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.
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
July has felt much more like proper allotment growing. The big clearing jobs are mostly behind me now, crops are filling the beds, and I have started bringing home some proper harvests. There have still been a few problems. Flea beetles arrived in numbers, the
I took on my own allotment on the Wirral in May 2026, so I know that finding the right site and application route is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Some plots are let directly by councils, while others are managed by town or
Chard, perpetual spinach, kale, lettuce, beetroot and radishes are among the best vegetables for shade in the UK. Rhubarb, currants, gooseberries and raspberries also suit beds that lose the sun for part of the day. Broad beans, leeks, peas and potatoes can remain worthwhile in
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