Thursday 5 March 2015

My Garden: 4th March 2015



So we had snow this week but Spring has definitely arrived because I got my first seeds planted this week. It's too early to put anything in the ground uncovered but there are plenty you can start off indoors. It's a good time to sow your tomatoes inside on a sunny window (if you have a propagator or heated pad, you could sow as early as January). I sowed a mix of Sungold Select, Black Cherry (both cherry varieties grown locally in Skibbereen by Brown Envelope Seeds and some leftover Moneymakers from last year.

Outside under plastic, I sowed two trays with a mix of spinach, rocket, pak choi, coriander and dill, all hardy enough vegetables. I neglected do any salad greens last year, concentrating too much on brassicas, but I won't make the same mistake again. Broccoli (calabrese and purple sprouting) and brussels sprouts are the only brassicas I'll bother with this year.




Speaking of purple sprouting broccoli, we are currently eating those pretty little florets. Sown last April, it is a long maturing vegetable but a welcome one during the otherwise unproductive months of February and March. Brasssicas really are the champions of the winter months. They withstand the cruel winter temperatures and actually flourish after a bit of frost.




I have two broad bean plants under plastic but I've started to harden them off by putting them out during the day. One is looking quite healthy but the picture below shows the other plant has started to blacken around the edges of the leaves. I think it is a case of leaf burn. I remember the last time I overwintered broad beans under plastic, I had the same problem of blackened leaves. The plants still thrived once they were planted out, so I'm not too worried.





I'll leave you with a photo of pretty narcissus brightening up the battered swing frame.







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