Jobs to be doing in Spring
General
Check soil conditions for possible digging and preparation if the soil is dry enough. In Penistone, the soil is often quite heavy clay and can take some time to dry out enough after any winter rain and snow to be workable. If the soil is sticking to your boots, best to leave it for a few more days and check again. For any early sowings, soils can be warmed up by using cloches, plastic sheets or membrane that be planted through.
Give pots, greenhouses, cold frames a clean out and air, ready for sowings.
Keep a can of water and bag of compost in the greenhouse or outhouse to warm up to indoor temperatures for early sowings and potting on.
Sowing
Seeds that be directly sown, if soil conditions are ok, include crops broad beans, bulbing onions and shallots, early peas and potatoes.
Given Penistone's climate, many plot holders have more success planting out seedlings and small plants, rather than direct seed sowing. Many crops can be raised in modules. including brassicas, leeks, peas, beans, beetroot, spinach, lettuces etc. Some may require potting on a couple of times before ready for planting out or space is available. Plants raised indoors will need a period of "hardening off" outside before being planted out.
If sowing seed directly, one tip is to wait until the weed seeds are germinating, as this is a sign that the soil is warming up.
Parsnip seeds can be notoriously hard to germinate. A tip from one plot holder is after sowing and watering, cover the row with an old plank. This can help keep the moisture level consistent and aid germination. Check regularly for seedlings to emerge and remove the plank.
Ensure all frost has passed before planting out tender crops, such as runner beans, squashes, courgettes, sweetcorn and summer salad crops. Frosts are known to occur even late into May here, so early plants may require some kind of protection from fleece or cloches.
Harvesting
Crops that may be ready for harvesting including kale, sprouting broccoli, overwintering spinach, leeks, cabbages.
General
Check soil conditions for possible digging and preparation if the soil is dry enough. In Penistone, the soil is often quite heavy clay and can take some time to dry out enough after any winter rain and snow to be workable. If the soil is sticking to your boots, best to leave it for a few more days and check again. For any early sowings, soils can be warmed up by using cloches, plastic sheets or membrane that be planted through.
Give pots, greenhouses, cold frames a clean out and air, ready for sowings.
Keep a can of water and bag of compost in the greenhouse or outhouse to warm up to indoor temperatures for early sowings and potting on.
Sowing
Seeds that be directly sown, if soil conditions are ok, include crops broad beans, bulbing onions and shallots, early peas and potatoes.
Given Penistone's climate, many plot holders have more success planting out seedlings and small plants, rather than direct seed sowing. Many crops can be raised in modules. including brassicas, leeks, peas, beans, beetroot, spinach, lettuces etc. Some may require potting on a couple of times before ready for planting out or space is available. Plants raised indoors will need a period of "hardening off" outside before being planted out.
If sowing seed directly, one tip is to wait until the weed seeds are germinating, as this is a sign that the soil is warming up.
Parsnip seeds can be notoriously hard to germinate. A tip from one plot holder is after sowing and watering, cover the row with an old plank. This can help keep the moisture level consistent and aid germination. Check regularly for seedlings to emerge and remove the plank.
Ensure all frost has passed before planting out tender crops, such as runner beans, squashes, courgettes, sweetcorn and summer salad crops. Frosts are known to occur even late into May here, so early plants may require some kind of protection from fleece or cloches.
Harvesting
Crops that may be ready for harvesting including kale, sprouting broccoli, overwintering spinach, leeks, cabbages.