Page 12 - ALG Issue 1 2016 No social share

Regular
Keep off the soil if it is wet or frozen. It’s very frustrating but hopefully the March winds will quickly dry the soil out, allowing us to catch up and get on with the rst outdoor sowings. Plant out garlic and shallots around the middle of the month if the
soil isn’t too wet. One of the last jobs for February is to feed
all fruit bushes and trees with a well-balanced fertiliser. At the same time, top dress the rest of the plot with a general fertiliser as land becomes available. Pelleted chicken manure is ideal
for this job as it is slow release and will last all through the season. Spray over all of the fruit trees and bushes with a garlic compound as a substitute for the banned tar oil winter washes. Have a quick rustle through the seed tin to make sure that you have all the seeds that you need for this year.
SOW – GREENHOUSE
Start off this new growing season with clean pots and trays plus new fresh seed compost. Store the bags of compost under cover in a shed, garage
or under the greenhouse staging to warm up. This month is a good time to sow the seeds of celeriac, Brussels sprouts,
leeks and onions. If the luxury of a heated greenhouse is available, sow aubergines, tomatoes and peppers.
Cover the soil with cloches or
sheets of plastic to warm it up in
readiness for the next batch of
sowing and planting. Don’t overdo
it; little and often is the plan over
the coming weeks. After the middle
of the month, it is safe to think
about sowing the seeds of early
vegetables. Prepare a seed bed and
sow ‘White Lisbon’ Spring onion, early short horn carrots and early types of lettuce. It may be too early to make a start in the colder areas of the country but try sowing parsnip seeds if you really want large roots but use a canker resistant cultivar.
FEBRUARY
Plant out shallots and garlic after the middle of the month if the local weather permits.
GENERAL
Check over any fruit trees and bushes for damage and disease problems and take appropriate action. Prune late/autumn fruiting raspberries down as
low as possible and mulch around them. Tip back summer fruiting to around 6ft/1.9m to encourage
the development of fruiting side growths.
Complete any outstanding winter pruning of soft fruit bushes, cutting down to soil level the older dark stemmed shoots of blackcurrants.
Check over the chitting
potatoes and begin to
rub off any eyes that
are unwanted, leaving
three or four well-spaced
shoots. Keep some
eece or newspapers
nearby to cover them up
on starry, frosty nights;
you don’t want to run the
risk of losing them at this
late date.
Keep checking frequently
on the condition of any
produce in store; it will
begin to wake up after
its winter dormancy and
start to regrow.
PLANT
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Seasonal jobs to do...
February, March and April