The Cake - Spring 2022

BADGER’S PLOT
Spring MusingsJOBS ON
We are entering an exciting
and busy time of the year
in the kitchen garden or
on the plot. The days are
getting longer and the
sun is warming the soil. But there is still the
risk of late frosts and cold northerly winds
which act as reminders that summer has not
arrived yet.
I have previously suggested the possibility
of creating a herb garden. There are many
clever ideas on the subject but this is going
to be a little more basic, serving to supply
only the kitchen with the more popular
herbs.
Choice of site is important as most
common herbs originated in the
Mediterranean, so plenty of sun is preferred.
The size of the bed will be determined by
what you want to grow and about eight
feet by four feet would be just right for a
beginner. Fork in some well-rotted organic
compost and rake it to a fine tilth. Avoid
using manure or artificial fertilizer. If you
your soil is clay based, try to improve the
drainage with gravel or grit.
There are many varieties of herb and
you may have personal favourites but
try to include sage, thyme, chive, parsley
and rosemary. Mints are also a must but
beware! They are very invasive and spread
everywhere if not controlled. Try setting
a large pot in the soil and filling it with
compost which will help confine the roots.
Garden centres always have a good selection
of plants if you don’t have time to sow seeds.
I have split this period into three: early
spring, mid spring and late spring.
EARLY SPRING
Sowing under glass or greenhouse:
Tomatoes, courgettes, squashes, chilli,
aubergines, peppers, peas, broccoli, celery
and beetroot.
Sowing or planting outside: Sow parsnips,
radishes, early carrots and potatoes. Plant
out onion sets and shallots. Asparagus
crowns can be planted but remember they
won’t produce edible spears for at least two
years. It’s not too late to plant out garlic and
broad beans.
MID SPRING
Sowing under glass or greenhouse: Brussels
sprouts, autumn cabbage and sweetcorn
followed by runner and French beans and
cucumber.
Sowing or planting outdoors: Provided
all risk of frost has passed, plant courgettes,
celery and celeriac.
LATE SPRING
Sowing under glass/greenhouse or outdoors:
Kale, purple sprouting broccoli, savoy
cabbage, swede and lettuce, with carrots and
beetroot towards the end of spring. Leeks
can also be planted out if grown from seed.
Top Tip!
Almost all vegetable seeds stand a better
chance of germination if sown in plug trays.
Planting out the seedlings in their “plugs”
gives them a much better chance of survival.
THE PLOT
With warmer weather and longer
daylight hours, your plot will show
signs of weed growth and it’s important
to weed regularly otherwise all the hard
work of sowing and planting will be
lost if your plants have to compete with
weeds for nutrients.
It is worthwhile familiarising yourself
with the following weeds: couch grass,
dock, creeping thistle, bindweed,
buttercup, dandelion, mare’s tail,
nettle, chickweed and bramble. None is
welcome and don’t put any of them on
your compost heap.
After clearing away the remains of
last season’s crops, prepare the ground
for immediate composting so that it
will be in the right condition when this
season’s plants are ready for the soil.
In earlier columns I referred to
companion planting where certain
plants can be grown among vegetables
to encourage growth or deter pests.
In some cases, the flowers are used
as sacrificial plants to protect the
vegetables. Since the use of chemicals
for these activities is being discouraged,
now might be the time to conduct a
trial of your own. Generally speaking,
the companions should be planted at
the end of rows and removed in the
late autumn. There are a great many
combinations currently in use. Here are
a few suggestions:
• Beans: Nasturtium – attracts blackfly
– sacrificial plant
• Carrots: Spring onions amongst crop
discourages carrot root fly
• Cucumbers: Nasturtium attracts
blackfly and improves flavour of
cucumber
• Potatoes: Chamomile enhances
flavour and attract pollinators
• Tomatoes: Basil improves growth and
deters pests
• Squash: Borage improves growth and
flavour, attracts pollinators
• Brassica’s: Chamomile aids growth
and enhances flavour
As can be seen, some of the
companion plants can also be harvested
for the kitchen. Badger
Badger
The Cake • Spring 2022 35