Are you feeling it too? A certain … What’s it called? Oh yes! WARMTH!
Please don’t let us jinx it, but it does seem just ever so slightly like scarves are optional.
Which could also mean starting to plant out into the ground or tubs, especially if you’ve been warming your soil with fleece or plastic… However, be warned that the official last frost date for this year, and this is for the South of England, is not until late April, so best to keep an eye on the forecast.
Sowing
If you’re sowing direct into the ground, the April list is the same as for March, with the addition of
Summer cabbage
Summer cauliflower
Kohl rabi, and
Swiss chard.
And here are some ideas for what you could start off on a warm windowsill or under cloches:
Aubergines;
Capsicum / bell peppers;
Courgettes;
Salad;
Spring onions, and
Tomatoes.
For both spring onions and salad, sow a sprinkling of seeds every few weeks for a continuous supply.
Most tomato seeds WILL germinate, so don’t over do your sowing (like we did last year!) or you’ll be giving away tomato plants left right and centre, or else making a lot of chutney at harvest time ; )
Planting out
Early April is a good time for planting already "chitted" or sprouting seed potatoes, either into the ground or into containers, sacks or old jute bags (you’ll need a depth of at least a foot). As soon as shoots start to appear above the soil, get "earthing up" – which means covering them over again so that they have to keep pushing up for the light.
This is also the time for planting out onion and garlic "sets". Sets are simply already part-grown, and are planted in the ground / container with just their tips showing.
More information
We particularly like the more detailed growing guides available from:
Rocket Gardens
The BBC
The Royal Horticultural Society
The Women’s Environmental Network
Harvesting
If you were growing last year, chances are you’re still harvesting kale, PSB, Spring cabbage and cauliflower, parsnips and maybe some Winter salad.
Garden prep
Keep up with your weeding, and do make sure you’ve thought about trellis – or canes, arches or string wrapped round screws screwed into fencing – for peas and climbing beans you plan on growing.
If you’re sewing into the ground, you absolutely need to think about how to protect your seeds against slugs and snails. Because honestly, they can wipe out a crop overnight, and it is seriously infuriating. Think well-secured cloches, copper tape or salted vaseline around tubs, going out in the evening and picking them up into a bucket and taking them away, setting beer traps, or taking measures to encourage frogs, hedgehogs and birds into your garden, as they will eat the slugs for you!
Finally…
Our dear friends over at Natural Collection have stocked up on water buts and composters, equipment, wildlife encouragers, and plant and seed kits, so do take a minute to check them out.
And do let us know how you’re getting on with your own food growing projects.
Categories: seasonal eating
