Early spring update

Leaf and container head lettuce doing really well.

My first broad bean pods, still tiny! I've read it's good to pinch the growing tip at this stage, but it's hard with so many new flowers still forming.

New sugar snap peas getting their first flowers. Some nasty rats have severed two of these at the base and I had to pull them out. Previously the rats had only gone after seedlings. I'm still experimenting with traps and baits.

My transplanted Majoram died (possibly oregano instead) so I've planted some seed, as well as Greek Oregano from seed. At the bottom I am have planted Green Perilla (Shiso).

The front row of corn has sprouted, not so the rear row. They were two different varieties, so one might take longer (or possibly the seeds were duds). I forget which was which. 

My old perpetual spinach clump I found out, when removing it, was actually about half a dozen clustered plants with their own tap roots. I saved the two smallest ones and transplanted them. It's their second season but being small and likely crowded by the old ones, I am hoping they don't bolt.

I have pruned my lemon tree and lime bush, and potted them up to slightly larger pots (25L vs 19L). They weren't that rootbound, so I think the size is adequate for the next two years.

My blueberry bush is looking good and the new blueberries are looking much plumper and healthier. I have been adding sulfur to the potting mix to correct the PH. I suspect this will need repotting after this season but I will need to wait until it is done fruiting and the older canes can be cut back.

Lawn is looking pretty good after winter! I didn't do any top dressing or rejuvenation. Just had its first mow since Autumn.

The row of pots will eventually house chilli plants (currently have some varieties of radish). The lemongrass in the middle will be potted up when the weather gets a bit warmer. It's just hanging on at the moment.

Raspberry canes are looking great. Several new canes at the bottom. This is an unconventional way to grow them, but if I plant them on the fence they might pop up on the neighbour's side. I'll keep the new canes on the inside of the trainer and the older canes on the outside. Then I can put the new canes on the outside next winter after they shed their leaves and repeat the process.

Kale is doing well. I should probably eat it. The rats have been eating the smaller one - better that than my seedlings. The cloches are more for rat protection than cold protection.

Kohlrabi are looking quite good, no sign of the bulb yet. At the back an old lettuce that I should probably make a salad out of, and two beets on the right. The smaller ones are turnips.

These are my repotted seedlings. They are outside, but seem okay in their greenhouse with the nights which are still near zero. I suspect they'll grow very quickly once the roots are established. 

My shallot in pots are doing much better than the ones in the beds.

I think I massively overplanted this with spring onions (even though they have shallow roots). Due to the clumping nature of the onions might be tricky to thin/harvest individual ones without damaging the adjacent ones, but we'll see.

Letting my rocket go to flower just for the hell of it, and to attract bees. I have a new pot started in the greenhouse.

Lettuce.

My balcony Temptation strawberries are doing pretty good.

Still small plants but hopeful of having fruit this season.

My balcony potatoes. They miss the early morning/late afternoon sun but get good sun in the middle of the day, I think it will be enough.

The two varieties are Otway red (the broader leaves) and Royal Blue.  There is one of each and a mixed one. I have already potted up the far one, the other two I am waiting for the Otway Red to get tall enough.

The weather hasn't been brilliant so far this spring, maybe 3-4 nice, clear sunny days. And my ongoing battle with the rats. But I'm sure things will improve!

Happy Gardening.