Jobs for the Month: January

January for me means potatoes; you should have received any mail order seed potatoes by now and will be in the process of chitting them. Chitting is encouraging sprouts to form and bringing the crop forward, prematurely aging your spuds so they are ready to romp away when the soil is warm enough for planting. Preferably you need a light, dry, cool and airy spot in which to chit.

This year has seen some really hard prolonged frosts, and it does get pretty chilly in that potting shed which is not very good for those chitting potatoes. I have arranged the Kitchen Garden spuds in wooden and paper trays, rose end (the side with most sprouts) up. Wooden Trays, paper trays or egg boxes work really well for chitting, try not to use plastic as it can cause moisture. The trays are then placed on some staging in front of the window so maximum light/air can reach each tray.

Beware of cold nights, you want cool - not cold! I have had to install a heater on a timer switch to keep the temperature above freezing; frost, as we know, will ruin your spuds in or out of the ground.If you have a frost-free spot you could plant a couple of real 'earlies' like Swift or Foremost in a planter or pot unchitted, well worth a try - I am.

A word of caution, it is always worth buying good certified seed potatoes and if there is any sign of fungus on your tubers when they arrive do not use them! Wash your hands after handling them too! Store well away from any other unaffected tubers and contact the seller. One 'bad’un' can infect and ruin the rest.

If your greenhouse is unheated or if your old heat source is broken, take a look at what heaters are available for your space; I am trialling a little Montana electric heater this year  and monitoring the ambient temperature with a Wireless Thermometer. A final clean-up your greenhouse, propagator, seed trays and pots may be necessary. Scrub them really well with an appropriate cleaner or soapy water. Order any new trays or equipment and be prepared for sowing those first crops.


It may be wise to invest in a propagator if you wish to sow your tomatoes now, so take a look and decide what is best for you. For my very first sowings I use the Top 10 50w Propagator.

This is fine if your greenhouse stays at a nice constant heat and you wish to sow several small amounts of different varieties. For a more controlled heat source or for a greater number of sowings opt for a Heat Mat (another product I will be using) or soil warming cable.

If digging out last year’s propagator check it is working correctly before sowing any seeds! If it may be a little damp, if electric, let it stand in a dry warm place for a while before plugging it in and then use a thermometer to check it keeps a constant temperature.

Then the exciting part- sowing seeds again! This time of year you can choose to make a flying start with Peppers, Tomatoes, Parsley, Leeks, Cabbage and outdoors once it’s thawed a little you can sow carrots under fleece.