February Gardening Jobs for the Allotment or Vegetable Plot
Johnny's Allotment in February
February Allotment/Vegetable Plot - Jobs
General Housekeeping
- Clean out your shed.
- Cover soil soil to warm and suppress weeds – membrane good, black polythene cheap alternative.
- Watch out for slugs on early sowings.
- Clean and sterilize greenhouse.
Sowing
Greenhouse
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Peas
Outdoors
Veg
- New rhubarb crowns can be planted just below the surface. Good time to lift and divide mature crowns.
- Broad Beans, onions, carrots, raddish, early lettuce, shallots, garlic bulbs, summer spinach can all be planted. Good idea to use lightweight fleece or cloches to protect young seedlings from bad weather in areas lacking in shelter.
- Plant out Jerusalem Artichokes.
- Put early spuds in cold frame or window to chit (begin to sprout).
Fruit
- Prune autumn Raspberries.
- Repair stakes, ties and wires.
- Prepare Strawberry beds by covering ground with a membrane ready to plant through.
- Prune Blackcurrant bushes.
Herbs
- Chives – divide old plants.
- Mint – propagate runners.
- Sage and Thyme – divide and cut back.
- Parsly can be sown now.
- Mulch and manure new beds.
My Allotment
I have a half plot which is about the size of half a tennis court. I have a shed which is full of crap at the moment, but I'm about to heed my own advice and clear it out so I can find everything and clear a space to sit and have a beer (when it's to wet to dig!).
I've grown mainly onions, potatoes and strawberries in the two years that I've had the plot, so this year will be concentrating on legumes.
Broad beans are good to sow at this time of year as are early peas.
I'd also like to get another couple of rhubarb plants to keep my solitary crown company.