Mr McGregor: New Crops For The Allotment

Now I have prepared the soil ready for my new winter crops and at last my time has come to get my fingers dirty. I have been at the garden centre running around to get to the seed section and my eyes just widen with the choice that is on offer to me. I have been good this time and not got carried away with myself, I have picked out 5 essentials that I know my household can’t live without; oriental cabbage, carrots, kohl rabi, turnips and spring cabbage, which will look lovely in May to June time.

Here is how I have sown a couple of them:

 With the spring cabbage I have sown them into a well dug and raked seed bed before transplanting them into their final growing positions. Sown in rows about 9 inches apart and half an inch deep they will germinate well over the months, ready for me to thin out to leave a small gap between each seedling. I will have to keep thinning them out as they grow to maintain a space between them at all times.

The turnip is so easy to sow, they only need to be sown thinly, half an inch at the deepest in rows around 24 -30 inches apart. When spacing the crops in the row leave a space between 4 to 6 inches giving them enough room to grow to their maximum growth.

Enjoy sowing some winter crops

Mr McGregor