A year in the life of the HSL

March

• Last stages of distributing the seed to our members
• Distribution period ends March 31st, or thereabouts
• Focus is on beginning to sow the bulk of the plants (for seed or trialing for the year) in the greenhouse
• Sending out or Orphans List to Seed Guardians, so they can choose what varieties they wish to grow for that year
• Beds are prepared
• Broad beans sown outside
• Spring Seed News sent out (In future Seed news will be an electronic publication)

April

• Less hardy plants are now beginning to be sown in the glasshouse, typically runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) and the French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
• The long season of watering begins
• Peas get sown outside towards the end of the month
• Supports are being put up ready for runners, peas, and climbing French beans
• Grass cutting open season

May

• Biennials that have been overwintering in pots are moved to their final position where they will flower over the next few months
• Maggots liberated from angling shop for use in pollinating carrots, brassicas, and onions
• Bare soil sown with green manures
• Planting out continues, eg. beans
• Staking biennials which put up flower stalks
• Pest season really takes off
• Begin any hand pollinating that's needed
• May need to isolate biennials coming into flower

June

• Show season upon us
• Watch for caterpillars
• Pinching out tomatoes
• Hand pollinating squashes
• Harvesting sorrel
• Summer Seed News sent out (In future Seed news will be an electronic publication)

July

• More maggots needed for pollinating biennials
• Multiplier onions are harvested
• Some brassicas dry enough to harvest
• Remove dead leaves from beans
• Sow biennials for flowering next year
• Begin to harvest peas
• Feed tomatoes with comfrey

August

• Begin to harvest french beans
• Overwintering green manures can begin to be sown
• Harvest celeriac seed
• Letters to Seed Guardians asking what they are growing for next year
• Harvest radish
• Tomato harvesting & cleaning begins
• Lettuce harvesting
• Podding peas and beans
• Beetroot seed is harvested
• More biennials to flower next year are sown

September

• Seed saving Course is this month
• Lots of harvesting - Achocha, Peppers, runner beans, carrots, squashes
• Lots of seed cleaning!
• Last chance for green manures outside
• Autumn Seed News sent out (In future Seed news will be an electronic publication)

October

• Still harvesting - aubergines, leeks, onions, now as well
• Packeting seed begins

November

• Tidying up outside
• Still cleaning and packeting

December

• Catalogue sent out.
• Cleaning and packeting.

January

• Preparing beds
• Distribution period begins
• Some varieties chosen for growing this year
• Any polytunnels to be put up begins now
• Greenhouse cleaned

February

• Multipliers sown
• First weeding in tunnels
• Compost and manure put on beds
• Pancake Day!
• Sowing in incubator
• Electric fence put out

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