JOBS for the week
there are short-rooted varieties which are more suitable for a clay soil.
Early varieties can be sown under cloche in February and March, but I’d advise waiting until April for outdoor sowing when temperatures reach 10C and germination will be quicker.
You can keep succession sowing until July which will ensure regular crops for you.
The seed is pretty small and it’s difficult to sow thinly so you will probably need to thin out seedlings as they emerge to give each plant two or three inches of space. Sow shallowly about half an inch deep.
Carrot fly is the main pest for this crop. Be careful when weeding or thinning as crushed foliage releases a smell which attracts this insect.
Otherwise you can cover your crop with horticultural fleece, fine insect netting or a polythene tunnel which will hinder the flies from getting in and laying their eggs.
The cultivar ‘Flyaway’ has been specially bred for resistance to carrot fly and is a very tasty variety as well. Herbs such as rosemary, sage and chives are all thought to be good companions as their strong scents confuse the flies!
There’s no other maintenance other than weeding and watering in dry periods, and about three months after sowing you’ll be ready for your first harvest! Here’s my pick of the crop:
‘Volcano’ is exclusive to Mr Fothergill’s and is resistant to breakage, splitting and disease.
If you have light, sandy soil, try Fothergill’s ‘Malbec’, a red, long-rooted type, perfect for roasting with exceptional flavour. ‘Paris Market’ are bite-sized, almost perfectly round carrots. They are early maturing and due to their size, are ideal for growing in shallow or stony soil or a window box, info@kingsseeds.com, call 0044 1376 570 000.
Extend your growing season with ‘Autumn King’, a long-time favourite with gardeners.
A maincrop with great colour and flavour, its large roots can be lifted from late summer through into winter.
‘Eskimo’ is one of the most cold-tolerant varieties you can buy. This late maincrop has extremely good resistance to frost damage and will cope with winter weather down to minus 10C when grown on lighter soils.
It also reduces the need to cover the crop in the late autumn period.
It can be lifted late in the season and stored, or overwintered on well-drained soils. Pay €1.98 for 400 seeds at the Irish web-based firm seedaholic.com. ■ If you haven’t sent your Christmas tree for recycling yet, you can cut the side branches off – these make useful covers for tender plants outdoors, protecting them while allowing them to breathe. ■ Gardens will be frosty at the moment – don’t walk on frozen lawns as this will damage the grass plants.
Ponds are icy – if you have fish, break the surface with a stick to allow oxygen in but be careful – it’s easy to slip in this weather. ■ If you’re weeding the borders it’s best to put a plank of wood down to stand on so you’re doing less damage to the soil. ■ In the veg garden, protect your cabbage plants from pigeons with netting or fleece. Remove any yellow leaves as these are dead and may harbour disease or pests.
■ Start planning your veg plot for this year. What would you like to be eating fresh from the garden in summer and autumn? If space is limited, consider dedicating a few pots to veg and/or herbs.
■ Cover your veg patch with some polythene now to warm it up so you can sow veg early. You can start sowing some veg indoors, such as broad beans.
■ Sow begonia, lobelia and salvia seeds in a heated propagator.
■ Prune one third of blackcurrant stems to ground level to encourage new growth.