ROB'S PLOT - No rest for the wicked

It might be October and the days are getting shorter but Rob Smith is still busy sowing, planting, harvesting and giving his plot and greenhouse a good tidy up

- Rob Smith

October can be a sombre month in the kitchen garden – the weather starts to get colder, wetter and darker, while many of our favourite crops finally get consigned to the compost heap. That said, there are still seeds to sow, cloves/sets to plant and things to grow; plus we need to make the most of the good weather and get in the garden when we can.

Runner beans have done really well for me this year, even though it has been hot and dry. I’ve only grown one variety named ‘Black Knight’, a purple flushed runner bean, which is delicious and cropped very well indeed. I’ve saved some seeds for next year. I’m also having a go at overwintering the plants as they are actually perennial in warmer countries. This is more intriguing than practical, as runner beans are so easy to grow from seed, but it will be fun to have a go.

Carefully dig the roots up and you’ll see they have swollen tubers around some; you need to pot these up and cut the plant back to around 15cm (6in) tall, then keep them just damp and frost free. In spring as the light levels increase do the same with the watering and your plants should start to grow and give earlier harvests than seed-sown plants.

OVERWINTERING CHILLIES Chillies also overwinter well, especially rocoto types which can take lower temperatures, although it’s worth trying it with any chilli you like as it can save time in spring. Again, cut the main stem back to 15cm (6in) tall after harvesting all the fruit, then cut back any side shoots or small branches to 2-3cm (¾-1in) and keep somewhere frost free. I put mine in the lean-to which stays around 6-8C (43-46F) and they normally survive; however, you will probably lose one or two, so try and overwinter as many as you can.