We seem to have settled into more usual autumnal weather and rain is providing what moisture outdoor crops need.

Mid-teen temperatures are still allowing for growth and this can hold for a good while.

The thing about this end of the year is that things can change fast and soil that was cracked with drought, a short time ago, can soon become waterlogged. Grass and weeds will keep growing along with your garden plants. Some garden enthusiasm may have faded at this stage, but try to keep up with mowing, mulching and weeding tasks. We may all hope for an Indian summer, but we must also be prepared to lift crops, dig, tidy and plant when the weather allows.

Carrots

I’d recommend lifting any carrots that you still have left in the ground. Of course, they might get bigger if left for another few weeks, but wetter soil means that you run the risk of problems with slug damage and rot. And giant carrots aren’t always as tasty as their smaller counterparts. Choose a fine day if you can and use a fork, if needed, to gently free the earth as you pull the root out. Try to avoid damaging carrots and lift them out as perfect as you can. Spread them out to dry for a couple of hours and then start to sort them if you have a large crop.

Lift and use or store carrots

First trim the leaves back to about 3cm from the top of each carrot and rub off any loose soil. Put aside damaged roots for immediate use. Very small ones should go in the first-use pile too – these are delicious when fresh, but will dry out if left in store for too long. Sound roots go in another pile. These will go into a store in a cool, dry, frost-free shed. Pack them in layers between sawdust, or clean potting compost, and very slightly dampen the packing medium. This will help to keep the roots in good condition for several months. Do keep using your carrots and check regularly to make sure they are still sound.

Late apples

Apples ripen at different times, depending on the variety, and some ripen steadily for a while after picking. The important thing is to try to harvest before fruit drops from the tree and suffers damage. Windfalls are fine for baked dishes, sauces and chutneys. You can also juice the fruit if you have access to a fruit press. If you want to store some fruit, to use through the winter, then you need to harvest carefully.

Invest in an apple harvesting tool if you have tall trees. This will help you to harvest high fruits, while keeping them in good condition. You can use a ladder or even climb a tree to reach the highest branches, but both of these options can cause damage to you or the tree and, ideally, that outcome should be avoided. A long pole with a catchment bag, or cage attached is a simple option. Your feet remain on the ground and you can lift picked fruit down to place gently in a basket. If a storm is forecast then harvest what fruit you can. Wrap each apple in newspaper to prevent the spread of disease between stored fruits.

Tomatoes

It has been a good year for tomatoes, with long trusses full of tasty fruits. The sunshine helped develop full flavour and it is hard to pass a plant without sampling one or two. Ease back a little on watering and try to keep the ground at an even moisture. Skins are more likely to split at this end of the year and uneven watering can make the problem worse. Keep an eye out for mouldy leaves and signs of stem rot. If any plant is badly affected, pull it out before the problem spreads to other plants.

The time-window is closing fast if you want to sow some winter and spring crops. In a mild autumn this might stretch until October, but plant growth will be slow after that and seedlings may not alter much for several weeks. If El Niño brings the extra rain that forecasters anticipate, then you should consider covering any rows of seedlings and small plants so they don’t get drowned. A polytunnel or greenhouse is an ideal place to grow protected winter crops. Keep an eye out for autumn planting varieties of garlic and onions in garden centres now. Or look online and order what you want. Fruithillfarm.com has a good range of options.

And while you are at it, keep an eye out for autumn-planting pea and broad bean varieties. These won’t be sown for a few more weeks, but it is good to have them ready for when they are needed.