Planting by the calendar
Traditionally, February marks the beginning of spring in the calendar year, and with it comes a noticeable stretch in daylight. Birdsong can be heard loud and clear across the foggy, misty mornings. Emerging spring bulbs signal the ground awakening after its winter slumber, albeit short.
Our seasons in the garden are definitely shifting. These environmental changes cause many trees and spring wildflowers to bloom earlier than is typical. An earlier springtime, with risk of cold snaps at a later date, means that you can fall into the trap of sowing seeds too early.
I have made this mistake in recent years, sowing far too many too early – however, there are some tender crops that can be started by the end of February if the appropriate conditions are available.
They crops include tomatoes and cucumbers.
Early February – Broad beans and early peas
Sowing broad beans now will give an early crop. They can be sown directly into the soil in rows or they can be sown into individual pots to germinate. The beans can simply be pushed into the soil until covered. Plant them about a foot apart in a double row.
Broad beans are great to grow and eat. They are quite versatile as they can be made into burgers, falafels, bean salads and plenty of other things.
Peas are best sown either direct into the tunnel or into individual plugs with plenty of space for their long root system.
They can germinate in low temperatures so are a good crop to get going with if you have a tunnel as you can be harvesting peas as early as April in some cases.
Late February – Tomatoes and cucumbers
Tomatoes can be sown from now until April. The later you sow them, the later the crop, but if you sow in two batches, one early and one late, you can have a long season of juicy fruit to harvest.
Having multiple sowings can act as an insurance policy if something happens to the first batch.
To sow, I follow the standard process of scattering the seeds lightly into a tray, or a reused punnet or takeaway container. I sow them into damp soil and cover with another layer of compost.
I leave them to sit on a sunny windowsill to germinate.
When the seedlings break through, make sure they have adequate sunlight to avoid the plants becoming leggy. They can be pricked out into individual pots once their true leaves appear.
I keep them inside at a constant temperature until the last front has passed.
The same can be said for cucumbers. I have only grown cucumbers under the protection of the polytunnel, but there are varieties that can grow successfully outdoors, provided the site is very sheltered.
For the outdoor varieties, you will need to wait until April or even later to sow.
Conditions in every garden and polytunnel differ slightly, so it is a case of trial and error to discover what works for your micro climate. As a rough guide I use a sowing calendar as a planning tool. I hope this helps others to begin their gourmet garden journey this year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tara Kate Linnane is passionate about sustainability and growing all things edible. Together with her husband Barry, she has embarked on a journey of designing edible spaces and getting others started on their gardening adventures.