I’ve had a good tomato year with Gardeners Delight and Golden Sunrise (yellow tomato) performing well and my favourite, the sweet, delicious Sungold.

After all the months of tending I’m always rather reluctant to decide that their time is up but with the days shortening and less sunlight hours, it’s unlikely that any of my remaining fruits will now ripen.

So as not to waste the unripe fruits I’ve got a few options: I can lay the whole plant on some straw under cloches or hang in the shed to ripen up the fruits; I can pick the green fruit and pop in a drawer next to a banana which aids ripening or I can use the green fruit as they are by making some green tomato chutney.

It’s Bean Windy

The winds have given things a bit of a battering, so some tidying is needed.

My beans have been blown over (better staking needed next year Lucy). They had pretty much finished but I’ll keep a few pods with no signs of rot and store in a paper bag until they are dry, then I can select the firmest smoothest beans for sowing in spring.

I buy new seed every couple of years to invigorate my stock.

Fruit Storage Tips

Apples, pears, quince and medlars all have a good storage life if you follow a few simple guidelines:

1) Select undamaged fruit, ideally stalk intact, under ripe is better than over ripe.

2) Find a container that will allow good air movement through the sides and at the top.

3) Lay fruit in a single layer, not touching each other or wrap individually in newspaper.

4) Store in a cool dry dark place away from strong scents like paint and fertilisers.

5) Keep different cultivars separately.

6) Check fruit regularly and discard any that are rotting.

7) Pears ripen quickly so you will need to check these more often than apples.

No Rose Diseases Please

As rose leaves fall, gather and dispose of them as they can harbour fungal leaf diseases such as blackspot and mildew.

Don’t be tempted to add them to the compost heap unless you have a hot composting system, which will kill spores. By removing them now you will reduce the need for sprays next year.