February
February is often a mixed month for gardeners, the weather can start to feel a little warmer with ground no longer frozen. However there will still be periods of cold weather.
MONTHLY UPDATE
1/11/20243 min read
Hopefully February will provide a number of slightly warmer days enabling gardeners and allotmenteers to venture out. Although its still far to early to plant most things, preparation for the year ahead really starts to pickup pace now and its important to make a good start. Sowing some seeds indoors if you don't have a heated Greenhouse is also possible for a head start.
What to harvest?
Winter Salad
Kale
Chicory
Swedes
Leeks
Brussel Sprouts
Parsnips
Endive
Winter Cabbages
Jerusalem Artichokes
Sprouting Broccoli
Winter Cauliflowers
What to sow indoors?
Broad Beans
Brussel Sprouts
Ragishes
Spinach
Globe Artichokes
Kohl Rabi
Salad Leaves
Sprouting Broccoli
Leeks
Lettuces
Rhubarb
Onions
Peas
Salad Leaves
What to sow/plant outside?
Broad Beans
Grape Vine
Turnips
Fruit Trees
Jerusalem Artichokes
Fruit Bushes
Peas
Rhubarb Sets
Shallot Sets
Jobs
Rotate Compost
January is a quiet sowing and harvesting month that provides time to do those bigger jobs you've been delaying. The majority of plants have dropped their leaves enabling assessment of edging, garden structures, and large plants. Beds are bare ready for fresh compost and manure spreading. Even with the colder whether a number of plants will need starting now to ensure a good crop.
Weather permitting usable compost has been used to cover planting beds with any unsuitable material added back into compost bins. Where material is hasn't broken down sufficiently its now a good time to fork over adding air into the pile, and where dry water to moisten. The rotation will aerate the pile and encourage the breakdown of material into usable compost. It's also a good idea to cover any piles this time of year to maintain heat and stop the worst of the weather waterlogging the pile.
Soil Work
Asses soil for compaction due to heavy rain and footfall. Where soil is heavy use a fork or spade to turn the soil over improving aeration. It's also not to late to spread a layer of well rotted manure over beds, its personal preference whether to dig in or let the worms do the work.
If possible use cloches to warm soil, if cloches aren't available a polythene sheet stretched over a bed will help raise the temperature. Once the whether and soil are ready for planting, polythene sheets can be propped up using canes with plant pots on top.
Chit Potatoes
Its a good time of year to start preparing your potatoes by chitting them on a cool windowsill. There is plenty of conjecture online whether supermarket potatoes should be used for chitting. Introducing disease to your beds is the primary reason against supermarket potatoes. However, there are many people who save money not buying seed potatoes and have successful results.
Protect Plants With Fleece
Review any overwintering plants, although hardy some such as cauliflowers will welcome some extra warmth if particularly cold weather is forecast. Fleece allows light through enabling plants to photosynthesise while having extra protection.
Force Rhubarb
Rhubarb crowns should be showing signs of the coming years growth, covering crowns with anything that restricts light but allows tall growth will force long stems to be produced. Specially available Rhubarb covers are available but other items work well such as old garden bins or compost bins. Its often recommended to cover Rhubarb 2/3 years then allow the plant to grow normally on the third year.
Prune Fruit Bushes
Now is a good time to prune fruit bushes such as Raspberries, Blackcurrants, Gooseberries, Currents, and Blueberries. Remember pruning Raspberries requires two different techniques for Autumn and Summer varieties.
Check out our winter pruning guide here.
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