SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundPotato, peas (early), broad bean, cabbage (summer), lettuce, Brussels sprout, broccoli, onion sets, shallot, spinach, beetroot (early), carrot (early), Swiss chard, parsnip, spring onion, turnip, kohlrabi, garlic.

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnelCelery, celeriac, French beans, cauliflower.

Propagator or WindowsillTomato, pepper, aubergine, cucumber.

FRUIT

There is still time to finish planting bare rooted fruit trees and bushes, especially raspberries and other cane fruits. You can still prune apple and pear trees while they are still dormant. There is also time to prune gooseberries and currants. 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.

HARVESTING

Parsnips and leeks should be dug up now - you can freeze them for future use. You may also have spinach beet, chard, the last of the late Brussels sprouts, winter cauliflower, kale, swede and purple sprouting.

PESTS AND DISEASES

With exception to the occasional pigeon, most pests and diseases will be dormant due to the cold winter weather.

GENERAL JOBS

Complete any unfinished digging and winter pruning. Clear old leaves off strawberry plants and clean up the ground in between the plants before giving them a top dressing of a general fertiliser. Protect (with fleece) the developing strawberry flowers from frost. When the weather conditions allow it, complete the preparations of seed beds for direct seed sowing.

MARCHVegetable 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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundPotatoes and onion sets, succession sowings of beetroot, carrot, parsnip, lettuce, spinach, spring onion, kohlrabi, radish, turnip, pea, swiss chard, broad bean. Early sowing of dwarf and climbing French beans towards the end of the month, celeriac.

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnelRunner beans, sweetcorn, courgette, pumpkin, squash, outdoor / ridge cucumber.

Propagator or WindowsillAubergine, celery, outdoor cucumber, tomatoes (if you’ve not already done so).

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 ensure they have the nutrition to provide another good crop for you.

HARVESTING

We’re in the ‘Hungry Gap’ between the last of the winter crops and start of the early crops but there are still a few things available, late sprouting and chards for example plus you may have some early salad crops from the greenhouse border. Check your stored crops such as potatoes and onions; removing any rotten ones.

PESTS AND DISEASES

The gardener’s worst enemy is awakening. The evil slugs and snails are coming out to eat entire rows of succulent young seedlings overnight so take action now. Check over top and soft fruit for the first broods of aphids and take appropriate action; spray the plant with soapy water (diluted washing up liquid) or squash the flies with your thumb and finger. You can buy insecticides if you prefer, including a fatty acid soap to spray on the plants. Protect any early strawberries with netting to keep the birds out.

GENERAL JOBS

Early sowings of Brussels sprouts will need thinning out this month and the soil for next month’s transplanting of sweetcorn, courgettes, marrows, pumpkins and outdoor/ridge cucumbers will need preparing. Put up the runner bean poles and start to support the growing peas with brushwood or netting. Prepare seed beds for outdoor sowing of main crop vegetables next month.

APRILVegetable 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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundCabbage (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.

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnelDwarf bean, climbing bean, runner bean, sweetcorn, outdoor cucumber, courgette, marrow, pumpkin, squash.

Propagator or WindowsillLeek, celery, celeriac, Brussels sprouts and French beans sown last month under glass, can now be planted out.

FRUIT

It’s mainly a case of making sure that you get the crops rather than the birds. A fruit cage is very effective, but can be costly; otherwise use netting to keep the birds away. Strawberries planted this year will perform better insubsequent years if you remove the flowers so they don’t set fruit in the first year but concentrate instead on building their strength for next.

HARVESTING

Sprouting broccoli, winter cauliflowers, kale, spring cabbage, spinach, rhubarb, spring onions, early sown lettuce, beetroot, radish and peas. Asparagus may be starting as well this month - cut them regularly to maintain a good supply. Start to remove the side shoots on tomatoes. Use up the last of the leeks. Clear away any old or finished crops and dig over the soil and prepare the site ready for the next crop.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Look out for blackfly on broad beans, greenfly on peas, lettuce, cabbage root fly, carrot fly, thrip damage on brassicas (especially when the plants are small). Slugs and carrot fly

GENERAL JOBS

There are two main jobs you need to do in May. Firstly weeding. Hoeing them off as small seedlings will make the job far easier than waiting for them to grow and send their roots down. Hoeing is best done on a dry day so that the weeds do not have a chance to recover. The other job is to start to thin out seedlings of beetroot, carrots, lettuce, onions, parsnips and turnips. Always water along the row to settle the disturbed seedlings back in, once the job is completed. Put up poles for runner and climbing French beans. Support peas and broad beans before they become too tall. Start to earth up potatoes. If you can get it, put some straw underneath the developing strawberry fruits to keep them off the soil.

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.

MAYVegetable and Fruit Growing Guide

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundSuccession 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-tunnelKeep pinching off the side shoots with your tomatoes and keep an eye out for pests such as aphids, whitefly, red spider mite.

Propagator or WindowsillBrussels sprouts, broccoli, calabrese cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, courgette, cucumber, French and runner beans, leek, pumpkin, squash, sweetcorn, outdoor tomatoes can all be planted out into their final position now.

FRUIT

Strawberries and raspberries should be available now. Rhubarb will be coming to the end of it’s season by the end of the month. 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.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Watch out for blackfly, greenfly and thrips. Carrot fly is a particular problem between May and September. Cabbage root fly on brassicas. Watch out for slugs and snails. Butterflies are about now as well, and they leave yellow/white eggs that will hatch into caterpillars and devastate your plants..

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.

JUNEVegetable 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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundAlthough the sowing season is coming to a close there are still things to you can sow in July. Such as: spring cabbage, chicory, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, French beans, beetroot, carrot, radish.

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnelLeek, brassica, broccoli, calabrese, 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.

FRUIT

If we do get a prolonged dry spell, don’t forget that that fruit bushes and trees need watering as much as leafy vegetables. Give them a good soaking. Finish thinning apples, pears and plums etc. if needed. It’s also the right time for summer pruning as well. Keep the base of trees weed and grass free, mulch to keep in moisture and add fertility with garden compost.

HARVESTING

Lift early potatoes and carry to earth up rows. Harvest garlic and shallots as the foliage begins to become yellow. Pick the first of the early tomatoes, autumn planted onions, rhubarb, strawberries, plums, early pears and apples. Continue to pick salad crops.

PESTS AND DISEASES

This is the start of potato blight season. The main pests are aphids, cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and pea moth.

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.

JULYVegetable 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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundMake the last of any outdoor sowings to provide a late harvest for the season, such as, radish, spring and Chinese cabbage, hardy lettuce and spring onions like White Lisbon.

CULTIVATING

Greenhouse Ensure good ventilation. It can get incredibly hot in a greenhouse with strong sun and scorch your plants. You should consider shading the house either with blinds or with a shading wash. Keep pinching off the side shoots on your tomatoes and stop them a few leaves after a truss by pinching out the growing stem. Keep an eye out for aphids, blackfly, red spider mite.

FRUIT

If we do get a prolonged dry spell, don’t forget that fruit bushes and trees also need water - give them a good soaking. Watch out for trees whose branches are over-laden with fruit. Temporary support of these will avoid the branches breaking off. Keep the base of trees weed and grass free. Protect autumn raspberries to stop the birds eating the fruit.

HARVESTING

Continue to harvest vegetable crops and the lifting of potatoes. Prepare to lift onions towards the end of the month. Wait until the tops begin to fall over as this indicates that the bulb has stopped swelling. Dry them before ‘stringing’ and putting into store. Your runner beans will be at the top of the canes now so pinch out their growing tip to encourage bushier growth below. Pick all runner, climbing and dwarf beans regularly except for the haricot varieties. Apples, pears, plums and damsons should now be close to picking, and finally, late fruitingraspberries should be cropping well by now.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Blossom end rot can affect aubergines and tomatoes causing black sunken blotches on the skin of the fruit. Usually due to a lack of calcium, the disease can be stemmed by amending your watering habits to ensure the calcium found in the soil is fed through the water to the plant - so water regularly and don’t allow the soil to dry out (discard any damaged fruit). Aphids and blackfly are still around. You can control them with pesticides or just wash them off many plants with a strong jet of water. A squirt with a soft soap solution will do no harm either.

GENERAL JOBS

The end of this month signals the time to begin summer pruning your apples and pears (grown as cordons, espaliers or fans. For trees and bushes, leave these until the winter to prune). Start with the 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.

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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundAs we leave summer behind and approach autumn, the rush to get things into the ground slows to a near halt. It’s worth sowing some winter hardy spring onions ready for spring. You can sow lettuce like Arctic King. It is the perfect time to sow the seed of the Oriental vegetables. They will germinate quickly and are hardy enough to withstand the cold of winter. Autumn onion sets can go in now to provide an early crop and plant out spring cabbages to slowly develop for next year.

CULTIVATING

Greenhouse From the greenhouse you should be picking aubergines, chilli and sweet peppers as well as cucumbers and tomatoes.

FRUIT

Tidy up the summer fruiting raspberries. Cut off the canes that have fruited and tie in the new shoots that will bear next year’s fruit. The summer fruiting strawberries can be attended to now as well. Cut off the foliage about 1” from the ground, clearing and weeding as you go. Any runners can be planted up to replace 3 year old plants that are best replaced now.

HARVESTING

Top of the list has to be onions and potatoes. They need to be got out of the soil before the cold, damp days of autumn arrive. They have 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.

PESTS AND DISEASES

Wasps are attracted this time of year due to the ripening of your fruit. Hang wasp traps in fruit trees and protect any grapes from wasps with netting or mesh. But also remember that wasps are the gardener’s friend because they are major predators of aphids and caterpillars at this time of the year.

GENERAL JOBS

Complete summer pruning of soft fruit bushes, apple and pear trees, and feed with a general fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure. Clear the soil of spent crops and leave it rough dug over for the winter. It is also a good time to sow winter grazing rye as a green manure. It can be dug back into the soil as part of your spring preparations.

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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundOver-wintered broad beans can go in from the middle of the month to provide an early crop next year. The last sowing of beet leaf spinach and Chinese cabbage. October is the last chance for planting out Japanese onion sets and garlic.

CULTIVATING

Greenhouse / Poly-tunnel If you’ve still got crops, keep ventilated on fine days to avoid developing a muggy atmosphere which encourages fungal diseases. If you can, give the greenhouse a good clean with a little detergent and disinfectant. Once clean you can insulate it with horticultural fleece or bubble wrap. Sow a hardy lettuce like Arctic King in your greenhouse border to give you a salad whatever the weather.

FRUIT

This is a good month to prune your blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries. Your raspberries and blackberries need cutting back, tying in etc and these early winter months are ideal for planting out new stock. Make sure the ground is well prepared and add a good 500grams of bonemeal per plant to the base of the planting hole, forked in. This will slowly release its nitrogen over the next year or two giving stronger plants.

HARVESTING

Any remaining maincrop potatoes should dug up, and stored in hessian or paper sacks in a frost free, dark shed. If any outdoor tomatoes are left, collect the fruit and place them in a drawer or shoe box to complete their ripening, but don’t forget to check on them from time to time! Early leeks can be lifted. Harvest the last of the peas and runner beans, and keep harvesting chard, spinach, carrots, celeriac, lettuce and Oriental vegetables. Maincrop carrots should be dug up to be stored in sand or peat through the winter but leave the parsnips in the ground as they’ll be sweeter after a frost.

GENERAL JOBS

Rough dig over heavy ground and leave it in lumps or ridges to be broken down gradually by the winter frosts and rain. Keep off the soil if it is wet and don’t be tempted dig it if it is frozen. When to soil is frozen hard it is a good opportunity to cart barrows of manure or compost over it. Be prepared to protect crops that you are overwintering from the worst of the winter weather. Clear the plot of spent crops. Stake Brussels sprouts and sprouting broccoli plants to prevent them from being blown over in strong winds.

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.

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

SOWING AND PLANTING

Outdoors - Direct in the groundNow 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 give the house a good airing on sunny days which will stop fungal conditions and especially downy mildew developing. You can continue successional sowing of winter salad crops.

FRUIT

It’s time for pruning apples and pears trees; and they will also benefit from some compost around the base. With new/younger trees check the stakes are firm and the ties are not too tight as the winter winds can shake the roots loose on young trees causing poor growth or even death. As with October, November is a good month to attend to pruning raspberries, blackberries and hybrid berries as well as being the ideal time to plant bare rooted canes.

HARVESTING

Leeks should be coming ready now; as too should Brussels sprouts. Along with sprouts you can harvest kale and take up the winter cabbages and cauliflowers. 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.

GENERAL JOBS

As with October, as ground becomes vacant, you can dig it over and spread manure over the surface. Keep a close eye on your winter brassicas and remember that the birds are hungry at this time of year so cover with netting if required. With Brussels sprouts, double check that the stakes are still firm or the wind will break the root hairs and cause the sprouts to blow.

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.

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

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

Vegetable Sowing and Harvesting Guide

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