New Plot

I have a new plot that has just been rotavated. What is my first job ! 

Did you add any organic matter to the soil before rotavating it?  If not, this is your first job.  Ideally you would want some well rotted farmyard manure, but if this is not available some compost or a soil improver would do just as well.  Be careful where you add manure as not all crops will like it.  Eg. Carrots and parsnips.

Once you have added this, it is a good idea to cover your freshly rotavated ground with polythene to help prevent the rain washing all the nutrients away and to warm up the soil ready for spring sowings.

Next I would draw up a plan of your plot, detailing which crops will go where.  This is useful for crop rotation which is very important to prevent diseases building up in the soil in future years.  To help with this, we have a useful planner tool on our website.

And finally, buy your seeds and seed potatoes ready to start growing. 

You can follow our monthly Kitchen Garden Diary on our website which tells you what jobs Stephanie and I have been undertaking in the garden and the tasks we have planned for the month ahead.  This can help you plan your own tasks as well.  It's a good idea to keep a diary yourself of the jobs that you do.  I find it really useful to look back on my own diaries to help me plan my jobs in future years.

I wish you the best of luck with your new plot.  Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on.  I am happy to help if you have any queries.

Kindest Regards

Jo