Throughout February we will continue to prune the raspberries and finish grading the potatoes. Carrot picking will also draw to an end; it has been back breaking work throughout the winter months! Sprouts are sadly coming to an end after a fantastic season. We hope you managed to try some?

Our purple sprouting broccoli will hopefully be ready sometime in February. The cauliflowers are also looking good but we need to keep our fingers crossed that we don’t get a hard frost which could cause damage.

High Winds Fell Oak Tree

In the recent high winds a huge oak tree fell at Esp Hill Farm, so there will be quite a bit of tree surgery going on this month to tidy up.

The blackbirds are especially vocal at the moment and we also have a resident barn owl that can be heard hooting away early in the morning.

The two big tractors, the Deutz and the Case have both been for their winter service. Sorry to all who were stuck behind me on the way to the garage as we only reach a maximum of 18 mph on the older tractor!

All of the farm machines will be having their winter servicing in preparation for spring cultivation. If we have any spare time we will be continuing our maintenance and repair of the fences, hedges and gateways.

As the soil begins to warm outside the weed seeds will start to germinate. This is mother natures advance notice that spring is starting.

Beware of a sudden cold snap though and protect any early sowings. Always make sure you have a plan b, never sow the whole packet just in case you have a crop failure.

Overgrown shrubs can be cut back and fed with some bone meal fertiliser.

Prune trees and summer flowering clematis.

Sow annual flower seeds under cover eg. Busy Lizzies, Petunias and Sunflowers and Alyssum.

Top dress containers by replacing top inch with new compost.

Snowdrops can be divided and planted.

New plants can be propagated from hardwood cuttings of Buddleia, Honeysuckle and Dogwood.

Plant summer flowering bulbs.

Improve your soil by digging in some top soil or organic farmyard manure.

Don’t forget the birds, they will still need feeding and now is the time to put up some bird boxes.

Patios, paths and driveways can be cleaned in preparation for spring.

Forcing jars can be place over clumps of rhubarb.

Buy and chit early potatoes.

Onion sets can now be planted out.

Sow vegetable seeds such as cut and come again lettuce, early carrots, parsnips and broccoli.

Peppers, aubergines, chillies and tomatoes can be sown indoors to give you the earliest plants for growing in the greenhouse.

Sow broad beans individually in 3inch pots and leave to germinate on the window sill.

Don’t forget crop rotation. Prevent the build up of pests and diseases in the soil by rotating your crops around the veg patch.

Weather permitting; February can be a very busy month in the garden. We are in the garden here at Erddig, trying to finish the fruit tree pruning and start pruning our mammoth pleached lime avenues.

Tree and shrub planting should be coming to a close. Complete planting any large bare rooted trees and shrubs now, whilst they are still dormant. We have longer to plant containerised trees and shrubs.

Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots will soon be in blossom. To get a good fruit set, try helping by pollinating the flowers yourself. Traditionally gardeners would use a rabbit’s foot, but you may prefer a soft artist’s paintbrush. Brush over the blossom gently on a warm day and move the pollen from flower to flower.

In the greenhouse you can start to sow broad beans, peas and cauliflowers and maybe a few early salad leaves. Some half hardy summer flowers can be sown too, such as Begonias, Lobelia and Salvias. Dahlia tubers can also be started into growth, if you are going to take cuttings of the new shoots that emerge, to increase the number of plants you want. The same goes for Chrysanthemums.
Rooted cuttings of Geraniums (Pelargoniums) and Fuchsias can be potted up. Garden centres will also be stocking young plants of them too for you to grow on.

Parsnips and Turnip seeds can be sown outdoors. Towards the end of the month, Jerusalem Artichokes can be planted.
There is an old custom that says you should plant Shallots on the shortest day, but on heavier ground I like to plant them later in February.

There are several shrubs that can be pruned in February. Hydrangea paniculata, Spiraeas, Tamarix and Hypericum. Now is also time to prune large summer flowered Clematis.

Finally, test that lawnmower or strimmer, you will need them soon. Book them in for any repairs or servicing.

Our gardening experts are always on hand to answer any queries you have about gardening.

One thing they will always advise is to ensure your plants have the best possible compost. Good compost is essential for your plants. That’s why we now stock the Westland range of quality composts for your garden.

Read more about our range of garden compost.

Have you ever tried our delicious potatoes in our farm shop? Here’s our latest video, with Farm Manager Jim explaining how we get them from the field to the Bellis Brothers farm Shop, only a few hundred metres away, in the best possible condition.

Potato Growing Demonstration by Westland

Special offers available

Lynne Allbutt, Stephen Lacey and Guest

All proceeds to Nightingale House Hospice
Tickets £7.50

£1.00 per entry – follow the clues around the store. All proceeds to Nightingale House Hospice.

In-store basket and planter demonstrations.

We can pot up yours or you can just watch and learn and then buy the finished product.

January is generally a very quiet month for us. After the Christmas break and the passing of the shortest day we will soon notice the days becoming longer and lighter.

Maintenance and repairs continue around the farm in the quieter months like this. Gates and gateways, fencing and roadways all to be ready for the season ahead.

We are planting more gooseberry bushes to keep up with the increasing demand. We saw a surge in popularity for this fruit during last year’s Pick Your Own season. The bushes will take a couple of years to mature, but it interesting that more people are picking and enjoying gooseberries.

There is still some pruning to be done around the existing gooseberries and blackcurrants.

The grading of potatoes and carrots is on-going. We are keeping our fingers crossed for not such hard frosts as last year.