Seasonal Garden Tips with an Environmental Slant - by Sweet Pea

Some environmental seasonal growing tips
Spring is well on the way but it is not too late to do those last winter jobs. Finish your pruning before the sap really starts to rise and buds start to swell. When you prune your perennial plants you are depriving bugs and pests of their safe shelter in hollow stems. Before we lose the last of the frosts make sure that the digging is finished and rubbish is cleared from your borders.

• Cover rhubarb to force some nice sweet early shoots.
• Buy your seeds so you are ready to go. Remember that you can get a good selection at amazing discounts at the Chinnor Allottment Shop, Sunday mornings from 10:00am onwards.
• Check out early plantings of onions, shallots and garlic to make sure that nothing has been dug up or blown out of the soil
• Put down some cloches and fleece to start to warm the soil ready for early planting
• Check over your seed potatoes, they should be starting to chit nicely. Old egg boxes are a good way to keep them safe.
• Pigeons are starting to get hungry so keep your tender brassicas covered

Now is a good time to think about leaving a little area clear for wildlife. This means not being too keen to mow it and particularly don't dig up those early dandelions flowers. They are invaluable food for bees at a time when they are most vulnerable. It may also be a good idea to put up a couple of 'bug hotels' which could just be a few short lengths of bamboo tied together.

Good Growing - Sweet Pea