August is the month for harvesting. But spend some time planning for the winter.

Sow Parsley for winter cropping

Sow into a seedbed or pots for transplanting later:

Perpetual spinach beet, radicchio, cabbages, winter lettuce & spring onions.

July is the month when all the hard work in the vegetable garden bares fruit. A lot of time will be spent harvesting fruit and vegetables.

Sow directly into the ground:

Kale, spinach beet, Chinese greens, cabbages, winter lettuce & winter radish.

Harvest:

Soft fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, currants, tay berries.

French & runner beans, peas, potatoes, cabbages, spinach, beetroot, courgettes.

Salad leaves, lettuces, radish & tomatoes. Read More »

Jobs for May:

• Sow brussel sprouts, broccoli, winter cabbage and kale in seedbeds

• continue to sow peas, lettuce, salad leaves, spring onions, raddish, beetroot, rocket, carrots, coriander & kohlrabi directly in the ground Read More »

  veg planting calendar vegetable garden

Sow:

Continue to sow French beans, runner beans, peas, beetroot, carrots, kohlrabi, spinach beet, lettuces & salad leaves directly into the soil.

Plant out seedlings of leeks, cabbages, celariac, courgettes, squash, pumpkins, outdoor tomatoes, calabrese & purple sprouting broccoli. Read More »

• Sow brussel sprouts, broccoli, winter cabbage and kale in seedbeds

• continue to sow peas, lettuce, salad leaves, spring onions, raddish, beetroot, rocket, carrots, coriander & kohlrabi directly in the ground
• nasturtions near the broad beans to protect against blackfly
• harden off celery plants to set in the vegetable garden in late May

Plant - beans, squash, courgettes, sweet corn & pumpkins in the vegetable garden at the end of May

Crop - any broccoli, cabbages & spinach still left in the kitchen garden

Enjoy the first lettuce, salad leaves, rocket, and spring onions which should be big enough to pick in May

Also -

• thin out seedlings, so they have plenty of room in the row
• prepare ground for leeks
• stake broad beans
• put straw under & around strawberries to keep soil off the fruit
• ridge up early potatoes
• continue to weed, hoe and mulch in the vegetable garden

Sow seeds:
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• broad beans
• kale
• kohlrabi
• parsnip
• leeks

• at the end of the month, under glass, to plant out at the end of May:
  • runner beans
  • french beans
  • courgettes
  • squash
  • pumpkins
  • sweet corn

• repeat sow directly in ground:
  • salad leaves
  • lettuce
  • rocket
  • parsley
  • coriander
  • carrots
  • spring onions

Plant:

• Onion sets, garlic and shallots if not already done
• All hardy vegetables started indoors in March in the ground at the end of April
• Rest of potatoes
• Seedling vegetable plants purchased from garden center

Polythene & fleece can be used to protect early outdoor sowings & tender plantings. Some vegetables, particularly beetroot, will bolt if caught by a cold snap.

Jobs for March:-

Sow seeds:

• Directly into the ground:
• early beetroot
• lettuce
• salad leaves
• carrots
• radishes
• spring onions
• spinach
• leaf beet Read More »

There is a mulberry tree in the grounds of Wilberforce House, close to the River Hull. Perfectly shaped, knarled and old, it crops well.

Wilberforce House in Hull is the birthplace of William Wilberforce.

William Wilberforce led the long and arduous campaign against the slave trade, which resulted in the abolition bill in 1807.

In 2007, it will be 200 years since this momentous occasion. We will commemorate the abolition of the slave trade and celebrate the spirit of bravery, determination and the acceptance of others that helped make it happen.

To mark this important anniversary a mulberry tree has just been planted on the edge of our veg patch.

It evokes childhood memories of:

• mulberry jam
• carpets of fallen, juicy, red mulberries under the tree
• picking mulberry leaves
• the sound of pet silkworms munching on the leaves, in the quiet of the night

The mulberry in the garden will attract birds which will help keep down the insect pests.

Mulberries are adaptable and do well in more marginal soils and climates.

Now is the time to plant shrubs and trees, before they start to grow, & the sap rises.

Laurels make good wind breaks. Make sure they have plenty of fibrous roots.

Dig a hole which is twice as big as the root ball. This gives the roots plenty of easy space to grow into. Read More »