This year I’m getting compost as and when I need it (which at this time of year is frequently). They have a special deal at our local independent garden centre on compost when you buy 3 bags, so I’m buying 3 bags at a time. However with so many seedlings to sow and especially prick out, 3 bags doesn’t last long, as I’m sure you can imagine. Maybe when I go tomorrow I’ll buy 6 bags.

The wind is coming from the north east today so it rather bitey, so I think the best place for me to have been today is in the greenhouses, which I was. There was lots of pricking out to do, and I still have more to do, but here goes on what I did today…….

I started with pricking out my mixed Lettuce and Endives. These I did in little groups of 3 or 4. You don’t have to be exact, but as I pick the leaves off both these as and when I need them, then they don’t need to be pricked out individually. I’ll sow some more Lettuce seeds this coming week so that when this lot are done I have more to replace them.

Here’s a little video that will hopefully help you…..

Then it was on to the Kohl Rabi and Autumn Broc seedlings. They weren’t quite large enough last weekend, but they have enjoyed the warmer weather so have grown enough. These I pricked out the same as I have done all my other brassicas. They are a rather odd vegetable, and not particularly well know, but they are so tasty and easy to grow they need much more recognition than they have at the moment. Maybe I should start a Kohl Rabi revolution?

Here’s a little video I made a few years ago which has all the information you need about pricking out brassicas…..

The first lot of Parsley was also ready to prick out, and just like the Lettuce I pricked them out into little clumps of 3 or 4 seedlings together. I’ll sow some more very soon, but Parsley is a biennial, which means it grows leaves the first year and then flowers and sets seed the following year. So it’s wise to sow some every year and then you’ll get a good supply. Whether you have flat leaf or curly treat them exactly the same.

Then the final job for the day was to start (and see how far I got with) pricking out the Hollyhocks. Last year I bought home a load of seed heads from clients gardens, dried the seed heads in my garage, sowed some about 3 weeks ago and now they need pricking out. I do love Hollyhocks, they are just so majestic swaying in the breeze. They do grow very tall, but are perfect for a cottage garden display. It’s not too late to sow any, but if you want to order small plants then you can. They are perennials so will come back year after year and just get bigger.

I didn’t quite finish pricking them all out as I ran out of compost, and anyway it was getting late and I had to go and wash all the dirt off my hands before I went bell ringing. Still a great day in the greenhouses. Monday is a half day so I’ll buy more compost and then carry on. Got to film the April edition tomorrow as well so I’d better got and charge my microphone. The greenhouses are filling up nicely….so glad I have 3 of them.

Hope you all have a wonderful and happy week.

Claire xxx