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The Vegetable Patch

Advice on how to grow vegetables from seed to harvest, care for them, protect them from diseases, and boost harvests. Natural treatments only!

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Harvest Quince Before the First Frost: Pick, Store, Cook

Harvest Quince Before the First Frost: Pick, Store, Cook

The Vegetable Patch
Stop planting bare-root canes now: the autumn timing mistake costing gardeners

Stop planting bare-root canes now: the autumn timing mistake costing gardeners

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Autumn planting on rented ground: what you can grow without breaking your lease

Autumn planting on rented ground: what you can grow without breaking your lease

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Autumn fruit harvest saved our family £680: the real maths

Autumn fruit harvest saved our family £680: the real maths

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Late-Season Courgette Storage: Keep Them Crisp for Three Weeks

Late-Season Courgette Storage: Keep Them Crisp for Three Weeks

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Why Your Autumn-Planted Garlic Keeps Rotting: The Drainage Fix

Why Your Autumn-Planted Garlic Keeps Rotting: The Drainage Fix

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Bare-root vs container fruit trees: which establishes faster this autumn?

Bare-root vs container fruit trees: which establishes faster this autumn?

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Store your root vegetables in damp sand—not the fridge

Store your root vegetables in damp sand—not the fridge

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Stop harvesting pumpkins now – why early picking ruins flavour

Stop harvesting pumpkins now – why early picking ruins flavour

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Store Apple and Pear Crops the Traditional Way for Winter Eating

Store Apple and Pear Crops the Traditional Way for Winter Eating

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Brassica Moths Are Thriving This Summer—Here's Why Your Cabbages Are Failing

Brassica Moths Are Thriving This Summer—Here’s Why Your Cabbages Are Failing

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Sowing leafy greens in August shade: which varieties actually germinate

Sowing leafy greens in August shade: which varieties actually germinate

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Successional sowing showdown: which late-summer vegetables actually germinate?

Successional sowing showdown: which late-summer vegetables actually germinate?

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Peak Courgette Harvest: When to Pick for Maximum Flavour and Texture

Peak Courgette Harvest: When to Pick for Maximum Flavour and Texture

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Why Your Lettuce Is Bolting Early—and How to Stop It

Why Your Lettuce Is Bolting Early—and How to Stop It

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Stop Sowing Now: Why Late Summer Seed Timing Matters More Than You Think

Stop Sowing Now: Why Late Summer Seed Timing Matters More Than You Think

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Late summer sowing in shade: which crops still have time

Late summer sowing in shade: which crops still have time

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I grew tomatoes in pots all summer: what it cost versus ground planting

I grew tomatoes in pots all summer: what it cost versus ground planting

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Why August is the New Spring for UK Vegetable Gardens

Why August is the New Spring for UK Vegetable Gardens

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How to Store Fresh Beans for Maximum Flavour Through Late Summer

How to Store Fresh Beans for Maximum Flavour Through Late Summer

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Why Your Pumpkins Are Staying Small: The Pollination Problem

Why Your Pumpkins Are Staying Small: The Pollination Problem

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I grew my own potatoes and saved £180: the real numbers

I grew my own potatoes and saved £180: the real numbers

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Stop fertilising courgettes in August — here's why

Stop fertilising courgettes in August — here’s why

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I planted squash seedlings in July—here's what I actually harvested

I planted squash seedlings in July—here’s what I actually harvested

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Late Summer Garlic Planting: Why August Sowing Beats the Autumn Rush

Late Summer Garlic Planting: Why August Sowing Beats the Autumn Rush

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Peak Season Sweetcorn: Why Late Summer Cobs Taste Sweeter Than Early Crops

Peak Season Sweetcorn: Why Late Summer Cobs Taste Sweeter Than Early Crops

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Why Your Brassicas Are Suddenly Attracting Cabbage Whites Again

Why Your Brassicas Are Suddenly Attracting Cabbage Whites Again

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Spinach in August: why late sowing beats spring for continuous autumn harvests

Spinach in August: why late sowing beats spring for continuous autumn harvests

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Succession sowing in late summer won't save your autumn harvest — here's why

Succession sowing in late summer won’t save your autumn harvest — here’s why

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Stop pinching out your squash plants — they'll fruit better left alone

Stop pinching out your squash plants — they’ll fruit better left alone

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I planted August tomatoes in July — here's what actually ripened

I planted August tomatoes in July — here’s what actually ripened

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Harvest Runner Beans at Peak Tenderness: The 48-Hour Window

Harvest Runner Beans at Peak Tenderness: The 48-Hour Window

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Why Cabbage White Butterflies Are Abandoning Your Brassicas Now

Why Cabbage White Butterflies Are Abandoning Your Brassicas Now

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Why Your Brassicas Bolt Before Harvest—And How to Stop It

Why Your Brassicas Bolt Before Harvest—And How to Stop It

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Courgette plants flowering but no fruit? Act now to save your summer crop

Courgette plants flowering but no fruit? Act now to save your summer crop

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Cabbage from cuttings: propagating brassicas from leaf scraps

Cabbage from cuttings: propagating brassicas from leaf scraps

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No, you shouldn't sow garlic in spring — here's the real timing

No, you shouldn’t sow garlic in spring — here’s the real timing

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I grew my own salad leaves and saved £180: the real numbers

I grew my own salad leaves and saved £180: the real numbers

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Stop staking your peas — they'll crop better without support

Stop staking your peas — they’ll crop better without support

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I planted squash in August — here's what actually ripened

I planted squash in August — here’s what actually ripened

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How to Store Summer Soft Fruit for Peak Flavour Beyond Season

How to Store Summer Soft Fruit for Peak Flavour Beyond Season

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Why Your Peas Are Flowering Too Early—and How to Stop It

Why Your Peas Are Flowering Too Early—and How to Stop It

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Stop feeding your tomatoes now: August nutrient shift explained

Stop feeding your tomatoes now: August nutrient shift explained

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Second-crop beans in August: sowing now for September feast

Second-crop beans in August: sowing now for September feast

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August harvest cut my grocery bill by £180 — here's my strategy

August harvest cut my grocery bill by £180 — here’s my strategy

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Stop thinning your lettuce seedlings — crowding actually sweetens leaves

Stop thinning your lettuce seedlings — crowding actually sweetens leaves

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Courgette cages vs ground sprawl: which produces more fruit?

Courgette cages vs ground sprawl: which produces more fruit?

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Second Sowing Season: Why Late Summer Is The New Spring For Gardeners

Second Sowing Season: Why Late Summer Is The New Spring For Gardeners

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Peak sweetcorn season: When to cut for maximum sugar before it converts to starch

Peak sweetcorn season: When to cut for maximum sugar before it converts to starch

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Growing food in deep shade: which vegetables actually thrive without sun

Growing food in deep shade: which vegetables actually thrive without sun

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Container tomatoes vs in-ground: which survives summer water stress?

Container tomatoes vs in-ground: which survives summer water stress?

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