Grow It Yourself - March

There’s a wise old GIYer I know who says that the “sap starts to rise” in gardeners in March. It’s an odd expression and I yet I completely get what he means by it. The sap is of course starting to rise in plants, but it feels like something is stirring inside us GIYers too – spring is in the air everywhere we look and the desire to get out there and stick your hands in the soil is palpable.

They say that when soil is broken by a spade or fork it releases endorphins – this might explain why GIYers are such a happy bunch, we’re basically high on soil all the time. True or not, there is something that I’ve noticed over six seasons of GIYing – I have started to be more in tune with the seasons. When you grow your own vegetables you sort of have to be.

Mother Nature has her own pace and it’s a (sometimes maddeningly) slow, methodical, inexorable one – she refuses to be rushed. Every year my excitement gets the better of me and I sow seeds in January and February but it is only now in March that they will germinate and sprout in to action. It’s GIY time folks. The sap is rising!

GIY Week takes place March 12th to 19th and there will be events happening all over Ireland – for more information visit www.giyireland.com.

Things to do this month

To Do

Continue to prepare ground – there is still time to prepare a plot to grow veg this year. Fork or rake over existing beds, breaking up large clods of earth. Cover new seedlings with fleece if a frost is due. Start your daily slug patrols and lay beer traps. Don’t let new-season weeds take over – get on top of them with weekly hoeing.

Sow

Indoors: lettuce, aubergine, peppers, cucumbers, celery, celeriac, sweet corn, basil, leeks, summer cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, parsley, courgette, French beans.

Sow outdoors or under cover: broad beans, red cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, onions, leeks, turnip, peas, radishes, early lettuce, asparagus. Plant your first early seed potatoes, as soon as weather conditions allow.

Harvest

The efficient GIYer thumbs their nose at the notion of a hungry gap and this month is enjoying (from the ground and from storage) onions, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, some varieties of lettuce, mint, sprouting broccoli, kale, rhubarb, chard, the first of the spring cauliflowers and cabbage, and spinach (perpetual, spinach beet).


Recipe of the Month – Potato and Leek Soup

Ok, this isn’t the most glamourous of recipes but March is a traditional “Hungry Gap” month, so file this under “P” for practical. If you had a good growing year last year, there’s a strong chance that you will still have access to the core ingredients of this soup - leeks from the ground, potatoes and onions from stores.

Ingredients:

• 400g leeks, sliced (white part only)
• 450g potatoes, diced
• 100g onions, diced
• 900ml chicken stock
• 40g butter

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the veg and season generously. Cover and sweat on a low heat for 10 minutes. Make sure the veg are soft. Add the stock and bring to the boil, simmering for about 5 minutes. Liquidise until smooth. You can add a little milk or cream if you wish. This makes an incredibly quick and tasty lunch served with some crusty bread.


Tip of the Month – GIYing with Kids

Kids make fantastic GIYers – they are enthusiastic, hard working and they don’t have the hang-ups about the process that we adults sometimes do! Teaching your kids to grow their own food gives them an invaluable life-skill. Here’s 5 tips for GIYing with kids.

1. Kids love sowing seeds, particularly the bigger ones like peas and beans. They also love getting their hands mucky!

2. Pick fruit and vegetables that are fast growing so that they see a quick return – radishes are a good example

3. GIY Fact – kids will often try vegetables they wouldn’t normally touch if they have been involved in growing them!

4. Top GIY activities for kids – sowing seeds, digging and watering

5. Top GIY crops for Kids – carrots, peas, strawberries and beans


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Michael Kelly is a freelance journalist, author and founder of GIY Ireland.

GIY is a registered charity that inspires people to grow their own and gives them the skills they need to do so successfully. There are 80 GIY groups around Ireland and 6,000 GIYers involved.

For more tips, information and support visit www.giyireland.com.

© GIY Ireland 2011 – all rights reserved.