With Dick Robinson

Mad March, the month when gardeners are never sure about sowing outdoors, so much depends upon the weather. It can be fine, when the land works well, or, as many of us know, it can be deep in snow, freezing hard or raining cats and dogs, so it's hard to give advice, best left to the individual.  Having said this, we growers are always keen to get moving, and it's the Spring cabbages that are on the list.  Now is the time to give them a top-dressing of some form of nitrogen, this essential plant food encourages the growth of foliage and it's the leaves we eat from cabbages.  The old but reliable Sulphate of Ammonia is still my favourite, a sprinkling round the base of each plant is soon washed into the soil, where it is changed from Ammonia into nitrate by soil bacteria, and, after a few weeks, the plants grow and heart into those succulent greens so valuable at this time of year. Other forms of nitrogenous feeds are used, Nitro-chalk and its proprietary relations are good, especially on acid soils; the chalk part helps to sweeten the land, and, as Grandma used to say, "Eat up your cabbage, it's good for your teeth and bones!" Needless to say, I was not very keen on cabbage in those days, but have changed now.

I suppose as soon as the ground is fit, and the weather permits, the vegetable gardeners will be at work on the allotments, Summer cabbage, sprouts, cauliflowers, peas, carrots, parsnips, onions and salads all should go in.  I hope the soil temperatures allow this, but often it pays to wait a bit longer, especially on the colder clay areas of our County.  On sheltered borders in the old estate wall gardens, early potatoes were in by now, and those of us who have room in the cold glasshouse will be putting a few in large containers for those early Easter spuds.  Rocket is by far the best and earliest variety, just perfect for the glasshouse, and to go with it, now's the time to pot up a root or two of mint so that green sprigs are up and ready for the pan of lovely round Rocket tubers.  A reminder to blackcurrant growers to inspect the bushes for "big bud," and to remove any fat, swollen, round buds