Here at Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden this week we will be emptying our compost bins ready to begin filling them up again throughout the summer.
Over the winter we have gradually added compost to our beds, but still have plenty of crumbly black compost ready to be used. This will be spread as a mulch all around the garden, both on the ground and the raised beds. It will help to suppress weeds, add nutrients to the soil and also introduce more worms which help keep the soil open and healthy. Doing this every year continually improves the structure of the soil making it perfect for growing healthy vegetables.
Emptying compost bins is hard physical work, so we’ll make sure to take regular breaks - little and often is much easier on the back! The result will be well worth the effort. This a very satisfying job, especially when you consider that the compost is completely free!
During the breaks from the compost bins, we will be pricking out our celery and celeriac seedlings which have now developed their second set of leaves. We will also be sowing carrots and peas. Due to our resident mouse population, we will sow the peas into rootrainers in the greenhouse where they will be protected with chicken wire.
We will also be taking the time to enjoy the signs of Spring appearing around the garden. The sound of birdsong and the sight of spring flowers do much to lift the spirits and banish the winter blues.
