Your Christmas countdown
April
P Prepare the soil now Weed thoroughly, then cover with clear polythene. This warms the ground for sowing and remaining weed seeds will germinate, so you can hoe them off before sowing. P Sow parsnips Parsnip seed is slow to get going, and germination can be patchy. Use fresh seed and sow generously into shallow drills in free-draining soil in a sunny spot. Seedlings can take a month to emerge so mix in a few radish seeds. These pop up in days, ‘marking’ the row – and you get a salad crop. Sow maincrop carrots Sprinkle seed sparingly into shallow drills in light, stone-free, watered soil. Lightly cover with more soil, then place fleece over so carrot fly can’t reach emerging seedlings. Sow leeks Start leeks in seed trays under cover. Sprinkle seed sparingly onto dampened seed compost and cover with compost. Place in a plastic bag until seedlings emerge, then remove the bag and keep seedlings damp while they’re growing on. Take sage cuttings Trim sprigs to 10cm, just below a leaf bud. Sink cuttings in a pot of gritty compost. Water and keep compost just damp. They should root in six weeks on a warm windowsill.
May
Thin carrots and parsnips Pull up weaker and smaller seedlings to leave the largest, with 5cm between carrots and 10-15cm for parsnips (wider spacings mean thicker roots). Where seedlings emerge in clumps, nip off unwanted ones at ground level to avoid disturbing those you’re keeping. P Sow swedes Swede hates being transplanted so sow where it’s to grow. Sprinkle seed along shallow drills and cover lightly with compost. Sow brassicas Sow Brussels sprouts, cabbages and kale into 5cm modules now for midwinter pickings. Place on a windowsill or in a cool greenhouse to germinate. Defend seedlings from slugs Newly-emerged seedlings are slug caviar, so patrol at dusk and sink yoghurt pots into the ground nearby laced with beer to lure them to a boozy end. Pot on sage cuttings As new growth appears, pot on. Check newly-sown drills daily Keep new drills damp. Carefully pull out weeds Emerging seedlings need all the help they can get so remove weeds as you spot them.
June
are chopstick thickness, transplant into holes 15cm deep and 15-25cm apart. Water into the hole and don’t backfill. Plant sage Harden off young sage plants before planting out in your sunniest, most free-draining spot. Sage is quite happy in containers, too. Plant out brassicas Harden off cabbages, kale and Brussels sprouts over about 10 days, then plant out. Leave 45cm between cabbages and 60cm between sprouts and kale. Plant deep and firm in really well. Fend off flea beetles Cover emerging swede seedlings with fleece to stop flea beetles peppering their leaves with holes.
July
blood, fish and bone or granular fertiliser, then water in. Make cabbage root fly collars Cut out a 15cm circle of cardboard and snip a slot into the centre. Slip it around brassica seedling stems, on the ground, to protect from cabbage root fly larvae. Cover brassicas with fine mesh Protect brassicas from cabbage white caterpillars with a mesh cover. Avoid canker Pull soil over parsnip shoulders to protect them from canker. Keep watering Carrots, parsnips and swedes can split if allowed to dry out. Inspect for mealy cabbage aphid Check cabbages and kale for aphids and spray with insectidal soap.
August
now should guarantee a good crop by Christmas Day, though to be sure, plant another batch next month, too. Place two potatoes on 15cm compost in each sack and add another 15cm compost. Water well and keep in a sunny, sheltered spot. Inspect brassica leaves for caterpillar eggs Even if you’ve netted cabbages, butterflies might get in. Check under leaves for clusters of tiny yellow eggs and wipe them off. Earth up carrots Maincrop carrots can develop green shoulders if exposed to the sun, so earth up over the crowns. Ask a friend If you’re going away ensure you have watering taken care of.
September
Earth up potato shoots As potatoes grow, keep earthing them up with compost, leaving only the topmost leaves showing to encourage a heavier crop. Mix fertiliser with the compost. Sow ‘button’ carrots If your carrots haven’t thrived, fastmaturing round carrots give you a second chance. Sow direct into greenhouse borders or grow bags. Blanch leeks For long, elegant white shanks slip a collar over each leek, and pull dry earth up around the stems as they grow.
October
Stake Brussels sprouts and kale The biggest brassicas get very top-heavy, so drive in a sturdy stake alongside each plant and tie the stems in securely with soft twine. Lift and store carrots You can leave maincrop carrots in the ground in all but the coldest areas of the country, but slugs can sometimes take a nibble, so storing part of your harvest ensures blemish-free Christmas carrots. Select only perfect specimens, twist off foliage and pack in crates of damp sand. Bring potato sacks inside A sunny porch or frost-free greenhouse is the perfect location to keep spuds growing well.
November
cut the top off to stop upward growth and mature the sprouts. Lift leeks A hard frost prevents harvesting so lift leeks, dig a shallow trench and pack them into it. Cover shanks in loose soil. Mulch swede and parsnip Protect swede and parsnips from freezing by mulching with a thick layer of straw or bracken. Keep red cabbage dry Late-maturing red cabbage is prone to splitting in a sudden downpour, so protect with polythene.
December
Two weeks to go Dig up your parsnips and keep them in the fridge, as they become sweeter after a spell of cold. Two days to go Sink a garden fork alongside carrots and swedes and wiggle it to loosen the soil, then ease out the root. Cut cabbages whole, leaving stalks in the ground to resprout. One day to go Pick Brussels sprouts by cutting the whole stem, or select sprouts that are about 5cm across and snip them off. Tip out your sack of potatoes and select the biggest. Christmas morning Pick sage and kale, leaf by leaf. Enjoy your best ever home-grown Christmas dinner!
Now over to you to share your #Veg Pledge! Email, tweet or join us on Facebook to tell us what you’re going to grow for Christmas. See page 3 for our social media addresses