Kitchen Garden Magazine

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Undercover

March under cover is mostly about growing young plants. Of course there will still be plenty to harvest and over-wintered plants should be growing well, but at this time of year we are setting the stage for the summer crops.

Tomatoes, peppers and aubergines should be growing steadily. Cucumbers and melons can be sown this month and basil too. Don’t miss the moment to sow – unless you have a good plant supplier living just down the road.

Problems to watch out for in March

Whitefly may be hiding on the underside of strawberry leaves. They are very distinctive – small, waxy and white – and will rise in a cloud if severely infested plants are disturbed. Small numbers can be squashed, but large numbers are best dealt with by introducing Encarsia formosa as a biological control. Earwigs can nibble small seedlings and do a surprising amount of damage. Turn a jam jar filled with straw, or similar material, upside down on a stick. The earwigs crawl up into the jar at night and can be disposed of in the morning.

Hot tip for the month

Get your hands on a large propagator if at all possible. You can make one yourself (left) with a heated mat and cloche style covering, or you can buy one ready made. Make sure it is large enough to accommodate growing plants for a few weeks ahead. A thermostat ensures even temperatures and energy use is relatively low – especially if you use an extra cover at night. Keep light levels as high as possible to ensure strong growth.

If you can’t provide any extra heat, then raising tender plants becomes a problem. You can start seedlings off on a warm window ledge, but they will grow into leggy, weak plants if light levels are too low. If you don’t have a propagator and still want to raise strong young plants from seed, it is best to carry pots out to the greenhouse, or polytunnel, on warm days and bring them in at night. This is labour intensive, but it’s only for a few weeks until the weather warms up.

Cucumbers

You can make a first sowing of cucumbers in early March. This will give the earliest crop, but the plants do need a lot of care. The main problem is that cucumbers grow very fast and often produce large plants that outgrow the propagator. If the greenhouse is warm enough in late April, or early May, then there is no problem as plants can go straight into their final planting position. In a cold year however, there may be a delay in planting out. Early sowings can be prone to root rot and large plants may collapse in the pot.

To play safe, I make two sowings – the first one in early March and the second one in April, or even May to extend the season. Choose all-female varieties so you don’t have to spend time picking out male flowers, or have the disappointment of bitter fruit. Remember that the average family only needs two or three cucumber plants so maybe sow four or five seeds and choose the best to grow on.

For much more advice, see this month's issue, available to buy online!

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