Page 45 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2025

Asters pricked out
before planting out. I have cold frames that
dismantle when not in use and are put
away so now is the time to get them out
and fix them up.
Potatoes need planting if not done
in March starting with the earlies, then
maincrops towards the end of the month.
I plant mine in a trench and put lawn
mowings in the bottom which helps to
prevent scab. I space them 12 inches (30
cm.) apart on top of the mowings.
I plant my onion sets in pots in the
greenhouse in March. If you did so, they
should be growing now and ready for
planting. Plant them 6 inches (15 cm.) apart.
If you didn’t plant them in pots, they can be
planted direct in the beds this month and
the same applies to garlic. I mentioned the
varieties of garlic last month. I mentioned
the planting of shallots in pots early in the
year and if you did so, they should also be
ready for planting this month. If you grow
onions from seed and you sowed them
early and potted them on into larger pots,
they may be ready for planting now after
hardening off.
Asparagus can still be planted, and I
described the method last month.
If you sowed tomatoes, cucumbers,
peppers or aubergines early in the year
they should have been potted on into larger
pots as they grew and may be ready for
planting either direct in the greenhouse
border or in their final pots.
Shallots in frame
In the flower garden, perennials can be
planted, also it is time to plant gladioli. If
you haven’t any, they can be ordered from
seed suppliers or bought from garden
centres. They are planted about 6 inches
(15 cm.) deep and 12 inches
(30 cm.) apart. I put a
handful of sand in the hole
to help with drainage.
I have told you before
that this is the month that
I sow sweet peas, and I
grow them on a structure
of canes along with runner
beans. Runner beans can’t
be planted till late May or June, but the
cane structure can be made earlier. I sow
my sweet peas individually in drinking
cups and plant them out in May. If you
sowed your seeds in pots in March, as
many people do they should be ready for
planting now. I described the way I make
the structure of canes in March. If you
didn’t sow the seeds in pots, they can still
Chrysanths
are prone to a
disease called
white rust
Tomatoes planted
be sown at the foot of the canes.
If you boxed up your dahlia tubers in
February and gave them some warmth to
start them growing I said last month that
some cuttings may be ready for taking.
Most cuttings, though,
will be taken this month
and the same applies to
Chrysanths. Both cuttings
are taken the same way.
Cut them about 3 inches
(7.5 cm.) long just below a
leaf joint and insert them
in seed or multipurpose
compost in trays or pots
and put them in a propagator or on a
warming bench, as I do. If you did take any
cuttings in March they should be rooted
by now and need transferring to 3-inch
(7.5cm.) pots. When the roots have filled
these pots, they need potting on to 4 inch
(10 cm.) or 5 inch (12.5 cm.) pots because it
is too early to plant them out yet.
Chrysanths are prone to a disease called
white rust, so they need spraying with a
fungicide every few weeks from the cutting
stage to try to prevent it.
If you sowed brassicas (cabbage,
cauliflowers, and sprouts) in March in
small pots they should have germinated
by now. Reduce the seedlings to one per
pot. When the roots have filled these small
pots, rather than plant them out, pot them
on into 5-inch (12.5 cm.) pots. I do this to
prevent clubroot, a disease to which these
vegetables are prone and which comes
from the soil. The roots have a larger
volume of compost to occupy before they
reach the soil. The plants will also be larger
when planting out.
If you grow roses, it is time to give them a
feed use a fertiliser specially formulated for
roses, just sprinkle it round the bushes and
hoe it in.
Perennial herbs such as sage, thyme
and lavender could do with trimming about
now.
Simply Vegetables 45