Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
What to harvest
Beetroot, broccoli (sprouting), cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery,
chard, coriander, daikon, kohlrabi, lettuce, pak choi, radishes, rocket, spinach,
spring onions, turnips.
April
For gardeners April has always been a month for dodging showers as the outdoor
beds get going, but tunnel gardeners don't have to stop work because of a sudden
downpour. Rather than tackling all those oh-so-urgent polytunnel jobs at the
start of the day, make a start on your outdoor tasks first; if it rains you can retreat
to the tunnel and do your work there piecemeal, returning outdoors as soon as
the rain stops.
Andy says:
“The inside of a polytunnel is spectacularly noisy when it rains, and being
in a balmy tunnel fiddling around with seeds and trays of young plants
while it hammers down outside is definitely one of my favourite things.”
Lots of seed varieties can be sown direct into the polytunnel's soil beds in April
as well as in modules, but for some the soil temperature is critical. The rate at
which the soil warms up mostly depends on how much sunshine there has been,
although you can speed it up a bit by covering the soil with black plastic or fabric.
Until you develop the knack of judging things for yourself, invest in a soil therm-
ometer. These are inexpensive and should last for years.
What to sow
Broccoli (sprouting), cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, coriander, courgettes,
cucumbers, dwarf French and French beans, fennel, kohlrabi, lettuce, melon
and watermelon, radishes, rocket, spinach, spring onions, strawberries.
What to harvest
Broad beans, broccoli (sprouting), cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery,
chard, coriander, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, radishes, rocket, spinach, spring onions,
strawberries, turnips.
