Issue No.5 2nd May 2009
Mike's Garden Diary
In This Issue
What to do this week
What you could be eating now
Questions and Answers
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Greetings!
Not too much to sow now, I will start a few more squashes in pots and sow some more lettuce. Time to take a bit of a breather for me, but it is not too late to catch up on anything that you haven't done yet. And of course there is lots of weeding to be done and grass to be cut, all good to fill your compost bins with!
What to do this week
If you have a greenhouse
Now is the time to plant out your tomatoes and cucumbers.I would not put them outside until all danger of frost is past. It can be a busy time with lots of watering whilst you are waiting to get things in the ground.
Hardening off
Anything that you have grown in a greenhouse or on a windowsill should not be planted straight out, but acclimatised to outside conditions. I do this by putting them out during the day and then bringing them back in at night for a few days and then leaving them out at night covered with a bit of horticultural fleece (sold by the metre at all good garden centres), before finally planting them out. This process should take  7-10 days.

Sow courgettes and squashes
Sow courgettes and squashes in 3 inch pots, pointed end down about an inch deep. You can sow two seeds to a pot and then pull out the weaker one if you want to, but I usually find that they all come up. Keep in a warm place, grow on inside until all danger of frost is past.
What you could be eating now
This week there is not much left to eat in the garden as last years crops are over and this years not ready yet, unless you have any spring greens or cabbages left from last year. Extra early potatoes shoud be ready if you got them in early. I planted mine on 22nd March and this variety (Swift) are supposed to be ready after 7 weeks, the oroad beans have flowers all ready and the Mizuna is growing quickly. I put the pea sticks in this week so the peas are on their way as well. If you can not get pea sticks I find that some chicken wire stretched between a few bamboo poles is better than plastic netting as it does not get tangled up and last for years.
Your questions answered
Can I collect water from my bath to water the garden?
As it has been a dry spring and there is the prospect of a dry summer to come, it might be worth thinking about collecting your waste water.
A few years ago I fitted a bath water diverter which is fitted to the exterior downpipe, this collects grey water which can then be used around the garden. Don't forget to let it cool first, I drain it into a water butt, but you need to use it within 24 hours otherwise it becomes smelly. More information about reusing grey water here  
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Do tell your friends about this newsletter and I will keep on writing.

I started gardening at age 6, when I grew my first Brussel Sprouts. I had an organic smallholding in the mid 80's and now have a productive fruit, veg and flower garden in Sussex.
Friends are often asking me what they need to do in the garden right now to GROW THEIR OWN VEG, what can you plant now? There has been a great revival of interest in growing your own veg in the last few years, and yet it can all seem very complicated and be hard to find simple advice to help you GROW YOUR OWN.
I will send out this email every week or so to let you know what to do this week and what you could be eating in the months ahead.
Happy Gardening
Mike Andrews
west sussex homeopathy
6 Freeman Road
Horsham, West Sussex RH12 3RQ