more new shoots

Late last summer I took some cuttings from gooseberry bushes, inserted them in sandy compost and then basically forgot about them, apart from sticking them in a corner of the greenhouse for the winter. Today I noticed that three of the four cuttings have fresh green shoots so it looks like they've taken.

Two well-rooted layers I severed from the blackcurrants are sitting happily in large pots waiting for some warmer weather when I can put them in their new homes. That will give me six black currant bushes and should ensure an adequate supply of vitamin C for the winter months.

And on the subject of new shoots the potted shallots are spurting into growth, as are the container-grown onion sets. The onions will be used small as I space them only about 5-6cms apart which does restrict their growth. They will give an earlier crop than those on the plot which will be the main crop for storage.

pot-grown shallots

It has been cold today but I've kept myself warm by sieving compost and making up tubs of potting mix for the first lot of carrots and parsnips of the year. By sowing a fast-maturing carrot like Early Nantes or Amsterdam Forcing and giving them some protection you can be pulling baby carrots in June. Parsnips, of course, take much longer but I never wait for the first frost before starting to lift them. 

Caldbeck Potato Day tomorrow and I don't really know why I'm going because I already have over 100 tubers chitting but I guess the sight of all those different varieties will inspire me after last year's disastrous harvest.