This archive brings together practical, experience-led articles from The Backyard Farmer, covering gardening, DIY, indoor growing, foraging, reviews, and sustainable living. Each post is written with real-world use in mind — focusing on working with nature, building practical skills, and making sustainable choices more accessible.
Turnips are usually ready to harvest sooner than many gardeners expect. Early varieties can produce usable roots in around six weeks, while maincrop types often take closer to ten weeks. Start checking the roots when the shoulders begin to show above the soil and pull
Turnips are one of the quickest root crops to grow in a UK garden or allotment. They are useful for filling gaps between longer-term crops, and because they can be harvested young, you do not need to wait for large roots before enjoying them. The
September is one of the busiest harvest months in the UK garden. Summer crops such as tomatoes, beans, courgettes and cucumbers may still be producing, while potatoes, onions, apples, pears and other storage crops begin to take centre stage. Some pumpkins, winter squash, leeks and
Greenhouse plants generally grow best when they receive plenty of useful natural light. In most gardens, the biggest gains come from choosing a sensible position, keeping the glazing clean, arranging plants carefully and adjusting ventilation or shading as the seasons change. Whether you are planning
Most rhubarb in the UK is ready to harvest from April to June. Look for young, firm stalks around 30 cm long, with leaves that have recently opened. Harvest by pulling and gently twisting each stalk from the base rather than cutting it. Do not
Rhubarb (Rheum × hybridum) is a hardy perennial that can remain productive for ten years or longer. The easiest way to grow it is from a dormant crown planted between November and March. Choose its position carefully, as rhubarb dislikes being moved unnecessarily. Give each
If you’re looking for the best pumpkins to grow for Halloween in the UK, the short answer is: Racer F1 is the best all-round Halloween pumpkin for most UK growers, combining a classic orange carving shape with useful 5–7kg fruits, relatively early maturity and a
If your pumpkin plant is covered in flowers but has no pumpkins yet, it does not necessarily mean something is wrong. Male flowers usually appear before female flowers, so a newly flowering plant may simply need more time. If female flowers are appearing but the
If you want pumpkins ready for Halloween in the UK, timing is everything. The most reliable approach is to sow seeds indoors in mid to late April, giving plants a long, warm growing season. Once the risk of frost has passed, usually late May to
Once you’ve harvested a pumpkin, what you do in the first week has a major impact on how long it will last. In most cases, mature pumpkins store best when they are cured first, then kept somewhere cool, dry and well ventilated. Curing allows the
If your pumpkin is still green or only partly coloured, don’t panic — in most UK gardens the best approach is to leave it on the vine for as long as conditions allow. A healthy plant is still feeding the fruit and helping it develop.
Most pumpkins in the UK are ready to harvest during September and October, but timing should never be based on the calendar alone. The key is ripeness: a mature pumpkin will have a hard rind, a firm, woody stalk, and a fully developed colour for