Fruit and veg shortages are promised for the next few weeks but many people are warning that the root causes go deeper than wet weather in Spain. If, then, we should expect disruption to our food supply chain for some time to come, it is not too late to get planning and planting your own crops, even if those tomatoes will not materialise for at least three or four months.
It depends on, yes, you guessed it, the weather. Unlike our a-seasonal supermarket shelves, you will not be able to grow yourself a year-round supply of summer salad staples. By the middle of October, low light levels and temperatures mean most UK-grown tomato plants are dwindling. The same goes for cucumbers and peppers, all of which need good light and warmth to grow well.
That said, there are plenty of options for gardeners who are prepared to plan ahead.
Now is the time to start thinking about summer. It is still a bit soon to start growing things outside; even in London’s microclimate, the temperature could still drop below freezing, we could have snow or heavy rain, all of which could jeopardise newly sown plants at this time of year.
If you are really keen to get going, make a start indoors or undercover. I’m in the process of building a cold frame from up-cycled windows that were being thrown out on my street (always ask before taking things out of skips or off the street, and be mindful of broken glass), but you can also find them online.
Choose a cold frame with a strong wooden or metal framework; some of the less expensive minigreenhouses do work, but they are liable to blow over, which is devastating if you’ve just filled it with pots of newly sown seeds. I speak from experience.
Start slower-growing vegetables like aubergines, chillies and peppers inside now to give them time to reach maturity before summer ends. A warm windowsill is ideal for this as the seeds need to be at roughly 20 degrees Celsius for part of each day to trigger germination. Once they’ve started growing, they don’t need to be quite so warm.
Other crops such peas, spring onions, parsley, coriander, chicory and even turnips can also be started from now (but there is no rush!), and need slightly less heat to get going.
You will not be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour right now, but you can still plan ahead for next winter, too (when there is no guarantee these issues will be over). For a late-winter salad, plant winter greens in a sheltered spot the autumn before. Crops like winter purslane (Claytonia), lamb’s lettuce and some Asian greens like tatsoi and mizuna can all be sown for winter harvests and in London grow well in the ground or in containers.
Vital seeds offers a great range of organic winter crops you can grow from seed (vitalseeds.co.uk).
