A member of Sonairte staff wants to know if it is too late to sow anything in her polytunnel. No it isn’t – in fact to my mind it is never too late to sow a few winter crops in polytunnels, greenhouses, window sills or even to take a chance on a small patch of bare earth in the garden – especially if that patch of bare earth is a raised bed so the ground won’t easily get soggy.

Best for all year round germination are the brassicas – the cabbage family. They’ll come up like the proverbial mustard and cress, in fact mustard is one of them, not matter when you sow so long as the soil stays a few degrees above freezing. And even if it does freeze most of them will pick themselves up and keep growing.

At this time of year I often gather up the ends of seed packets – cabbages, broccoli, turnips, rocket, land cress, purslane, chinese greens and mustards of all kinds, maybe chicory, maybe carrots. Even winter spinach and onions. I use seeds where the packet has been open for a season or more so germination may not be great. Then I just weed the patch where they are going, scatter the seeds over the surface and rake them in lightly. If I’m sowing under cover I water them in, if not I reckon the soil is wet enough at this time of year. And then I watch to see what comes up and pick the baby leaves when they are a couple of inches long, picking a leaf off each plant so there are leaves left to keep it growing. Absolutely delicious salad right through the winter.

And even if you don’t have a polytunnel or greenhouse you can make your own cold frame or cloche very easily – lots of plans around on line. Or maybe you should just watch this space.

October is a busy month in the organic garden. As the leaves begin to fall wildlife is heading for its winter quarters. Codlin moth and wax moth larvae start to crawl down tree trunks to spend the winter in the soil before emerging for another year’s destruction of  the fruit crop.  Here at Sonairte they don’t make it into the soil – the tree trunks are wrapped with sticky grease bands and it catches them as they go past. We also hang up seeds and nuts for the birds who diligently search the cracks in the branches for any other overwintering pests.

This weekend (16^th October) is our annual gardening for wildlife day with lots of ideas for ways of attracting birds, bees and other friends into the garden – and persuading them to make their home there. We’ll be talking about planting, bird feeders, dry stone walls and water in the garden among other topics.

And then it will be autumn pruning time and a full day of fruit related topics on the 13^th November.