Sprout Tops

The fresh growth on the top of the brussels make a welcome addition to the pot at this time of the year when there's nothing else in the way of fresh greens. I've been well pleased with this variety - Cascade F1 - I've been picking them since November and they still haven't blown.

Planting Asparagus

My asparagus crowns arrived today from Kings Seeds, only a quid each and they came with excellent planting and aftercare instructions. In previously dug and composted ground I took out a trench 30cm deep and wide, ridging up the middle of the bottom of the trench 5cm, spacing the crowns 50cm apart on the ridge with the roots spread out:

Then covered up the roots and firmed in:


I'll fill up the trench as the plants grow. It'll be a couple of years before I can cut a decent amount of spears but it should be worth the wait.

Nice day for it

Lovely sunny dry day today so I've been out there doing some more digging, as you do. It's tempting when the weather's like this to start sowing seeds but I always leave that until after the spring equinox - March 21st, when the days start getting longer than the nights. Having said that I've sown some broad beans today, which are one crop that can be sown early, just to confuse you.

Digging

I started digging late last year and have been carrying on on and off when the ground's been dry enough. I've dug in compost where my peas and beans and brassicas will be going in.

Forking out the compost:


Spreading it on the bed:


Dug in:

Garlic

The garlic I planted in the autumn has come up nicely:

Records by plant name 2009

I'll add to and update these as the season goes on, same as last year.

Antirrhinum "Crown Mixed" - 1/2 seedtray sown in greenhuse 29.3 in greenhouse. Pricked out 25.4, medium modules x48. Potted on 15.5 to 9cm pots x33. Planted out 40cm apart 31.5.

Artichoke "Green Globe Improved" - Sown in greenhouse 25.4, 6x 9cm pots. Moved to coldframe 23.5. Planted out 5.7 x1 (and some at Ina's).

Asparagus "Gueph Millennium" - 10 crowns planted 9.3.

Broad Beans "Aquadulce Claudia" - Sown 1.3, 1 double row.

Broccoli "Early Purple Sprouting" - Sown in coldframe 30.5, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x6 24.6. Planted out x1 5.7.

Broccoli "Nine Star Perennial" - Sown in coldframe 30.5, small modules x10. Potted on to 9cm pots x6 24.6. Planted out x2 5.7, 1m apart

Brussels Sprout "Cascade F1" - Sown in greenhouse 25.4, small modules x20. Moved to coldframe 16.5. Potted on to 9cm pots x12 16.5. Planted out 5.6 60cm apart.

Cabbage "Durham Early" - 1 row sown 29.8.

Cabbage "Greyhound" - 1 seedtray sown in greenhouse 29.3. Moved to coldframe 3.5. Planted out 9.5 30cm apart x32

Cabbage "January King" - Sown in coldframe 31.5, small modules x20.

Cabbage "Primo 2" - Sown 6.6, seedtray in coldframe and seed row outside. Planted out from seedtray 28.6.

Carnation "Giant Chabaud Mixed" - Sown in greenhouse 4.4, 30 x small modules. Potted on 15.5. to 9cm pots x20. Moved to coldframe 22.5. Planted out 1 row 5.6 30cm apart.

Carrot "Amsterdam Forcing" - Sown in trough in greenhouse, 14.3. Moved to coldframe 12.4.

Carrot "Autumn King 2" - Sown 16.5, 3x1/2 rows. Gaps resown 13.6. And again 5.7.

Carrot "Early Nantes 5" - Sown 1 row 18.4. Gaps resown 16.5. And again 13.6.

Cosmos "Sensation Mixed" - Sown in greenhouse 4.4, 20 x small modules. Potted on to 9cm pots 25.4. Moved to coldframe 9.5. Planted out 16.5 x13, 50cm apart.

French Bean"Purple Queen" - Sown 1x double row 2.5. Sown 50x small modules in greenhouse. Moved to coldframe 16.5. Planted out 25.5.

Garlic (this years cloves) - Planted 11.10 5cm deep, 20cm apart in 4x 1/2 rows, 30cm apart.

Leek "Autumn Giant 3 - Albana" - Sown 1/2 seedtray in coldframe 30.5. Planted out 4.7 20 cm apart.

Leek "Musselburgh Improved" - Sown 1/2 seedtray in greenhouse 16.5. Moved to coldframe 23.5. Poor germination (old seed?) Planted out 4.7 20cm apart.

Lettuce "Lollo Rossa" - Sown in greenhouse 4.4, 10 x small modules. Potted on to 9cm pots 2.5. Planted out (at Ina's) 18.5.

Lettuce "Red Salad Bowl" - Sown in greenhouse 4.4, 10 x small modules. Potted on to 9cm pots 25.4. Moved to coldframe 9.5. Planted out in garden 16.5

Onion "Stuttgarter Riesen" - Sets planted 15.3, 30 cm apart, 1 double row(about 40 sets).

Pak Choi - 1/2 row sown direct 14.8.

Pea "Early Onward" - Sown in greenhouse 6.3, 48x9cm pots, 3 seeds to a pot. Moved to coldframe 28.3. Planted out 4.4.

Pea "Onward" - 1 row sown 25.04. And another 30.5.

Potato "Maris Peer" (second early) (last year's from Arthur) - 2 rows planted out 12.4. Earthed up 16.5.

Potato "Pentland Javelin" (first early) - 3kg bought in for chitting 17.3. 1 row planted out 12.4. Earthed up 16.5.

Potato "Desiree" (maincrop)- 3kg bought in for chitting 17.3. 2 rows planted out 12.4. Earthed up 16.5.

Rocket - 1 x 15cm pot sown in greenhouse 29.3. Moved to coldframe and another pot sown 25.04.

Runner Bean "Enorma" - Sown 25.04, large modules x60. Moved to coldframe 16.5. Planted out 25.5.

Salad Leaves "Niche Mixed" - 1 x 15 cm pot sown in greenhouse 29.3. Moved to coldframe and another pot sown 25.04.

Spinach "Mikado F1" - 1/2 row sown direct 16.8.

Spring Onion "White Lisbon" - Short row sown 11.4. And a few more 16.5. And a 1/2 row for next spring 29.8.

Sunflower (saved seed) - Sown in greenhouse 25.04, 6x 9cm pots. Moved to coldframe 16.5. Planted out 23.5.

Sweet Peas "Astronaut" (saved seed) - Sown in greenhouse 29.3, 15 x 9cm pots, 3 seeds per pot. Moved to coldframe 18.4. Planted out 25.4.

Tomato "Gardeners Delight" - Sown in greenhouse 29.3, 10 x small modules, more sown the same in heated propagator, 4.4.09. 6 potted on to 9cm pots 25.04. Potted on to 15cm bottomless pots 16.5. Planted in growbags 30.5.

Winter Tares - Sown broadcast 22.8.

Winter veggies

Still plenty for the table - sprouts, carrots and leeks:

Carrots

Leeks

Keeping Warm

Today I've mostly been keeping warm by spinning round on my computer chair to eight different versions of It's Your Thing, courtesy of my friend DJ Benja at WHPK Chicago. A fine fellow indeed who sent me a cd after I'd missed one of his podcasts. It's enough to warm even the coldest heart. I like the Alton Ellis* version best.


*from the album Be True To Yourself pop pickers.

A Poem For Palestine

Gaza Emergency Appeal
ingaza.wordpress.com

Christmas veggies

Are you excited yet? Nah?

Christmas crappers

Some seasonal advice from the food standards agency:

Autumn Crops

Still plenty to eat from the plot, which is just as well what with the credit crunch and all that nonsense. Cabbages, leeks, carrots, apples and sprouts now too.

Sprouts

Garlic

My bulbs arrived from Kings Seeds today so I've been out there and planted the cloves. I haven't grown it before but it seems to be all the rage and I wouldn't want to be left behind would I?

Pumpkins

I've harvested these today just as we're getting close to the witchety time. That could be a cue for me to write something about the American election again but other people are doing a better job of it than I ever could.

Carnations

Eat Your Greens

"Golden Acre" cabbages and the spring variety "Durham Early" to their left.

Winter variety "January King".

Broccoli "Romanesco"

Tasty spears and nice to be eating broccoli this time of year.