Springing into Spring

Usually around now I am sowing broad bean seeds. We love broad beans and i grow a lot and freeze them and we use them in lots of ways throughout the year. The best time to plant here is in October as the beans are ready to harvest in May and they avoid black fly attack. It was just too wet to prepare the soil in October so I decided to wait for the next opportunity in February. Well here we are and the ground is still too wet to prepare but if I want broad beans I have to get them started. So I am trying a little experiment.


While catching up with Mr Selfridge on the internet this morning I made newspaper pots.

First I cut pages from the Sud Ouest  in half then folded them in half again longways and rolled them round a jam jar leaving some overhanging at the bottom. I fasten the edge together with a bit of tape.

Then turn the jar on its end so that the overlapping bits of paper are on top then turn them in like a parcel and secure with a bit of tape.

Ease the cylinder of the jar and there's your pot. I made a log basket full and it was time to go outside.

I filled all the pots with compost and put in a crate and then sowed the broad beans, watered them in and put in a sheltered spot. Fingers crossed they will germinate then I can transplant them when the ground in the veg plot is ready and the newspaper will just decompose and the potting compost will enrich the soil a bit.

It was lovely sitting potting up with the warm sun on my back - hopefully it won't be too long before the potager is in full production again

A bientôt.