Seeding, Seeding and more Seeding

Hello Everyone,

We hope you are all really well.
February is always the ‘sad syndrome month’. Alongside the times we are living, it can be tough when the weather is miserable and dull and lockdown is boring to say the least! But, we hear many of you are receiving your vaccinations…….absolutely delightful news. The light at the end of the tunnel is becoming brighter. Such exciting news.

The light during the day is also staying brighter. New shoots of flowers and leaves keep appearing as if by magic. This can always make you smile For a gardener, February is an exciting month……seeds are sown to start the new growing year. Here at Hexhamshire Organics the discussions have been had, the research analysed, the planning formed and the white board arranged. (Or so we would have you think as elements of the plan are constantly tweaked to accommodate the weather, people and pandemics).

Our lovely Lucy has been desperate to move into ‘the office’ (Greenhouse One and Two) since the beginning of the new year. She made it….and moved in last Monday. We do let Lucy out at home time!

Lucy, in the last week has sown Sixteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty seeds…Impressed?…we are. Seeds sown so far are: onions, red onions, spring onions, lettuces, leaves, aubergines, peppers, chillies, beetroot, celery and parsley. A huge start. However, there are still thousands more to do! The greenhouses look and feel amazing as the atmosphere inside is now warm with a muted sound instead of it being hollow and cold.

The start of our summer crops, aubergines, sweet peppers and chilli peppers, are all in propagators or on heat mats. This helps them germinate as they do need temperatures of up to 21*.

Both Greenhouses are now nearly full. We have created some extra room by taking the Broad Beans, which were sown earlier this year, into Polytunnel five. This is their eventual home, but we are ‘hardening off’ over the weekend. They will be planted out on Monday.

The spinach, again sown a few weeks ago, are all showing signs of life and popping through the compost. This is what makes the crew, Bob and I very happy….seeing the seeds grow. I often go and have my coffee stood in the Greenhouses and just look, willing them all on to grow. I think it works!

From now on the whole Crew will be going from Greenhouses toPolytunnels to Pond Field and back again. A huge rotation of seed trays, watering daily, lots of movement of seedlings, planting out and more sowing will increase our steps and exercise regime enormously. Always a good thing.

The ‘hoggin’ arrived (that is natural small stones to act as ground cover). The super Stu and the great Graham have both been very busy. They have levelled off ten tons of the stones at the entrance to The Green Field and also created a great path around the fruit cage. The muddy mess in the field entrance has been scraped away and now looks pretty neat with a blue stone carpet to actually walk on. However, more “hoggin” will be required to completely cover the muddy area. If this is as successful as we are hoping, all field entrances will have a load levelled. Next year will not be like the Somme and us having to wade through such a mess.

Thank you for all your orders, and for ordering before midday Tuesday. Always a great help. Have a good week.

I am now going to take up the baton from Lucy and off to the office for me.

Take care and Still Stay Safe,
Ann👩‍🌾