James BryceAUTUMN has arrived, the mornings are fresh, and the shorts have been put away until next summer. We are flat out on the farms getting all our parsley and coriander crops sown.
In fact as I write this our first delivery of parsley and coriander is on its way to the UK.
At this time of year conditions are excellent for the planting of all manner of trees, ornamental bushes and spring flowering bulbs.
Finish off your late summer pruning and remove any leaf waste as this can be a source of pest and disease next season.
With All Saints Day just around the corner, our featured plant of the month is the Chrysanthemum, a specimen synonymous with the date.
Available in all shapes and sizes it is ideal for the garden, terrace or patio and gives a splendid show of colour.
Also very popular and available for planting now are pansies and violas, which will continue to give a spread of colour and joy to the garden all winter.
We also have a great selection of conifers which can help break up the outline of your garden and act as a screen or windbreak where necessary.
As my forte is vegetable production, let us now turn to the vegetable plot.
This month we are highlighting cabbage; both green and red, Chinese cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
Now is the perfect time for crops such as leeks, swedes, parsnips, carrots, broccoli and onions.
Why not plant some of the onion sets we have available as they are certain to give a good result, and don’t forget to check for pests and diseases on any existing vegetable crops.
The most problematic being attacks by aphid and caterpillar, not to mention the old favourites, slugs and snails.
At Garden la Palma we have small plastic tunnels which can be used to prolong the season for peppers and tomatoes.
