Pak Choi

Flea beetles on radishes and rocket: stop them before your leaves turn into sieves

The second flea-beetle generation is active in late September – and young radish and rocket leaves are its favourite food. Here's how to spot the damage and keep the beetles out without chemicals.

Asian greens in the raised bed: sow tatsoi, mizuna and pak choi now

Tatsoi, mizuna, pak choi — these Asian greens are among the most robust autumn vegetables you can grow. Sow them now in September and you'll harvest fresh, mild leaves well into November, even through light frosts.

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.

Radishes in September: the last sowing before winter

September is the last month when radishes really work. Cool nights make them crispier and sharper than anything you grew in summer. Sow now, harvest in mid-October — just before everything stops.

Sow rocket in August: four weeks to your first harvest

Rocket is the fastest harvest in the autumn raised bed. Sow now and you'll be cutting the first round in four weeks — sharper, more aromatic than in summer, and again and again through to November. Nothing else grows this quickly.

Plant broccoli in August: still time for an October harvest

Anyone who puts broccoli seedlings in now will be harvesting in October. The window is tight — but it's enough. Broccoli actually makes more sense in autumn than in spring: fewer pests, firm heads, better flavour in the cold.