The mornings are drawing in and getting cooler but that means plenty of rich pickings. I’ve made ruby-red Omega plum jam this week with boughten plums. Also some bright greeen pesto with some vigorous basil and lots of garlic. I freeze what I can’t use immediately. You can get some help with how to best use your produce from A Good Harvest: Recipes from the Gardens of Rural Women New Zealand, a follow up to their very successful A Good Spread.
It’s time to fettle your herbs if they’ve got leggy. That way you’ll get some fresh growth before winter. If you’ve got a tunnel house or a cold frame, transplant some there (chives, mint and parsley) and they’ll grow better through the cold months.
Spread compost as you empty summer crops from beds and sow green manure (mustard and lupins are the most common) if you’re not planting anything else for winter. If you’ve got chooks, rabbits or guinea pigs you can use the space for their winter greens.