The Vegetable Plot – January

Rhubarb and mustard

A useful job this month is to dig over any plots that haven’t been dug and let the frosts break down the soil. Weather permitting as usual, plant rhubarb in the well manured, deeply dug soil. You can force rhubarb and seakale outdoors from late January. 

Grow mustard and cress sown every two weeks in succession indoors or in a heated greenhouse or frame at about 13°C (55°F). You can have home-grown lettuce, early cauliflower and cabbage grown in the same way. It’s useful to make a plan now for your crop rotation and jot down ideas for the coming year.

Crops in season you could be harvesting now include broccoli, Jerusalem artichoke, Brussels sprouts, celery, cauliflower, kale, leeks, parsnips, turnips, endive, spinach and Savoy cabbage. Grow early peas by placing a cloche over the growing area to warm the soil ready for sowing. 

Old gardeners used to make hot beds using manure to grow a variety of crops. Mulch asparagus beds with well rotted manure. Broad beans and peas can be sown in a sheltered position towards the end of the month and tomatoes sown in trays indoors will give you an early crop.  

• Harvest leeks and parsnips when you dig over beds 
• Chit potatoes in egg boxes 
• Sow French beans under glass for forcing, in a greenhouse in a heated propagator
• Remove the yellow leaves from winter brassicas
• Grow fresh mushrooms indoors with a mushroom growing kit
• Sow tomatoes in trays indoors for an early crop
• Start early peaches in a heated greenhouse