The end of summer ...

[cochlear_nerve]

I've some tomato plants on the garage window ledge that look small but healthy but don't realistically look like they might fruit any time soon ... should I just consign them to the compost or is it worth bringing them inside?

Ditto chilli plants?

What would be good to grow in a hanging basket at this time of year?

[Green Aura]

If you've got spare room in the right growing conditions hang on to both.

Chillis will keep at least 2 years and we've picked fresh tomatoes on Christmas morning.

[Peggy Sue]

Tomatoes at Christmas are impressive, Tomatoes in the Highlands at Christmas if it were a photo I'd be saying it's edited

[Green Aura]

Not in the Highlands Peggy Sue, before we moved up here. The plant was just about knackered with a tiny green bit a the top, with just the top truss hanging in there. We'd turfed all the other plants but this one just kept growing.

If we're still picking tomatoes on Christmas morning up here I want an award!!! A big one.

[Peggy Sue]

You would make national news I think Green Aura

[cochlear_nerve]

Strawberry plants ... compost or keep?

[Millymollymandy]

Or more, mine were fantastic in their 4th year! But that's the limit I reckon because the plants just become so huge and no matter how well you tidy up and remove all those runners that you don't want, there's always some that get away and root in with the other plants. I had two different varieties growing out of the same 'plant' this year.

[cochlear_nerve]

thanks both.

they're in a pot. just forget about it until next year? put it in the garage? trim back dead leaves?

[Millymollymandy]

I've never grown strawbs in a pot but I do have an autumn clean up where I get rid of all the runners and the dead leaves, so I would think cutting or pulling off (gently!) the dead leaves would be sensible. As to where to keep them, it depends how harsh your winter is but a cold frame should be OK. They are perfectly hardy when their roots are in the soil it's just that sometimes things in pots can be less hardy as they are above ground.

Not sure about keeping in a garage unless you've got a window there you could put it by. Also I don't know if you have one plant in a pot which is easily moveable or a lot in a big pot which isn't. You certainly don't need to put them in any kind of shelter yet - I'm still harvesting my summer/autumn ones and they'll keep on producing for ages yet (but by the time it gets cold and frosty they aren't actually worth eating!).

[cochlear_nerve]

So ... what should I be doing today?

[Thomzo]

So ... what should I be doing today?

Put your feet up and have a glass of wine.


Zoe

[MuddyWitch]

Pouring over seed catalogues, ordering ready for next Spring.

MW

[Peggy Sue]

Seems to me you could do both at once!

[Martina]

I am a little disheartened as we actually had our first touch of frost here in Ontario. So whatever I have now is resigned to be compost for next year. Soon I'll be wrapping up the berry bushes and that's it: Officially winter (all five months of it).

Martina

[cochlear_nerve]

Marigolds and geraniums: leave them in the ground over winter, put in the garage and protect them or chuck them on the compost?