Grow Buddies Subscription – October 2026

Welcome to your October growing guide!

Here’s what’s in your box:

• Rocket sweet Oakleaf
• Pea Alderman (for overwintering)

Your October growing challenge:

Sow your Sweet Oakleaf Rocket and count how many days it takes to peep through the soil.

Rocket Sweet Oakleaf

Sowing info

Direct sow rocket seeds from April to June outdoors, or under cover in autumn, into moist, well drained soil. Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 1cm. Rocket dislikes the warmest weather so may bolt if grown through mid summer. Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous supply

Growing info

When large enough to handle, thin rocket seedlings to 20cm apart, or leave un-thinned and harvest as ‘baby salad’ leaves or as a ‘cut and come again’ crop. Sowings made in late summer will continue cropping into winter if protected by cloches, if sown undercover, or in pots on the windowsill.

Blog – How to sow and grow salad leaves

Pea Alderman

Sowing info

As a hardy pea, Alderman can be sown now in autumn to overwinter for an earlier crop next year. If mice aren’t a problem, direct sow outdoors in October. Alternatively, sow into lengths of drainpipe filled with peat-free compost — once plants are around 20 cm tall, slide them down the drainpipe into their final position. In colder spots, overwinter the peas in the drainpipe in a greenhouse, then plant out in early spring. (You can also sow this variety in spring, from March to June.)

Growing info

Plants will require support and so are perfect for growing over arches where it’s easier to harvest the top section of the plant. May require netting if pigeons are a problem for you. Regular harvesting will encourage the plant to continue producing loads of peas.

Blog – How to sow and grow peas