The days are getting shorter but there are still last flowers to be picked on the plot and lots of preparation for next year.
The last flowers of the season
Our dahlias were planted very late this year which meant we had to wait for the flowers, but also means we're still harvesting them in November which is a first for us.
Being a city centre plot, we benefit the urban heat island effect meaning our growing season is longer and we don't see our first frost usually until December. It doesn't mean we can grow flowers indefinitely though, the shortening days stop flower production for us before the frosts do.
Dahlia tubers don't like frost so are often dug up in winter to protect them and replanted in the spring. Many growers wait until the first frost to blacken the leaves before doing this, but as our frost comes so late in the season, we lift them in November to make sure they don't rot in the autumn rain.
Preparations for 2022
It may feel as though things are shutting down for winter, but for us, preparations for next season are already well under way.
To ensure we can harvest flowers as early as possible, we sow hardy annuals and plant some bulbs and corms in autumn. These are kept safe over winter in the greenhouse and under low fleece tunnels outside.
Come April and May we will hopefully have an abundance of ranunculus, anemones, cornflowers, nigella, Iceland poppies and more!
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