassurance in knowing the allotment is already thinking about next year while this year’s harvest is still being gathered.
On the subject of soil preparation, I should also mention a bit of a new chapter for me. Over the summer, after hurting my back and being told my digging days might be over, I managed to acquire a Merry Tiller cultivator attachment. It’s a seven-footed beast, and I’m hoping it will mean not nearly as much digging from now on. We’ll have to see how it goes, but if it works as I hope, it could become one of the most valuable tools we’ve got on the plots.
Fighting Back Against Whitefly
While planting and preparation have kept us busy, the Brussels sprouts have demanded some attention of their own. In the last couple of weeks, whitefly has absolutely flourished. You only need to brush against the plants and suddenly clouds of the tiny pests rise up into the air.
Left unchecked, they can weaken plants and cause real trouble. So, I set about spraying the sprouts to get rid of them. It’s one of those necessary jobs — not the most enjoyable, but one that pays off. Healthy Brussels mean a reliable harvest closer to Christmas, and I wouldn’t want to risk them at this stage.
Keeping on top of pests is just part of the rhythm of allotment gardening. You can’t avoid them entirely, but with regular attention, you can keep them from becoming a real problem.
Beans and Tomatoes Keep Coming
Even as we’re looking ahead to winter crops and clearing away spent plants, the allotment is still producing in abundance. Our French beans are still coming thick and fast. It never ceases to amaze me how productive they are at this time of year. Every time you think they must surely be slowing down, you come away with another basketful.
The tomatoes, too, are still going strong. Despite the mixed weather, they’ve kept producing beautifully, filling the greenhouse with that unmistakeable scent as you brush past the plants. There’s nothing quite like the taste of a homegrown tomato — a reminder of summer, even as the evenings begin to draw in.
Between the beans and the tomatoes, there’s been no shortage of fresh produce to bring home, which is always the reward for the hours spent on the plot.
The Allotment in Transition
So, this week has really summed up September gardening — the allotment in transition. Summer crops giving way to autumn clearing, and preparations already underway for winter and spring. There’s a balance to be struck between finishing one season and beginning the next.
It can be a little overwhelming at times, but there’s also something deeply satisfying about it. Each job leads into the next, and before you know it, the plot has turned over a new chapter.
The pumpkins stacked and waiting to go home, the cabbage and lettuce tucked under their nets, the Brussels tended to, and the beans and tomatoes still filling baskets — it all adds up to the story of the allotment in September.
Looking Ahead
As we head into the coming weeks, there’ll be more clearing, more planting, and no doubt more harvesting. The compost bins will be fed with the remains of this year’s growth, and the soil will be readied for next year’s. The cycle continues.
The weather may not always cooperate — it’s been wet underfoot this week, and no doubt there’ll be more of that to come — but a few damp boots are a small price to pay for the progress we’ve made.
That’s the beauty of allotment life. There’s always work to be done, but it’s never just work. It’s part of a bigger rhythm, one that connects the seasons, the soil, and the harvest.
So, while the pumpkins mark the end of one chapter, the lettuces, cabbages, and onions mark the beginning of the next. And with beans and tomatoes still filling the baskets, we’re reminded that the allotment always has something to give.
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