This year Camel CSA’s growers started planting onion sets in early April. Last year it was mid March.

Over the last 12 months we’ve survived some very hostile weather conditions. These prevented us from preparing the ground at times. Some crops failed, others ran out early or went to seed too soon.

Thanks to our professional growers, the broad beans and peas planted under a fleece a month ago are starting to grow well.

Three different types of leeks have been sown. Lettuce and various brassica seedlings, including broccoli and cauliflower, are about to be planted out.

Camel CSA’s growing team have been digging up the winter brassicas (watch this RHS video) that have yielded so much for us over the last few months.

Top of the list are the three types of kale we’ve been growing this past winter. They are: –

• common curly kale
• gourmet cavolo nero (Tuscan kale)
• sweet-tasting red Russian kale

We’re about to start off next winter’s crop in modules.

Camel CSA’s growing team are continuing their perennial battle against the dock weed menace.

We’re weakening these tough plants by suppressing their growth underneath large sheets of black plastic.

All the docks then have to be dug out by hand. This method is extremely time consuming and labour intensive. But it does keep us fit!

We do this because we’re committed to organic growing principles and don’t use chemical sprays.

This spring it’s rabbits, last year it was mice. We’ve put up new barriers after bunnies burrowed inside our polytunnels. There’s been little damage so far, but we’re taking no chances.

One of Camel CSA’s more tedious but necessary winter tasks is washing down the polytunnels.

We’ve got overwintering salad crops in all three tunnels, so keeping them clean and hygienic is an important job.

Early sowings of carrots, broad beans, radishes, spring onions and peas are also growing indoors.

       Camel CSA’s professional growers are busy getting ready for our fifth spring growing season.

Camel CSA’s growing team are busy cultivating our over-wintering crops. We’ve got “cut and come again” salad leaves in the polytunnels – mixed lettuce, curly endive, rocket, mibuna and mizuna. Also beetroot, kohlrabi, chard, spinach, parsley and spring onions. Outdoors we’re starting to plant garlic and onion sets for harvesting next summer.

The overwintered oriental leaves that have kept our vegetable boxes going over the past few months are starting to go to seed.

Instead, we have plenty of mixed lettuce, baby chard, radishes, bright red and yellow leaf beet, spring onions and salad rocket in the polytunnel to look forward to.

Our three expert growers have also been busy preparing growing beds and planting outside over the past week. As the last of the previous season’s onion harvest went into the veg boxes, the last of this year’s onion sets went into the ground.

Already planted are shallots, parsnips, beetroot, broad beans, turnips, cabbage, spring onions, radishes, perpetual spinach, garlic and calabrese. Next job on the list is to sow a bed of peas.

Camel CSA’s hard-working secretary Mike Sadler loves fennel, so we’re sowing a whole 120-module tray of it especially for him. The seedlings will be planted outdoors later on our plot.

Other jobs for the growing team this Sunday morning include sowing more cabbage, chard and perpetual spinach (leaf beet) into modules. We’ll also be planting rocket in the polytunnel to add variety to our salad bags.

There’s parsnip seeds to sow straight into the ground as well as more onion beds to prepare and onion sets to plant.

See you there!

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