Planting Outside crops

Even in winter there is planting to be done. In the last week we have planted 2x 70m rows of Jerusalem Artichokes, and just before Christmas (an on Christmas Day) I planted 100 Rhubarb sets. Both these crops are in the ground for a long time so we have begun to mulch them with straw to help suppress the weeds.

Also planted in December were broad beans that were previously sown in module trays in November. Over wintered broad beans are always a few weeks earlier than spring sown ones but it is always a gamble as to whether they will survive. In previous years autumn sowings of beans direct into the ground have failed to make it through the winter. So far the method of transplanting from trays seems to have worked well.