Vegging out - February
Week one
Quite dry and mild to start off the month so there has been some weeding and digging over of the veg border. Normally I adopt a no dig approach but found the soil in the veg border really compacted, when sowing the broad beans last month.
Up until now I have sown broad beans in one of the raised beds, where the soil is soft and friable but, as yet another of the wooden raised beds is rotting, I’m planning to phase them out. They look neat and are great for organising crop rotation, but are expensive to replace and, with recent very hot summers, they dry out really quickly after watering. It is probably better to just plant in the ground, but clearly some work has to be done on the soil.
Meanwhile the seedlings undercover are all coming along well, both in the house and in the greenhouse, where finally the leeks have come through. The thing at the top of my to-do-list this month is sowing tomatoes.
Week two
This year I am determined to sow tomatoes early, because a spring sown crop is later than I would like. Also a very keen tomato grower in her nineties, who always beats me to the first crops, tells me that February is the time to do it.
In 2022 I followed Amanda’s advice in the blog about saving tomato seed, and saved Sungold seeds, with a fantastic germination rate. So, completely hooked, I saved all my tomato seeds last year and also some Piccolo seeds from bought tomatoes. Over the weekend I sowed 5 seeds in 10cm pots of each of the following: Sungold, San Marzano, Black Russian, Lizzano and Piccolo.
At the same time I sowed some Pak Choi and Mizuna. Then re-sowed Parcel, Aubergine Black Beauty, Red Russian Kale and Basil Lettuce Leaf because, while they had all germinated, the rate wasn’t great. So the little propagator in the house is full and switched on again. Meanwhile the sweet and chilli peppers, coriander, first lot of aubergines and the stir fry greens have joined the leeks in the greenhouse. It is mild for the time of the year so the greenhouse heater is off.
Week three
The first harvest of the year! The purple sprouting broccoli under the netting is ready to eat and is delicious. The pigeons have already enjoyed the unnetted plants!
Good germination for the tomatoes in the propagator, with strong seedlings from all three cherry tomatoes (Sungold, Lizzano and Piccolo). As it is still so mild, these have all been moved into the unheated greenhouse together with the Pak Choi and the Mizuna. The Black Russian and the San Marzano tomato seeds germination has been less good. And no sign of life from the fennel seeds sown last month.
Now that the seedlings are starting to show their true leaves, I’m beginning think about pricking out and, because some are very ‘leggy’, wondering how deep I can bury them. I know it is fine to bury tomato seedlings quite deep, but have no idea about other veg - shall have to Google it. I’m trying to remember to regularly brush the seedlings gently with my hand as this movement of the plants strengthens their stems.
Week four
A few frosty nights this week as well as downpours, so the greenhouse heater has been on overnight a couple of times.
The sorrel in the garden is looking and tasting good and the French tarragon is sprouting after a winter in the greenhouse - both of them are a great taste of spring. Rather disappointed though with the crop from the purple sprouting broccoli - this may be due to letting the top head develop too much. I’m wondering if I had taken it off when it was quite tight more side shoots would have then developed. Whether that is true or not, next year the plan is to sow 2 varieties to spread the cropping season. Also, next year I won’t be so generous with the pigeons.
PSB is such a great brassica, growing at a time when few pests are about. Having said that though, one picking this week had a lone caterpillar on it - very strange!
Finally the broad beans that I sowed at the end of last month are coming up - Hooray!