Page 28 - ALG Issue 3 2024

ON THE
From February to end of April 2024
KINGS PLOT
By Andrew Tokely, Horticultural Director for Kings Seeds
plotholders that planted out potatoes in March and had growth that was too big to cover, did succumb to frost damage in April when we had some very cold nights, but they should regrow ok.The onion sets are poking through nicely, protected in the early stages by some wire net hoops to stop the crows from pulling them up.
In mid-April we had a dry weekend that was not too cold or windy, so I did manage to get my parsnips, carrots and beetroot sown.The beetroot is just emerging with hopefully the carrots and parsnips to follow soon, as the days warm up.
The peas sown direct in the plot mid-April are just emerging and will soon require some wire supports.
I have beetroot and spring onions sown in modules under glass ready for planting out as soon as the conditions allow.
Towards the end of April, the weather
Well, what a spring this has been so far: wet, cold, dry, wet, cold, wet... and as I write, my greenhouses and cold frames are fuller than my allotment and finally the sun has decided to come out.
All of my plot has been dug, including ground where late brassicas were, only leaving a small piece that still contains purple sprouting broccoli that has enjoyed the weather and produced many weekly harvests since January. I have built a new brassica cage covered with scaffold netting, for protection from birds and butterflies. So, I am ready to get going – all I need is the weather on my side.
At the end of February, I sowed my Brussels sprouts and summer brassicas under glass.These are now in my cold frame hardening off ready for planting out under the new cover as soon as the weather changes and the soil starts to dry out again.
Seed raised onions and my leek plants from pips are also in the cold frame ready for planting out.
Lettuce plants are ready to go out and follow on from some early plants I put
out under a cloche in March.These will be ready to cut along with an early test sowing of radish that I made to check how long they took to germinate as a guide to how warm the soil was on the plot.
At Easter, which was early this year and reasonably dry, I did manage to get my onion sets and potatoes planted which are both now coming up.The potatoes have been earthed up a couple of times covering the shoots as they appear to prevent
any frost damage. Unfortunately, a few
28 | Issue 3 2024 | Allotment and Leisure Gardener
“So, I am ready to get going – all I need is the weather on my side.”