The garden’s coming back to life! It’s been a busy time getting on with sowing, planting and pruning
It really does feel as if the kitchen garden is coming back to life this week – from sowing and harvesting, to planting and pruning, I’m doing it all!
For those of us who grow sweet peppers, it’s time to get sowing in a heated propagator if you haven’t already. Germination can be an issue with peppers, especially if they aren’t warm enough, so keep them between 18-21C (64-70F) to help ensure the best germination from your seeds; after all Capsicum annuum really do appreciate the heat. I sow mine in a heated propagator in the heated greenhouse, but a sunny windowsill will work well, just make sure when you close the curtains at night that you aren’t trapping cold air in with your seedlings; if so, move them off the windowsill and put them back in the morning. If you can’t provide the right environment for growing from seed don’t be put off, simply buy plug plants and by the time you receive them there’ll be more sun and heat, perfect to let you get growing.
I’m also making the first sowing of kohlrabi under cloches I laid on the soil a few weeks ago. This has not only helped warm the soil, but it’s kept the worst of the rain off too, giving me a good area to sow into. I sow more than I need, as starting the seed this early can result in a slower and lower germination, but it’s worth the risk for a few extra seeds.
My module-grown garlic and onions are getting planted out in the corner of beds and a row or two will be planted where I’m going to sow my carrots later in the season. By doing this it should help deter carrot fly with the strong onion smell, which will confuse them and make it harder for pests to find my crop. There’s also still time to plant out any remaining cloves or sets you may still have.
Autumn-sown broad and field beans are up and growing well, however, if you’re planning on growing a spring-sown variety you can start them now straight into the ground. I find adding a good amount of well-rotted manure or compost helps the plants produce bumper crops, plus I sow the seeds in a zigzag pattern within the row, which helps plants support each other as
they grow and prevents spring winds damaging them as easily.
If you forgot to prune autumnfruiting raspberries there’s still time if you act now. Simply prune all the canes to the ground and this year’s growth will soon start, producing fresh new canes, which will be laden with fruit later in the year. After pruning I remove any weeds, leaves or twigs, then give the bed a 5cm (2in) thick mulch of manure to help feed the plants as they spring back to life. I also give the summer-cropping plants the same bit of TLC, minus the pruning as they crop on last year’s wood. My final job this week is to remove any winterdamaged leaves from chard plants. This will allow a fresh flush of tasty leaves to be harvested
without the worry of slimy old leaves affecting new growth.