Hello from a very wet and windy UK, and to those of you here in the UK who are affect by the flooding my thoughts are with you and what you are going through at the moment puts my “Annus horribilis 2013 ” into perspective.
The biggest issue once the flooding has cleared away and all other aspects of life are back to normal isn’t the amount of water that covered the ground but what was in that water, sewage etc. so be very careful of how you deal with this.
On The Plot This Month
Weather and ground conditions permitting you can direct sow broad beans and some early peas. Also if you have them you can start to chit your seed potatoes. Shallots can be planted now but will benefit from the protection of a cloche. If the soil is warm enough (hmmm!) you can also sow parsnips this month, but I prefer to wait until March or even April to do this, as I get a better germination rate with the soil being warmer.
The following can be started off in a greenhouse or polytunnel or even a windowsill, turnips, spinach and summer cabbage, it is also possible to start your onions from seed but they do need a constant min temperature of 15 degrees centigrade so maybe a windowsill in a cooler room is best for them.
This Months Harvest
We should be able to harvest leeks, parsnips Swedes and turnips, it is a good idea to cover them with fleece so that the ground does not freeze around them making it hard to dig them up. And from the brassica family brussells sprouts, chard, kale and early sprouting broccoli should all be available.
Final note
As mentioned earlier shallots do benefit from protection is planted out now, Harrod Horticultural have a special offer on their lowgrow super cloche with a saving of £30 when you buy 3. Further details can be found here https://www.growingyourownveg.com/resources.php