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JANUARY

Blackcurrants - prune

Gooseberries - prune

Red / white currant - prune

Start saving inner cardboard tubes from toilet rolls for runner beans etc

Apple - plant trees

Apple - prune trees

Pear - plant trees

Pear - prune trees

Buy or borrow a soil testing kit (Brussels sprouts etc.)

Add lime if necessary to reduce soil acidity (Brussels sprouts etc)

Leeks - sow seed under glass / indoors

Cauliflower (early summer) - sow seed indoors

FEBRUARY

Apple - plant trees }

Apple - prune trees }  If not completed in January

Pear - plant trees   }

Pear - prune trees }

Broccoli (sprouting) - begin to harvest

Broad Beans - sow seeds in pots for spring planting

Potatoes- chit / sprout seed potatoes

Cauliflower (autumn) - prepare ground

Cabbage (summer) - sow seeds indoors

Celery - sow seeds indoors

Sweet pepper - sow seeds

Peas / mangetout - sow early types under cloches

Asparagus - sow seeds inside

Broad Beans - sow seeds outside in spring

Carrot - sow seed of early varieties under cloches

Garlic - plant in late winter / spring

Leek - thin seedlings sown in containers

Asparagus - prepare ground for crowns

 

Adrian Dempsy has kindly supplied his Work Schedule showing the general tasks required for the maintenance of his plot throughout the year.

MAY

French Beans - sow seed outside

French Beans - harden off seedlings

Jerusalem Artichoke - erect supports

Leek - transplant container grown seedlings to final position

Leek - thin seedlings from seeds sown outdoors

Rhubarb - apply mulch

Strawberries - mulch around plants

Broccoli (sprouting) - sow late varieties in seed bed

Beetroot - thin out seedlings

Squash / pumpkins - plant out

Brussels Sprouts - transplant

Cabbage (summer) - Plant indoor sown plants outdoors

Cauliflower (autumn) - sow seed in pots

Courgette - Harden off indoor grown plants

Cucumber (ridge) - Harden off indoor grown plants

French Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Sweetcorn - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Sweet potato - put slips in pots indoors

Swiss Chard - thin out seedlings

Radish - begin to harvest

Runner Beans - harden off seedlings

Leek - buy seedlings and plant outside

Parsnip - thin seedlings to 15cm / 6in apart

Courgettes - plant out

Tomatoes - plant out

Peas / mangetout - Harvest early types started off under cloches

Onions - water in dry conditions

Runner Beans - sow seed outside

Runner Beans - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Asparagus - stop harvesting

Broad Beans - begin to harvest

Carrot (early) - harvest those sown under cloches

Cucumber (ridge) - plant out (grown indoors / shop bought)

Leek - transplant spring sown seedlings to final position

Lettuce - begin to harvest

Peas / mangetout - harvest early types sown outdoors

Potatoes - potash feed fortnightly

Swede - sow seed outdoors

Sweet Peppers - harden off

JUNE

 Plum - prune from now to early July

Blackcurrants - water

Gooseberries - water

Red / whitecurrant - water

Cauliflower (summer) - begin to harvest

Sweet Pepper - move to final position

Sweet potato - plant outdoors in final position

Turnip - begin to harvest

Spinach - harvest spring grown leaves

Carrot - harvest as they become ready

Cauliflower (autumn) - plant outside

Cucumber (ridge) - prune main stem

Cauliflower (autumn) - begin weekly feed

Cabbage (summer) - begin to harvest

Swede - thin seedlings in stages to 25cm apart

Swiss Chard - begin to harvest

MARCH

Apple - plant trees

Apple - prune trees

Pear - plant trees

Pear - prune trees

Peas / mangetout - start to sow seeds of early types outdoors

Rhubarb - start to harvest

Tomatoes - sow seed inside / greenhouse

Brussels Sprouts - sow seed of early varieties

Squash / pumpkins - prepare soil

Asparagus - apply spring fertiliser

Beetroot - sow seeds under cloches

Broad Beans - transplant pot grown plants to open ground

Cauliflower (early summer) - harden off

Cabbage (summer) - sow outdoors

Jerusalem Artichoke - plant tubers

Kohlrabi - sow seeds indoors

Spring Onions - start to sow fortnightly

Potatoes - plant out sprouted sets

Peas / mangetout - sow maincrop seeds outdoors

Spinach - sow seed outside

Brussels Sprouts - thin seedlings as they appear

Cauliflower (early summer) - plant out

Lettuce - start sowing seed outside every two weeks

Mustard - sow seed outdoors for seeds

Onion Sets - plant

Onion Sets - protect from birds for 5 weeks

Radish - sow seed under cloches

Sweet Peppers - pot up

Strawberries - buy and plant potted plants

Asparagus Crowns - plant outside

Beetroot - sow seed in pots indoors

Brussels Sprouts - Sow seed of mid to late varieties

Carrot - remove cloches from early sown varieties

Carrot - sow early seed varieties in open

Kohlrabi - sow seeds outside

Spinach - sow seed inside

Squash / pumpkins - sow seed indoors

Swiss Chard - sow outdoors with cloche protection

Turnip - start to sow seed outdoors

JULY

Broccoli sprouting - move to final position when 10cm high

Courgettes - begin to harvest

Mustard - harvest seeds

Beetroot - begin to harvest

Cabbage (spring) - sow (pots / temporary bed)

Cucumber (ridge) - begin to harvest

Jerusalem Artichoke - cut stem to 1.5m high

Kale - transplant to final position

Onions - stop watering

Peas / mangetout (maincrop) - harvest

Potatoes - plant sets for autumn harvest

Sweetcorn - begin to harvest

French Beans (dwarf) - begin to harvest

Celery - begin to harvest

Onions - begin to harvest

Garlic - begin to harvest

AUGUST

Kohlrabi - sow seed for autumn crop

French Beans - begin to harvest climbing / pole varieties

Runner Beans - begin to harvest

Calabrese (sometimes called broccoli) - harvest  

Leek - begin to earth up strong growing plants

Raspberries (summer fruiting) - prune

Leek - continue earthing up

OCTOBER

Asparagus - cut down when foliage yellows

Salsify - begin to harvest

Blackberries - prune when fruting is complete

Cauliflower (autumn) - begin to harvest

Kale - begin to harvest

Squash / pumpkins - take indoors to cure

Sweet Potato - harvest before frost damages tubers

Leek - begin to harvest

Strawberries - buy runners

 

NOVEMBER

Blackberries - buy and plant (up to end February)

Broad Beans - sow seeds outside for an early crop

Jerusalem Artichoke - harvest into late winter

Spinach (autumn sown) - begin to harvest

Rhubarb - plant crowns up to end of February

Squash / pumpkins - start to use

Brussels Sprouts - begin to harvest

Plum - plant trees from now to early March

DECEMBER

Apple - plant trees

Apple - prune trees

Pear - plant trees

Pear - prune trees

Garlic - autumn planting

Blackcurrant's - buy and plant (up to end February)

Gooseberries - buy and plant (up to end February)

Raspberries - buy and plant (up to end February)

Raspberries (autumn fruiting) - prune

Red / white currant - buy and plant

APRIL

Asparagus - harvest when 15cm high

Blackcurrants - mulch

Gooseberries - mulch

Red / white currant - mulch

Leek - sow seed outside in a temporary seed bed

Radish - sow seed outside

Salsify - sow seeds

Tomatoes - pot-up young plants

Beetroot - sow seed outside

Broccoli (sprouting) - sow early varieties in seed bed

Cabbage Spring - harvest

Calabrese (sometimes called broccoli) - sow seed

Cauliflower (summer) - weekly feed

Courgette - sow seeds indoors

Cucumber (ridge) - sow seeds indoors

Kale - sow in pots or seed bed

Kohlrabi - harden off seedlings

Lettuce - begin to thin seedlings, distance by variety

Sweetcorn - sow seed indoors / greenhouse

Swiss Chard - sow seed outdoors no protection

Celery - plant out

Spinach - plant out seed sown indoors

Spinach - Thin out previously sown seedlings

Kohlrabi - plant out in final position

Leek - harden off container grown seedlings

Parsnip - sow seed outside

Sweetcorn - sow seed under cloches

French Beans - sow seeds under cloches

French Beans - sow seeds in pots indoors

Runner Beans - sow seed under cloches

Turnip - thin seedlings 15cm earlies, 25cm maincrops

Tomatoes - begin to harden off

Carrot - sow maincrop seed

Cucumber (ridge) - sow seed under cloches outside

Runner Beans - sow seed in pots indoors

Beetroot - plant out seedlings sown in pots indoors

Squash / pumpkins - harden off

Potatoes - nitrogen feed fortnightly

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Asbestos

If you suspect that you have any items containing Asbestos on your plot please leave it alone and report it to either your Site Manager or to the Eddington Shop Manager so that it can be dealt with. Under no circumstances should the items be disturbed or removed by plot-holders.

Click here if you suspect you have Blight on your plot

SEPTEMBER

Blackcurrants - take cuttings

Gooseberries - take cuttings

Red / whitecurrant - take cuttings

Parsnips - begin to harvest

Autumn Onion Sets - plant

Jerusalem Artichoke - cut stem to 15cm high

Spinach - sow in autumn

Swede - begin to harvest (through to early Jan)

Cabbage (spring) - transplant

Crop Rotation

It is beneficial to rotate the vegetable groups around so that no one group is grown on the same soil two years running. This prevents the build up of pests and diseases. It also helps to improve the soil structure. A typical four year rotation is shown below.

 

Soil Condition

When designing and planting your plot, you need to know whether the soil is acid or alkaline, as different plants thrive in different soils. The soil pH is a number that describes how acid or alkaline your soil is. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral. An acid soil has a pH value below 7.0 and above 7.0 the soil is alkaline.

QUICK LINKS

Clay Based Soils

Growing Times for Crops Planted

Growing Broccoli

Work on Plot this Month

Nutrients

Bonfire Times

Mulching

Here’s what you can get if you get your nutrients right!

Can you beat these cabbages which were grown by Harold and John?

Click on picture to enlarge

Harold

John