Things you should be doing this week in the garden!

Sgt Pepper 64

I thought I would start this little thread offering advice about what needs to be done in the garden this week.
Feel free to add to it

1/ Sow tomatoes. Not too late for this. Put them somewhere warm so they germinate quickly, as with most seeds, they don't need light at this first stage

2/ Sow spuds in bags. You can buy specialised bags to use or just buy a 50 or 70 litre compost bag, empty it all out except for a third into a spare bucket for later, roll down the sides and put a few drainage holes in the bottom.
Now just put 2 seeds spuds in, cover and water in well.

3/ sow sweet peas into long pots like roottrainers or use loo rolls.

4/ Now is the time to divide up clumps of perennials like phlox, crososmia and heleniums. Yay free plants! Just slice off chunks of be bold and split in the middle

5/ Order and plant bare root roses - much cheaper

6/ Plant bare root fruit, such as raspberry canes. This is probably the last chance to do it.

7/ top dress pots. Scrape out the old top layer of compost and add fresh, they will thank you for it with more growth and blooms.

8/ reactivate your compost. turn the whole thing over, and add an activator like comfrey juice or a shop bought one. Seaweed also works apparently!

9/ Start sowing salad leaves, lettuce, rocket and herbs like coriander

10/ Good time to plant a new hedge. On heavy soils, they establish better now its a bit warmer than in autumn or winter

Happy gardening!