HGandG Blog - Vegetable patch prep time
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| Vegetable patch prep time |
| Wed, Nov 23, 2011 |
| We are all busy manure spreading at the moment, its the best time to prep your vegetable garden. We have a fabulous source of horse manure which is really well rotted and its going on all our veggie patches at the moment. The manure is about 3yrs old, its thick, black, squelchy, has no smell and is like the centre of a particularly gooey chocolate brownie. Thats what you want your manure to be like. Thats what well-rotted manure is. And its just what your garden needs. When we start a new kitchen garden during the Autumn we add barrow-loads of the stuff at this time of the year. We sometimes double dig it in to the patch if the soil is particularly poor. Otherwise we layer it on the top, roughly dig it in and then leave the worms to drag it down over the Winter months. By Spring when you're planting again your soil will be in great condition and will support all the needs of your vegetables. In terms of sowing, you want to be getting your garlic in now. Its very simple to grow, needs practically no tending, just make sure you plant it into a weed free area. Recently on Great British Food Revival it was reported that 95% of the garlic on our supermarket shelves is imported, which should make you want to get online and order some bulbs to grow at home yourself. There's no excuse, especially as it is so simple and you can make those pretty plaits when you're storing them which make you look like a pro! Also, if you haven't done already, then quickly sow your Autumn Peas and Broad Beans - it will give you an earlier crop, just by a few weeks, but you will really appreciate it by next Spring! Your winter vegetables are now the stars of your sunday roast. You should have a bumper crop of Kale, Redbor, Winter Greens, Chard which will see your through the winter in leafy goodness. These are my personal favourites, the freshness is wonderful. Once we get a good frost then start lifting your parsnips and they'll taste fabulous. Enjoy your shovelling! Teej |
