Changes in weather patterns and with El Nino now in play, frosts and cool temperatures seem unlikley this spring. However, planting in haste during the first sunny spell could set your garden back as plants will struggle to bounce into life if there is a lingering chill of spring. Generally the last frosts are in October. Always keep an eye on the weather forecast and have the frost cloth ready for a late unexpected frost.
Sowing seeds on a warm window sill or in a greenhouse can give tender plants a great head start. By the time the ground warms up your seedlings should be ready to plant out.
|Microgreens are a quick and easy harvest and you don’t even need to go outside. Sow seeds on a sunny window sill and within two weeks you will have a nutrient dense crop to add zing to your meals.
|Radish seeds can be sown directly in the soil throughout the spring months. The cool of spring provides ideal conditions. Radish will be ready to harvest after about six weeks. There are a range of exciting colours and shapes available to make a spring salad pop with colour and flavour.
|Lettuces actually prefer the cool weather so spring is the perfect season for them. In as few as seven short weeks you will be able to enjoy a crisp spring salad. Lettuces will need to be protected from slugs and snails because they love them too. Sow more every two weeks for a continuous harvest.
|Peas love cool weather and prefer to be planted out in spring. It is a great idea to plant more every three weeks throughout spring to ensure a continuous supply. The first pods should be ready to pick in about eight weeks. Make sure you harvest every pod or the plant will stop producing more.
|Beetroot don’t mind it a bit cool and can be planted throughout spring and summer. Once they reach about the size of a golf ball they are ready to harvest. This takes about 8–10 weeks and if you sow seeds at regular intervals, you will have some ready for Christmas and beyond.
|Zucchini are well known for their abundant growth, however won’t tolerate frost so it is important to wait for warm weather. Sow seeds indoors 3–4 weeks before the last frost date and they will be large enough to plant out in the garden once it’s safe. Within eight weeks you will have more zucchini than you know what to do with.
|Carrots are a good staple crop and by selecting the right variety you should be able to grow them all year long. An early sowing directly into well drained fluffy soil in spring will result in delicious, crispy carrots in time for Christmas. These should take about 12–16 weeks.
|Potatoes - seed potatoes can generally be planted two weeks before the last frost date as it takes about that long for them to emerge from the soil. Protect them from any unexpected late frosts by mounding up the soil over the leaves. This also protects the potatoes from being exposed to the sun and going green. Early crop potatoes such as Swift, Cliff Kidney, Rocket and Jersey Benne will be ready in under 100 days so if they are planted around mid-September there will be new potatoes on the Christmas table.
|Cucumber planted too early will struggle to thrive, so waiting until mid October to plant seedlings in the garden is preferable to ensure healthy plants. The first crunchy cucumber should be found on the vine in plenty of time for the festive season.
|Beans won’t germinate at less than 15°C and will rot in wet soil, so it pays to wait until spring warms up. However in 8–10 weeks you should begin to see the start of an abundant harvest, just in in time for Christmas.
Once the festive season has passed you will be able to enjoy the full array of produce in your garden as tomatoes, sweetcorn and peppers begin to overflow your harvest basket.
Before you even pick up your spade, decide what you want to grow in the space you have. Maximise your garden by planting lettuce in the shade of a tomato plant. Sow radishes close to carrots as they will be long gone by the time the carrots need the space. Sweetcorn, beans and squash grow really well together in the same space. Consider the possibility of container gardening to create or extend your garden.
Don’t be tempted to fill every available space, leave room for succession planting. Only plant as much lettuce as you will be able to eat in two weeks, and every two weeks you will have the freshest salads all summer.
Write it all down in a plan so when the time comes you will have a thriving garden giving you maximum harvest.
Peas in flower
Mabadiliko katika mifumo ya hali ya hewa na El Nino sasa katika kucheza, baridi na joto baridi inaonekana unlikely spring hii. Hata hivyo, kupanda kwa haraka wakati wa jua la kwanza inaweza kuweka bustani yako nyuma kama mimea itapambana kuruka katika maisha kama kuna baridi ya majira ya kuchipua. Kwa kawaida baridi kali ya mwisho hutokea mwezi wa Oktoba. Sikuzote uangalie utabiri wa hali ya hewa na uwe na kitambaa cha baridi tayari kwa ajili ya baridi kali isiyotazamiwa. Kupanda mbegu kwenye dirisha la dirisha lenye joto au katika nyumba ya kijani-kibichi kunaweza kuwa chanzo kizuri cha maendeleo kwa mimea yenye unene. Wakati ardhi inapopanda joto, miche yako inapaswa kuwa tayari kupandwa. Microgreens ni mavuno ya haraka na rahisi na huna hata haja ya kwenda nje. Kupanda mbegu kwenye dirisha la dirisha lenye jua na ndani ya wiki mbili utakuwa na mazao yenye virutubisho vingi ili kuongeza zing kwa chakula chako. Mbegu za radish zinaweza kupandwa moja kwa moja katika udongo katika miezi yote ya masika. Hali nzuri ya majira ya kuchipua hutoa hali nzuri sana. Mdalasini utakuwa tayari kuvunwa baada ya majuma sita hivi. Kuna aina ya rangi na maumbo ya kusisimua inapatikana kufanya spring saladi pop na rangi na ladha. Kwa kweli, saladi hupendelea hali ya hewa ya baridi, kwa hiyo majira ya kuchipua ndiyo majira yanayofaa sana kwa ajili yake. Katika muda mfupi kama wiki saba utaweza kufurahia saladi ya majira ya kuchipua yenye ladha nzuri. Saladi itahitaji kulindwa kutokana na konokono na konokono kwa sababu wao pia huzipenda. Panda mara mbili kwa juma ili upate mavuno ya kuendelea. Nyasi hupenda hali ya hewa baridi na hupendelea kupandwa nje wakati wa masika. Ni wazo zuri kupanda mimea zaidi kila baada ya majuma matatu wakati wa majira ya kuchipua ili kuhakikisha kwamba kuna mimea ya kutosha. Vipande vya kwanza vinapaswa kuwa tayari kuvunwa katika muda wa majuma manane hivi. Hakikisha kwamba unakuta kila shina la mimea, la sivyo mmea huo utaacha kuzaa shina zaidi. Beetroot si akili ni kidogo baridi na inaweza kupandwa katika spring na majira ya joto. Wanapofikia ukubwa wa mpira wa gofu, wako tayari kuvuna. Hii inachukua wiki 8-10 na ikiwa unaweka mbegu kwa vipindi vya kawaida, utakuwa na baadhi tayari kwa Krismasi na zaidi. Zucchini zinajulikana kwa ukuaji wao mwingi, hata hivyo hazitavumilia baridi kali kwa hivyo ni muhimu kusubiri hali ya hewa ya joto. Kupanda mbegu ndani ya nyumba wiki 3-4 kabla ya tarehe ya baridi ya mwisho na itakuwa kubwa ya kutosha kupanda nje katika bustani mara moja ni salama. Katika muda wa wiki nane utakuwa na zucchini nyingi kuliko unavyojua nini cha kufanya nayo. Karoti ni mazao ya msingi na kwa kuchagua aina sahihi unapaswa kuwa na uwezo wa kukua yao mwaka mzima. Kupanda mapema moja kwa moja katika udongo wenye umajimaji mzuri katika majira ya kuchipua kutasababisha karoti zenye ladha nzuri na zenye kutetemeka kwa wakati wa Krismasi. Hizi zinapaswa kuchukua karibu wiki 12-16. Kwa kawaida, mbegu za viazi zinaweza kupandwa wiki mbili kabla ya tarehe ya baridi ya mwisho, kwani inachukua muda mrefu kutoka kwenye udongo. Weka udongo juu ya majani ili uwalinde wasipate baridi kali. Hilo pia hulinda viazi visivumbuliwe na jua na kuwa na rangi ya kijani kibichi. Mazao ya mapema ya viazi kama vile Swift, Cliff, Kidney, Rocket na Jersey Benne yatakuwa tayari katika siku 100 hivi, kwa hivyo ikiwa yatapandwa karibu katikati ya Septemba, kutakuwa na viazi vipya kwenye meza ya Krismasi. Kwa sababu ya kukua kwa mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea ya mimea. Tunda la kwanza la matango linapaswa kupatikana kwenye mzabibu wakati wa sherehe. Nyasi hazitakua chini ya 15 ° C na zitaoza katika udongo wenye unyevunyevu, kwa hivyo inastahili kusubiri hadi majira ya kuchipua. Hata hivyo, katika wiki 8-10 unapaswa kuanza kuona mwanzo wa mavuno mengi, tu katika wakati kwa ajili ya Krismasi. Baada ya msimu wa sherehe kupita, utaweza kufurahia aina zote za mazao katika bustani yako wakati nyanya, mahindi matamu na pilipili zinaanza kufurika kwenye kikapu chako cha mavuno. Kabla ya kuchukua jembe lako, fanya uamuzi wa kukuza nini katika eneo lako. Panda shada katika kivuli cha mmea wa nyanya. Panda radish karibu na karoti kwa kuwa hazitakuwapo kwa muda mrefu wakati karoti zitakapohitaji nafasi. Mahindi matamu, maharagwe na squash hukua vizuri pamoja katika nafasi ileile. Fikiria uwezekano wa kutengeneza au kupanua bustani yako kwa kutumia vyombo vya kutengeneza bustani. Usiwe na kishawishi cha kujaza kila nafasi inayopatikana, acha nafasi ya kupanda mfululizo. "Kulima saladi kiasi utakachoweza kula katika wiki mbili, na kila baada ya wiki mbili utakuwa na saladi safi zaidi ya majira yote ya joto. """ Weka kila kitu chini katika mpango ili wakati utakapofika uwe na bustani yenye kusitawi ikikupa mavuno ya juu. Nyasi katika maua