Job assignments for the month of February
**Preparing Your Allotment for the Upcoming Growing Season: A Guide to Essential Tools and Tasks**
As February arrives, gardeners across the UK begin to prepare their allotments for the upcoming growing season. Here's a guide to essential tools for February allotment jobs and some tips to help you get started.
**Essential Tools for February Allotment Jobs**
1. **Spade**: A sturdy spade is crucial for digging and turning over soil, especially in cold, hard ground. Look for a spade with a robust handle and a sharp, durable blade.
2. **Fork**: A garden fork is ideal for breaking up clods and aerating the soil without damaging its structure. Choose a fork with sturdy tines to handle tough soil conditions.
3. **Rake**: Rakes are essential for leveling and smoothing out the soil in prepared beds. Opt for a sturdy rake with strong tines to handle debris and soil.
4. **Pruners (Secateurs)**: Pruners are necessary for pruning shrubs, trees, and overgrown plants. Select pruners that are comfortable to grip and have sharp blades for clean cuts.
5. **Loppers**: Loppers are used for thicker branches and stems that pruners cannot handle. Choose loppers with long handles for extra leverage.
6. **Hoe**: Hoes are useful for weeding and cultivating the top layer of soil. Consider a draw hoe for removing weeds from the soil surface.
7. **Trowel**: Trowels are handy for planting small plants and bulbs. Use a deep trowel for planting deeper into the soil.
### Additional Tips - Mulch can help retain moisture and suppress weeds in prepared beds. - Start preparing compost to enrich your soil as the growing season progresses.
### Where to Find These Tools You can find these gardening tools at most gardening stores or online platforms like Amazon. For a more personalized approach, consider customized garden tools available on platforms like Etsy.
### Sowing and Harvesting Kale leaves can be harvested in February, with new side shoots appearing. Mizuna, rocket, and kale are winter salads that can be harvested in February. Mizuna and winter lettuce plants sown last autumn should be ready to harvest in February. Brussels sprouts, leeks, onions, and spinach can be sown under cover indoors. Tomatoes, globe artichokes, sprouting broccoli can be sown in a propagator indoors.
### Preparing Beds for Sowing Preparing beds for sowing is an important February allotment job. Sow broad beans under cover in peat-free compost, placing them in a cool, frost-free location such as an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Buy modules for sowing broad beans from Amazon, Crocus, and Thompson & Morgan.
### Pruning In February, prune old canes of autumn-fruiting raspberries to give new shoots time to grow and strengthen.
### Planting Rhubarb Plant rhubarb crowns in a bright, open position, incorporating rich, homemade compost, and let plants establish for two years before harvesting. Buy rhubarb crowns from Thompson & Morgan, Dobies, and Crocus.
### Tools Recommendations - Buy DeWit Solid Socket Spade from Crocus. - Buy Burgon and Ball RHS Border Fork from Crocus. - Buy Wilkinson Sword Stainless Steel Border Fork from The Range. - Buy Vonhaus 78L wheelbarrow from Vonhaus. - Buy Kent and Stowe Stainless Steel Digging Spade from Amazon.
### Mulching and Composting Incorporating homemade compost or composted manure while digging over the beds is recommended. Buy manure from Dobies, Amazon, and Suttons.
[1]: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ [3]: https://www.etsy.com/
Incorporating homemade compost into the beds as the growing season approaches can help enrich the soil and provide a good foundation for your home-and-garden lifestyle. As you prepare your allotment for sowing, remember to include garden tasks like pruning old canes of autumn-fruiting raspberries or starting the season by harvesting winter salads such as Mizuna and kale from your garden. To maintain your home-and-garden lifestyle, consider investing in gardening tools such as a DeWit Solid Socket Spade for digging, or a Burgon and Ball RHS Border Fork for breaking up clods. Additionally, gardening enthusiasts may appreciate personalized garden tools available on platforms like Etsy.
