As always, at this time of year, I am tired of winter, am suffering from 'cabin fever' and looking for ways to start the new growing year. Every year I waste at least 2 packets of seeds by sowing too early and achieving poor or non-existant crops later in the year.
I read that we can sow carrots in January to have early crops. I tried this last year in a deep box and covered them with fleece. Yes, I did get a crop but, disappointing. Of course the particularly harsh winter might have had something to do with that.
Talking about carrots - I have heard and read that carrot root fly can't fly above 30cm. Well! I'm telling you, in the SW they can fly up 1 and half metres - at least. A friend very kindly made me a 'carrot box'. 1and half metres by half metre and 1 and half metres high ( brilliant for thinning, I could sit on a chair to do that tedious job). I grew 2 varities - Autumn King ( which I love) and a variety I haven't come across before - Blanc a colet vert, from The Real Seed Catalogue ( a small, independent group selling heritage and unusual varieties of different veg. and no! I'm not a shareholder, just feel they are worth supporting). These have a really strong carroty favour, delicious raw and cooked.
Anyway, back to the season. I have sown my sweet pea seeds on 1st January. Last year I sowed some in November and some in March and had 2 overlapping and excellent crops- I love them, especially as one MUST keep cutting them to have a continous supply of these wonderful flowers. I will sow again in a couple of months.
As soon as the weather is mild enough, but this month, I will clean the inside of my poly tunnel. I will just use soapy water as I'm not happy about using disenfectants. Last summer I had red spider mite, for the first time
( probably due to the very dry early summer). I kept it under control with frequent watering. If anyone has any advice on this please let me know... as organic as is practical, please.
I'm awaiting, with considerable impatience, the arrival of my potato seed for chitting. I hope to sow an extra early crop of Earlies in my poly tunnel. I've done so for the last 2 years with some success and very early Early potatoes. They are then out in time to plant other crops.
Happy New Growing Year
13th January
ReplyDelete18 out of 27 sweetpeas seeds have now germinated. It almost makes me feel that spring is here... well it is very mild, in spite of the unbelievably heavy rain.