The first day of spring

The meteorological winter is now over. Today is the first day of spring! It's starting to feel a bit more springlike too. It will be a while yet before the hedgerows green over but there are catkins on the hazel, the buds are bursting on the hawthorn and the blackthorn looks like it will soon be in flower. My rhubarb crowns have also woken up and one is now covered by a terracotta pot to force some tender pink stems.

The allotment remains just about in its winter stasis, although I'm certain the annual weeds will soon start to germinate. I'm about on track - just - and another dry weekend should see everything ready at the plot for the next few weeks of frantic digging and sowing.

I took delivery of my four newest fruit trees in February and they are now planted and tied in. Three apples grown as oblique cordons on MM106 rootstock (Scrumptious, Pitmasten Pineapple and Christmas Pippin) and Pear Concorde on Quince A rootstock. The pear is to be grown (hopefully) as a three-tiered espalier. It is currently a twig about 45 cms tall, which is dwarfed by the post and wire support against which it is planted, and is a long way from the elaborate framework of laterals and spurs I hope to create. I intend to track its progress on camera and show how an espalier tree can be created quite easily with a bit of time and know-how.

I've also completed the greenhouse glazing and it now houses the first sowings of the year. I have put one of those mini greenhouse frames inside and replaced the ususal plastic cover with fleece. I have two types of broad bean (Stereo and Crimson Flowered), onions (Santero and Lilia) and the first sowing of leeks (Musselburgh) in module trays. It has been quite grey and cold with limited sunshine but I'm hoping their coccoon of fleece, within a larger greenhouse, should keep the temperature just about warm enough for germination. Nothing was showing after a week so I'll check again tomorrow.

My potatoes are chitting nicely indoors - Anya, Red Duke of York, Charlotte and Rooster - and I might try a few Anya in pots in the greenhouse soon. That way I should have some small salad spuds by June and before I am ready to lift the Red Duke of York from the outside beds. As ever, timing is critical to ensure that the indoor crops get a head start and can then be put outside or harvested before the space is required for more tender subjects.

The final update is that I have now converted my old poly frame into a brassica cage. I had already netted it bar one end. This enabled the pigeons to fly in and gobble some savoy cabbages. They are now fully enclosed by pigeon-proof netting and I hope the damage is just cosmetic. In the next few weeks they should heart-up and give us some tasty greens.