In January, Rekha begins to garden, and records the progress of her plants each week. Beginning in February, she starts to notice pests attacking her plants, and records their appearances and how to treat them. By the end of December, her plants are thriv

To increase the value of your home grown produce, try these tips: -Organize your produce by type (e.g. fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc.) and store them in an easy-to-reach location -Stick to seasonal fruits and vegetables and purchase them when they are in season -Create homemade condiments or salads to accompany your produce

casualnews
February 21st 2023

You won't find a garden notebook on Rekha Mistry's bedside table, or shelves stuffed with gardening books: the TV kitchen gardener grows by instinct.

And now Rekha has just published her first book, full of useful tips on how she has cultivated her own London allotment.

‘I’m a true believer in cooking and eating seasonally, and that’s why this book is organised by the time of year everything is most likely to be ready,’ says Rekha. ‘I’m not an artist, but I’d like to think I paint with plants as I start to plan next year’s artwork, always with my crop-rotation plan firmly etched in my mind.’

Here, Rekha shares her month by month diary and top growing tips.

My growing diary

January

(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Sow peppers in January

At home/in the greenhouse

Sow aubergines, chillies, and peppers.

Sort out seed packets; remove any that are out of date.

Outside

Prune the apple tree.

Rake debris from around summer-fruiting raspberry canes. Force rhubarb for an early harvest.

February

(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Plant bare-root fruit in February

At home/in the greenhouse

Sow onions and tomatoes.

Chit potatoes on a warm, bright windowsill.

Outside

Plant bare-root fruit tree or shrubs.

Cut back autumn-fruiting raspberry canes.

March

(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Harvest your last parsnips in March

At home/in the greenhouse

Sow peas in deep root Root

You won’t find a garden notebook on Rekha Mistry’s bedside table, or shelves stuffed with gardening books: the TV kitchen gardener grows instinctively.

And now Rekha has just published her first book, full of useful tips on how she has cultivated her own London allotment.

‘I’m a true believer in cooking and eating seasonally, and that’s why this book is organised by the time of year everything is most likely to be ready,’ says Rekha. ‘I’m not an artist, but I’d like to think I paint with plants as I start to plan next year’s artwork, always with my crop-rotation plan firmly etched in my mind.’

Here, Rekha shares her month by month diary and top growing tips.

My growing diary

January

(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Sow peppers in January.

At home/in the greenhouse

Sow aubergines, chillies, and peppers.
Sort out seed packets; remove any that are out of date.

Outside

Prune the apple tree.
Rake debris from around summer-fruiting raspberry canes. Force rhubarb for an early harvest.

February

(Image Source: https://metro.co.uk)

Plant bare-root fruit in February.

At home/in the greenhouse

Sow onions and tomatoes.

Chit potatoes on a warm, bright windowsill.

Outside

Plant bare-root fruit tree or shrubs.

Cut back autumn-fruiting raspberry canes.

March