“To everything there is a season, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…. a time to break down, and a time to build up…..a time to weep, and a time to laugh ….a time to get, and a time to lose…..” (King James Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Food growing, allotmenteering: a science or an art? Or a bit of both? What kind of knowledge do we need to acquire in order to be effective ‘good’ gardeners? How do we know when to start sowing this new season? How do we learn from our mistakes and other people’s successes so there is more laughing and satisfaction and less weeping and frustration?

So what is the ‘right’ time to get started in this new season? What should you be doing first? Hopefully you got all your ground preparation done last year, and your gorgeous soil is ready under cardboard or mulch, just waiting for some warmth (aren’t we all….). Maybe you sowed some sweet peas and broad beans last month; that often works well for crops a few weeks earlier than those sown next month, but this year the last weeks have been so cold their growth will have been checked and you risk them dying, or struggling and getting too leggy. Maybe you are having pangs of regret for what you haven’t done! If you still haven’t pruned your soft or top fruit you will probably be aware that you are really (too) late now! Early spring isn’t the time; that’s when scientific knowledge comes in. Bushes and trees will already be putting on growth so you’ll be pruning away all that new energy that would otherwise be going into fruit buds. Similarly, if you never got around to cutting hedges and pruning hedgerow trees, you’re fast running out of time. We share our plots with other living beings and from the beginning of March birds are prospecting for nests. ‘Wild birds’ nests are protected from intentional damage, destruction or removal when they are in use or being built’ (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981); ie. you’re breaking the law to cut now if there’s any signs of activity! There are five months of the year available for hedge and tree work, so plenty of opportunity for timely work. And likewise, if you didn’t divide your pond plants and scoop out dead leaves over the winter, it’s too late for this season as all those watery beings will be getting busy in their home there.

Observation is key. So keeping records of when you sow and plant and how productive those efforts were begins to form your own almanac of what to do when. But of course the seasons are not what they were even five years ago; our climate is changing, is less predictable, and shows less of a knowable pattern. Will we endure another cold March? Another soaking April? A drought in July? Nonetheless, your own observation of your own patch of earth, your allotment, is still a better guide to what to do when than the books you might read, or the instructions on seed packets (how can they be right for the whole of Britain….?). If you keep a record of your losses as well as your gettings you’ll be able to adjust year on year and learn what works in your location.

Other observations are helpful guides too, and let us feel more connected to our own little plots. Once annual weeds start to show, it’s an indication that green life is emerging out of the quiet of winter. Cleavers, or goosegrass as some call it, is one of the first to show, and incidentally provides a tasty addition to scant salads at this time of year. The first ladybirds are a sure sign of spring and tell us that other invertebrate creatures are, we really hope, also getting out and about. The first nettles show an intense deep green that just shouts their high vitamin and mineral content; so root them out if you need to, but make sure to enjoy a few fresh delicious nettle soups as a spring tonic for your system.

Views expressed in Plotlines are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of YACIO.