Wednesday 15 February 2017

Let the sowing comence!

Well it is February the 13th and today I will start seed sowing. According to my new Charles Dowding diary, apart from a couple of crops like early brassica's broad beans and garlic, it is wise to hold off with the seed sowing until mid- February, or Valentine's Day. As we don't celebrate the traditional lovey dovey day, it is really nice to give it a new meaning-the start of the gardening year!
I know, I know, I am a day early, unfortunately am super busy on the day itself, I won't even be at home so hopefully one day early won't hurt!
The first job was to empty the kitchen windowsill,  that is the sunniest window, although it is westerly facing, so not that sunny, it is the best I can offer the little seedlings to be. Then to pull all the trays and modules out of the little shed and locate some plant labels was the second. Then onto filling the modules with compost. I actually really hate this bit, I had two little helpers though, my 2 and 3 year olds were eager to get there hands dirty and we got all the modules filled in super quick time. They also wanted to be included in the most exciting bit of all....... sowing the seeds! Today we sowed Onions, Sweet peppers, giant leafed parsley, lettuce and some flowers, ruderbeckia, dahlia and penstermon.
We actaully sowed 3 to 4 onions seeds in one module to test out planting them in clumps together, rather than individually.  Aparantly it work well with onions, beetroot and peas, so I am giving it a try this year.
I hadn't gotten around to buying any seed compost so used a bag of multi-purpose left over from last year. This seems to be a no-no but I am sure it will be fine. I may pixck up a bag of seed compost next time I am near a garden centre though!
Mybhusband would completely disagree, but it is a heart warming sight to walk into the kitchen and see all of those trays with the promise of a bountiful future harvest. I love having a peak every morning to see if there is any signs of life,  and it will only became more exciting next month with a huge sowing list, I cannot wait!

Seed list 2017

LEGUMES:
Runner beans for drying - The Czar, real seeds.
Overwintered broad beans- Wizard field beans, real seeds.
French beans for drying and storing- Cherokee Trail of Tears, charity blog post.
                                                               -Borlotto lingua di fuoco, saved seeds.
                                                               - Cara la Virgen de la Baneza Leon, charity blog post.
Dwarf french beans - Topcrop green, unwins.
                                    - unknown yellow variety, saved seeds.
Soup Peas for drying - Boddingtons, tall, real seeds.
Mangetout - Kent blue pea, charity blog post.
                    - Golden Sweet, real seeds.
                    - Bijou, real seeds.
Sugar Snap - Magnolia Blossom tendril, charity blog post
                     - Quartz, mr fothergill's.
Climbing beans - Blue Lake, wilko
Runner Beans - Scarlet emperor, wilko.
                          - White lady, johnsons.
Peas - Havel (very early) Real Seeds.
          - Rosakrone (5ft tall!) Real seeds.

ALLIUMS:
Leeks -Musselburgh, premier seeds direct.
           - Antiope f1, unwins.
           - Elefant, mr fothergill's.
Garlic bulbs - allium sativum casablanca, wilko.
Onion Seeds - Yellow Rynsburger, Real Seeds.

BRASSICA'S:
Early summer Cauliflower - all year round,  wilko.
Kohl rabi- Azur, Real Seeds.
Early Calabrese- quick heading calabrese, Real Seeds.
Autumn Cauliflower - all year round. Wilko.
Kale - curly scarlet, mr fothergill's.
         - dwarf green curled, wilko.
Spring cabbage - offenham 2, wilko.
Spring Turnip Milan White 40, Real Seeds.
Late Calabrese - green heading, Real Seeds.
Winter Cabbage- Langedijk 4, johnsons
Swede - best of all, Wilko.
Autumn Turnip - Petriwski, Real Seeds.
Brussels Sprouts - Revenge, unwins.
P..S.B - Early purple, mr fothergill's.
          - White, wilko.

ROOTS:
Early Beetroot- Solist,
Early Carrots- Royal Chantenay 3, wilko.
Main Carrots - Autumn king 2, unwins.
Later Beetroot - cylidra, unwins
                           -boltardy, unwins.
                           - Detroit 2, mr fothergill's.
Chard- white silvef 2, johnsons.
Florence Fennel - mantovana, Real Seeds.
Dill - Mr Fothergill's.
Celery  - Giant red, mr fothergill's.
Parsnip, Tender and True, Real Seeds.
Tomatoes - Aurora, Real Seeds
                   -Garden pearl (cherry), wilko.
Sweet peppers - corno di toro mixed, johnsons.
Chili peppers - De cayenne, mr fothergill's.
Potatoes - Pentland Javelin, Wilko.
                 - kestel, wilko.
                 - Anya, Albert Bartlett.

CUCURBITS AND OTHERS:
Courgette - Romanesco, wilko
                   - Zucchini, mr fothergill's.
Winter Squash -Waltham Butternut, real seeds.
                           - baby blue hubbard, real seeds.
Pumpkin - new england pie, wilko
                 - Rouge vif d'Etampes, mr fothergill's.
Melon - minnesota midget, real seeds.
Cucumber - Boothby's blond, real seeds.
                   - wautoma, real seeds.
Sweetcorn- Incredible f1,Wilko. 

Monday 13 February 2017

Hello 2017

Long time no post! Hello and a great big happy new year.
The plot hasn't seen a great deal of us since November really. I have been down to harvest leeks and sprouts every 2 or 3 weeks and had an afternoon spreading compost but that is about it, I cannot wait to get back to spending regular time at my favourite place in the world!

So, like many, I have spent the winter months planning , writing lists and working out timings for second crops. The seeds have been sorted through and some new ones purchased and my diary has been filled with sowing dates. I treated myself to Charles Dowdings Vegetable Garden Diary and will mainly be following his timing suggestions, after all, he has been doing this a while....  it is a lovely book and I really recommend it to anyone new to growing. Although I still need to mulch a few beds with compost before spring as well as a bit of weeding and tidying, I feel well prepared for the season ahead so that will be my main focus over the next month. (I will add my planting list and plans in another post for anyone interested in seeing them)

So far my list of big jobs for 2017 looks like this:
- finish re-supporting the fruit cage and build supports inside for raspberry canes.
-finish installing water butts and connect them all together.
-plant fruit tree's and build structure to fan train them.
-dig out and replant/dispose of raspberry canes.
-plant asparagus bed

I am sure it will rapidly grow though!

But for now, I will just have to be content with chitting the potato seeds and clearing the kitchen window ledge ready for the first sowings. Last year was so focused on clearing the plot that the actually sowing and growing was done on a wing and a prayer really,  I can't wait to focus on the actual produce this year!