Time to sow some seeds

IF, like me and most of the rest of the horticultural world, you’re chomping at the bit to get some seeds in soil, then you’re now free to get sowing.

February is really the first time that you can think about planting some radish, spinach and autumn cabbages, to name a few.

It always seems such a long wait from the start of the winter months until now, but the wait is over and we can start properly looking towards the year ahead.

That said, beware the cold weather: while we may be looking at some lovely spring days in only a few weeks, frost can strike as late as May. There have been several years that I’ve known whole crops of potatoes prick them out before they get too tall.

Etiolation is the name for what most of us call legginess. It’s the fast weak growth that plants put on when there’s a lack of light, as the leaves search for better light to grow. This growth, however, is prone to disease and being easily damaged, so should be avoided if at all possible.

In an ideal world, having a heated propagator would be the best solution: this way you can regulate the heat and keep seedlings in a greenhouse during the cold weather.

Without this, a conservatory or a leanto with a clear roof will do just as well: something with good light, that can be kept frost free and that you can keep an eye on. If you have neither of these, then just a well lit window sill will suffice.

One issue with this situation is that the seedlings will want to grow out towards the window, and again can end up getting leggy.

If you make a simple curved reflector with foil-covered card that reflects the light back towards the window from behind, this will

Another horticultural principle that I have been guilty of overlooking is that of hardening off plants before giving them a

You may think that, as the weather has

City Gardener with Tim Barton

warmed up, you can take your plants outside, especially if they’re hardy. The reality is that they don’t like the sudden change in climate; they may survive but will be far happier with a gradual introduction to the great outdoors.

Start by taking them out or simply opening a greenhouse during the day, then close them up again in the afternoon.

Repeat this process for a couple of weeks, then move them to a cold frame or a sheltered area until all risk of frost has passed.

After this, they’ll be happy as anything to get planted out and to give you all the joy they can.