September 1st Week

According to My Middleton in Dig On For Victory we have 14 tasks this week :

1) Plant Spring Cabbage. - When land is available plant first of the spring cabbage. Don't dig over the soil as the roots prefer firm ground. 

2) Sow Cauliflowers. - Sow cauliflower for spring planting or inside culture. Sow seeds of several varieties at once to avoid too many bolting at once.

3) Help Onions to Colour up. - The book mentions rubbing off the rough outer skin to allow the smooth skin to colour up. This operation should only be done a few days before lifting. 

4) Remove Dead Leaves From Tomatoes. - Remove lower leaves that have withered or turned brown. 

5) Sow Turnips. - Sow turnips for winter or spring greens. Varieties such as Chirk Castle are suitable.

6) Case Mushrooms. - Mushroom beds made and spawned earlier will now be ready for casing. Put 2in of soil on top in an even layer. A layer of straw over the top helps maintain the temperature and protect the buttons as they appear.

7) Put Out Winter Lettuce. - Lettuce sown earlier can be pricked out into coldframes or if suitable planted outside for a winter crop.

8) Dig-in Green Manure. - Land sown in summer with mustard as green manure can now be turned over. Roll or tread down the mustard prior to digging in. Once done the ground can be filled with spring cabbage.

9) Beware of Caterpillars. - Do not allow them to thrive it warns and spray with derris. In the U.K. derris has been unavailable since 2009. 

10) Plant Out Endive. - Plant out endive where a cloche is to be erected or in a coldframe. Another sowing can be made in seed trays for pricking out into coldframes. They should give a supply for Christmas.
 

11) Attend to Celery. - Remove side growths from late celery and water well if required. Earlier batches will be completely earthed up leaving just the top of the leaves showing and will soon be ready for use.

12) Protect Parsley. - Plant some parsley in a coldframe in areas where it is hard to maintain outdoors over winter.

13) Easy with Fertilizer on Greens. -  Don't feed winter greens. Give a dressing of fertilizer to those which mature before Christmas such as early broccoli. Feed celeriac.

14) Thin Out Crops. - Thin out perpetual spinach to 8-in apart. Thin out any other crops requiring it, such as turnips. Earth up leeks. Build a compost heap and hoe out any weeds.


2017 :