Tidying up in the October garden

I've not spent much time in the garden today, just popped out to collect some pizza toppings.  Picked a slightly overripe but really nice pepper Doce d'Espagna (seed bought on holiday in Portugal).  Also an Ohnivec chilli to hot mine up a bit.

I notice I now have a lot of chillies ripe, including some rather pretty Red Savina.  Looking forward to those  !

What have you got that's still going strong ?  Anything that did really well you'd like to recommend ?

I've still got some mutant Brussel sprouts - huge great plants (on the seed pack it described them as 'medium'!) The sprouts are not yet big enough to pick, but having netted them against cabbage white, they have now succumbed to white fly (I think because the white fly are in a nice safe enviromesh shelter where nothing can get them.) I did think today about removing the netting, but since them have seen more butterflies.

I think I'm going to end up sproutless again this year. The plants look healthy enough, though not very tall, but the sprouts are so far only about the size of peas - I'm sure they're usually a lot bigger than that by now.

My sweet peppers are still going strong and I'm really pleased with them as its my first ever peppers. The ones I've got are Kaibi from Real Seeds. They've got really thick flesh and a lovely flavour. I was going to keep some seed, though I've still got some in the packet, but am wondering if they will have cross pollinated with the chillies which were at the other end of the polytunnel.

That's how big the sprouts on my plants are too. Looks like they might end up in the chicken run if they don't get any bigger!

The flower bit of my garden is so pretty at the moment - unusually for this time of year. Everything is pink and purple with yellow calendula dotted about. But, how do others keep tall stuff from flopping everywhere. I've got a lot of Michaelmas daisies because the bees love them but they are tall and leaning in every direction. I suppose I need to get something round them earlier on before they start to go.

I use link stakes, Ploshkin. They are L shaped stakes that link together to make a support of variable diameter. Some I leave in place, such as the ones for my peony, so I know where it is when it disappears for the winter. But yes, you need to put them in early in the growing season.

Do you have a particular place that's good value for link stakes, Freebird? I saw Monty Don making perennial-supporting stakes quite a while ago. I suppose I could get some suitable gauge wire and give it a go.

Not really FloBear - just got some from local garden centre with some vouchers I had.

OK, thanks for that FB

Down at the allotment I'm getting on quite well with the tidying up, so time to start thinking about next year's cropping.

The weekend before last I dug over the bed where the sweetcorn and pumpkins were, and built my hugel. On Saturday I dug out a compost heap to improve those areas; a layer on top of my Hugel mound into which I'm going to sow some Aquadulche Caludia overwintering broad beans. Where the squashes were four barrowloads of compost have gone on, and I've put my overwintering onions - Shakespere and Red Cross - in there.

Just a bit more weed control needed now, if the weather holds for another weekend.

How are your Brussell sprouts doing Dandelion? I took the netting off mine today and had a good weed and staked them up. They're looking a bit more hopeful, the sprouts are about malteser size so provided they keep expanding they should make something though not spectacular. They are one of the later varieties. I found the dreaded mealy aphid on two of the plants but I'm hoping a bit of cold weather will put paid to them.
I've had to admit defeat with my pak choi in the polytunnel. They have been used as an all you can eat buffet by caterpillars. I should have put mesh over when they first germinated. I've got fed up caterpillar hunting every day and I've been fighting a losing battle anyway. The only good thing is that the caterpillars have kept off the adjacent lettuces and cabbages.