February 2022 Harvest Summary

Weight: 746g

Total for main garden crops: £4.57

Herbs: £2

Red veined sorrel, winter salad leaves £2

Garden produce price: £8.57

TOTAL SHOP/MARKET PRICE £8.57

Garden crops	Weight g	Shop price
Brassica leaves	239	£0.41
Brussels sprouts	187	£2.06
Sprouting broccoli	154	£1.54
Cavolo nero	68	£0.56

February 2021 Harvest Summary

Weight: 1.090kg

Total for main garden crops: £6.66

Herbs: £2.50
Red veined sorrel, wild garlic, celery leaves: £5

Garden produce price: £14.16

TOTAL SHOP/MARKET PRICE £14.16

Garden crops	Weight g	Shop price
Cabbage leaves/broad bean tops	323	£0.55
Babington's leeks	229	£0.92
Sprouting broccoli	199	£1.99
Cavolo nero	133	£1.00
Kale/kalettes	120	£1.20
Swiss chard	58	£0.44
Pea shoots	28	£0.56

February 2020 harvest summary

Weight: 1.054kg

Total for main garden crops: £8.92
Herbs: £2

Garden produce price: £10.92

TOTAL SHOP/MARKET PRICE £10.92

Garden crops	Weight g	Shop price
Cavolo nero	279	£2.10
Purple sprouting broccoli/sprouting brassicas	271	£2.95
Cabbage/brassica leaves	204	£1.02
Brussels sprouts	130	£0.26
Pak choi	88	£1.76
Kale/curly kale	58	£0.58
Celery	24	£0.25

February 2019 in pictures

February turned out to be a very strange month. We had a spell of unusually warm weather, which made it very tempting to start sowing outdoors. Bearing in mind that we had heavy snow falls in March last year, it was a temptation that was best resisted and we stuck to starting off veg seeds in modules indoors. 

The remaining cabbages were starting to form nice compact heads and there were some Brussels sprouts left. With outdoor temperatures increasing, temporarily at least, the brassicas and kales all started to bolt, and some even began to form seed heads. So there won't be any more solid heads of cabbage from the current plants. Looking on the bright side, though, we do have a steady supply of spring greens, sprouting "broccoli" type flowers, and plenty of young chard.  

The strawberry plants were flourishing and the weather was ideal for thinning out the plants and runners. They've been potted up for sharing with friends and local food growing groups.  

February 2019 harvest summary

Weight 1.098 kg

Salad leaves: £1 
Herbs: £2
Total for main garden crops: £5.02

Garden produce price: £8.02

TOTAL SHOP/MARKET PRICE £8.02

Garden crops	Weight g	Shop price
Cavolo nero	157	£1.18
Sprouting broccoli	90	£0.78
Babington's leeks	103	£0.89
Brussels sprouts	360	£0.75
Swiss chard	83	£0.65
Cabbage/brassica leaves	317	£0.65

February 2018 Harvest Summary

Weight   1.442 kg

Garden harvest shop/market price £7.85

TOTAL SHOP/MARKET PRICE £7.85

Garden crops	Weight g	Shop price
Brussels sprout	528	£0.60
Babington's leeks	240	£1.20
Brassica leaves	234	£0.25
Cavolo nero	204	£1.50
Curly kale	134	£1.34
Celery	54	£0.20
Spring onions	40	£0.60
Pea shoots	8	£0.16
Herbs - estimate £2.00

February 2017 - garden ticking over

February is generally a quiet month in the garden with most things ticking over quite nicely on their own. Adding to and turning the compost heap is just about the only regular job at this time of year and we are usually joined by some of the birds hoping to get an easy meal from the disturbed pile. This cheeky little robin was one of several regular visitors.

The winter greens are still producing but some of the cavolo nero was starting to sprout. We picked some to steam along with the leaves but we generally leave a few to flower so that we can collect seed from them in later months. As we start most crops in seed trays indoors we don't need need to free up the ground straightaway for the new seasons plants.

Indoors, one of my tasks is to test the viability of the older pea seeds in the Reading Food Growing Network's seed swap boxes. Once they have germinated I plant them in seed pans and put them on the kitchen windowsill for pea shoots. I usually get about three cuts from them before the stems start to toughen up. By that stage, the weather is often about right for planting them out into the garden to grow as normal pea plants.

I went on a willow weaving workshop run by Five a Day Market Garden in Englefield. I attended a similar event last year. The willow wigwam I made last year has lost its colours (see the photo below on the left) but is still good for another year at least. I was more adventurous with the design for this year's effort (wigwam on the right). I'm still not sure where I am going to put it but I'll have to make my mind up soon so that I can plan the plantings around it.

And meanwhile, at the the front of the house, the daffodils are about to burst into life and the crocuses are adding a welcome bit of colour as well as providing food for the insects.

February 2017 harvest summary

Garden harvest total 1.042 kg

Garden harvest shop/market price £7.36

TOTAL SHOP/MARKET PRICE £7.36

Garden crops	Weight g	Shop price
Cavolo nero	610	£4.12
Brussel sprouts	318	£1.13
Parsnips	280	£0.56
Curly kale	106	£0.85
Swiss chard	88	£0.70

February 2014, Windowsill gardening

As the rain and gale force winds continue here in Caversham outdoor gardening and even general tidying up is impossible. There is still plenty to do indoors: planning the sowing calendar and checking through the catalogues for seeds I've forgotten to order. In any case, it is the time of year for starting off some of the plants and vegetables indoors. Potatoes are chitting on the kitchen windowsill alongside the Babingtons leeks that I have started off in pots. The kiwi plant - 'Jenny', a self fertile variety - has arrived but will have to stay on the sill until there is a lull in the stormy weather and we can plant it out. 

On my office window sill I have sown the chilli seeds in a propagator. The varieties I am growing this year include:

• Habanero Fatali HHH+ "Brightyellow, very hot, fruity"
• AJI Pulsar HH "Nearly white, erect fruit turn orange then red. Low growing"
• Bulgarian carrot HHH "Hot and fruity "Carrot coloured and shaped"
• Nepalese Bell H-HHH "Jumbo sized version of Friars hat" [Friars Hat - "2" (5cm) flange shaped fruits. Slow to mature but worth it. Heat strength variable."]
• Habanero 7 pot yellow HHHH+ "Fruits mature pale yellow with wonderful flavour"
• Scotch Bonnet Bahamian Goat HHH "Pale green, slightly ribbed, fruit ripen peach/orange"

All came from Simpsons Seeds.

Next onto the windowsill will be the aubergines.