This Month's Tips

January, 2010

Our plot has been rather white this January, as I'm sure yours has. With such extreme conditions it always amazes me how well winter veg can cope . Look how well this savoy cabbage has withstood the snow:

Our leeks are proving resiliant too:

Now it seems the thaw is on the way so we can start getting ready for the veg-growing season. There's still plenty of time before serious seed-sowing begins, but it's worth getting organised now, so you're ready when the time arrives.

To make life as easy as possible I suggest you take things one step at a time, focussing your efforts as follows:

  • January: Get plot ready for the growing season
  • February: Choose and buy seeds
  • March: Sow some seeds
  • April: Sow (almost) all the other seeds
Getting your plot ready is one of the most important jobs of the year. Do it right and you'll find it far easier, and much more enjoyable tending your plot down the line.

The two most common things I hear from disappointed veg growers are:

  • Everything grew, but it was all just a bit piddly.
  • It was all going well, then it suddenly went ballistic with weeds
Both of these problems can be addressed right now by the way you prepare your plot.

Piddly Plants

Piddly plants are largely a result of lack of nutrients in the soil. Vegetables are generally very demanding of the soil they grow in. And of course you're constantly taking those nutrients out - every time you harvest.

Try and add some compost/manure if you can. This will improve the structure of the soil, and add nutrients. It's also worth adding some fertiliser to give nutrient levels a further boost and ensure they're where they need to be. The effects of doing this won't be apparent for some time, but trust me it will make for healthier, pest-resistant plants and a bumper crop down the line.

Weeds

Weeds are an inevitability. Left unchecked they'll starve your veg of light, nutrients, as well as create convenient damp hidey holes for slugs and snails. The trick in controlling weeds is to make them easy to get to, and easy to get out.

Raised beds can make a real difference here. In building a raised bed you're creating an area of soil that you won't walk on. That means the soil stays nice and loose and weeds are easy to pull out. And because you won't need to dig the beds over at the end of the year you won't be bringing weed seeds lying dormant deep in your soil up to the surface - reducing next year's crop of weeds

Raised beds also help by creating clearly defined growing areas for you to focus your attention on and keep weed free. Spend a few minutes weeding each time you visit your plot and you'll soon keep them in check.

If you like the idea of raised beds they're easy to make. Have a look at our video.

We also sell them in kit form if you want a completely hassle-free build.

Seeds - Wider Range

For those of you thinking about buying seeds now, we have dramatically extended our organic seed range for 2010. We're now selling more than double the range of veg seeds we launched with last year. Check them out!

New and Improved Plot Designer

We have also made some major changes to the Plot Designer. It will go live in a week and will ensure that the recommended plot design is even more bespoke to your needs than before.

February

Next month I'll take you through our top veg recommendations for 2010. I'll be picking out the veg that performs best against our core requirements of low maintenance, high productivity and maximum flavour, as well as the top performing veg in the 2009 trials we've conducted down here in Devon.

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