JOBS for the week
Share seeds with friends, there are usually lots in packets
carrots I’d recommend ‘Nantes 2’ and ‘Flyaway’ which has good carrot fly resistance.
Get your French and runner beans sown indoors ready for transplanting next month. The inner cardboard tube of toilet paper rolls is ideal for them as they quickly put down deep roots, and then you can transplant the whole tube directly into the soil without disturbing the seedling.
You can directly sow them from late May onwards as well, but they will have a better chance against mice, slugs and snails if they get a head start indoors. The seeds are beautiful and easy to handle which makes them a good project for kids while entertaining them with stories of Jack and the Beanstalk!
I’ve just sown some ‘Scarlet Emperor’. I’m looking forward to not only their tasty produce but because they have the added bonus of being highly ornamental with their scarlet pea flowers. These need trellis or peas, parsnips, leeks, broad beans, fennel, globe artichoke, potato, spinach, sweetcorn, winter squash, asparagus, beetroot and lettuce.
Growing veg can be expensive when you add up the price of seed, containers, compost and fertilisers but there are ways to keep your costs down. Share seeds with friends – there are usually very generous amounts of seeds in packets.
And did you know you can cut up seed potatoes into about four sections and each one will yield a crop? Kitchen waste and lawn clippings will make great free compost which will nourish your soil, improve drainage and increase yields for you.
Nettles and comfrey steeped in water is a good home-made feed, or if you live somewhere coastal, collect seaweed which is rich in nutrients – crofters used to dig it into the soil for crop growing.
And remember there are some pleasures you can’t put a price on, such as walking through your plot and picking the freshest produce for your dinner!
■ The weather seems to be swinging from hot to cold so keep an eye out for frost forecasts. Start hardening off plants raised from seed and cuttings – gradually acclimatise them by leaving them outside somewhere sheltered during the daytime. This way they’ll be ready for their permanent home outdoors when the risk of frost has passed.
■ Sow basil, coriander and parsley in the greenhouse or on a windowsill.
■ Encourage bushy growth on fuchsias by nipping out tips.
■ Climbers are putting on a lot of growth so keep tying them in. If you tie the stems of climbing roses as horizontal as possible, this will encourage more flowers.
■ Clip lawn edges with shears to keep edges manicured and mow once weekly now to keep in good condition and weeds at bay.
■ Keep on top of weeds by regular hoeing and mulching where possible.
■ Congested spring-flowering bulbs can be lifted and divided after flowering. Allow the foliage to die back naturally and there is no need to tie up daffodil foliage.
■ Check for aphids on crops and ornamental plants and remove by hand.