Now that we’re into December, many people will be winding down a little as they look forward to a relaxing Holiday season. But the work never ends for gardeners, and there are a few kitchen garden staples that you will need to plant this month of you want to see the best results next year.
After all, as gardening expert Benedict Vanheems points out: “The days will soon be getting longer and it’s only a few short months before the bulk of sowing begins in earnest.”
In particular, says Vanheems, it’s traditional to plant onions on Boxing Day if you’re hoping to enter some super-sized veg into your local garden and produce show next year.
There are also a number of other kitchen essentials that will do surprisingly well if planted in the coming weeks. Benedict explains on his GrowVeg YouTube channel which seeds you will need to sow now in order to get the best results.
Coriander
Coriander, or Cilantro for our American cousins, is a versatile herb that is as much at home in simple soups and sausages as it is in exotic Mexican dishes. Just be careful that none of your diners are part of that roughly 10% of Europeans who think the herb tastes of soap!
One of the challenges when growing coriander is that in warmer weather, it can be prone to “bolting,” or premature flowering: “That’s absolutely fine if you want the seed pods to harvest the seeds to grind into coriander powder,” Benedict says, “but if you’re after the juicy, aromatic leaves, autumn or winter is a great time to grow coriander.”
By wrapping your coriander seeds in a small bundle of cotton or muslin cloth, you can pre-germinate them by soaking them in water overnight to prove them, then following that up with a little dunk twice a day.
After about a week, they should be ready to plant. Spread them very carefully into a tray of potting mix, taking care not to damage their delicate roots.
Allowing them to get started in a cold frame, or even on a window sill that gets plenty of sun, should give your coriander plants a good start in life.
Within about six to eight weeks, the leaves should be ready to harvest and, if you’re careful not to damage the growing-point, you might even be lucky enough to get a second picking.
Benedict has one extra tip for gardeners: “Cilantro, or coriander seed, can be a little bit expensive so it’s worth letting a few plants bolt in the summer so you can harvest your own seed and save yourself a few pennies too.”
Onions
“Now is the ideal time to start onions from seed,” Benedict says, “especially if you’re after really gigantic football-sized champion onions. The day after Christmas is the traditional time to sow onions for super-sized ones.
You should start with some well-sifted all-purpose potting mix. If you are aiming to produce monster onions to show off to rival gardeners, opt for a variety such as Exhibition or Showmaster which, as their names suggest, are selected for their size.
Again, Benedict says, to give your onions the best start, don’t plant them out straight away: “To get these germinated I’m going bring them indoors into the warmth of the house and then they will come back out here once they’re up. Then, as light levels improve within about a month or so, growth should really start to pick up.”
He adds that if you’re really feeling competitive, try putting your onions under grow lights for the first month or so to really give them a head start.
Basil
Basil is another essential garden herb – vital in many Italian dishes – and it’s surprisingly easy to grow. It’s especially rewarding for those of us who don’t have a large garden or allotment and need to find things that will grow well indoors.
“Basil is a great one to grow on a window sill or under grow lights,” Benedict says, adding that the plant’s bright green leaves and evocative scents are the perfect antidote to grey winter days.
He recommends a classic sweet basil, sometimes sold as Genovese basil: “I’ve chosen that because it’s very versatile, very reliable and the seeds are generally very cheap so I can make multiple sowings throughout the winter without breaking the bank.
“Again, use well-sifted all-purpose compost, ideally in four-inch pots. Sprinkle the seeds fairly thinly, and cover with just a tiny amount of additional compost.”
So as not to disturb his delicate layers of seed and compost, Benedict uses a mister to water them. Once they’re well-soaked, he says, they should be covered to keep the moisture in.
“To help them germinate, on goes a bit of clear plastic. What this will do is create a lovely humid environment in there that will just help them to germinate and grow.”
As before, at this time of year, grow-lights will ensure best results.
Getting out into your garden could be just the thing to balance out those long Christmas-season afternoons in front of the telly in a stuffy house. And, if you have a greenhouse, it’s the ideal place to escape if visiting relatives start to outstay their welcome!
