The time has come to disrobe the greenhouse of its bubble insulation. Whilst the weather is still inclement, I can bear it no longer and am desperate to be able to look out at the garden when I’m working at the potting bench. I also really want the opportunity to give the inside of the windows a thorough clean before access to them is blocked by larger plants. We still have the greenhouse heater to protect against frosts and our most tender crops are nestled inside the headed propagator. A layer of fleece will be near handy to drape over crops overnight if the weather takes a nasty turn.
Once the insulation is down and the windows are cleaned, we can start rearranging plants to make the most of the space. Currently the windowsills are covered by insulation and revealing them will give us more space to stand pots freeing up more room on the staging. We need all the space we can get now as more and more plants need room to grow, and we still have more seeds that we want to sow. This week we will be starting off runner beans and climbing French beans in rootrainers. We will also be sowing courgettes and sweetcorn. Many of our earlier sowings, such as tomatoes, chillies, melons and coleus (for the ornamental gardens) really need to be potted on to keep them growing and stop them from becoming rootbound and hungry.
The weekly harvest is becoming more bountiful as temperatures increase and overwintering crops begin to grow. We are currently harvesting rhubarb, forced and unforced, kale, spinach, rocket and the last of the leeks. We are also enjoying the shoots from the shallots sets and pea shoots added to salads. Crops growing outside have been treated to their first feed of fish, blood and bone to help keep them productive. The long winter is forgotten and spring is in full swing.
