Welcome to our web site nursery news
On these pages we update what is going on at the nursery, what we have for sale and keep you up to date on the seasons growing with monthly hints and tips.
For updates on the dates for 2026 see News about our Shows for 2026.
If trying trying ‘Grow your Own’ for the first time, don’t be put off by a failure. As we have always said, each year is different, so never be put off by a bad years results. There is always next year, gardeners are optimists. A seed is a perfect symbol – small, full of potential, and with the right care capable of growing into something wonderful, even in challenging times.
There is always our facebook page to check for daily updates and each monthly mail shots for more information on growing month by month.
As always the nursery is open for the collection of all your vegetable plants as the seasons progress.
All our plants are grown using John Innes compost which is loam based. We use biomass boilers to heat all our glasshouses and use predator’s or a natural spray to control unwanted garden pests rather than a chemical spray.
Plants sent by mail order are packed using recyclable material.
We are committed to following the advice from the experts to deliver the highest standards of safety and hygiene for our staff and customers.
Registered on the APHA list of distance plant sellers. Plant Passport No.20404
We regret we cannot send any plants to Northern Ireland or the EU.
Available now at the nursery we have
Our full range of new season vegetable seeds including the Mammoth range for exhibition.
Smaller varieties leek plants for over wintering.
Range of hardy Brassica, Lettuce, Spinach & Herbs.
8 varieties of Garlic, 7 varieties of Autumn planting onion sets and Banana shallots available.
September nursery opening times
Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm
Saturday and Sunday – CLOSED
Jobs in the garden for September here in the UK
Dear Gardeners,
September has arrived, bringing plenty of opportunities to enjoy the last of the year’s warmth while preparing your garden for the months ahead. Harvesting takes centre stage this month, but there are still several vegetables that can be sown now for overwintering. Many of these crops will mature next spring, providing valuable harvests at a time when little else is ready to pick.
Jobs for September
Now is the time to lift and store your onions. Remove the tops as soon as they are harvested, as this helps them dry thoroughly and improves their storage life.
Squashes can also be harvested and stored for winter use. Ensure the skins have fully hardened before placing them into storage. Root crops intended for winter storage generally will not be ready until late September at the earliest.
Harvest potatoes and allow them to dry naturally without washing. Store them in cool, dark conditions for the best keeping quality.
You can still sow a range of crops for winter and early spring harvests, including:
- Winter lettuces such as Winter Density, Marvel of Four Seasons and Arctic King
- Winter-hardy spring onions
- Perpetual spinach
- Chard
- Kohl rabi
- Turnips
- Radishes
- Oriental salads, including rocket and pak choi
Spring cabbage can now be transplanted into its final growing position.
Autumn Planting Onion Sets
Our autumn planting onion sets are now available and are best planted during September and October. With some vegetable varieties expected to remain in short supply this year, it is worth making good use of any spare ground over winter. We offer a wide selection of varieties, so please visit our website for full details.
Garlic
Garlic benefits from a period of cold weather and is generally best planted in late autumn or early winter. However, some cultivars can be planted in early spring.
On heavy or wet soils, start cloves in modules within a cold frame and plant them out in spring. Plant individual cloves with the tips approximately 2.5cm (1in) below the soil surface. Space plants 15cm (6in) apart, with rows 30cm (12in) apart.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb crowns should be planted while dormant, between late autumn and early spring.
Prepare the soil by incorporating two bucketfuls of well-rotted manure per square metre. Spread out the roots carefully and plant so that the crown tip remains just visible above the soil surface.
We stock several varieties that mature at different times, helping to provide a longer harvesting season.
Green Manures
As soon as a bed has been cleared and is not required for winter planting, consider sowing a green manure crop.
Soil should never be left bare for extended periods. In nature, exposed soil is quickly colonised by vegetation. Bare ground loses nutrients, suffers from reduced soil life and can experience deterioration in soil structure.
Sowing green manures is simple. Prepare a weed-free seedbed, scatter the seed at the recommended rate and lightly rake it into the soil.
A favourite summer green manure is Phacelia, known in Germany as “Bee’s Friend”. This attractive plant is highly valued by pollinators and beneficial insects, including hoverflies, lacewings, beetles and, of course, bees.
The main purpose of a green manure is to protect the soil and capture nutrients that might otherwise be lost through winter rainfall. Ideally, the crop should be dug into the soil just before flowering. However, Phacelia is well worth allowing to bloom, as it provides exceptional wildlife benefits.
Research has shown significant increases in carabid beetle populations under Phacelia crops, and these beetles are effective predators of slugs. Be aware that Phacelia can self-seed if left to flower.
If you would prefer a less vigorous option, try our Overwinter Mix, a combination of grazing rye and vetch. This provides valuable nitrogen fixation throughout winter and can be dug into the soil from March onwards.
Pest Watch
Aphids and whitefly can still be problematic, particularly during a warm September or under protection in tunnels and greenhouses.
Before taking action, look for natural predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies, which may already be keeping populations under control. Where infestations become severe, aphids can be treated with pyrethrum or soft soap sprays, although these products may also affect beneficial insects. A strong jet of water can often be an effective and environmentally friendly alternative.
While wasps are not always welcome visitors, they also play an important role in controlling aphid populations.
Continue to check brassicas regularly for caterpillars, as cabbage white butterflies may still be active at this time of year.
New Season Catalogue
Our new 2027 Catalogue is now available. All customers should receive a copy by post, and a digital version can also be downloaded from our website.
As one growing season draws to a close, the next begins. New season seed stocks are now available to order.
Malvern Autumn Show
We will be attending the Malvern Autumn Show on 25th, 26th and 27th September 2026, our final show of the year.
We will have a full range of seeds, onion sets and garlic available and can be found in our usual location within the RHS Floral Marquee. We look forward to seeing you there.
Whatever the rest of the year may bring, we wish you happy gardening.
The Robinson Family
W Robinson & Son (Seeds and Plants) Ltd
The Home of the Mammoth Onion
Sunny Bank, Forton, Preston PR3 0BN
01524 791210
www.mammothonion.co.uk
[email protected]
facebook.com/mammothvegetables
A pest solution.
Use this simple garlic repellent to deter garden pests like aphids and slugs. It can also help eliminate powdery mildew on foliage.
Peel the cloves from a whole head of garlic and put in a food processor or blender with 235 ml of water. Purée the mixture (this takes about a minute in a regular food processor). Alternatively, chop or crush the cloves as finely as you can by hand and mix well with the water.
Add a further 700ml of water to the mix, along with 30ml of any liquid soap. Blend again and then transfer to a clean jar.
Leave the mixture to steep overnight, or for at least 12 hours, so that the garlic can infuse the liquid with its potent sulphur compounds.
Once the mixture has had time to steep, strain it through a muslin cloth or fine mesh strainer to remove the solid garlic pieces (which would otherwise clog the nozzle on your spray bottle).
Pour the garlic-infused liquid into a reusable spray bottle and store in the fridge between uses.
Mist plants in the evening, holding the spray about 15-30cm away from the foliage, and cover both sides of the leaves with an even coating of the garlic pesticide spray. Re-apply every few days (and after any rainfall) when your plants are suffering with an infestation, or once a week as a deterrent.
Garlic has a reputation for warding off vampires but it’s also effective against smaller blood-sucking creatures such as mosquitoes.
Add two-three crushed fresh garlic cloves to a food grade oil such as sunflower oil and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
The following day, add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the mixture, along with 500 ml water.
Strain the garlic, lemon and oil mixture through some muslin cloth or a fine mesh strainer to remove the pieces of garlic.
Transfer to a spray bottle and apply this natural repellent as needed to keep mosquitoes away.
Below is a guide for when to feed vegetables which we hope will be of help.
GENERAL RULES FOR FEEDING VEGETABLES.
All root vegetables….. Never. If the ground is correctly prepared.
Brassica…… Never. If the ground is correctly prepared
Chilli Peppers….. When the fruit has started to set and swell well, never feed too early.
Courgettes, Marrows and Cucumbers…… When first picking starts.
Onions and Leeks……. Never. If the ground is correctly prepared.
Onions and Leeks for exhibition……. Never. If the ground is correctly prepared. However they respond to a feed of Nitrate of Soda if a burst of growth is needed.
Peppers and Aubergines…….. When fruit is golf ball size.
Tomatoes under glass……. When the fruit on the first truss is pea size.
Tomatoes outdoors…….. When the fruit on the second truss is pea size.
NEVER FORGET PLANTS DON’T HAVE TEETH, THEY DO NEED WATER TO TAKE UP THE NUTRIENTS IN THE GROUND! ALWAYS WATER THE GROUND WELL IN HOT DRY CONDITIONS.
W Robinson & Son (Seeds and Plants) Ltd
‘The Home of the Mammoth Onion’
Sunny Bank, Forton, Preston PR3 0BN
01524791210
www.mammothonion.co.uk [email protected]
facebook.com/mammothvegetables