Leek

Planting shallots in autumn: the small bulb that earns its keep

Shallots are probably the most overlooked autumn task in the raised bed. Plant now, harvest next July — with barely any effort and no green thumb required.

The September switch: clearing summer crops and planting your autumn bed

September is the month of the big changeover. Tomatoes are winding down, courgettes are getting tired — and the space they leave behind is some of the most valuable growing ground of the whole year.

Planting garlic in September: how to start now for the 2027 harvest

Garlic is one of the few crops where you do the work in autumn and collect the reward in summer. Plant now and you'll have large, aromatic bulbs by next July — or wait until October if you prefer the sweet spot.

Earthing up leeks: the trick for white shafts in your raised bed

Frau Schneider has let her leeks grow untouched since May. By August they're waist-high but green almost all the way down to the soil — like giant spring onions. It's not the wrong variety. She just skipped a step almost nobody tells you about: earthing up.

Harvesting and drying onions: when to pull them — and how to store them for months

My neighbour Frau Schneider pulled her onions too early last year. Instead of drying out, they started to rot. The difference between an onion that keeps until February and one that turns mushy in October comes down to a single sign.

Garlic from the raised bed: how to tell it's truly ready — and how to store it for a year

Garlic has a small harvest window. Pull it too early and it moulds in three weeks. Leave it too long and the bulb splits open. Here is the one sign I watch for — and how to store it so it lasts until next summer.