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.
Save seed from healthy, open-pollinated French bean plants and leave selected pods in place until they turn brown, dry and brittle. If wet weather threatens, bring mature pods under cover to finish drying. Once fully dry, shell the beans, spread them out indoors until they
Sweetcorn freezes well when it is prepared soon after picking. For the best flavour, colour and texture, use fresh, ripe cobs and see our guide to [when to harvest sweetcorn in the UK]. Blanching is recommended, with loose kernels offering the best all-round option, although
The calendar gives you a useful starting point, but sweetcorn does not always ripen evenly. Timing can vary between plants—and even between cobs on the same plant—depending on the cultivar, weather and growing conditions. Before picking, check each cob for brown, drying silks, a firm
Most outdoor French beans in the UK are harvested from July to September. Early greenhouse or polytunnel plants may crop in June, while healthy climbing beans can sometimes continue into October in mild conditions. Pick each pod once it has reached the expected size for
Most UK runner beans are harvested from July to September, although early crops may begin in late June and plants in mild, sheltered locations can continue into October. Pick the pods while they are firm and tender, usually at around 20–25cm long, and check the
Most UK cucumbers are harvested from July to September, although greenhouse plants may crop from June into October. Pick them once they reach the expected size for the variety, feel firm and show their normal colour. Cucumbers are best harvested before they become yellow, swollen
Introduction Learning how to store potatoes properly sounds simple enough, until you have a sack of muddy spuds, a damp shed, and no clear plan for what needs eating first. For UK gardeners and allotment growers, potato storage is rarely about having the perfect root
Introduction July is where the UK harvest calendar changes gear. Earlier in the year, you are often waiting for the first proper pickings. By July, the job is usually keeping up before crops get too big, tough, overripe, or taken by wildlife. For many UK
Introduction June is when the UK harvest calendar starts to feel properly useful again. You may be picking lettuce, rocket, radishes, spring onions, spinach, chard, broad beans, peas, mangetout, first early potatoes, strawberries, gooseberries, rhubarb and fresh herbs. If you grow under cover, you might
Introduction Garlic harvest timing is one of those jobs where a few days can make a real difference. Lift it too early and the bulbs may be smaller than they could have been. Leave it too long and the cloves can start splitting, the skins
Introduction Courgettes are one of those crops that can go from “nearly ready” to “where did that marrow come from?” almost overnight. In the UK, the main courgette harvest usually runs from July to September, although greenhouse plants and early starts can crop sooner. The
Introduction Growing tomatoes in the UK is rarely as simple as waiting for them to turn red. Some years they ripen cleanly on the vine, but more often you’re working around cool nights, heavy rain, stop-start sunshine, and the risk of fruit splitting or going