February News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

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That time of year is coming round again to start giving some thought to the garden. February is only the beginning and still a quiet month, but things get going in earnest in March. In the end Boris pooped the party at Christmas and hopefully you were all able to make something of it. We were planning to visit family and they had the food and we had the wine, so you can guess what our Christmas was like. The Duchess shot off in search of Christmas Dinner but we decided against the “last turkey in the shop” and settled for a pork joint and a long walk... oh, and I did rake up some leaves.

It’s roughly a year since Wuflu struck and we appear to be in a more difficult position than back then, although vaccines offer hope for the year ahead. For those of you who are struggling to find things to do, why not turn to the garden and grow your own. It gets you out in the fresh air, is good exercise, it can become an absorbing hobby, the garden compliments the house and you can eat well.

Aquadulce Claudia Broad Beans can be planted in February and can cope with winter conditions to get ahead a bit, but I will plant in March and go for a variety that produces a bigger crop albeit later in the year. Longbow is the Leek of choice this year and apparently has a long blanch length. This is the white section of the Leek which is best for cooking although all the leaf can be eaten. It’s just that through the winter months the green leaf on the plant starts to deteriorate and is normally cut off and put in the compost. They have been sowed in a tray of compost, placed in a warm spot and have just started to germinate. Leeks take a long time to grow to a decent size and they will be ready to eat, or exhibit if we get the chance, in October. The old maxim is “40 weeks from sow to show” This is also a good time to get onion seed going and after they germinate they like a lot of light and warmth.

Exhibition Leeks - “really serious stuff”.

Personally, I will hold off until March before really sowing seeds. If you have cold frames and can get the seedlings hardened off, then it is not too early to start, if not they can get too leggy before they can be hardened off outdoors. You can also purchase seed potatoes this month and encourage them to start sprouting (chitting) by placing them in egg trays in a warm sunny spot. B&Q do a good range and I get my Rocket (Early) and Picasso (Maincrop) from there.

Hopefully you have now pruned all your fruit trees and bare root fruit can go in this month. Also give the borders a good tidy up to show off the spring bulbs which will be showing soon. Otherwise that’s it for me, a gentle start in preparation for what comes next month. I will sharpen the hatchet and keep cutting kindling and enjoy some more time by the fire.

Now, I still have one bottle of Alborino left over from Christmas and some parsnips in the garden that have been well frosted. So it looks like a casserole and a cook’s glass. Somebody once asked “How much should you spend on a bottle of wine?” the answer, of course, is about half an hour.

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