Officially Springtime - planting peas, potatoes, parsley, et al

Another Early Spring, and Threats of Drought!

I think I am fairly safe in saying it is now officially springtime. Our clocks reverted to British Summertime on Saturday night.

I’ve just been checking the weather and temperatures around the country today – Bristol – a cloudless sky since early morning with daytime temperature - 17ºC [forecast for 4ºC for tonight]; London - 17º - 19ºC [forecast for 5ºC for tonight]; Newcastle upon Tyne - 19º - 20ºC [forecast for 6ºC for tonight]. It’s interesting that the area which should logically be the coldest is, in fact, the warmest.

Like last spring, we are having very warm temperatures with low rainfalls very early in the year. The birds are well on with nest building and – a reminder to all bird lovers – they do need feeding and a good source of water at this time of year. I am seeing lots of magpies, robins, crows, pigeons, tits, sparrows and dunnocks but, unfortunately, very few blackbirds. I fear the large numbers of magpies around my area have a significant impact on the numbers of blackbirds.

I have been looking back on my blogs from this time last year. Certainly then, I was noticing that spring had come early and birds were already nest-building earlier than this year. However, I didn’t start worrying about the shortage of water until May. This year there is already a lot of concern about the low level of water in our reservoirs [mostly due to low rainfall last year as well as this winter and spring]. Commercial growers are bracing themselves for a disastrous season. The pond at the bottom of our allotment fields is already very low and newly hatched tadpoles are becoming stranded on the fast-drying mudbanks.

As with all weather conditions – which, let’s face it, we can’t alter anyway – there are major positives. I have managed to get a large area of my plot dug over – just a little each day, which will then be ready for later planted crops such as beans, brassicas and salad crops. I must still dig patches for sweetcorn, courgettes and some later plantings of other vegetables.

Autumn sowings of broad beans now have their flowers on and my spring sown crops are growing on well. 

My first sowing of early peas [Little Marvel - Dobies] is well up but are still covered with fleece to keep the pigeons off. I have now sown a second crop [Hurst Green Shaft – Dobies – which were amazingly successful last year but, my frozen supply is now at an end, unfortunately]. I have also covered them to keep mice and birds from the seedbeds – this time with Environmesh.

It is difficult to decide which protective medium is best. Of course fleece is so much cheaper but, although it can be washed, is really only useable for one season. It will protect your crops from pests, birds and frost. However, Environmesh, although so much more expensive, has all the uses of fleece but, is much more durable. I will expect it to last me for many years. The cost is definitely a major consideration but, I’ve been building up my stock by putting it on my Christmas and birthday present lists for several years. My family is very sensible about buying for presents what is really wanted. And, my children, who now each have their own allotments, are more than happy to have essential allotment supplies bought for them on these occasions.

I have several outdoor seed-beds now which are, unfortunately, having to be watered on a regular basis – parsley, spring onions, 2 varieties of sorrel, 2 varieties of carrot, coriander and parsnips. So far, only the spring onions are starting to appear.

In my poly-tunnel, my early potatoes are up, brassicas in seed beds are showing their second true leaves and a bed of Cos lettuce [Winter Gem – Vaila] are growing on well. .I have moved young, potted-up chilli, pepper and tomato plants from my house as they are in desperate need of better light where, I hope, they will not be attacked by a heavy late frost. This year, I am planning that my poly-tunnel will be used for crops which I will use – tomatoes, which I like [no experimental varieties!], chillies [mostly Joe’s Long, though I’m open to more unusual varieties from my daughter] and peppers. This space is limited and precious and I have discovered that, in my area, these crops do not do particularly well outdoors – tomatoes because of blight and the peppers and chillies as it is really, just not sunny enough and warm enough.

The fruit trees are starting to show their blossom and over the next few weeks I expect the display will be spectacular!

Early March on the Allotment

Early March on the Allotment

It would be so easy to be seduced by the wonderful spring-like weather we are having at the moment and... I totally am! But really, we are only just out of February.

I have been trying to restrain myself from getting going on my plot too early and, perhaps fortunately, a heavy cold that has made me feel a bit miserable for a week or so, has prevented me from doing more than I might otherwise have done.

This is the first year, perhaps ever, that I am seeing the flowers on my really delightful double-flowered camellia not scorched and brown from frost. I suppose I could have put fleece over the bush each year to protect the blossoms but, that does rather seem to defeat the purpose of the plant. It is now very beautiful. Close to where I live there is an avenue lined on both sides with purple leaved flowering cherries. In spring time they can be absolutely stunning as they come into flower and as I passed them today on my way to my plot I was thrilled to see them just starting to bloom. When they have finished flowering the dark leaves can make the same avenue look quite gloomy and as they are pollarded every other year they don’t always look so spectacular. Hopefully, for the next few weeks they will make everyone who sees them feel joyful.

Some activities are reasonably safe... I think! Today I prepared seed beds for early sowings of some brassicas in my poly-tunnel. I have tried to rein myself in and have sown only a few seeds from each packet. Today, I've sown All Year Round Cauliflower, Cabbage - Golden Acre Primo, both from Dobies and Brussels Sprouts - Seven Hills from the Real Seed Catalogue [it's the first time I have tried these but they are recommended for exposed windy sites - my plot is certainly that although, being in the South West, t is probably not as exposed as some]. Brassica seeds will keep for several years so, it’s a good idea to sow only what you think you will need. Of course, if you are sowing very early you can successionally sow up to the end of April and for many varieties, well after that. Do read the instructions on your packets of seed and take into consideration where you are living and the weather conditions. In my poly tunnel is, I think, pretty safe but, possibly, if this mild weather continues, I could get away with sowing brassicas in outdoor seedbeds. They might be slower to germinate but that’s okay. If you are propagating indoors or in a propagator do make sure they are ‘hardened off’ [gradually reducing the levels of heat...without exposing to harsh frosty conditions, perhaps set them outdoors during the day then take back indoors at night!] before transplanting outdoors.

I did take a tray of propagator induced lettuce seedlings to my poly-tunnel a couple of weeks ago and today, I transplanted a few of them into the enriched compost of my tunnel and watered them well in. Although they were really quite small...second true-leaf stage, hopefully, I will have some early lettuce. This is well worth doing as they are easy to grow and are so expensive to buy. These are Cos, Winter Gem, Vaila, and are really quite hardy. Shortly, I will transplant some of them outside.

Today, I took the fleece covering from my globe artichoke plants. This is the first year I have covered them although all professional advice does recommend this [usually covering with straw for over-wintering]. After last year’s exceptionally harsh winter, when I lost 40% of my plants, I decided I was being just a bit too confident. Several of my allotment neighbours reported 100% loss. My plants are just starting to put on new growth and I felt it was time to divide a couple of them which were becoming a bit too ‘overgrown’ to do well in the coming season. The original artichoke plants will die back as they age and will put out side shoots. These will be fine for a few years but, eventually the plant will start to fail and will need to be replaced. This can be avoided by dividing the root mass. When the side shoots become obvious you can, during the ‘dormant’ months put the spade through the root mass and separate the side shoot from the ‘parent’ plant. This ‘side shoot’ can then be transplanted and will grow successfully as a new plant, removing the need for buying seeds or new plants. When you do this, make sure you take as much of the new root with your new plant as necessary. Several years ago I would complete this process without thinking and had 100% success. However, during the last 2 bitter winters, my propagation methods have had limited success and I am now so much more careful. Nothing beats over-confidence like a bit of failure!

Some very late transplanted and very miserable white-sprouting broccoli plants I bought from Thompson & Morgan [my own had failed as the very dry spring and early summer had prevented transplanting at the correct time and young plants I then bought from T&M were dismayingly dismal, leading me to complain bitterly] have now, actually started to sprout and today, I have brought home my first dishful, not a lot but I hope for increased cropping in the next few weeks.

I’ve also been back to my propagator and have sown two types of basil in pots, some orange scented thyme, Sultana tomatoes [little plum shaped, salad tomatoes which did absolutely brilliantly last year and tasted amazing... I bought my seeds from Dobies ]. I’ve sown pepper seeds and after the success of my chilli seeds, I hope these will be as successful. Last year’s peppers, although they grew and did produce fruit were not, what I would call, successful. The previous year I grew ‘Sweet California’ from a packet of free seeds which were outstanding. However, as we had little heat or sunshine during the growing season last year, the results were disappointing. Really, the impact of the weather conditions can’t be ignored, especially for crops which are not indigenous. My recent sowing was with Corno di Toro Rosso from Dobies. These are long sweet peppers, suitable for salads and cooking. I will sow my ‘bell’ type peppers later.

And, God heavens! the first asparagus spears are appearing... already!

From now on, I guess the year will speed up so, more stuff in the near future.