Here is my estimated calendar featuring tasks and activities planned for each month.
Date | Tasks |
---|---|
5-20 Oct 2011 | Soil preparation. Removing vegetation from previous season. Double digging the first 2 meters of the plot closest to the road. Forking in compost on the remaining area. Covering the soil surface with black plastic to keep the soil warm through the winter. |
18 Nov 2011 | Outdoor sowing of broad beans Vicia fabia ‘Aqudulce Claudia’ and re-covering the area above seeds with fleece. |
15 Dec 2011 | Calculating the number of seeds needed for spaces allocated on the plot. Ordering seeds and sticks for beans and peas support. |
11 Jan 2012 | Building a small tunnel for broad beans seedling if they survived the winter. Building materials – fleece and wire. Recovering plot with fleece. Calculating how many bricks I will need for plot. Bringing bricks from the nursery. |
13 Jan 2012 | Setting up watering rota. |
20 Jan 2012 | Sowing replacement broad beans. |
1 Feb 2012 | Indoor sowing of Lathyrus odoratus ‘Cupani’ and ‘Albutt Blue’. Preparation of vegetable beds. Placing stepping stones in vegetable beds to set up an access points to the middle part of the plot which is difficult to reach from its borders. This will help to plant out and thin out plants, water them and weed without stepping on and damaging neighbouring plants. |
8 Feb 2012 | Outdoor planting of Allium cepa ‘Sturon’, Vicia faba ‘Masterpiece Green Long Pod’ (in case the autumn sown broad beans did not emerged or survived the winter) and Pisum sativa ‘Ambassador’. Covering seeds with fleece. |
15 Feb 2012 | Indoor sowing of Lobularia maritima ‘Rosie O’Day’, ‘Snow Carpet’ and ‘Easter Basket’ plus Ocimum basilicum ‘Crimson King’. |
16 Feb 2012 | Indoor sowing of Viola x hybrida ‘Mgnifico’ F1 Hybrid, Viola x wittrociana ‘True Blue’ F1 Hybrid and ‘Bingo Deep Purple’ F1 Hybrid plus Nicotiana tabacum ‘Evening Fragrance Mix’. |
22 Feb 2012 | Preparation of flower beds. Placing stepping stones in flower beds. |
29 Feb 2012 | Indoor sowing of Lathyrus odoratus ‘Cupani’ and ‘Albutt Blue’ (these plants will serve as replacement if outdoor sown sweet peas fail to germinate). |
1 March 2012 | Building a fence round the plot. Using birch as fencing material. Building support for sweet peas. Weeding. |
8 March 2012 | Outdoor sowing of Beta vulgaris ‘Bolthardy’, Lathyrus odoratus ‘Cupani’ and ‘Albutt Blue’ plus Lupinus elegans ‘Pink Fairy’. Covering seeds with fleece. |
14 March 2012 | Pricking out of Lobularia maritima ‘Rosie O’Day’, ‘Snow Carpet’ and ‘Easter Basket’ plus Ocimum basilicum ‘Crimson King’. |
15 March 2012 | Pricking out of Viola x hybrida ‘Mgnifico’ F1 Hybrid, Viola x wittrociana ‘True Blue’ F1 Hybrid and ‘Bingo Deep Purple’ F1 Hybrid plus Nicotiana tabacum ‘Evening Fragrance Mix’. |
16 March 2012 | Outdoor sowing of Lettuca sativa ‘Dazzle’ and Ocimum basilicum ‘Crimson King’. Thinning out of Centaurea cyanus ‘Blue boy’ and Nigella demascena ‘Miss Jekyll’. Weeding. Rechecking the support for peas and beans. Setting up watering arrangement for the time I will be away to Poland. |
19 March 2012 | Flying away to Poland. Coming back on 6 April 2012. |
10 Apr 2012 | Starting of acclimatising violas, nicotiana and sweet peas to outdoor conditions. Weeding. Thinning of Beta vulgaris ‘Bolthardy’. |
18 Apr 2012 | Planting out of Ocimum basilicum ‘Crimson King’ and Nicotiana tabacum ‘Evening Fragrance Mix’. |
19 Apr 2012 | Planting out of Viola x hybrida ‘Mgnifico’ F1 Hybrid, Viola x wittrociana ‘True Blue’ F1 Hybrid and ‘Bingo Deep Purple’ F1 Hybrid . Planting out sweet peas. |
25 Apr 2012 | Thinning out of Beta vulgaris ‘Bolthardy’ and Lupinus elegans ‘Pink Fairy’. Removing growing tips on sweet peas. Thinning out of Lettuca sativa ‘Dazzle’ and Ocimum basilicum ‘Crimson King’. Pest and disease control. This will involve regular observation of seedlings and plants for signs of disease or pest infestation and taking appropriate measures when required. It will be carried out throughout the growing season on Tuesdays. |
26 Apr 2012 | Weeding. Planting out of Lobularia maritima ‘Rosie O’Day’, ‘Snow Carpet’ and ‘Easter Basket’. Rechecking the support for sweet peas, green peas and beans. |
9 May 2012 | Weeding. Pinching off tops of Vicia faba ‘Masterpiece Green Long Pod’ (when in full flower) to encourage the plant to produce more pods. |
23 May 2012 | Weeding. Rechecking the support for peas and beans. |
29 May 2012 | Checking the support for peas and beans. Reattaching plants to the support if necessary. |
13 June 2012 | Weeding. |
15 June 2012 | Plot viva. |