Leek

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.

Pre-growing for the autumn bed: what you should already be sowing in June so the autumn doesn't stay empty

In June the bed is full and autumn feels far off. That's exactly the trap. What you pre-grow now, you harvest in October — and what you miss, you'll simply do without.