Category Archives: To do on your plot

To do on your plot in April

Posted on by

Sowing, Planting and Cultivating

The weeds will now be springing into action, so keep the hoe going.

Things to Sow

  • Beetroot
  • Peas
  • Broad Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Chard
  • Kohl Rabi
  • Leeks
  • Spinach
  • Beet spinach
  • Rocket
  • Lettuce
  • Radish

With your carrots, covering with a fleece and ensuring the edges are buried will stop the carrot root fly from gaining entry to lay eggs by your carrots.

Plant Outdoors

Globe and Jerusalem Artichokes

Onion & Shallot Sets

Asparagus.

Easter is also potato planting time.

Sow in Heat (Greenhouse or Windowsill)

  • Aubergine
  • Celery
  • Outdoor Cucumbers
  • Tomatoes (if you’ve not already done so).

Sow Outdoors Under Cloche

  • French beans
  • Lettuce
  • Sweetcorn

Fruit

Strawberries can be planted out now, it’s best to remove flowers in the first year as you conserve strength for growth and gain larger crops in subsequent years. An easy way to gain strawberry plants is to plant the runners into pots and when rooted cut the runner. The plants don’t last forever so you need to rotate them ever three to five years.

Hand pollinate peaches and nectarines. Tickle the flowers with a small paint brush to spread the pollen. Cover if a cold spell threatens.

A good layer of compost around the base of fruit trees will ensure they have the nutrition to provide another good crop for you.

Pests

The carrot root fly. Slugs and snails are now coming out and active.

To do on your plot in March

Posted on by

General Jobs on plot

If you have any horticultural fleece, you can peg that onto the ground a week or so before you plant. The small rise in temperature of the soil can make a big difference

Harvest

Parsnips should be dug up in early March before they try and re-grow.

You may have spinach beet and chards available, the last of the late Brussels sprouts, winter cauliflowers, kale, swedes, salsify and scorzonera.

Sowing & Planting

If the weather permits you can plant your onion and shallot sets. This is the correct time to establish an asparagus bed if you are starting from crowns. Mid March should let you start planting those early potatoes you’ve been chitting. You can also plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers now.

Things to Sow

  • Beetroot
  • Broad Beans
  • Early Peas (but they may do best started in a gutter in the      greenhouse then slipped into a trench)
  • Brussels sprouts – early varieties
  • Leeks
  • Lettuce
  • Radish
  • Parsnips
  • Spinach Beet
  • Early Turnips

Sow in Heat

Windowsill or a propagator in the greenhouse will come into use now to start off your tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and cucumbers.

Under Cloche

Summer cabbages and early cauliflowers, early carrots will get away best under a cloche. If you set your cloche up a week or two beforehand, it will warm up the soil so you will get even better results.

Fruit Planting & Pruning

There is still time to finish planting bare rooted fruit trees and bushes, especially raspberries and other cane fruits.

You can still prune apple and pear trees while they are still dormant. It’s also time to prune gooseberries and currants. With currants shorten the side shoots to just one bud and remove old stems from the centre of the bushes.

To do on your plot in February

Posted on by

The last few February’s have often been the coldest winter month. However spring is not far away. It’s usually better to hold off than try to sow in cold waterlogged ground that will rot seeds rather than germinate them. With our local soil being a clay the ground can be very wet and heavy.

 General Jobs

Finish tasks such as digging over, creating leafmould heaps etc.

Give the greenhouse a good clean, ensure the glass is firmly secured. Give the greenhouse a thorough clean before seed growing season.

Wash out and sterilise seed trays and pots so you seedlings will get off to the best possible start.

You can cover soil with plastic sheeting, fleece or cloches to warm it up for a couple of weeks before you start to sow and plant.

Harvest

There may still be some leeks available to harvest. Parsnips, turnips and swedes in the ground can be dug up when you are ready.

The cabbage family should be providing some early purple sprouting, kale and Brussels sprouts also available.

Other crops you may have: salsify, scorzonera, chicory, endive, celeriac, celery and Jerusalem artichokes.

Sowing & Planting

If conditions are suitable you can sow your broad beans in February along with early peas for a May / June harvest.

Jerusalem artichokes and shallots can be planted now, although shallots will benefit from covering with a cloche.

Under Cover

If you have a greenhouse, you can get an early crop of lettuce, rocket and radish underway. You can utilise cloches outdoors but success will be more dependent on the weather.

Onions from seed should be started now. They need about 15 degrees to get them going so you may be best using the windowsill in a cool room to start them off.

Fruit Planting & Pruning

There is still time to finish planting fruit trees and bushes, especially raspberries and other cane fruits.

Early this month you can prune apple and pear trees while they are still dormant. It’s also time to prune gooseberries and currants. With currants shorten the side shoots to just one bud and remove old stems from the centre of the bushes.

Rhubarb can be forced for an early crop of the sweetest stalks. Just cover a crown with a bucket or an upturned large pot and insulate the outside with straw or compost for added heat.

To do on your plot in January

Posted on by

General on plot

Digging over now if there is a fine day will also have the benefit of exposing pests in the soil which will be eaten by friendly birds.

As you harvest brassicas, dig up the stems and turn the ground over. Because the compost heap will be cold and slow at this time of year, you can always bury these in the bottom of a trench along with some kitchen waste to prepare for the runner beans later in the year.

Harvest

Leeks may be ready to harvest. Parsnips and swedes in the ground can come up when you are ready.

The cabbage family may be providing some sustenance and beet leaves, perpetual spinach and chards could be available.

Sowing & Planting

January is not the month for outdoor planting although you may be able to make use of your greenhouse, especially if you can keep it frost free with heaters.

Fruit

Do not prune stone fruits like cherry and damson, although you can still prune apples and pears etc.

Remove any mummified fruits hanging or on the ground under the trees as these will be harbouring pests.

Seeds

Since it is likely the weather will be keeping you indoors, you could browse through the seed catalogues or take a look at the seed merchant’s web sites and decide what to try this year.

Although you probably have your favourite varieties, it may be an opportunity to try some new varieties and compare the performance.