Spring is in the air! Exciting times ahead! Well, for us allotmenteers anyway. The arrival of March arouses a sensation of the start of a new growing year. For me, winter is always a dull, cold long season which remains an obstacle in the way of my desire to be outdoors with nature as well as spending time on my plot, sowing, and growing veg and flowers. It presents the start of the cosmic spring, twenty days into the month, when the dark finally gives way to light and the cold to warmth, with the forward movement of clocks. I cannot help but rejoice that we are welcoming spring and saying goodbye to winter. A common, feeling shared by my fellow allotment holders.
This will be my third year on the plot, and the winter months were spent reflecting on what worked well and what didn’t. Also, what to avoid! For the past two growing seasons, I have tried to sow and grow coriander and salad leaves without any success at all. They say third time lucky, however, I think I will just continue to pinch off my fellow plot holders’ who are always very generous at offering their brilliantly grown produce. I am not sure if they are just showing off, however, I will accept the offering either way.
On my return to the plot after winter hibernation, I am pleased to see that my plastic greenhouse is still intact. As I continue to inspect, I notice some less welcome arrivals. It looks like I am not the only one who is pleased to feel the spring sunshine. The weeds have joined me, and I can’t but help feel that there is a lot of work to do ahead, to make the plot presentable. The race against time begins as I know, the start of Spring is the best time to dig out any problem weeds, especially perennial ones. If I get on top of them now, they’ll be easier to control for the rest of the year. I waste no further time as I roll up my sleeves and with a gardening fork in one hand and a trug in the other, I press on, and bed preparation begins. I also rake the soil and put in some fertilizer or organic matter to enrich the soil.
The combination of rain and sunshine makes it easier to pull and dig out weeds. It is quite therapeutic too! There is no better feeling than to see a clear, weed-free bed, ready for the fun of planting. March is the perfect time to complete bed preparation, whilst I wait for my seedlings to grow and harden, ready for the outside.
March is the last month for planting bare-root fruit trees and bushes. This year, I purchased a Stella dwarf cherry tree. The Stella variety was bred by the Summerland Research Station in British Columbia, Canada, and was first released for sale in 1968. This variety of cherry reliably produces a large amount of fruit. For cooler parts of the UK, Stella is a good choice and therefore a popular one as it is hardy in all parts of the UK. Disease resistance is overall good and it is fully self-fertile so does not require a pollination partner. In early spring, I located a sunny site with good air circulation on my plot, as Stella dwarf trees require a lot of sun. They are greedy buggers, with the requirements of 6 to 8 hrs of sunshine a day. The tree should be planted to the same depth as it was in the pot however, if you are planting a bare-rooted tree, you will see a natural soil line/mark above the roots. This indicates the correct depth for planting. I spread a 3-inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree, but careful not to touch the main trunk, as this can cause rot. The mulch will help retain moisture in the soil and hopefully help the tree to establish well. I water well immediately and stake the tree. I don’t need to cover with a net to prevent hungry birds from helping themselves, as it will take about 2-3yrs till I receive my first fruits. In the interim, I will be greeted by its colourful foliage in fall and pretty spring blossom. Eventually it will bear some delicious fruits. Cherry trees offer both ornamental and productive appeal in the garden and are one of my favourite fruits.
March brings the start of planting hardy plants outside. This includes bare-root strawberry runners, asparagus crowns and Jerusalem artichokes. This week, I planted out my spring garlic, shallots and onion sets, straight into the ground. I also brought a different variety of potatoes named Pentland Javelin. The previous two years I grew Maris Piper potatoes but found that they did not do very well, especially last year with the very hot weather. I also found that when cooking, they were very dry to consume. Every year is trial and error. Not only are we learning more about plants along with techniques etc… we become troubleshooters and problems solvers on tackling the various unexpected weather conditions that impact the produce we are growing.
For me, this year, brings on a new challenge and with the current economic crisis causing poverty in the UK it signifies the importance of `giving`. I acknowledge and I am grateful for the privilege of having a growing space which I will be utilising by growing more produce than I normally would, with the intention of giving out fruit and veg boxes to those who are financially struggling within the local community. Inflation has meant an increase in outgoings against lower income, causing family budgets to shrink. The number of people using food banks has increased, however they are limited to giving mainly items with a long shelf life such as canned food. When incomes drop, food choices move to cheaper foods. This leads to dropping healthier foods to maintain affordable full stomachs. The quality of diets is affected as the cheaper, unhealthier foods become the only option. Last year, Tesco CEO, Ken Murphy, revealed that Britons were swapping fresh food for cheaper frozen food to help with the rising living costs. By offering boxes of fresh fruit and veg, I hope that it will help others and support, as well as promote healthy eating and positive well-being. No one should go without a meal.
So when you have a great growing season this year, and possibly a surplus of produce, donating healthy fresh produce to those who need it, certainly is a viable option! Courgettes definitely would be a good contender!
Jobs to do in March
- Harvest your first rhubarb of the year, plus any remaining Brussels sprouts, celeriac, parsnips and swedes.
- Apply fertilizer to boost nutritional content in the soil.
- Bare-root fruit trees and bushes to be planted. Next month, when they are no longer dormant, it will be too late.
- Finish winter pruning blackcurrants, autumn raspberries, gooseberries and blueberries.
- Plant first early potatoes, shallots and garlic. This is the last month to do this.
- Begin to sow seeds, mainly inside, ready to transplant outside next month. Always read recommendations on seed packets.
So, without further ado, March is definitely the time to get `Marching` on with the first month of the growing season. Enjoy!
Manjit Kaur
