Page 25 - Allotment Gardener Issue 2 2024

THE KINGS PLOT
and should start to germinate soon. The
next sowings under glass will be my summer cabbages and cauliflowers along with my Brussels sprouts. Sowing these towards the end of February will give some established plants ready for planting out in April once the weather improves.
Seed potatoes have arrived and have been laid out in place to start chitting, ready for planting as soon as soil conditions allow in March or April. I always think you are far better to get the ground prepared at this time of year, so you are all ready to get started as soon as the weather and soil conditions allow. Where the soil has been dug early in the year, and has had the wet and cold weather to break it down, it means your soil will break down much more easily when pulled through with a long handled crome, or drag fork, making it far easier and quicker to make a seed bed ready for sowing.
Mind you, unless we get a very mild spell,
I won’t be sowing anything outside until late March or early April once I know the soil has warmed up properly. Until then the soil can still be quite cold so I always advise gardeners to not get itchy fingers and start sowing too many crops too early in the soil as it will affect
germination. We often find this is a common complaint and one we must all try to resist until the soil temperature is at a minimum of 7C (45F), otherwise there is always a higher possibility
of germination failure. You may think you are getting ahead, but you are more likely to be wasting your time and you will have to sow again as rows will more than likely be patchy or fail altogether, so my advice is please always wait until the soil conditions are just right and you are then sure to get the best results from your Kings Seeds.
Don’t forget if any NAS member has a seed problem and needs some free advice, the team at Kings Seeds are always at the end of a phone to help.
Happy Gardening!
Allotment Gardener | Issue 2 2024 | 25