It’s that time of year when we are all frantically, or perhaps calmly in your case, selecting which seeds we want to sow this year – wondering how many rows of carrots we can fit into our allotment plot this year or if we have enough space to try a brand-new exciting variety of sweetcorn. I always want to grow my favourites but as you may already know, I also have my tradition that I have to grow something new each year. But I suppose each year I continue to do this I will need a bigger and bigger space! Or I could just not grow some things I have in the past, but I like to be able to grow everything!
Since I gave up my old 20mx7.5m allotment and moved on to our narrowboat in 2019 with a 19 x 1m hedge-lined public space, my desire to grow everything hasn’t changed either. I’ve just had to adapt how I grow and regularly push the boundaries of what ‘should’ grow in a container as that’s all I can grow in here.
I can also positively report that actually most things will grow in a large container, especially if it’s between 30-80cm (12-32in) in diameter! I haven’t tried sweetcorn or pumpkins yet though, what do you reckon? Think they are destined to succeed or fail? Perhaps it’s one for a future trial.
SEEDS NEEDS
When it comes to selecting my seeds for the year, I do have to think about those core conditions they need. Space, sunlight and soil condition are all super important things to consider, but for me there is another – and it’s not actually to do with the physical growing environment.
Esta historia es de la edición February 2022 de Kitchen Garden.
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2022 de Kitchen Garden.
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OUR PLOTTERS OF THE MONTH
Our annual competition to find Britain's best plotters always attracts a great response. This month we meet a talented gardening couple from Norfolk who just love life on the allotment
A NEW kitchen garden!
Martin Fish has been busy sowing, planting and keeping an eye out for pests, while Jill has been making pancakes to have with a delicious strawberry compote
EASY DOES IT!
As the growing season gathers pace there's one thing often in short supply: time! Ever feel like you're chasing your tail? Benedict Vanheems offers some tips to save valuable time and effort
A NEW Kitchen garden!
It's time for sowing and planting in the new garden and while Martin is busy with that, Jill is making a tasty asparagus soup
OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH
Kitchen Garden readers rose to the challenge when we asked for pictures of their plots to appear in the magazine this year. It's time to meet another of our talented competition winners
MANAGING WEEDS, NATURALLY
Weeds are never far away but you can keep them at bay without recourse to weedkillers
Meet the apple doctor
KG editor Steve Ott chats to Glyn Smith, head gardener for the National Trust's Erddig estate in Wrexham, about his career and love of the garden he has tended for 38 years
A CORNUCOPIA OF COURGETTES
It's time to sow a first batch of tender crops such as courgettes for picking through the summer months. KG editor Steve Ott has some tips for a super harvest
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT CURRANTS
you If I want to plant some soft fruit that is easy to grow and will give you plenty of flavour, how about trying currants?
TRY AMARANTH! The dual-purpose veg
Garden Organic's research manager Anton Rosenfeld extols the virtues of amaranth and how to grow it