1) Start decreasing the slug population now- look under stones, pieces of wood or anything lying around the garden where slugs can hide. Get rid of them now before they can breed! Put “slug pubs” around the garden- shallow dishes of beer, or milk, jam or orange juice- the slugs will crawl in and drown but die happy!
Also halves of orange skin- eat the orange first!- upside down will attract slugs so you can dispose of them. Put the slugs on the bird table providing they can’t escape!
2) Sow cut and come again lettuce now, in the greenhouse or in a container in a cold frame or in a sheltered place. They are great for snipping with scissors when big enough and will keep coming for weeks. There is usually a variety of colours and types of lettuce in the packet and they look really good in a salad.
3) Garlic is really easy to grow. Buy a bulb, preferably from the garden centre, break it into cloves and plant outside in the garden or in tubs, about 5 inches or 12 and a half cm apart with the tops just showing. They’ll look after themselves. Harvest when the tops go yellow. There’s just time to sow now for this season. I put mine in in late autumn for a head start.
4) Spread compost over empty bits of soil, and the worms will take it down into the soil. Usually you will not have to dig the soil if it has been worked before, but just hoe or rake it over before planting or sowing.
5) Mulch plants in the garden or in pots with grass clippings, compost,or shredded newspaper. This will help to stop the plants drying out and decrease the need for watering.
We all know the benefits of growing some of our own food, so have a go, and don’t forget the Front Garden Veg challenge!
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