Don’t hesitate, get the vegetable patch dug over and fertilised ready for planting. If your broad beans are not in yet do that first followed by the early potatoes which given the mild weather will get started. I have always hailed the virtues of Rocket as a good early but even more so now as it can be ready for lifting after eleven weeks.
Hopefully your seeds arrived back in January so nothing to stop you from getting the propagation going. Use a mix of compost and sharp sand for potting as this will drain and reduce “damping off” of the new seedlings. Find a warm light place to put them and take the covers off as soon as the seeds are up to allow air to get to them. Beans, marrows, courgettes, squashes and pumpkins can go into 3” pots with damp compost and do not really need to be covered, they will be up in 5-10 days. Do not overwater as they are prone to rot which will set you back nearly two weeks by the time you realise. Harden off by putting seedlings outdoors during the day or keep them in cold frames.
Look around the garden to find additional space for planting in the borders or grow bags and containers. I have some bush French Beans which can fill gaps in the borders and Lettuce will go nicely in pots but wait until next month before planting out. Rhubarb should be well under way by now but mulching or fertilising with a little Miracle Grow will keep it racing ahead. I would recommend doing as many vegetables as you can manage as you may well be grateful for it later in the year.
Fruit trees should be pruned by now and spray as required to control pests going forward in the year. Mulch with well rotted compost and fertilise with Miracle Grow which works on nearly everything (although a bit too strong for tomatoes).
In these uncertain days it is wise to give thought to your food supply and an active kitchen garden is better than a punch up in the supermarkets. Sadly it is not possible to grow toilet roll and rhubarb leaves are poisonous, but being able to grow food is a sensible life skill which provides a good measure of independence which may prove important in the future.
Today has been a good day for me on the vegetable patch and the seedlings are breaking through so ready to get going. So I am now settling down and getting bottled up indoors.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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