ROB'S PLOT SOWING AND A BIT OF TLC!

Rob Smith is busy again this month with more sowing, planting and making sure his existing plants are given a bit of a boost

- Rob Smith

With the sun beginning to get stronger and the daylight hours getting longer in March, it really does feel like the growing season has started; however, Mother Nature can still show her icy grip, so get ready to sow, but be prepared to protect!

If you haven’t got round to planting out bare-root fruit or you’ve taken advantage of last-minute plant sales and bagged yourself a bare-root bargain, don’t worry, you have time to plant them out if you’re quick at the beginning of the month. I’m planting a standard gooseberry which I plan on training like a pleached tree. Hopefully, this will produce a good-looking and productive plant at the end of one of my raised beds.

First, I dig a hole which will comfortably fit the roots of the plant, then I add a spade or two of manure and some mycorrhizal powder to help the plants’ roots develop. After firming in, I water well and let the plants settle in. If you are using supports for the plant, it’s best to put them in prior to planting to prevent root damage and it’s also a good idea to soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting as well.

GLOBE ARTICHOKES

If you grow globe artichokes, you will know that they aren’t just delicious to eat, they are structurally impressive and loved by bees and birds too. So, if you want more plants for free, why not take an offset now? You’ll see if your plants can be split as there will be a clear offset (baby plant) growing from the side of the large ‘mother’ plant. Simply pull/dig this away from the main plant with as much root as possible.