Today is the first day of March. Things are starting to warm up, the earth in the plot has been dug over and all but the leeks have been harvested, leaving plenty of space to get started with this year’s planting.
You can continue planting many of the same vegetables as we recommended last month, as many of these were recommended only for the final couple of weeks of February. As we move closer to spring, though, the range and variety increases, and we can add these old familiars to the list.
Be aware that while it may now be considerably warmer than it was back in January, the frosts can still catch us out. As such, if you can start off any of these plants in the greenhouse you may have more success. If not, prepare fleece or a cloche or two to protect them, and keep a close eye on the weather forecast.
Brussels sprouts are a love-em or hate-em crop. If you fall into the former camp then you ought to start thinking right now about getting your seeds into the ground. They like well-compacted earth, so avoid digging over the ground too much before putting them in, and be sure to pad them down.
Leave plenty of space between each one, as these plants can easily grow to 150cm tall and a metre across. Prepare to start supporting them with stakes a couple of months from now when they will start to get heavy, and could be broken by heavy rains or high winds. Growing sprouts is a long-term commitment, as they won’t be ready to harvest until shortly before Christmas.
There is a wide variety of cabbage types to choose from, depending on when you want to sow and when you want to harvest. Now is the time to be planting summer cabbage, in soil that will both retain its moisture and benefit from good exposure to the sun. If you plant in late March, you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labour in August.
As the grey skies of winter make way for spring, it’s time to be eating up the end of last year’s harvest and thinking about how our meals will change as we head towards summer. The most obvious change for which we need to start preparing now is the move from stodgy cooked vegetables to salads.
As such, you should be starting off your tomato plants in the house, and your lettuces in the garden. You can plant all of your tomatoes right away, and transplant only the best into grow-bags or large pots in the greenhouse (or outside if you have the right climate) when they have established themselves. Lettuces, though, should be grown in sequence so that you have a string of them at different stages of development, allowing you to harvest them in turn and always have a selection ready to be eaten. The first tomatoes should be ripe for picking in early summer; your lettuces around six weeks after planting if you use a fast-growing seed.
Leeks are a great all-round vegetable, that are very versatile in cooking and a low-intensity alternative to onions in things like quiche. While you may still be harvesting last year’s sowing (we are), it’s time to start preparing for this winter’s harvest by planting your next batch. This particular vegetable takes a long time to mature.
This is really your last chance to get a good crop of beetroot before the second half of the year. They like the cool, and although we had success in growing beetroot through the summer last year, they are not particularly well-suited to full-on heat. If you have only ever eaten pickled beetroot and been put off by the taste, then consider growing your own and simply boiling it, removing the skins and eating it either hot or cold. Alternatively you could bake it into a delicate pink cake.
Meanwhile, continue planting broad beans, carrots, peas and onions, and chit your potatoes ready for putting into the plot later in the month.
What are you planting this month? Let us know through the comments below.
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