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 Veg Journal - 2012 March

Strangely the weather in March was similar to the previous month in that it was very cold to start with and then lovely and warm in the last week - warm enough to put the tomatoes, peppers and aubergines outside during the day. We sowed lots of seeds and planted the onion sets; because of the warmth, some of the seedlings seemed to come up more quickly than usual and the germination rate is very high. The asparagus plants started sending shoots up and the flowers opened on the broad beans and peas. We were also able to harvest our first ever purple sprouting broccoli, and it was well worth the wait!


Week ending 8th March

2nd - Washed some seed trays in preparation for sowing this weekend.

3rd - There are shoots on quite a few of the garlic cloves and there could possibly be a head of brocolli developing. Brought some more seed trays in from the mini greenhouse on the plot.

4th - Rained and sleeted all day - the first proper rain for a long time. Picked 2 carrots (8.3oz) and a medium-sized parsnip.

5th - Sowed peppers, aubergines and French marigolds, put under propagators and placed in the lounge front window. As we still have some in-date plum tomato seeds, also decided to sow some of those, even though we're going to buy in most of our tomato plants this year.

7th - Picked 2 carrots (6½oz) and 2 leeks.

8th - Pulled up the calabrese as it's dead now. Picked 5 carrots (7.2oz).

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  • Autumn-sown broad beans (1st Mar)

  • Autumn-sown peas in the morning sun (1st Mar)

Week ending 16th March

9th - Dug up all the spinach and chard plants, as they are pretty much over, and we need the bed to be empty for the parsnips to be sown. Also dug up the remaining beetroot (5lb 7oz) from the same bed and pickled it (3 jars). Put 5 buckets of compost on that bed, and 6 on one of the beds which will be planted with brassicas.

10th - The plum tomato seedlings are coming through, as are the French marigolds.

11th - Picked 3 carrots (11oz) one of which was badly tunneled by slugs, and 2 medium parsnips.

13th - Picked 4 carrots (11.7oz).

14th - The first aubergine seedling is through.

15th - There are definitely heads appearing on one of the brocolli plants now, although not enough for a serving yet. The buds on the raspberry are bursting into leaf. Picked 4 carrots (6.2oz).

16th - Sowed the parsnips and first batches of peas (Meteor), radishes, spring onions and celery. Transplanted the garlic which seems to have started growing from cloves left in last year by mistake - there were several little bulbs growing in each clump which we split up and planted with this year's garlic. Pulled up two kale plants which have died, probably when it snowed last month, and tidied up dead leaves from the brocolli. Put wire fencing supports around the autumn-sown peas to stop them flopping over.

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  • All the remaining beetroot cleared from their bed (9th Mar)

  • This year's garlic sprouting enthusiastically (9th Mar)

  • The remnants of last year's garlic having another go! (9th Mar)

  • Putting compost onto the newly vacated bed (9th Mar)

  • Last year's garlic transplanted to join the latest batch (16th Mar)

  • The autumn-sown peas with their wire supports (16th Mar)

  • Raspberry leaves (16th Mar)

  • Purple sprouting brocolli (16th Mar)

Week ending 24th March

17th - The first pepper seedling is just poking through the compost.

20th - Sowed some more French marigold seedlings in the gaps as the germination rate hasn't been too good. Put compost on the bed where the new potatoes will be planted, and weeded the border by the greenhouse door so that we can sow leeks there again.

22nd - There are green buds beginning to appear on the shallots. Picked 1 carrot (7½oz), 1 large swede, some kale (now recovering nicely) and the first head of brocolli.

23rd - Planted the onion sets.

24th - All the tomatoes, peppers and aubergines have come up - that must be a record! Sowed the leeks in the border next to the greenhouse door.

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  • The veg plot basking in spring sunshine (20th Mar)

Week ending 31st March

25th - Picked 6 carrots (7.4oz) and 2 parsnips (3.8oz).

26th - The first celery seedlings have come through, and the French marigolds which were sown to fill the gaps in the seed trays are also coming up.

28th - Sowed the first batch of turnips. Put all the seedlings in trays outside as the weather is so warm, and watered the seeds sown in the veg plot. The radishes are just beginning to come through. Picked 3 carrots (10.2oz) and the first good bowlful of brocolli.

29th - Put cane and string supports around the broad beans, which have a lot of flower buds on them now. The first asparagus spear is just breaking through the surface of the soil, and the peas are beginning to come up from the latest batch.

30th - One or two of the onions are beginning to sprout. Put compost on the bed which still has swedes in, as we want to sow beetroot in there very soon. This is forecast to be the last day of the very warm spell, which has been lovely, but we could do with some rain.

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  • L to R: Aubergines, peppers, plum tomatoes (28th Mar)

  • Tiny celery seedlings (28th Mar)

  • Lots of purple sprouting brocolli (28th Mar)

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