The Vegetable Plot – January

Time for a tidy up and a warm bed

So much depends on the weather at this time of the year but there should be slots to let you tidy the vegetable plot and recycle what you remove onto the compost heap.

You might consider using a drum composter which will reduce vegetable matter and kitchen waste to a fine compost in a matter of weeks, in time for the spring.

Given that you have dug over the plot you could be sowing broad beans and peas in a sheltered spot at the end of the month. First though, if you have a heated greenhouse or frame you could be sowing lettuce, early cabbage, cauliflower and mustard and cress, at about at about 13°C (55°F).

No greenhouse or frame? No worry, why not give building a hot bed a try using layers of manure built up to about 600mm in a timber frame. Layer on 15cm of mixed soil and compost. Place a cold frame on top (this could even be an old window hinged on a box frame). Do this in January or early February and in a few days it will heat up, allowing you to start sowing spring vegetables within about four days, no matter what the weather’s doing outside the frame