APRIL HAS BEEN A VERY COLD MONTH, NIGHT TEMPERATURES VERY LOW SO SPRING GROWTH HAS BEEN MUCH SLOWER THAN IN NORMAL YEARS. SEED SOWING IS IN FULL PRODUCTION BUT GERMINATION IS SOMEWHAT ERRATIC AND TOO MUCH TIME IS SPENT FLEECING THE TENDER VARIETIES TO PROTECT AGAINST THE COLD NIGHTS. HOWEVER IT IS NECESSARY.
PLANT AVAILABILITY HAS BEEN HIT VERY HARD THIS YEAR, MANY VARIETIES ARE JUST NOT BEEN OFFERED TO ME AT PRESENT, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CHANGE AS THE WEATHER WARMS UP AND MAXIMUM GROWING CONDITIONS CAN BE ACHIEVED.
HERBS ARE ALSO IN SHORT SUPPLY AT PRESENT, I DO STILL HAVE A GOOD SELECTION BUT NOT AS EXTENSIVE AS IN ‘NORMAL’ YEARS! I HAVE A LOT OF SEEDLINGS SO DURING MAY STOCK LEVELS WILL IMPROVE. JUST WAITING FOR THE SUN TO SHINE AND THE NIGHTS TO BE WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DURING APRIL!
REMEMBER TO PROTECT ALL TENDER PLANTS & SEEDLINGS, EVEN A GREENHOUSE WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT UNLESS YOU CAN FLEECE THE PLANTS ETC. THE KITCHEN GARDEN IS BEST LEFT UNPLANTED UNTIL THE WEATHER IMPROVES, NEW GROWTH WILL BE DEVASTATED BY COLD NIGHTS.
