The weather has been very good for late crops, with warmth, sunshine and moist soils, without frosts, excess rain, autumn gales or dull days.  Clearly this must change in the next few weeks and vulnerable corps will need gathering, winter crops made ready for four months of chill, wet and wind and the ground brought into good condition to carry out next year's cropping plan.

• Courgettes, French beans, outdoor peppers and aubergines and many tomatoes are on their very least legs and will be conveyed to the composting pit.

• The final tomatoes will have to be cut, ‘trayed up' and brought indoors to ripen.

• Red storing cabbage is ready to be pulled up and brought indoors. The white storing cabbage is filling out well - under the circumstances it is worth watering on some sulphate of ammonia this weekend to encourage more growth.

• Spring cabbage remains backward and moderate sulphate of ammonia could benefit these as well.

• A few rows of spuds remain in the soil - their foliage has more or less died away and they need to be shifted indoors now. They are left in the open after lifting for a couple of hours for the moist soil to dry and fall away.

• The occasional pumpkin and squash is still coming to light as crops are cleared.

• Ornamental gourds are dying back and are being cut and taken indoors to cure as soon as ripe.

• Digging has begun with the land for over-wintered peas dug over incorporating plenty of home-made compost. There is no pressing reason to dig more at the moment so barrowing out compost will be done ready to restart digging in November.

• The first application of SB Plant Invigorator to the brassicas appears to have suppressed the whitefly but more will be applied this weekend as any respite is only likely to be temporary until winter bites.

• Pigeons are already ‘trying' the bassica netting and more stakes and string to prevent them pressing down the nets are needed.

• Weeds are slowing and the worst have now been pulled and destroyed before they can set seed.

• This is the season of cauliflowers; calabrese, romanesco and cauliflowers sown in May and planted in July are now becoming ready to gather. As these are removed lettuce seedlings for maturing in April are being planted.