Starting tomatoes from seed is the best way to get plants already suited to the place where they will grow. Shop bought plants can be in shock. However, starting seeds indoors can be tricky especially when extra cold outside results in the house heating system being turned up. The lack of sunshine indoors and chills …Read More about Starting some tomatoes
Diary of a Brussels Kitchen Garden
Extreme Gardening
Gardening in the recent extreme conditions is not for the faint hearted. While Tuesday (20 March) was the spring equinox, the first day of spring, the Sunday before (18 March), was the coldest 18th March recorded in Belgium since records began in 1901. However, with some simple adaptations crops can be started in these conditions …Read More about Extreme Gardening
Starting spring salad
Mid March is the usual time for sorting out salad trays and containers in the hope of bright sunny days and light showers to produce an early summer harvest. With the extreme cold weather of the last few weeks and temperatures looking low for the next two weeks, it may be a struggle this year. …Read More about Starting spring salad
Start of Spring (after the shock)
Spring arrived with a shock on March 1st. With temperatures below zero and biting cold winds it was a dramatic start to the growing year. Snow by itself is generally not a big problem for over-wintering crops but the freezing temperatures, especially overnight, have frozen the ground solid. With rain forecast for most of March …Read More about Start of Spring (after the shock)
Starting summer chillis
With snow forecast for the weekend here, it may seem strange to be talking about growing chilli peppers. However, in the northern hemisphere, it is important to get chilli peppers started early in order to have any chance with the short summers. Between now and mid March is ideal for starting the seeds indoors with …Read More about Starting summer chillis
Growing potatoes in containers (part 2)
By Mark Willis. Images in article © Mark Willis. Most types of potato fall into one of three main categories related to their harvesting times. No prizes for guessing that a “First Early” type is normally harvested before a “Second Early” type! The term “Maincrop” also gives us a clue that this type is the …Read More about Growing potatoes in containers (part 2)