Matthew Biggs Diary

September 2008

After a sunless summer like we’ve experienced, there are still plenty of unripe tomatoes on the vine, traditionally gardeners turn those that remain into green tomato chutney but there is only so much of that you can eat and chutney fatigue sets in rapidly!

Towards the end of the season, outdoor tomato plants can be detached carefully from their supporting canes and laid on a layer of straw to protect them from the soil; covered with a couple of cloches to create a mini-greenhouse, they should ripen by the end of the season. Even more effective is to put down a black bin liner or two or a paving slab, instead of straw as both absorb the heat and hasten ripening too. You can also cut the plant above the last ripe truss and hang it upside down in a warm greenhouse, shed or garage while you tidy up the rest of the greenhouse house. A traditional method is to harvest blemish free fruit, wrap them individually in tissue paper and put them into a cool bedroom draw or on a single layer on newspaper in shallow cardboard boxes at around 50F (10C). Check them regularly over the winter; they can be removed and ripened, either on a sunny windowsill or by putting them in a paper bag at room temperature or in the airing cupboard with an over ripe banana, or any other ripe fruit like apples or pears. If you use a ripe tomato, remove the calyx, as 97% of the ethylene for ripening is released from the scar.

Aubergines will still be ripening; harvest when the skin is shiny, before it develops a ‘matt’ finish or starts to wrinkle, Cut the stalks close to the stem; they will store for up to two weeks in the fridge, but is better eaten fresh. Sweet corn is harvested when ‘cobs’ are ready the ‘silks’ wither and turn dark brown. Peel back the leaves and test for ripeness by pushing your thumbnail into a grain, if the liquid runs clear it is unripe, if it is milky, the ‘cob’ is ready to harvest; if it is thick then it is over ripe and unsuitable for eating.

Prune climbing roses once they have finished flowering. Remove any dead, diseased, dying, crossing, weak or rubbing branches and old woody, unproductive stems at the base to encourage new growth. Finally, cut back any vigorous, healthy stems from the main framework back to two buds, these will produce flowers the following year. Remember too that it’s time to plant prepared bulbs like hyacinths and narcissus for winter display. They are usually planted in pots without drainage holes, so put a layer of crocks or grit in the bottom for drainage. Plant in bulb fibre or multipurpose potting compost and pack the pot with bulbs for a good display. Hyacinths should be covered with the crown just visible above the compost surface. It takes up to 14 weeks before flowering so leave them in cool, dark conditions and check them regularly and put them on display when the first shoots appear.