Vegetable Gardening

Spring

September is usually the busiest month in the Vegetable Garden with seedlings to plant and seeds to put in the ground as the soil warms-up. This season has been a bit hard to follow with some unusually warm days during August but then a very cold spell in September. Colder days will not interfere with the germination of peas and beetroot seeds. However there a re often disappointments if beans and Sweetcorn are planted before the soil warms up. Even treated with a suitable rot preventing chemical many seeds willnot germinate and rot in the ground. So, waiting until the daily temperature is above 16C or so is worthwhile especially for beans and sweetcorn. The alternatively is to plant seeds in a greenhouse or cold frame. Late September and early October is usually the best time to sow seeds of Beans, Lettuce, Sweetcorn, Carrots, Zucchini, Pumpkin etc. A dressing of Giganic organic fertiliser at planting time will be well worthwhile.