Hows & Whys : Spring
Winter calm gives way to spring frenzy as there’s everything to do at once. The weather is usually unreliable so grow plants on in a greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame to get ahead. Our Home Grown leaflets will give you tips and help the ‘first time’ veg grower get started in the spring.
Spring
is when we are busy filling seed trays, pots and containers – why not
save some money by making your own mixes using your own home made
compost? Most vegetable varieties can be sown in trays and pots and
brought on under protection but it is important to gradually acclimatise
them to the harsh reality of the weather outside. This is called
hardening off: about a week before you want
to plant them outside start exposing them to the weather during the day
but giving them protection from the cold at night. You can use a cold
frame or put a plastic cloche over the young plants or simply carry them
out in the morning and back in again in the evening. Cold winds are as
damaging as frost so prepare to give plants with large leaves some
protection even after you have planted them in the ground.
As we cram the garden with all our favourites, we look at how to get the
most out of the
humble spud and we urge you to set aside as large a corner as
you can for that prince of plants –
asparagus! Potatoes are in the ground
for a season but asparagus is there for a generation and certainly
rewards all the care you take in preparing its deep and fertile bed.
Rootrainers are an excellent system for sowing and growing on veg plants. The black "books" fold up to create cells which you fill with compost and then sow with seed or into which you transplant young seedlings. The grooves in the cell walls keep the roots growing down so that a strong roots system develops. When ready to plant out you open out the books and lift out the plant without damage to the roots.
Techniques that might be useful in your organic garden in spring are: