Weather has not been good for weeks but I finally ventured up to the plot today to dig up the remaining parsnips. I was quite pleased as only a couple were forked to such an amount that they could not be used, they went on the compost. The rest came home, were prepped and put into the freezer.

The plot seems very bare at the moment, normally I would have a lot of overwintering growing going on but this year I decided not to do that. For a number of years in a row we had mild winters, no frost, and so over wintering did quite well. The last couple of years, including this one, we have had frosts which would have had killed off broad beans, for example, if I had planted them last year. So most of the soil is bare, prepped and ready for planting in. I raked over the bed with the rotted horse manure, just to help it along. I need to get some more for the other beds.

Garlic is growing well and the rhubarb has started to show for 2025.

Meanwhile, at home, I sowed spring onions, onions, and leeks and they germinated indoors. Within no time at all they have made a good start. While I have not done any over wintering on the plot, I have done so at home undercover with spring onions and onions sowed back in October and now starting to show signs of picking up a bit after the cold short days. I will possibly plant them out in a couple of weeks, just in time to use the cell trays for peas. Also at home I tidied up one of the raised beds ready for a later of compost to be put on top quite soon.