MARCH and Fruit Growing Guide

March is the month when we are on the threshold of Spring and things start to move in the growing season. The amount of sunlight is beginning to increase and temperatures are slowly increasing day by day. More importantly the longer days are the real trigger to new growth and you will find that with the help of a little protection (cloches etc) you can try some early sowings. They might not all make it but it is still worth a try and you will still have plenty of time to re-sow any misses.

SOWING AND PLANTING FRUIT PESTS AND DISEASES Outdoors - Direct in the ground There is still time to finish planting With exception to the occasional Potato, peas (early), broad bean, bare rooted fruit trees and bushes, pigeon, most pests and diseases (summer), lettuce, especially raspberries and other will be dormant due to the cold Brussels sprout, broccoli, onion cane fruits. You can still prune winter weather. sets, shallot, spinach, beetroot apple and pear trees while they are (early), carrot (early), Swiss chard, still dormant. There is also time to parsnip, spring onion, turnip, prune gooseberries and currants. kohlrabi, garlic. These crops will also benefit from some compost spread around the base as well or some general purpose fertiliser like fish, blood and bone. Trees will appreciate some wood ash spreading under them.

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel Celery, celeriac, French beans, cauliflower.

Propagator or Windowsill Tomato, pepper, aubergine, cucumber. GENERAL JOBS Complete any unfinished digging and winter pruning. Clear old leaves off strawberry plants and HARVESTING clean up the ground in between Parsnips and leeks should be dug the plants before giving them a up now - you can freeze them for top dressing of a general fertiliser. future use. You may also have Protect (with fleece) the developing spinach beet, chard, the last of strawberry flowers from frost. When the late Brussels sprouts, winter the weather conditions allow it, cauliflower, , swede and purple complete the preparations of seed sprouting. beds for direct seed sowing.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk APRIL Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

By now spring should be well and truly underway, with lengthening days and the soil warming up nicely; but proceed with caution, as there is still the risk of night frosts never too far away. It is always better to hold back and wait a day or so. It isn’t the loss of seedlings or young plants that causes the problem; but the loss of your time that could have been utilised doing other jobs around the allotment garden. Surprisingly, the allotment will eventually catch up and reward your patience.

FRUIT Strawberries can be planted out now, it’s best to remove flowers in the first year as you conserve strength for growth and gain larger crops in subsequent years. An easy way to gain strawberry plants is to plant the runners into pots and when rooted cut the runner. The plants don’t last forever so you need to rotate them every three to five years. A good layer of compost around the base of fruit trees will SOWING AND PLANTING PESTS AND DISEASES ensure they have the nutrition to Outdoors - Direct in the ground provide another good crop for you. The gardener’s worst enemy is Potatoes and onion sets, awakening. The evil slugs and succession sowings of beetroot, snails are coming out to eat entire carrot, parsnip, lettuce, spinach, rows of succulent young seedlings spring onion, kohlrabi, radish, overnight so take action now. turnip, pea, swiss chard, broad Check over top and soft fruit for bean. Early sowing of dwarf and the first broods of aphids and take climbing French beans towards the appropriate action; spray the plant end of the month, celeriac. with soapy water (diluted washing up liquid) or squash the flies with Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel your thumb and finger. You can Runner beans, sweetcorn, buy insecticides if you prefer, courgette, pumpkin, squash, including a fatty acid soap to spray outdoor / ridge cucumber. on the plants. Protect any early strawberries with netting to keep Propagator or Windowsill the birds out. Aubergine, celery, outdoor cucumber, tomatoes (if you’ve not GENERAL JOBS already done so). Early sowings of Brussels sprouts HARVESTING will need thinning out this month We’re in the ‘Hungry Gap’ between and the soil for next month’s the last of the winter crops and transplanting of sweetcorn, start of the early crops but there courgettes, marrows, pumpkins are still a few things available, late and outdoor/ridge cucumbers will sprouting and chards for example need preparing. Put up the runner plus you may have some early bean poles and start to support salad crops from the greenhouse the growing peas with brushwood border. Check your stored crops or netting. Prepare seed beds such as potatoes and onions; for outdoor sowing of main crop removing any rotten ones. next month.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk MAY Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

May can be one of the busiest months on the vegetable plot. The soil is warm and the plants growing well - but watch out for a sneaky late frost and be prepared to protect tender plants with fleece. On the other hand, May is also a month when we can get caught out by mini droughts and heat waves. The biggest threat is to any young plants that have that have recently been transplanted into the open ground. Be sure to keep them well watered and if the young transplants look as if they are flagging give them some shade protection from the heat of the sun or drying winds.

FRUIT PESTS AND DISEASES It’s mainly a case of making sure Look out for blackfly on broad that you get the crops rather beans, greenfly on peas, lettuce, than the birds. A fruit cage is cabbage root fly, carrot fly, thrip very effective, but can be costly; damage on (especially otherwise use netting to keep the when the plants are small). Slugs birds away. Strawberries planted and carrot fly this year will perform better in subsequent years if you remove the flowers so they don’t set fruit SOWING AND PLANTING in the first year but concentrate instead on building their strength Outdoors - Direct in the ground for next. Cabbage (savoy and winter), kale, beetroot, broccoli, calabrese, cauliflower, kohlrabi, peas, turnips, swede. Succession salad crops such as lettuce, rocket, radishes and spring onions. This is your last opportunity to sow peas and parsnips this year. GENERAL JOBS Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel There are two main jobs you need Dwarf bean, climbing bean, to do in May. Firstly weeding. runner bean, sweetcorn, outdoor Hoeing them off as small seedlings cucumber, courgette, marrow, will make the job far easier than pumpkin, squash. waiting for them to grow and send their roots down. Hoeing is best Propagator or Windowsill done on a dry day so that the Leek, celery, celeriac, Brussels weeds do not have a chance to HARVESTING sprouts and French beans sown recover. The other job is to start last month under glass, can now Sprouting broccoli, winter to thin out seedlings of beetroot, be planted out. cauliflowers, kale, spring cabbage, carrots, lettuce, onions, parsnips spinach, rhubarb, spring onions, and turnips. Always water along early sown lettuce, beetroot, radish the row to settle the disturbed and peas. Asparagus may be seedlings back in, once the job starting as well this month - cut is completed. Put up poles for them regularly to maintain a good runner and climbing French beans. supply. Start to remove the side Support peas and broad beans shoots on tomatoes. Use up the before they become too tall. Start last of the leeks. Clear away any to earth up potatoes. If you can old or finished crops and dig over get it, put some straw underneath the soil and prepare the site ready the developing strawberry fruits to for the next crop. keep them off the soil.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk JUNE Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

June, the ’flaming month’ should provide us with plenty of sunshine. We are also moving towards the longest day, June 21st being the summer solstice so there is plenty of daylight to let you get on with things. There is a lot to do in the allotment during this month, but out efforts will be rewarded as we begin to harvest our crops. June is the last month for sowing many crops as we pass the longest day and head downhill.

SOWING AND PLANTING Outdoors - Direct in the ground Succession sowing each fortnight of beetroot, carrots, kohlrabi, early peas, lettuce, rocket, turnips, endive, radish, spring onions will give you a constant supply of salads

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel Keep pinching off the side shoots with your tomatoes and keep an PESTS AND DISEASES eye out for pests such as aphids, whitefly, red spider mite. Watch out for blackfly, greenfly and thrips. Carrot fly is a particular Propagator or Windowsill problem between May and Brussels sprouts, broccoli, September. Cabbage root fly on calabrese cabbage, cauliflower, brassicas. Watch out for slugs and celeriac, courgette, cucumber, FRUIT snails. Butterflies are about now as well, and they leave yellow/white French and runner beans, leek, Strawberries and raspberries eggs that will hatch into caterpillars pumpkin, squash, sweetcorn, should be available now. Rhubarb and devastate your plants.. outdoor tomatoes can all be will be coming to the end of it’s planted out into their final position season by the end of the month. now. Tie back blackberry canes as they grow. Check netting and fruit cages so there is no access for the birds.

HARVESTING Asparagus, beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, early peas, lettuce, rhubarb, spring onions, radish, spinach. Lift early potatoes towards the end of the month and continue to earth up the rows of your other varieties.

GENERAL JOBS Hoe at every opportunity to remove weeds and break-up the soil. Train climbing beans up their poles, and continue to put in supports for your peas. Carry on with the thinning out of seedlings of earlier sown crops.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk JULY Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

July is usually one of the driest and hottest and driest months of the year, so a lot of time may be spent watering. You can reduce water loss by hoeing on a regular basis. This not only kills the weeds but also breaks up the soil stopping water being drawn to the surface by capillary action and evaporating. Another method of preventing water loss is by mulching with a layer of organic matter. However, this may also encourage slugs so you will need to be prepared to take action against them. Although the hectic sowing part of the year is past, there are still things to sow, plant out and harvest.

FRUIT PESTS AND DISEASES If we do get a prolonged dry spell, This is the start of potato blight don’t forget that that fruit bushes season. The main pests are and trees need watering as much aphids, cabbage white butterfly as leafy vegetables. Give them caterpillars and pea moth. a good soaking. Finish thinning apples, pears and plums etc. if GENERAL JOBS needed. It’s also the right time for Hoe at every opportunity to remove summer pruning as well. Keep the weeds and break-up the soil. Train base of trees weed and grass free, climbing beans up their poles, and SOWING AND PLANTING mulch to keep in moisture and add continue to put in supports for your fertility with garden compost. Outdoors - Direct in the ground peas. Carry on with the thinning out Although the sowing season is of seedlings of earlier sown crops. HARVESTING coming to a close there are still things to you can sow in July. Lift early potatoes and carry to Such as: spring cabbage, chicory, earth up rows. Harvest garlic and Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, shallots as the foliage begins to peas, French beans, beetroot, become yellow. Pick the first of the carrot, radish. early tomatoes, autumn planted onions, rhubarb, strawberries, Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel plums, early pears and apples. Leek, , broccoli, calabrese, Continue to pick salad crops. Brussels sprouts and cabbage

CULTIVATING Greenhouse Keep pinching off the side shoots on tomatoes and keep an eye out for pests such as aphids, whitefly, red spider mite.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk AUGUST Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

August is traditionally the holiday month, and if lucky the best of the summer weather. If you are on holiday this month, it’s worth asking a neighbouring plot holder to keep an eye on your patch, as it will still need watering and crops harvesting.

SOWING AND PLANTING PESTS AND DISEASES Outdoors - Direct in the ground Blossom end rot can affect Make the last of any outdoor aubergines and tomatoes causing sowings to provide a late harvest black sunken blotches on the for the season, such as, radish, skin of the fruit. Usually due to spring and Chinese cabbage, a lack of calcium, the disease hardy lettuce and spring onions can be stemmed by amending like White Lisbon. your watering habits to ensure the calcium found in the soil is CULTIVATING fed through the water to the plant - so water regularly and don’t Greenhouse allow the soil to dry out (discard Ensure good ventilation. It can get any damaged fruit). Aphids and incredibly hot in a greenhouse with blackfly are still around. You can strong sun and scorch your plants. HARVESTING control them with pesticides or just You should consider shading the Continue to harvest vegetable wash them off many plants with a house either with blinds or with a crops and the lifting of potatoes. strong jet of water. A squirt with a shading wash. Keep pinching off Prepare to lift onions towards soft soap solution will do no harm the side shoots on your tomatoes the end of the month. Wait until either. and stop them a few leaves after a the tops begin to fall over as truss by pinching out the growing this indicates that the bulb has stem. Keep an eye out for aphids, stopped swelling. Dry them before blackfly, red spider mite. ‘stringing’ and putting into store. Your runner beans will be at the FRUIT top of the canes now so pinch If we do get a prolonged dry spell, out their growing tip to encourage don’t forget that fruit bushes and bushier growth below. Pick all trees also need water - give them runner, climbing and dwarf beans a good soaking. Watch out for regularly except for the haricot GENERAL JOBS trees whose branches are over- varieties. Apples, pears, plums and The end of this month signals the laden with fruit. Temporary support damsons should now be close to time to begin summer pruning of these will avoid the branches picking, and finally, late fruiting your apples and pears (grown as breaking off. Keep the base of raspberries should be cropping cordons, espaliers or fans. For trees weed and grass free. Protect well by now. trees and bushes, leave these until autumn raspberries to stop the the winter to prune). Start with the birds eating the fruit. pears and then move on to apples. The purpose of summer pruning is to encourage the development of fruit buds for next summer. August is definitely the last month to prune stone fruit trees (plum, apricot, cherry and peach), complete the task as soon as possible. Aim for an open structure of branches and remove any that cross over so they don’t damage each other.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk SEPTEMBER Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

In many ways, not only can this month can be regarded as the end of the summer, it can also be the start of a new gardening year. If you are starting from scratch you will have plenty of time to prepare the ground, whilst planning your dream allotment for the forthcoming year. This is also the time when the bulk of the harvest comes home now and the plot begins to empty.

FRUIT PESTS AND DISEASES Tidy up the summer fruiting Wasps are attracted this time of raspberries. Cut off the canes year due to the ripening of your that have fruited and tie in the fruit. Hang wasp traps in fruit new shoots that will bear next trees and protect any grapes from year’s fruit. The summer fruiting wasps with netting or mesh. But strawberries can be attended to also remember that wasps are the now as well. Cut off the foliage gardener’s friend because they about 1” from the ground, clearing are major predators of aphids and and weeding as you go. Any caterpillars at this time of the year. SOWING AND PLANTING runners can be planted up to replace 3 year old plants that are GENERAL JOBS Outdoors - Direct in the ground best replaced now. As we leave summer behind and Complete summer pruning of soft approach autumn, the rush to get fruit bushes, apple and pear trees, things into the ground slows to a and feed with a general fertiliser near halt. It’s worth sowing some such as pelleted chicken manure. winter hardy spring onions ready Clear the soil of spent crops and for spring. You can sow lettuce like leave it rough dug over for the Arctic King. It is the perfect time winter. It is also a good time to to sow the seed of the Oriental sow winter grazing rye as a green vegetables. They will germinate manure. It can be dug back into quickly and are hardy enough the soil as part of your spring to withstand the cold of winter. preparations. Autumn onion sets can go in now to provide an early crop and plant out spring to slowly develop for next year.

CULTIVATING HARVESTING Greenhouse Top of the list has to be onions and From the greenhouse you should potatoes. They need to be got out be picking aubergines, chilli of the soil before the cold, damp and sweet peppers as well as days of autumn arrive. They have cucumbers and tomatoes. completely the opposite storage requirements. Onions must to be kept in the light and potatoes need to be stored in the dark to prevent them from turning green, but both have to be stored somewhere that is frost-free. Runner beans and French beans will be continuing to produce until frost strikes. The last of the peas should be coming in as well.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk OCTOBER Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

October is really the last of the hectic months on the allotment plot; there’s little to sow and plant but still a fair amount to harvest and store away. This is the month when the first frosts usually arrive so killing off all but the hardy plants. Now is the time to start your winter digging and preparing your plot for next year. Remember that the clocks go back an hour at the end of this month so grab every minute of daylight on the allotment that you can before the dark days of winter are upon you.

SOWING AND PLANTING FRUIT Outdoors - Direct in the ground This is a good month to prune your Over-wintered broad beans can go blackcurrants, redcurrants and in from the middle of the month to gooseberries. Your raspberries and provide an early crop next year. The blackberries need cutting back, last sowing of beet leaf spinach tying in etc and these early winter and Chinese cabbage. October months are ideal for planting out is the last chance for planting out new stock. Make sure the ground Japanese onion sets and garlic. is well prepared and add a good 500grams of bonemeal per plant CULTIVATING to the base of the planting hole, forked in. This will slowly release its Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel nitrogen over the next year or two If you’ve still got crops, keep giving stronger plants. ventilated on fine days to avoid developing a muggy atmosphere HARVESTING which encourages fungal diseases. If you can, give the greenhouse a Any remaining maincrop potatoes GENERAL JOBS good clean with a little detergent should dug up, and stored in and disinfectant. Once clean you hessian or paper sacks in a frost Rough dig over heavy ground can insulate it with horticultural free, dark shed. If any outdoor and leave it in lumps or ridges fleece or bubble wrap. Sow a hardy tomatoes are left, collect the fruit to be broken down gradually by lettuce like Arctic King in your and place them in a drawer or shoe the winter frosts and rain. Keep greenhouse border to give you a box to complete their ripening, off the soil if it is wet and don’t salad whatever the weather. but don’t forget to check on them be tempted dig it if it is frozen. from time to time! Early leeks can When to soil is frozen hard it is a be lifted. Harvest the last of the good opportunity to cart barrows peas and runner beans, and keep of manure or compost over it. Be harvesting chard, spinach, carrots, prepared to protect crops that you celeriac, lettuce and Oriental are overwintering from the worst of vegetables. Maincrop carrots the winter weather. Clear the plot should be dug up to be stored in of spent crops. Stake Brussels sand or peat through the winter but sprouts and sprouting broccoli leave the parsnips in the ground as plants to prevent them from being they’ll be sweeter after a frost. blown over in strong winds.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk NOVEMBER Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

November is the month when the hard frosts and heavy rain usually arrive so it’s important to grab whatever time you can on the plot to clear and tidy up the allotment of any old crops in preparation for next year. Don’t leave the remains of summer crops to rot and harbour over-wintering pests and diseases. Wait for a clear, crisp, sunny day and go for it.

FRUIT GENERAL JOBS It’s time for pruning apples and As with October, as ground pears trees; and they will also becomes vacant, you can dig it benefit from some compost around over and spread manure over the the base. With new/younger trees surface. Keep a close eye on your check the stakes are firm and the winter brassicas and remember ties are not too tight as the winter that the birds are hungry at this winds can shake the roots loose on time of year so cover with netting young trees causing poor growth if required. With Brussels sprouts, or even death. As with October, double check that the stakes are November is a good month to still firm or the wind will break the attend to pruning raspberries, root hairs and cause the sprouts to blackberries and hybrid berries as blow. SOWING AND PLANTING well as being the ideal time to plant bare rooted canes. Outdoors - Direct in the ground Now is the ideal time to plant out garlic. Autumn planted broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) can be sowed, as too can hardy peas like Meteor.

CULTIVATING Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel If you didn’t get chance last month, give the greenhouse a good wash down and clean up prior to insulating if you intend to use it through the winter. Reduce ventilation on colder days but HARVESTING give the house a good airing on Leeks should be coming ready sunny days which will stop fungal now; as too should Brussels conditions and especially downy sprouts. Along with sprouts you mildew developing. You can can harvest kale and take up the continue successional sowing of winter cabbages and cauliflowers. winter salad crops. Maincrop carrots can be lifted and stored in damp sand or peat along with parsnips. Check any vegetables you have in store and removing anything that has started to rot before it spreads. Potatoes especially need to be checked regularly; watching out for slugs that have emerged from a potato to go and damage another one.

Stafford Borough Council | Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk Vegetable Sowing and Harvesting Guide

VEGETABLE JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Bean: Broad I I I H H H Bean: Climbing / French O O H H H H Bean: Runner O O SH H H H Beetroot O O O SH SH H H H Brocolli: Autumn O O O H H H Brussel’s Sprout O O O H H H Cabbage: Chinese O O SH SH SH H H Cabbage: Summer I I I H H H H Carrot O O O SH SH SH H H H H H Cauliflower: Summer O O O H H H H Courgette I I H H H Cucumber: Outdoors I I H H H Leek O O H H H Lettuce I I SH SH SH H H Marrow I I O O H H H H RS Onion: Spring O O SH SH SH SH SH H H Onion: Set O O H H H Parsnip O O H H H H Peas O O SH SH H H Pepper I I I H H H H Potato: Main Crop O O H H H H RS Pumpkin I I H H H H RS Radish O O SH SH SH SH SH H H Shallot O O H H H Spinach O O SH SH SH H H H Squash I I H H H H RS Swede O O O O H H H Sweet Corn I I H H RS Tomato I I I I H H H H Turnip O O O SH SH SH H H

I Sow Indoors or Under Cover (such as a cloche) O Sow Outdoors

SH Sow Outdoors/Harvest H Harvest RS Requires Space to Grow

Environmental and Health | 01785 619 000 | www.staffordhealth.co.uk