Winter Diary 2008/09

2009 is going to be the year of grow-your-own fruit and vegetables. It's time for everyone whether you are strapped for cash or not, to learn that growing food and perhaps flowers in your garden, on the patio, or even in a window box or on a balcony, can give rich rewards. Not only rewards from the crops that provide food, but also in the satisfaction and happiness for everyone that is involved in the growing process. It's time to get children, grandchildren and other youngsters growing vegetables so that they can expand the variety of veggies they enjoy eating. I will try through this web page to help novice gardeners and give inspiration to the experienced ones.

Now is the time for planning and preparation. Make a list of vegetables that you know will give you a good return for the space they take up and the care they need. You may want to avoid the slow growers such as parsnip, which take up valuable space between a March sowing and a November digging. However other crops, such as lettuce, French beans, rocket and radish will only take a few weeks to grow from seed sowing to harvest. Others like tomatoes, runner beans and sprouts will take all summer to give you a decent crop. Remember too, that the same piece of land will be usable for successive vegetables. For example, early potatoes that are planted out in April can be dug up in July and the area can then be used to plant out leek seedlings for harvesting throughout the winter. Likewise onion sets planted in the next month should be mature by August when seedlings of winter cabbage or purple sprouting broccoli can take their place. January is too early to sow any of these seeds, but preparing the soil in which they will grow is a definite, so get out in the garden and get digging.

If you are new at vegetable growing it's best to grow easy crops like runner beans, climbing French beans, peas, broccoli, tomatoes and sweet peppers. These will give you a good return for the table and should be easy enough to grow. These can also be bought as plants, to make it easier for you.

Your local garden centre will have a fantastic display of this year's seed packets ready to tempt you to buy. Don't get too carried away. Refer to the list you have made on what is right for your garden and your family. Seed potatoes are also on display at most garden centres, and this is the time to have the best pick of the different varieties. If you're new at gardening, try those labelled "earlies", because they are the tastiest and provide a good crop when those bought from the greengrocers are wildly expensive. For a reliable crop of new potatoes Foremost, Pentland Javelin and Rocket are strongly recommended. Remember you can always grow your potatoes in a large barrel, patio pot or the new Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potato & Vegetable gro-sac.

When the soil is not frozen hard, spread a mulch layer of home-made compost or bags of Soil Conditioner over borders and between shrubs and fruit trees. Left on the soil it will act as an insulating layer protecting roots from cold and reducing the loss of moisture from the surface. This may be difficult this year as the ground has been frozen already, so patience. Worked into the top few inches of soil with a fork this organic material will gradually open up the soil structure so that it is less compacted, holds more beneficial micro-organisms and nutrients to benefit all the plants in the area. Regular applications of any organic matter will always help the plants in the borders and beds, turning heavy clay soils and light sandy ones into a rich loam that will grow beautiful plants without a lot of extra effort.

Some spring bulbs will now be through and those of you who have planted wisely will have a display of crocus, snowdrops, yellow and purple iris and Glory of the Snow (chionodoxa). Dwarf iris are not very long-lived, especially in heavy soils, so you will need to replant every few years. Snowdrops, on the other hand, are all too hardy and after a few years will produce a dense clump. It will soon be time to get down to that Garden Centre and start choosing Summer flowering bulbs; that's the trouble with gardening it never stops does it.

For more tips and hints check on Ken`s Blog at www.gardeningwithken.com