June – Study the results of those busy days!

The glorious month of June has arrived, we hope! The bonus of this year’s weather has meant that harvests arrived much sooner than expected and I was gathering salad crops galore; never in my history of growing have I harvested new potatoes in the middle of May. By the end of May there were the first strawberry pickings and not a tennis ball in sight! Still the years are getting more confusing and it is not only the mind of an ageing gardener!

But here we are in June and the pressure eases as the crop is almost full. There are moments to walk around and study the results of those busy days, admiring the successes and to take note of what has not done so well. Yes, even on my plot things go wrong!

Controlling weeds

It is not all rest though as thousands of those weeds that thrived in the warm spring have found their way to my plot. The May showers were just the impetus they needed to plague my pristine plot. There is that green tinge amongst my sown crops and it is a relaxing job when the sun shines to take my hoe and sever those roots from that foliage and let the midday sun shrivel those weeds that dare grow on my plot! It is not all that easy though; some are lodged among the seedlings, so it’s down on my poor knees to painstakingly remove them by hand. Don’t delay this job of weeding or they will rob your crops of nutrients and water.

Keeping busy pests at bay

It is not only weeds that have been sent to trouble the relaxed gardener those pesky pests are now on the rampage:

Hopefully by now the tips of the broad beans have been removed to help stop the black fly colonising these lush tips and then spreading down the plant. At first sight of these monsters get out that pressure sprayer and pump it up to full pressured, then blast them to eternity!

Greenfly are also massing on the runner beans so take the same action before they take control. This is a daily patrol to keep these pests at bay.

Cabbage white butterflies

It is not only the aphids to worry about those graceful cabbage white butterflies are looking for a place to lay their brood. So keep a watchful eye for these yellow eggs and rub them off with finger and thumb.

Feeding hungry plants

Most healthy plants will withstand an attack of pests so to keep your crops growing well it is important to feed them well. I prefer to use soluble feeds as this quickly gets to the plants roots and taken up by the plant. Look for a balanced feed and apply frequently.

Taking side shoots out of those tomatoes

In the greenhouse those summer salad crops are enjoying the longer days and the tomatoes are rapidly growing up to the roof. These are also sending out lots of side shoots from the axial on their leaves.

These need to be removed at the first sight to have a strong controlled plant to bear the most fruit. The tomatoes need to be fed on a regular basis and use a soluble fertiliser which has been specially formulated for these hungry plants.

Terry's tip: I also make a habit of regularly tapping the canes supporting these heavy plants and I find this improves the pollination. Don’t forget to give the greenhouse plenty of ventilation to reduce the incidence of blight; moist, still air favours this rampant disease.

Train cucumber across the greenhouse roof

The other crop growing a pace in there is the cucumber. These I place in the corners of my greenhouse where it is draught free and the air is at the most moist. I train these over some wires on the roof and on every lateral shoot I stop this side growth once a cucumber has formed. Be careful when watering cucumbers for if the root gets too wet then black root rot will quickly wipe out this tender plant.
So with a little feed, a bit of love and care the crops will thrive, a bit like us really.

May – Keeping everything crossed!

With the sowings and plantings leaping ahead of schedule this has caused me a lot of worry. May can be a tricky month in the world of gardening and I am keeping everything crossed that Jack Frost has left the country and will not return until autumn.

Early May is a time of great tension for gardeners and especially so this year with all this warm weather about. Those early plantings of tender vegetables need to be protected in the case of cold nights. The simplest way to protect large areas like potatoes is a few plastic hoops over which you can drape some fleece; keeping the cold at bay.

Other ways to keep those plants warm and free from damage is a more substantial cloche of enviromesh and even plastic in some cases. These can be removed during the sunny days and quickly put back at night. With bedding plants it is best to keep those under cover for the next two weeks before venturing them out on the open garden. Again a little fresh air by day will be fine but move them under cover at the first sign of a cold night.

The plot looked more like June at the end of April as the early and second early potatoes kept jumping back to the surface despite my valiant efforts to earth them up. The broad beans were loaded with those delightful white and black flowers and the bees have been busy pollinating them, so here’s to an early crop. Onions and shallots are a couple of weeks further down the growth cycle than previous years and all is looking great.

So with this confusion behind me what is needed to be done in May?

As I said, now I should be earthing up the potatoes but they are ahead of the game and it is only my main crop that requires this task. So it’s out with my flat bladed tool and the soil is dragged up over the emerging green shoots. This performs a couple of useful tasks as the deeper the tubers are in the ground the bigger the yield of potatoes and by covering them well you avoid the new crop going green and making these new tubers inedible. So this seemingly unhelpful task does have a useful outcome.

With early May dawning in go my runner and French bean seeds. These are popped into the freezer bags with a few handfuls of moist compost to get them started.

As soon as those white ‘tails’ appear pop them into three inch pots and grow them on so that they are ready to go out in the open ground late May.

Do not rush these into the ground unless you can protect them well and keep them warm as they will suffer and fail to give a crop.

These are the stalwarts of summer long cropping, so a little bit of patience will go well rewarded.

Setting greenhouse borders

With the greenhouse finally giving up its space as its inhabitants move out to the cold frame or onto the open plot it is time to get those borders ready to accept their summer lodgers; tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and this year’s special crop, aubergines. These are eager to take pride of place in these well manured and compost rich borders.

Sowing main crop carrots

Early May is the perfect time to plan that long season of those crunchie red carrots. Carrots seeds can be difficult to germinate so when you draw the drill to sow them line it with some multipurpose compost. Sow the seed thinly and cover them with half inch of the same compost. Water them well and ensure this compost never dries out.

Terry's tip: After sowing these carrots I immediately cover the bed with a wooden frame over which I drape enviromesh. This gives a good environment for the seeds to germinate well and its job in later times is to protect this crop from the pesky carrot root fly.

Sowing courgettes, cucumbers and marrows

Finally as the month ends and the fear of cold nights is hopefully a fading memory then you can plant out those tenderest of crops; courgettes, pumpkins, marrows and squashes.

Terry's tip: Give these a rich piece of ground well manured and rich in compost and they will thrive giving you an ample supply of crops all summer long. Remember plenty of water in dry spells and pick regularly and you’ll be swamped with these bountiful harvests.

April – time to gamble and push ahead!

The recent mild temperatures have made gardening a game of patience as there was that eagerness to get started on the sowing and planting whilst that nagging doubt lingered in the back of the mind that Jack Frost may strike at anytime.

April signals that time to gamble and push ahead. Mind you that ground is parched as very little rain fell throughout the whole of March.

The first crop to be set free was my broad beans and these sturdy little plants needed to be out of their three inch pots. These were soon in but to cap it all I had to fill the watering can to give them a good soaking to get their roots underway. The cloches were out to house that early sowing of carrots and beetroot as it is a little early yet to expose these little plants to the wild nights of my hillside allotment.

The early potatoes are in but these can now be joined by the second earlies in the first week in April and then after a two week gap those main crop potatoes can join them. So we have our full complement of potatoes planted and with a good season almost a year’s supply of potatoes for my meals.

Planting out onion sets

The first week in April my little brown onion sets that have been waiting in an empty seed tray in my shed can be planted out. On a well prepared onion bed I work in a little blood/fish/bone fertiliser to give these new 'kids' a start in life, then it is in with these little bulbs. Make a small hole to seat them into the soil and I just cover the bulb with soil to hide them from those cheeky birds. These seem to be an attraction to some birds that mistake those brown, curly tops for emerging worms and pull them out!

Sowing peas

There is always a satisfaction for me in sowing peas. These are one of the crops that are a delight to eat out on the plot.

Sowing succession salad crops

As the days warm up my thoughts turn to salad days. I use seed trays with six compartments and have two of these. In one I sow my iceberg lettuce and in the other the red leafy Lollo Rossa. Thus I have six trays of lettuce on the go constantly; one set of plants ready to be planted out, one set with seeds in the infant stage and as soon as these lettuce are in the soil another sowing uses that set of trays.

Planting out sweet peas

To add some colour to the plot all summer long I use my sweet peas sowed way back in January, which have made good bushy plants. The canes are up and a pot of these beauties, containing two plants in each is placed at the base of each cane. These will form a hedge of great beauty throughout the summer whilst providing me with the beneficial insects which they attract.

Sowing runner and French bean seeds

With the month drawing to a close those productive tasty crops of the summer can be sown indoors. Yes, I am referring to the runner and French beans. Using my 'plastic bag' method of sowing I germinate the seeds then put them into three inch pots top make decent plants which can be planted outdoors at the end of May. This hopefully will be when all frost risks have passed and they will provide that bountiful crop for plate and freezer.

March – Spring is in the air!

The ground is warmer than it was at this time last year and this has caused the sap to rise. This all bodes well for an early spring but beware March can throw a few surprises at us gardeners!

The greenhouse is filling with those early sowings of cabbage, lettuce, sweet peas and broad beans and the feel of a new season is about to begin… Spring is in the air! Hopefully by now those visits to the garden centre have filled the shed with seed potatoes, onion sets and shallots and the seed packets for this year’s crops are tucked up in a dry place ready for action.

March is a busy period on the plot as the outdoor planting regime gets underway. Those plump, tanned skinned shallots are ready to be set free as soon as the ground is workable; these tough bulbs will be unaffected by anything the weather can throw at them.

Warming the ground with the use of a cloche

This is a good time to warm up the soil where those early cabbages and lettuce, which are coming on in the greenhouse, are to be planted out. The use of a cloche or two will enable these areas to be kept free from the elements and warm up a few degrees. These cosseted plants, when hardened off for a short spell, can then be planted out and grown on under this protection. A small outlay for some decent cloches will reap rewards with lettuce and cabbage being ready to harvest as early as May.

Cleaning and feeding strawberry beds

Look carefully at your strawberry bed and there will also be new signs of growth as the leaves start to appear. This is a good time to clean through the rows and remove any weeds that are lurking there; as when they spring into life these will be difficult to get out. As a treat and to encourage these to fruit well I coat between the rows with a layer of well rotted manure and sprinkle a coating of blood/ fish/bone. Stand back and come June there will be plenty of lush red fruits to accompany the cream.

Planting Potatoes

If you are lucky to have a greenhouse or a place where you can take in a few containers, it is possible early in March to plant a few potatoes. A large drum or a purpose bought potato container will be perfect to sow some early varieties of seed potato and harvest these in early June.

Terry’s Tip: Plant about five tubers in a container and cover with four inches of compost. As these tubers poke their green shoots through the surface recover them with another four inches. Repeat this process until they reach the top of the container then let them grow free. Water and feed regularly and place outside but be aware of any frosts and protect them.

As the end of March approaches those first early potatoes can be planted out in a rich, manure area of open ground.

Sowing carrots and beetroot in pots

To get some other vegetables to accompany those early potatoes it is possible to sow some carrots and beetroot.

Terry’s Tip: For the carrots I use peat pots with their bottoms removed. This will allow them to grow without disturbing the root. Using a good multipurpose compost fill the pot, sprinkle a few seeds per pot and cover with a light layer of sieved compost. The beetroot are not so fussy and these can be transplanted, so can be sown in two inch plastic pots in the same way as the carrots but two seeds per pot. When these have their true seed leaf they can safely be planted out under cloches to give another early crop. There, your growing season is underway.

February – a blank canvas!

As February begins and all the green manure gone the plot has become a virtual blank canvas laid out ready for the onset of another season. The greenhouse is clean and staged up and ready to go with all those seed packets purchased at the garden centre tempting you to get underway.

Make way under the staging for the first potato sowing

My first priority is fresh compost; it is no good wasting good seeds in old, worn out compost. Chances of germinating seed are limited, so don’t waste them by trying to save pennies on inferior compost. So remember to pick up your compost at the garden centre a couple of weeks before use to allow it to warm up in the greenhouse environment. Also, make sure your pots and trays have been cleaned thoroughly before sowing as you do not want to introduce disease to your crop.

If necessary purchase a few new trays and inserts and then you’ll be on your way to successful seed sowing.

A small lamp is also an essential piece of equipment to help germinate those new seeds as they need to be warm and comfortable to get underway. I use a paraffin lamp, as my greenhouse is away from a source of power but whatever you decide on it will be fine.

Terry’s tip: A light, airy outbuilding which is cool but frost free is the ideal spot. Don’t be tempted to keep them indoors in a warm place without light or you will soon have a tray full of ‘spaghetti’ like roots matted together and useless to plant.

Garden centres have a vast array of potatoes on offer but chose wisely and take into account the length of growing season and the amount of room you have.

Terry’s tip:

No growing area - this is not a problem today with the improvisation of potato tubs; a few new earlies in a container will sit lovely outside your door and still provide plentiful meals.

Limited growing area - this lends itself to growing early potatoes and maybe a few second earlies as these can be planted closer together and will crop in a much shorter time. Hence you can use that ground for a second crop in a season.

Unlimited growing area - will lend itself to some main crop as these will be in the ground all summer long. These varieties are also ideal for clearing fresh ground into which you have never sown before.

Whatever you decide the taste of these own grown potatoes will be well worth it!

Sowing broad beans

The first of the broad beans can be sown under cover and you can sow directly into pots or trays if you wish. My method of chitting these large seeds is in a freezer bag. Add moist compost and sit in a warm place to germinate their little tails before popping into the pots.

Sowing parsnips

Parsnips can also be sown but again not in the soil.

Terry’s tip: Spread them on a layer of kitchen paper and cover with a layer of paper. The kitchen paper is kept moist and the tray kept warm. After two weeks little white roots appear and I transplant these carefully into peat pots with the bottoms removed.

This allows a little seedling to develop before planting outside under a cloche and again ensures that a row is complete and these plants are given an early start. The reason for the bottom being removed from the peat pot is that parsnip roots do not need to be impeded or they will fork and not produce long, straight roots.

There are plenty more sowings that can be sown to get a head start and among them are lettuce and cabbage. Sown now they will be ready to go out under cloches in March and provide those early harvests.

A greenhouse, conservatory or a plastic greenhouse on the patio will provide those early crops an extended growing season.

January – Get off to an early start!

It’s January and the ‘darkest’ day of the year has passed; I can now look forward to those slowly lightening nights! The winter is far from over but each passing day brings the thought of Spring that little bit closer.

Now is a good time to pop along to your garden centre and with your wish list in hand get those items that you need to kick start your growing season.

Prepare a greenhouse propagating area

For those of you who are a little more adventurous a heated propagator is the answer to good seed germination. These can be placed anywhere close to a power source and even better if you have a good degree of light. The secret of using propagators is vigilance and regular checking. Sow the seeds and keep them moist. At the first sign of the seeds popping through the compost surface remove them from this heated source and place them in a cooler spot.

Terry’s tip: Don’t leave them too long in the propagator as they have the tendency to become ‘leggy’ and weak!

Next stop is the seed section and even though it might still be winter January is the time to get off to an early start. In your greenhouse or a warm windowsill it’s time to sow some broad beans and those colourful sweet peas. Some early lettuce and cabbage can also be sown. Whilst browsing these delightful packets of seeds pick up the ones that you are going to grow for the season. With seeds in hand pop along to the gifts section for your seed organiser tins or inserts. These are ideal for putting your seeds in sowing order and inserting sowing dates, which I find very useful as my crop increases.

Getting staging up in the greenhouse

With all this action going on it is time the staging in my greenhouse was started. I erect as much staging I can house; the more room you have the more early crops can be sown and transplanted. I make my staging as many tiers as I can and it is a mixture of bought aluminium staging and the small mini greenhouses that normally find a home on the patio.

Most of these are minus their normal plastic covered outer but one is left covered in its entirety to act as my specially heated area. This is the perfect way to conserve heat at this time of year and makes the perfect warm starting point for seed sowing and housing those germinated seeds from the heated propagator. In my case I have no electricity in my greenhouse, so I resort to a small paraffin lamp to provide just enough warmth to keep a cosy area in the greenhouse.

So I have the near perfect situation to get my gardening season off early. The first sowing of the New Year are my onion seed and these are placed at the top of the warm, internal greenhouse.

Terry’s tip: They like temperatures of 10 – 15 degrees centigrade, a strange fact but they are not partial to too much heat and will fail to germinate if they get too hot!

So the new season is off to a flying start. Soon these will be joined by my first sowing of lettuce and cabbage so that I have my early feed under my cloches; a gardener’s gift received for Christmas and enjoyed in April.