It’s midway through February and I have just about got through all the allotment activities I listed for January. What a busy month it has been so far, the year seems to be flying by already.
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending the Garden Press Event in London, which was truly incredible, so many wonderful writers to meet and fantastic companies launching their latest products and plants. Some of which really got me excited and a little giddy including Heinz tomato plants and tiger nuts! A full blog about the event is coming very soon.
Today I popped out into the garden to start sowing my broad beans into pots and noticed that some of the tulips I planted in a galvanised container are already popping up to say hello through the soil. Spring is certainly coming and I can’t blooming wait!
I will be doing a whole blog dedicated to sowing broad beans shortly, so if you haven’t sown yours yet and are a little unsure then don’t panic. I am going to start some in pots and also sow a row direct, then compare the difference so will cover both methods. My current Instagram story for the next 24 hours shows you by video just how easy it really is to grow your own.
For now though, I want to share my next list of activities I want to achieve over the coming weeks and have added a few extras which may help too.
- Start warming up the soil for sowing broad beans direct by placing cloches out over the desired beds
- Harvest the last of my brussels sprouts and kale
- Start sowing indoors: tomatoes, peppers, chillies, early variety aubergines, broad beans, salad leaves, early variety beetroot and leeks
Tip: Crops such as tomatoes, peppers, chillies and aubergines require a constant warm temperature to germinate and guarantee success so I recommend you use a heated propagator. If you don’t have one don’t worry, either wait until later in the year to start sowing or treat yourself to one in most good garden centres or online. You can usually pick one up for £15+ - Start chitting your potatoes on the windowsill to enable strong chits to form before planting. I use old egg cartons then position the seed potatoes so the end with the most chits is facing upwards
- Cut down autumn raspberry canes if you haven’t already and give them a good layer of mulch
- Build my DIY fruit cage thanks to some netting and bamboo from Grow It
- Position my two slot together raised beds ready for some upcoming activities which will be revealed in the coming months
- Start sowing flowers such as early sowing varieties of helianthus aka sunflowers and sweet peas indoors
- Plant fruit canes; I have two Lubera Raspberry Salmonberry ‘Olympic Double’ to get planted.
- Finally, if you missed my monthly allotment radio chat at the beginning of the month discussing jobs for the month and latest on the plot, catch up here and zoom to 1:10:00.
I’m going to stop there as I’m pretty sure that list will keep both you and I very busy now and into March.
Would love to know what else you are planning to do on your plots and gardens over the next month, so please comment below and share your plans.
Chat soon x