Jobs for the Month
Jobs for the month: June 2013
3 May 2013
June is the first month of summer and yet around the 21st of the month is the longest day. There is still plenty of growing time left. From the middle of the month the onions stop putting on leafy growth and their bulbs start to swell. The Japanese sets that were planted back last Autumn should be maturing along with the garlic and shallots.
Jobs for the month: May 2013
8 April 2013.
There is lots to get through this month, but everything depends upon the weather. In the southern half of the country the danger of frost is beginning to fade but if you live north of the River Trent it is worth holding back until at least the end of May.
Jobs for the month: April 2013
5 March 2013.
It’s time when gardeners in most areas of the country can finally begin their major sowing of the season.
Jobs for the month: March 2013
1 February 2013.
Although still unpredictable, the weather in March is usually settled enough to allow us to get out at last and make final soil preparations as well as making a tentative start on some early sowings. However, if all else fails you can always start some crops off in trays in an unheated greenhouse, polytunnel, cold frame or under cloches on the vegetable patch.
Jobs for the month: February 2013
3 January 2013.
Activity on the plot will be determined by the weather this month. Here are some jobs you can do outside and still keep warm, or inside and keep warmer still.
Jobs for the month: January 2013
6 December 2012.
Not much time this month? Don’t worry, it’s a quiet time on the veg plot. If you want to don your gloves and woolly hat and venture out then here are a few quick tasks you could do.
Jobs for the month: December 2012
1 November 2012.
Although December can be reasonably mild, this is by no means guaranteed and natural forage foods such as berries and nuts start to be in short supply by the end of the month.
Jobs for the month: November 2012
4 October 2012.
Order and plant windbreaks to protect your produce - Strong wind can be disruptive and damaging at the best of times and unless you are lucky enough to garden on a sheltered site it is always worth minimizing the problem by installing windbreaks wherever possible.
Jobs for the month: October 2012
14 September 2012.
Have a garden clean up - With the plot slowly emptying as summer crops come to an end and autumn types are harvested, clear the soil of weeds and any old crop debris such as leaves and other trimmings that might have got left behind. These will act as a home for pests and diseases over the winter months and should be added to the compost heap (as long as they are not obviously diseased and weeds are not seeding).
Jobs for the month: September 2012
2 August 2012.
September is usually a productive month in many ways. Hopefully you are busy harvesting, cooking and eating the fruits of your labours and perhaps preserving the excess. The soil is at its warmest and most active, with fungi and bacteria breaking down organic matter and releasing plenty of nutrients. In such prime conditions, growth can be almost too fast.
Current Issue: June 2013
FREE: 2 PACKETS OF SEEDS WORTH £4.25!
♦ Guaranteed success with strawberries
♦ Handy watering gadgets reviewed
♦ We chat to TV's favourite gardener, Monty Don
♦ Revealed: top 20 easy-grow crops for your plot
♦ Toby Buckland's 9 must-grow vegetables
♦ Top container veg: 4-page guide inside
♦ Make more of garlic and broad beans
♦ Win a new Mantis tiller worth £559
PLUS:
• Next issue on sale: June 6, 2013
