Page 46 - Simply Veg 4 2022

December
There isn’t much sowing to be done this month and most people don’t sow their onions till January or February but if you want large ones, as exhibitors do, they need to be sown now in a propagator. The seeds are large enough to sow individually so spread them out about an inch (2.5 cm.) apart on the surface of the compost in a seed tray and cover lightly with the same compost. Leeks can also be sown the same way. Most exhibitors, though, grow their leeks from pips or bulbils. I obtain my leeks, which have been grown this way, from a supplier. They usually arrive this month and I pot them into small pots and keep them on
a warming bench for a while to get them growing.
You can still sow herbs on the kitchen windowsill as I suggested last month and also microgreens. You will find these in many catalogues, and they can be grown in trays or pots.
This is the traditional month for planting shallots you can plant them direct in the bed if you have one prepared. They need planting with their tops just visible above the soil. However, I always plant mine in pots because the bed where I grow them is manured in the winter and I couldn’t do so if shallots were already growing in it. I start them off in three and a half inch (9 cm.) pots in the greenhouse. They don’t need extra heat so I just leave them on a greenhouse shelf. In January or February, the roots have filled these pots and I pot them on into 5 inch (12.5 cm.) pots.
You can, of course, continue planting fruit trees and bushes this month and any other shrubs as I described last month. You can also carry on with the winter pruning of fruit trees and bushes. I described the different pruning methods last month.
You will probably have crops to harvest such as sprouts, swedes, carrots, leeks, cabbage, kale, celeriac, and parsnips. I suggested last month that you dig up some root crops and store them for use when the ground is frozen, and I suggest you do some more this month. Also, don’t forget to keep checking any crops you have in store and remove any showing signs of rotting.
Many crops will have finished now so make every effort to clear them away onto the compost heap and prepare the ground
Sprouting broccoli growing well
Propagator in greenhouse
for future crops. I wrote about composting last month and told you how I make it. You don’t have to follow my method exactly and you may not have three compost bays, as I do. So, it depends on what facilities you have but please do it in a properly organised way. Very often, at this time of year, the ground will be too wet or frozen for ground preparation but take every opportunity when the ground is workable. Last January I mentioned digging trenches for runner beans and I described how I
do it. If the ground is workable there is no reason why it can’t be done this month.
One of my most important jobs this month is to clean my propagating greenhouse. I start sowing seeds and taking cuttings in January, so it is important to get the greenhouse ready. I have two greenhouses and I completely empty the propagating greenhouse by transferring
all the plants into the other one. I sweep the staging and shelves and spray them with disinfectant and sweep the floor.
I have three warming benches with warming cables in layers of sand and I replace the sand with fresh. I also have
a large propagator in there and this gets brushed clean and sprayed as well. When returning plants back into this greenhouse, I tidy them up, removing dead or dying leaves. I put the boxes of chrysanth stools on the warming benches to start them into growth. I mentioned in October that
Chrysanths are prone to white rust. You should continue spraying the stools with fungicide every few weeks to prevent it.
I said earlier that I start sowing seeds and taking cuttings in January. Because
of this, I wash all my seed trays and plant pots and other containers that I use. Apart from plant pots, I use ice cream cartons, drinking cups, margarine tubs and small yoghurt pots. It takes a long time because I have hundreds of pots, but I consider it an important job and well worth the time and effort.
Another job I do to prepare for next season is to sort all my canes of which I also have hundreds. I examine each one to see that they are still sound, then sort them into their different sizes and tie them in bundles.
If you haven’t finished collecting leaves to make leaf mould, continue to do it now.
Two jobs in the fruit garden now and a job that I haven’t mentioned before is to apply a winter wash. The purpose of this
is to kill any insects overwintering in the trees. You need to spray thoroughly to reach every crevice. The traditional product for this was tar oil but winter wash but
this is no longer allowed, there are several others available in garden centres or online. Another job is to check tree ties to see if any need replacing or slackening off so not too tight.
46 Simply Vegetables
Soil warming cable in position
Leeks bought from supplier and potted up