Welcome to February’s Edition
of our
Monthly Newsletter called ‘The Carrot’ !
World Veg Curiosities & News
Soil – The World Beneath Our Feet Exhibition
An exhibition has opened from 23 Jan to 13 April 2025 at Somerset House, London. Artists, visual representations, artefacts and more give a unique insight into the world beneath our feet, in the soil.
The exhibition is trying to get the message across that we need to love the soil, the plants, our planet and try and live in harmony with our surroundings.
Link: Somerset House
Charles Dowding Seed Range Released
Charles Dowding, author and champion no dig gardener has teamed up with Premier Seeds Direct to release 8 monthly seed collections. Charles has chosen the seed varieties carefully as what grows best in his smallholding in Somerset.
January & February’s collection contains a Sweet Pepper I sowed last year ‘Tangerine Dream’, Pea, Spinach, Aubergine, Asparagus & Artichoke.
Source: Premier Seeds Direct
AI is being used to help improve crop production
Heritable Agriculture is a data analysis and learning start up business with an aim to bring AI to the agriculture industry.
Heritable Agriculture is not producing genetically modified crops, but studying the genes in plants to help with breeding new varieties for lower water requirements, larger harvests, carbon storage in roots and soils.
Source: Heritable Agriculture
Source: X Company News Release
Pick your Own Salad at the Supermarket
Vertical Farms of salad and leaves could be making its way to a supermarket near you!
This is currently a reality in Sweden and German supermarkets from a Swedish company called SweGreen.
They are building hydroponic farms inside supermarkets. Plants are grown in rockwool in water but not soil.
Customers can see the greens growing and being harvested in front of their eyes.
SweGreen can grow up to 100 different crops including lettuce, leaves and herbs.
Source: SweGreen
February in the Vegetable Garden
Top 5 Veg to Sow in February Indoors
Find out the Top 5 Vegetables to Grow in February Indoors in my new video in the Beginners Hub.
Veg to Sow in Feb – Video
Veg that take the longest to grow.
The Aubergine Experiment
Can you start sowing Aubergine seeds indoors without grow lights?
Let’s find out together. Aubergines take a long time to grow so must be started in Feb or March indoors.
When to Sow Warm Loving Vegetables
Check your last Frost Dates before you sow Warm Loving Plants like Tomatoes.
1. Find your Last Frost Dates on Plantmaps.com.
2. Look at the last frost dates on the photo above and then follow the arrows to the dates to sow your tomatoes on.
Read: Warm Loving Veg
Roll Up, Roll Up – Come and get your Spuds!
It’s time to buy potato tubers from the Garden Centre and chit them (get them to sprout) in an egg box on a frost free windowsill. Plant in March.
Veg Garden Harvests in February
Cauliflower, Kale and Leeks have been harvested regularly throughout the winter.
Onions from last summer are still being eaten from stores in the shed.
Spring Cabbages in containers in the greenhouse have put on a growth spurt and the Brussels Sprouts are starting to form and the plants starting to put up their stems.
Garlic and Elephant Garlic thrives in the frosty and cold weather and the shoots are strong and tall and are growing well in my raised beds.
Use your Cauliflower Leaves – Then there’s No Waste
Did you know you can eat the leaves surrounding your Cauliflower curds? They are very nutritious and can be used and cooked like Kale or Spring Cabbage.
Cauliflower Leaves Recipe
I spotted a great recipe on Instagram from Able and Cole for Harrisa Roast Cauliflower Leaves with a Lemon, mint and parsley dip. I can’t wait to try it.
Onions, Cauliflower and Summer Cabbage Seedlings on the Windowsill – Growth Update
Onion Seedlings were sown on the 9 January so are nearly 1 month old. They are growing strong and remaining upright.
Cauliflower Seedlings were sown on 16 January and are 3 weeks old, one has grown a bit leggy (tried to reach the light and stem is quite tall) but the rest is ok.
Summer Cabbage Seedlings were sown on 23 January and are 2 weeks old. Not all the seeds have germinated. (6 cells on the right hand side of the photo).
What is a Gardener?
And finally, here are some of my thoughts as to what job roles are contained within a gardener role.
Can you think of anything else?
Thanks for being a subscriber to my blog, so until next month, happy sowing!
Best Wishes
Tracey Everett
Contacts & Socials
- Instagram & Threads: @traceysowgrowharvest
- Facebook Group: Sow Grow Harvest Veg & Fruit
- Facebook Page: Follow Me – SowGrowHarvest.co.uk
- Any comments, feedback, suggestions: Email – traceyeverett@sowgrowharvest.co.uk
sowgrowharvest.co.uk 
Leave a comment