Grow Your Own
Latest Article: Added on 29th January 2021
Cultivate and prepare seed beds, covering them with clear polythene, cloches or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing.
Finish any major digging and weeding.
Plan a crop rotation system for your vegetable plot, to ensure that the same crops are not grown in the same beds year after year. This helps to prevent disease build up.
You can rake in lime this month - if you have acid soil, or have had previous problems with club root, and wish to grow brassicas; the ground won't be ready for planting out until April or May, as an interval of two months is needed between liming and planting.
Continue to harvest any remaining winter crops (e.g. broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leeks, parsnips, swede, celeriac and turnip).
Continue to force chicory and seakale. Dig up selected chicory roots, pot them up, and position them in a dark, warm place (10-13°C; 50-55°F), with an upturned pot over them to exclude light. The tasty chicons will appear in three to six weeks. Seakale is best forced outside at seasonal temperatures, with an upturned pot or cardboard box/tube over the top to exclude the light.
From mid-February onwards sow greenhouse-grown tomatoes and cucumbers. Use a heated propagator or warm room at 21°C (70°F) to encourage germination, and then keep them potted on at a lower temperature of 15-18°C (60-65°F).
Chit seed potato tubers as soon as you have them. Stand them upright with the rose end (having most shoots) facing upwards in a light, cool but frost-free place. Old egg boxes make excellent holders.
Prepare new asparagus beds by weeding, digging over thoroughly, and incorporating lots of organic matter. Additional grit, together with lots of organic matter, may improve conditions on very heavy soils. Good soil preparation is essential as asparagus can remain in the same soil for up to 25 years.
Plant out garlic and shallots in light soils only; heavy soils need longer to warm up.
If you live in a mild part of the UK, you can sow broad beans, carrots, parsnips, early beetroot, bulb onions, lettuces, radish, peas, spinach and summer cabbage outside under cloches, in soil that has been covered for a few weeks to pre-warm it. If the weather in your area has been very cold, then wait until late March. If you have heavy (clay) soil, it is best to wait until March. Seeds can always be sown in pots or modules, under cover, if you are eager to get started.
Peas can be sown in the greenhouse in old (but clean) guttering that has had drainage holes drilled in the bottom. Starting them under cover gives them a head start. When the seedlings are ready for planting out, the whole row can be gently pushed out of the guttering, into a ready prepared drill in the vegetable garden.
Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers. They can act as a screen for the shed or compost bin, as they get quite tall.
Feed spring cabbages that have been standing all winter. High nitrogen feeds such as Growmore or 6X pelleted manure are good choices.
When spring cabbages are ready to harvest, cut them off the stem and make a cross in the top of the cut stem. Sometimes mini-cabbages, or ‘spring greens’ will grow from the cut stems.
You could prepare your runner bean supports and trenches for sowing (in May) or planting out (in June). This will save you time later.
Try to avoid digging in wet weather, but if gardening on top of wet soil, work from a plank of wood, to avoid treading on the bed and compacting the soil.
Material Courtesy of www.rhs
Previously
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February
Added on 29th January 2021
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January gyo
Added on 1st January 2021
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December Christmas Tree Care
Added on 3rd December 2020
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November gyo
Added on 31st October 2020
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October GYO
Added on 4th October 2020
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September Lawn care
Added on 2nd September 2020
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August Summer
Added on 31st July 2020
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July GYO
Added on 10th July 2020
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June gyo
Added on 8th June 2020
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May grow your own
Added on 18th May 2020
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Temporary Closure
Added on 23rd March 2020
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March GYO
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January GYO
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December Veg patch
Added on 12th December 2019
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November GYO
Added on 30th October 2019
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October gyo
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September Lawns
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August GYO
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July Grow your own
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June GYO
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May GYO
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April Grow your own
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March Grow your own
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January Grow YOUR own
Added on 8th January 2019
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December grow your own
Added on 1st December 2018
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November Veg Patch
Added on 29th October 2018
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October Veg Patch
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Sptember grow your own
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August
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July Grow your own
Added on 3rd July 2018
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June Grow your own
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May grow your own
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April grow your own
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March Grow Your Own
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January Grow your own
Added on 4th January 2018
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December grow your own
Added on 12th December 2017
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November Grow your own
Added on 29th October 2017
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October Grow Your Own
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September GYO
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Your Summer Holiday & Your Garden
Added on 1st August 2017
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july gyo
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June Grow your own
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May grow your own
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April grow your own
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 4th March 2017
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February Grow Your Own
Added on 9th February 2017
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January Grow your own
Added on 1st January 2017
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December grow your own
Added on 3rd December 2016
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October Grow Your Own
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September GYO
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August Tips
Added on 21st August 2016
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July
Added on 6th July 2016
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May grow your own
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April grow your own
Added on 4th April 2016
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 6th March 2016
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February Grow Your Own
Added on 3rd February 2016
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January Grow your own
Added on 6th January 2016
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December grow your own
Added on 30th November 2015
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November Grow your own
Added on 1st November 2015
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October Grow Your Own
Added on 7th October 2015
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September
Added on 3rd September 2015
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August GYO
Added on 5th August 2015
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July
Added on 4th July 2015
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June Grow your own
Added on 2nd June 2015
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May is a busy month as you can start planting outside (frost warning
Added on 11th May 2015
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May grow your own
Added on 11th May 2015
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April grow your own
Added on 31st March 2015
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 6th March 2015
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February Grow Your Own
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January 2015
Added on 1st January 2015
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December grow your own
Added on 5th December 2014
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November Grow your own
Added on 31st October 2014
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October grow your own
Added on 5th October 2014
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September GYO
Added on 1st September 2014
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August GYO
Added on 4th August 2014
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July
Added on 2nd July 2014
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June Grow your own
Added on 5th June 2014
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May
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April grow yur own
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March Grow Your Own
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February Grow Your Own
Added on 10th February 2014
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January 2014
Added on 14th January 2014
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December grow your own
Added on 12th December 2013
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November Grow your own
Added on 2nd November 2013
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October grow your own
Added on 3rd October 2013
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September GYO
Added on 5th September 2013
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August GYO
Added on 31st July 2013
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July Fruit growing tips and advice
Added on 4th July 2013
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June Grow your own
Added on 3rd June 2013
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May grow your own
Added on 13th May 2013
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Grow your own
Added on 4th April 2013
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 2nd March 2013
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February Grow Your Own
Added on 31st January 2013
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January 2013
Added on 5th January 2013
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December grow your own
Added on 8th December 2012
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November Grow your own
Added on 2nd November 2012
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October grow your own
Added on 5th October 2012
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September GYO
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July Summer planting
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Clematis
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Grow your own
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April
Added on 11th April 2012
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 4th March 2012
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February
Added on 2nd February 2012
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January
Added on 7th January 2012
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December grow your own
Added on 11th December 2011
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November
Added on 4th November 2011
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October
Added on 8th October 2011
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September
Added on 2nd June 2011
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May Grow your own
Added on 19th May 2011
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April
Added on 4th January 2011
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December Grow Your Own
Added on 22nd December 2010
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November Grow Your Own
Added on 1st November 2010
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November Grow your own
Added on 29th September 2010
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September Grow your Own
Added on 31st August 2010
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August Grow Your Own
Added on 30th July 2010
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July Grow Your Own
Added on 30th June 2010
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June Grow Your Own
Added on 7th June 2010
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May Grow your own
Added on 13th May 2010
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April Grow your own
Added on 1st April 2010
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March Grow your own
Added on 1st March 2010
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January Grow your own
Added on 5th January 2010
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December Grow Your Own
Added on 1st December 2009
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November Grow Your Own
Added on 11th November 2009
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October Plant up a hanging basket
Added on 1st October 2009
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September Grow your own
Added on 1st September 2009
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August Grow Your Own
Added on 4th August 2009
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July Grow your own
Added on 1st July 2009
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June Grow Your Own
Added on 1st June 2009
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May Grow Your Own
Added on 5th May 2009
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April Grow your own
Added on 2nd April 2009
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 3rd March 2009
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February Grow Your Own
Added on 3rd February 2009
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January Grow Your Own
Added on 9th January 2009
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December Grow Your Own
Added on 1st December 2008
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November Grow your own
Added on 31st October 2008
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October Grow Your Own
Added on 29th September 2008
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September Grow your own
Added on 2nd September 2008
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August Grow Your Own
Added on 31st July 2008
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July Grow Your Own
Added on 1st July 2008
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June Grow Your Own
Added on 30th May 2008
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May Grow your own
Added on 30th April 2008
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April Grow Your Own
Added on 31st March 2008
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March Grow Your Own
Added on 29th February 2008
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February Grow Your Own
Added on 31st January 2008
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Winter's leaves
Added on 31st December 2007
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Ideal Christmas Gifts
Added on 30th November 2007
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Fruits & Berries
Added on 31st October 2007
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October is the month for Rhubarb
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Apple Trees
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Plant Potatoes in August for Christmas Harvest
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French Beans
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Create your own mini herb garden
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