Veg Journal - 2011 March
The garden was beginning to warm up again this month, and there was virtually no rain - the driest March for
decades apparently. We started sowing the veg crops this month, and also finished harvesting most of the crops left
over from last year. In an effort to produce healthier tomatoes, we sowed them earlier than last year and have put
them on the sunniest windowsill in the house - time will tell whether this strategy works or not!
Week ending 8th March
1st - Sowed tomatoes, aubergines, peppers & French marigolds. Put the seed trays under propagators in the front
window indoors (south-facing).
2nd - Picked 6 parsnips, some of which were very small.
5th - The 1st 2 marigolds are through.
6th - The 1st 2 Roma tomatoes are through. One of the asparagus plants has sent up a thick shoot. Picked 1 parsnip
& 2 small savoy heads. Tidied up the remaining brassica bed a bit.
7th - The 1st 2 Gardener's Delight tomatoes are through. It looks like 1 Alicante tomato & 1 aubergine are coming
through as well. Put compost on the front half of the new potato bed & in the rest of the greenhouse. Raked in
some fertilizer for the parsnips.
8th - Bought a mini-greenhouse from Aldi. All the seeds are coming through indoors except for the peppers. Sowed
the parsnips. Dug in some compost in the greenhouse borders.
Week ending 16th March
9th - Picked 4 leeks and the last savoy cabbage.
10th - Put both lots of seed potatoes in the mini-greenhouse by the back door. The Charlottes are chitting nicely.
The Desirees are sending up very long shoots - will have to pick and choose which ones to plant.
11th - Almost all of the garlic cloves have sprouted.
13th - Picked some kale leaves and used the last of last year's potatoes.
15th - The first peppers are through, having taken a lot longer than last year. Put some compost and bonemeal on
this year's spinach bed, forked over the soil near the greenhouse door (for sowing the leeks) and picked some more
kale. Dug up the last turnips which are all rotten.
16th - Sowed the first batches of radishes and spring onions (red & white) in the French bean bed, the first
spinach and the second batch of peas (Meteor). Sowed the first batch of celery in modules and put the tray under a
propagator on the front windowsill indoors.
Week ending 24th March
17th - Picked some more kale leaves and a leek. More of the asparagus plants are sending up shoots.
18th - The first shallot has sprouted. Started putting the gloss coat on the inside of the potting shed.
19th - More painting done in the potting shed.
20th - Picked one very long parsnip, and pulled up the remaining swedes which went straight on the compost heap
(rotten inside). Also picked some kale.
21st - Noticed that all the garlic have now sprouted, and 7 of the asparagus are sending up new shoots.
22nd - Removed the chicken wire from the broad beans as they are now getting too tall.
24th - Sowed the leeks in the bed next to the greenhouse door, and the first batch of turnips. Planted the onion
sets - the Turbo onions are OK, but a lot of the red onions are not very firm. Planted the best of what was available.
Week ending 31st March
25th - Erected the mini-greenhouse. Picked 4 small leeks and some kale.
26th - Picked 4 parsnips.
27th - It looks like the first spinach seedling is through. Picked probably the last of the kale.
28th - Re-potted the tomatoes into 4" pots. Did some more painting in the potting shed.
29th - All the asparagus plants are now sending shoots up. They will be ridiculously big by the time we're supposed
to plant them out!
30th - The first celery & radish seedlings are coming through. There were more onion sets unearthed, as there have
been since we planted them. Sometimes it's quite difficult to figure out where they've come from.
31st - Pulled out the remaining kale plants and cabbage stalks, then put compost on the bed in preparation for
sowing beetroot. Lots of peas are coming up from the batch sown earlier this month.
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