Planning for a New Growing Year
Happy new year!
So, it’s January first and you are itching to start growing something. That new year feeling really ignites idle hands in me. Alas, now is not the time to go and start sowing seeds, unless you want to plant some broad beans and garlic. The light might be starting to slowly creep back, but the word there is SLOWLY. We are still very much at the beginning of the winter season, Dec 22- March 20. I don’t really start sowing seeds until the second week in February. Even then, I have grow lights and heat mats.
So, why don’t we sow seeds in Winter?
Many seeds have chemical dormancy, this prevents them from germinating. Seeds that are planted outside too soon will not germinate due to the cold temperatures. With lack of light and warmth, seedlings are prone to damping off. A disease which causes them to collapse and die. There’s not enough air flow or light to make the seedlings strong enough to battle it. That’s why people that start early use artificial lights and warmth…a fan is great too.
I speak to a lot of new gardeners and the main thing they feel is overwhelm. They get overwhelmed with all of the information, a lot of it is conflicting. People starting seeds in January, others telling you not to plant in January. What tools do I need? How big will that get? It’s all just A LOT.
Make a list, then I want you to be brutal with it!
Think of these points:
What do you actually like to eat? Trying new varieties is awesome, but in your first year I would stick to what you are going to eat. This saves on waste and helps hone your skills.
What do you have time to tend? Look at the care for each plant and genuinely consider how much of your time it will take up looking after it. You may want to grow 15 varieties of tomato, but have you got time to constantly remove the suckers and tie them in?
What do you have space for? Look at each variety and see its final growing space needs. The time it needs to be in the ground. People often get bamboozled by this one most. Especially with squash plants. They are HUGE. Garlic is around for 6-8 months, just think about it.
How many do you actually need of each variety? Can you stagger planting instead? I know from personal experience that I don’t need four types of courgette. SO MANY COURGETTES! TAKE THEM FROM ME. Also, planting 8 cabbages at the same time. What do you need 8 cabbages for? Can you process them? When we get further in to planting I will talk about succession sowing. But at the moment, focus on your list.
What can you afford? All those seeds on your list add up pretty quickly. Trust me, I know. I am like a magpie when it comes to seeds. *Adds to basket* So here I want you to really think if you NEED it. Those tomato varieties might be really pretty, but do you need all those different varieties?
Once you’ve looked through these points and vetted your list. It’s time to make a plan.
Time to make a plan
Being organised is the key to having a successful garden. I like to make a plan for each month, so I never have a bare space in my beds. When we get further in to planting I will talk about succession sowing. But at the moment, focus on your list. It takes time and effort, but the effort is worth it. Of course, things will fail to germinate, or get eaten by pests etc. Alas, going in with the right intentions and knowing you are on track will help in the long run.
So, key takeaways for your growing plan:
Plant what you like to eat
Plant what you have time to look after
Plant what you have the space for
Plant no more than you need
Plant what you can afford
SMALL SPACE
If I only had a 1x1 metre space to grow in, I would plant fast growing crops to yield as much out of the space as I could. Things like spring onions, radishes, lettuce, spinach, carrots, peas and dwarf beans. I’d think about growing vertically, attaching a trellis to one or two sides. I’d steer away from long crops that take up space, like potatoes, onions, squash and garlic. Winter squash would be out of the question unless it was a small variety you could train upwards, or allow to sprawl along the ground.
MEDIUM SIZED SPACE
If I had 1 large raised bed or a few medium sized ones, I’d plant a mixture of fast performing crops interplanted amongst the longer cropping ones. You could plant onions in one single line down the middle of the bed. This would leave space to plant either side. I’d think vertically again, peas on a trellis, cucumber on a trellis, tomatoes trained to a trellis. I’d still consider minimising space taking crops. Things like broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash and cabbages have a wide perimeter. So, think about their long-term space needs before making your final decisions.
LARGE SIZED SPACE
When it comes to a large area, planning is also key. You don’t want to become overwhelmed. It’s a lot to keep on top of. I now have 269sqM of growing space on my allotment. It can become pretty daunting. Try and plant things that look after themselves, so you can focus on the faster paced things. Things like brassicas, sweetcorn, potatoes, root crops, winter squash and herbs need little attention. You can then focus on things like summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. These things need monitoring and harvesting regularly.
Here you can view my planting plan for the year, it obviously won’t be the exact same as what you will create. But hopefully it will help you to see the sorts of things to do each month and how I go about my plan.
My January:
Start buying compost
Plant bare root fruit
Clean all tools, trays, pots and lids
Clean and sort heat mats and grow lights
Weed allotment
Weed between garlic
Sort seeds for Feb sowing