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CLEARING UP AFTER STORMS

4/1/2014

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It's all so depressing, isn't it? It seems hard to imagine that only 2 years ago we were desperately worrying about drought.

There is a limit to what you can achieve in the current conditions, but there are some things that are worth putting the wellies on and snatching any dry spell for - apart from rescuing your damaged shed or clearing up broken glass!

Get out some stout canes and string and stake up brassicas which have been blown flat. Where they have wobbled about there will be a hole surrounding the stem. Once you have secured the roots in the ground with a stake, use your boot to firm the soil back well and fill in that hole. This will give you the best chance of salvaging a crop later in spring.
Picture
Windswept purple kale - but the roots are still in the ground thanks to the canes.
Leeks don't mind the wet, but if you're actually flooded, they may rot. If you can dig a channel to take the excess water away, then do so.

We haven't had much frost yet - though one expects it will come. Check root crops - beetroot, swede, carrots etc, even parsnips. It may be worth lifting them and storing them somewhere dry till you can use them. Parsnips are fully hardy but will rot if the ground they are in is waterlogged. Cerleriac is a marsh plant and will probably be OK - let us know your experience at the end of the season. We will be collating people's results and tips after the worst of the weather is over.

You may have lost your garlic. The good news is that, hopefully, the seed shed will have supplies for spring planting. Or you can put some in cell trays to root now - supermarket garlic is OK and better than nothing.
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    Kent's climate is drier, hotter and has a longer growing season than the average for the UK. Advice in gardening books may not fit Kent. This blog has local tips on what will grow and when to do garden jobs.

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