New Year, New Seeds

Yes it’s that time of year again: January means the time to order seeds and do my tax return. Seed ordering is usually my reward for completing the return, so I was glad to file that bugger and then get on with the proper business of choosing what to grow this year.

Speaking of HMRC, they have been sending me ‘helpful’ letters recently, advising me to prepare for the ‘unlikely event of a no-deal Brexit’ – while this could mean almost anything in my line of work, I took it to mean order seeds: lots of seeds, and soon (even though they are mostly from the UK). I’m also going to have another go at growing aubergines this year: and also camomile, as I seem to get through a lot of camomile tea – I rather think this year might call for many cups of calming beverages.

I get the bulk of my seeds from Tamar Organics, and the Seed Co-operative, with a smattering of what I can’t get from there from other companies such as Moles. Most of the seeds arrived within a couple of days, so I’m looking forward to getting on with getting some early bits going in trays, such as lettuces, spinach, spring onions and fennel.

Fresh Garlic

While we may well be into the hungry gap now, with winter crops finished and spring crops not quite big enough, there are still a few things around for a healthy meal. The overwintered salads are just about still going, although many have been pulled out now as they have bolted; perennial herbs such as lovage, chives and sorrel are tender and delicious; the overwintered chard in the tunnel has a new lease of life; and the early spinach planted in the tunnels a month ago is coming on well and ready to be picked.

I was given some dried elephant garlic bulbs just before Christmas, and we whacked the cloves in the small Acorn tunnel to see if it would do anything: and now it looks great! We will start picking and selling it as fresh stem garlic next week; it’s gorgeous milder flavour makes it perfect for using raw if you’re brave enough; otherwise lightly cooked or stir-fried, or used in pasta dishes. It’s also known as ‘wet’ garlic when picked this way and chefs love it – not to be confused with ‘wild garlic’ or ramsons, which are the broad-leaved plants with white flowers that adorn woodland floors and verges at this time of year, and have a less refined flavour. Try chopping fresh garlic into a salad with some spinach too for a feel-good spring treat: delicious with Tracklement’s mustard ketchup thinned with oil as a dressing, available from Hartley Farm Shop along with our produce!

Feeling the Chill

The obligatory hilarious carrot

Tasty turnips, parsnips & leeks

My motivation is currently dipping slightly, especially when surveying the fields and their mix of weeds and mud, and decaying summer plants. This time of year is always tricky when it comes to the outdoor stuff: the weather isn’t cold enough to kill off the fleshy weeds, or pests, and no hard frosts to make the mud hard to walk on (just nice and slippy when carrying heavy crops around); plus the moisture and occasional sun means that grass, chickweek and other weeds are hanging in there and even making a determined comeback. However, at this time of year with the end of outdoor leafy crops such as salad and spinach in sight, and frosts around the corner (hopefully) to take care of some weeds, it just doesn’t seem worth it to make the effort of weeding – especially as all the leafy crops would end up covered in mud at the end. So at the moment ir’s a case of averting your eyes, or looking at the weeds and mud as a sign of health, and habitat for wildlife (although this does take a time to adjust your perception).

Fortunately there are some good-looking crops to cheer us up: the beetroot has done well over in the newer back field this year, as have the leeks again, and parsnips are also looking good (despite accidentally sowing too thickly, I’m going all-out for baby parsnips to roast whole this year!). There’s still plenty of wildlife around too, for good or bad: I’ve spotted several of these leopard slugs around, and the one in the picture spent pretty much the whole day lasy Monday hanging around the outside of the module tunnel in the drizzle. Apparently they only eat dying vegetation, and even other slugs: although I find it difficult to trust any slug to do what it’s supposed to.

There are still lots of signs of pesky roe deer around too; just when the latest leaf beet crop was looking super-lush and ready to pick, the following day both ends had been attacked and scoffed by deer, with footprints and droppings in the soft ground giving them away. They’ve also been having another go at the late lettuce outside, drat them. Roll on the tunnel crops in a couple of weeks I say…