March Week 4: It's all about the potatoes...

As usual at this time of year I'm attempting to dig enough weedy space to plant potatoes. I don't know any other crop on the allotment that makes fellow holders offer as much advice. Techniques for selecting, digging and fertilizing are always offered, whether asked for or not.

Mr Middleton has advice I've never come across before. In the past I've often grown small potatoes that hardly seem worth peeling. I've longed for the large, baking kind that would see me right over the winter.

Apparently this is because I've been planting them with too many sprouts emerging. Mr Middleton says "sprouts reduced to two, unless you prefer a larger number of small potatoes". So I've had the knife to them and will report back on how this works out.

With his usual concessions to the north of England Mr Middleton is happy for potatoes to be planted from March Week 4. He also notes "some gardeners who have heavy land prefer to leave the digging of the potato patch until now and plant as they dig. There is something to be said for it, but under special circumstances". As anyone who's taken over an overgrown plot will know I'm claiming special circumstances on this one. As I'm in my fourth year I'm not sure how much longer I can though?

Just to join in with the potato advice I'd suggest Red Duke of York as a good all-rounder that does its best if you've got clay soil and plenty of slugs.

To contradict myself it's not just about potatoes at this time though. There's plenty of planting and sowing going on. Broadbeans are out started in newspaper pots and  peas have joined them. Parsnips are sown (fingers crossed) these were a no show last year.

The ritual of passing on strawberry plants continues. These thugs have currently taken over the whole area planned for cauliflowers.

Although I'm happy with my 2 inch cucumber plant Mr Middleton has expectations of comical proportions. He says "cucumbers will probably be 18 inches or so long and ready for a small stake".

Now that the days are longer and the sun is shining at least some of the time there's not a day goes by without sowing or planting something. Even if it's only five minutes filling a bucket with compost and sowing some carrot seeds. The gardening year's really begun and lets hope we all have a good year.

March Week 1: Coldframe convert

Getting an early start with sowing has had mixed results. It's hard to be excited about the wispy winter lettuce seedlings. One great success though is the sprouting peas out in the coldframe. Temperatures have lowered recently but this isn't stopping new shoots emerging.

Mr Middleton said I could even sow my first set of northern broad beans and these are just starting to stir.

I think he might be mellowing a little this week.

Mr Middleton says: "Potatoes are exotics. Do not plant them until the sun has made its influence felt in the soil". 

The sun has not made it's presence felt up here at all so it looks like they'll have to stay settled in egg boxes. He has given me a diagram of well-sprouted and badly-sprouted potatoes to ponder. I didn't know I could be judged on this! There's also some thrifty tips on cutting and multiplying before planting. But, that's for another day.

Although not popular with all gardeners this is a great time of year to burn weeds and woody waste that won't go in the compost.

Can't find Middleton's view but can't see him as an objector. Second choice on advice would be Monty Don, soon to return to BBC's Gardener's World. He is always prepared to justify a garden fire.

As all my allotment neighbours are fellow fire-starters a crackling fire as dusk sets in is a great way to enjoy this time of year.