Waiting out the cold weather
There really is only so much planning you can do for vegetables plots and there comes a point where you just want to get out. This very cold and wet weather is definitely putting a damper on things but I have found a few moments to dig over some of the beds. It’s good to see that just a few years of adding our own compost to the heavy clay soil has done wonders for the structure.
Most years we are teased with a bit of warmer weather by now and I am just as guilty as everyone of taking this as a hint to get a head start on sowing early crops. Well I am going to listen to the weather this year and hold off. The ground is much too cold and wet to sow any seeds on, and a later sowing will catch up with it anyway. Despite the call of the dry glasshouse I will resist starting veg in pots for planting out later as there is nothing more disappointing than watching beautiful little French bean seedlings becoming pot bound, stunted little plants.
I should be honest though and admit to sowing a couple of containers of ‘Parmex’ carrots as they do tend to produce a nice little snack even if grown on the windowsill.
The weather isn’t making the veg plots completely bleak; there are still some harvests. I have been picking Mizuna and red mustard to spice up my sandwiches and salads.