Seedling Pots Ready To Go

There’s been plenty of snow falling over most of Britain the last few weeks.

For a lot of gardeners this has meant an inability to get into the garden to properly clean up and get started. It is starting to brighten up now though so what are your plans for March?

Well for me the two main jobs are tidying up the garden and field and getting my seedlings off to a good start.

Tidying
Now is a good time to get out into your flower and vegetable beds and tidy away any old dried, dead plant skeletons. Pruning the deadwood off any roses, shrubs and bushes is also advisable now, to promote new growth.

We already have snowdrops in flower, as well as daffs, crocuses and tulips pushing green shoots through, so be careful not to step on them.

I also find that a spot of rigourous weeding works well now and can really help get a good clean start. In our garden we have a problem with creeping buttercup, and even putting down a covering layer of old carpet has not prevented this nasty critter from trying to spread. So for this one, it’s down on your hands and knees to get every last bit of plant and root out.

I also like to wash all my pots and things now too. Any disease or fungus that you might have had last year needs to be completely washed out if you’re going to re-use this year. I tend to just clear out the kitchen and get nice hot water, washing up liquid and a scrubbing brush and go for it. If you didn’t clean your cold frame and greenhouse in Autumn last year, do it now with hot water and washing up liquid too. (Make sure you use a nice eco friendly detergent!)

Seedlings
I’ve been collecting toilet roll tubes and various plastic containers such as yoghurt and cream pots for this year’s planting and as you can see from the picture, I have already set up some of my seedling trays.

Last year I think I started my seedlings off a little later than I should have done. This resulted in a few things that really didn’t grow very well. This year I’ve already started a couple of things off, and over the next week am going to plant everything that’s due to start in March. The list includes:

• More Onions and Shallots – I want to be totally self sufficient in these over the coming year.
• Pak Choi
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Dill
• Herb Rocket and Wild Rocket
• Basil – a few varieties
• Marigolds – they are pretty, and will keep the bugs away
• Celeria – never had it before, I hope I like the taste!
• Leeks
• Marshmallow plants
• Poached egg plants – very pretty and attract useful insects
• Calendula daisies
• Phacelia tanacetifolia – a green manure, I used it last year and will us it again this year to help improve the soil in a few spots in the garden
• Chervil
• Sunflowers

Two of these seed packets were bought in a garden centre in Italy last year, Rucola Selvatica and Basilico a Foglia Fine (Wild Rocket and Fine Leaved Basil.) These are going to go into pots so I can use them in the kitchen from time to time.

This month is going to be busy, and my biggest job will be finishing digging and preparing the land over at the Landshare field; just got to shake this cold off first before I dare venture out for a day in this weather!