GARDENING: A change of season in August air

BY JOYCE RUSSELL

DARE I mention autumn? It is early to think about a change of the season, but there is a bit of a feeling in the air. Leaves started turning colour on some trees a couple of weeks ago and some are already falling and littering the ground.  Autumn seems to creep deeper into August each year and with plants still trying to catch up after a hot June and a wet July, it’s no wonder there is some confusion. There’s no need to panic – plants are tuned to patterns of day length plus temperature and there is still plenty of time for growth before we hit into a serious change of the seasons. 

Grass growth 

This slows down a bit after the mad growth of July is over. We can take a breather and stretch out the interval between mowing lawns by a day or two. This stretch is even more pronounced next month and you may soon start to count how many more times you need to get the mower out this year. 

If you choose to mow, rather than letting grass grow long in the interests of biodiversity, then gather the clippings and use them to mulch around your winter crops, or cover bare patches where plants have finished in the herbaceous border.

Golden corn

The first sweetcorn cobs are swelling nicely in the polytunnel. Watch out for the silks turning brown at the end of cobs and gently peel back the end to reveal some of the sweetcorn inside. There should be tight packed rows of lovely golden kernels, although some varieties are multicoloured and others are more cream than yellow. 

Use a thumbnail to burst a kernel or two. If the liquid that comes out is clear, then wrap the leaves back around and wait another few days before harvesting. If the liquid is milky then the cob should be perfect.

I always prefer to err on the side of under-ripe rather than risk cobs drying out and becoming starchy or tasteless. Try one cob as soon as you think it is ready – they are big enough to slice into pieces for sharing. There’s nothing like the full taste experience to determine if this is the perfect time to keep harvesting. The season is short, so aim to eat all corn from one sowing within a two-week period. Remove all husks and evict any earwigs, boil for four minutes in a large pan of water and serve with plenty of butter, salt, and pepper. If you have too many cobs, they can be frozen for future use.

Blueberries

These fruits do well in the acid soil that is a feature of many West Cork gardens. Bushes are easy to grow, and they don’t need a lot of care, but it may take a few years before they are fully productive. Once a bush is cropping well, you will be kept supplied with lovely tasty berries. These can crop from July through to October, depending on the variety and the weather conditions. Choose an early and a late variety and you will enjoy weeks of fresh berries. Any surplus is easy to freeze and makes a delicious treat at any time of the year.

Pick ripe blueberries before rain knocks them off. (Photo: Ben Russell)

Pick blueberries as soon as they ripen or when they are almost fully ripe if rain is forecast. Ripe berries drop from the bushes with the slightest provocation and it is easier to finish the ripening process on a sunny window ledge than to clean fallen berries picked up from the ground.

Still time to sow

• If you have a polytunnel, or greenhouse, then you can still sow plenty of things to grow through the winter. Choose winter hardy varieties of spinach, spinach beet and chard – these will provide good pickings early next year. 

• You can keep sowing and growing lettuce at most times of the year and rows of rocket, mustard greens, cress, corn salad etc will do very well in most winters. 

• Sow spring cabbage now if you want lots of tasty
green leaves in March and April next year.

• Look out for small plants of lettuce, spinach etc if you want to get ahead with crops for the autumn. These will put you a few weeks ahead of new sowings.

• Keep an eye out for autumn-planting onion sets and garlic. These are available from mid-August on, although I wouldn’t plant them outdoors until late September or early October. 

Handsome hydrangeas

Some people love these plants and others are less fond of them. They certainly thrive in our part of the world and they produce a great display over a long season. If you are unsure whether to plant one, take a look at some of the lace-cap varieties.

Delicate lace cap hydrangea. (Photo: Ben Russell).

These make a more delicate display and can have a lovely range of colours.