Page 48 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2023

Seasonal jobs
DEREK BROOKS FNVS
April
April is the peak month for sowing
and planting, both outside and in the greenhouse so there is plenty to do. Weeds are now growing strongly now so get rid of as many as you can before you sow or plant anything outside. Weedkillers don’t work in the winter, but they should do now that the weeds are growing, if you can’t dig the weeds out.
All the seeds I mentioned for sowing last month in drills, as I described then. Even though the soil is warming up, there are some seeds that I prefer to sow in cell trays. They are lettuce, beetroot, pak choi, endive, rocket, and spinach.
I still prefer to sow brassicas such as cabbages, cauliflowers and Brussel sprouts in 3-inch (7.5 cm.) pots. The main reason for this is that they are susceptible to club root. When the roots have filled these pots, I pot the plants on to 5-inch (12.5 cm.) pots. This helps to prevent clubroot because the plants are larger when planted out and the roots have a larger volume of soil to occupy before they reach the infected soil. If you sowed the seeds in early March, they may be ready for potting on this month.
Broad beans can still be sown. I sow mine direct in the bed, 9 inches (22.5 cm.) apart, but I sow some in pots in case any don’t germinate.
Peas can also be sown direct but I sow them individually in small pots (drinking cups) in the greenhouse. They don’t need extra heat to germinate.
This is the month to sow tender vegetables that can’t be planted out till there is no chance of frost which is towards
Annuals pricked out
the end of May, or June, depending on where you live. These are runner beans, French beans (dwarf and climbing), marrows, courgettes, pumpkins, squashes, and sweet corn. They can all be sown direct where they are to grow but not till next month. I sow them all in 4 inch (10 cm.) pots, except for sweet corn which I sow in drinking cups, in the greenhouse this month to get them growing earlier. Put them in a propagator if you have one. It
is not essential but if you haven’t got one, they will take a bit longer to germinate.
This is important. Don’t forget that any plants raised in the greenhouse, both vegetables and flowers, need hardening off in a cold frame before planting out. I use aluminium frames which dismantle when not in use. If you want, you could make your own using timber.
Carrots and parsnips can still be sown in drills, but I told you last month that I sow them in bore holes, tubes, buckets, or drums.
I mentioned last month that most half hardy annual flowers were sown then.
Rooted dahlias potted up
A few could be sown in February, and I described then how to sow them. It is not too late to sow them this month but, of course, they will flower later. The same applies to hardy annuals flowers. They can be sown direct where they are to grow or in trays, as I do.
So much for sowing, so what can we plant? I said last month that you could
start planting early potatoes, but I don’t plant mine till April. If you grow both early varieties and maincrops, plant the earlies
in the first half of the month and the maincrops towards the end. I plant mine
in trenches 6 inches (15 cm.) deep, and 12 inches (30 cm.) apart and put a layer of lawn mowing in the trench first which helps to prevent scab disease which affects the skin of the potatoes.
Onion sets, garlic and shallots can still be planted. If you planted shallots in pots in December, as I do, they should have been potted on into larger pots about February or March and should be ready for planting out now. I described the planting of onion sets and garlic last month.
Asparagus crowns can still be planted, and I described how they are planted last month.
Onions grown from seed may be ready for planting, depending on when the seeds were sown. They should also have been
Tomatos potted into 4 inch pots
48 Simply Vegetables