February To Do

February tends not to be blessed with the greatest of weather, and this year is no exception. Despite not being quite as chilly, storm Clara and now Dennis are racing through, making the conditions unattractive on the plot.

This month as last though is not without important tasks which need to be completed, and a selection of potential 'To Do's' taken from Karen's allotment diary may prove to be a helpful nudge in the right direction. The list of course is not exhaustive, and remains a personal aide memoire, and it may just prove useful to others too.

There are a host of on line resources which may also be of assistance and don't forget to follow our very own Alex Horne - AKA #the_essex_allotment on you tube or Instagram. Alex's You Tube channel provides a regular update on what he is up to on his plot, including early sowing tips etc......

1. Any areas needing lime complete by end of February e.g. Brassica, swedes, French Beans and runner beans.
2. Plant shallots providing soil is not too wet, can plant from Nov- March
3. Black polythene where going to plant potatoes
4. Potash around garlic
5. Cut thyme to 9”
6. Put early potatoes already chitted into bags in polytunnel, if not done so
7. Start dahlias off in compost in greenhouse to take cuttings
8. Third week- apples-Apply potash 6” from trunk and 12” beyond tips of branches. Cooking apples need less than desert
9. Apples apply sulphate of ammonia 1 1/2oz per sq. m and growmore up to 4oz
10. Apples apply super-phosphate every 3 years 1 ½-2 oz. per sqm
11. Beginning of Feb apply garlic powder where you are to grow onions.
12. Put lettuce out under fleece and cloche or in greenhouse
13. Cut autumn raspberries down to ground (all stems)
14. Plant some potatoes 6” below soil level under cloches
15. Warm area for spring onion with cloche/fleece
16. Early Feb 1 /4 oz potash and 1 ¾ oz nitro chalk or sulphate of ammonia around Cherry and every 3rd year 2 ½ oz superphosphate all per sq yard
17. Sulphate of ammonia around each blueberry
18. 26th Rhubarb apply dressing of sulphate of ammonia 2 oz sq m (do not over feed)
19. Prune blueberries like black currents. Bushes fruit best on wood 1-4 years old. Cut back up to a quarter of the older wood. Thin weak shoots to stronger shoots. Cut just above a bud.
20. Prune/shear a small amount from lavender plants
21. Prune rosemary after flowering
22. Sow early carrots in greenbox in polytunnel
23. Late Feb apply growmore 2-3oz and nitrochalk to apricot
24. Liquid feed potatoes in bags in poly tunnel
25. Late Feb sow peas for shoots in modules , plant outside under fleece