What To Sow In March

 

Bed H1 Continued Again

8C Cloudy and overcast morning on the allotment, and once again working on decanting soil from Bed H1, and back filling with woodchip whilst there is still some in the car park. Photo above is Bed H1 after filling another two 30L Pots with handles with decanted soil. 

Bed H1 after filling another two 30L Pots with handles with soil

Bed H1 after removing bindweed roots from the perimeter of the excavation. I switched to getting woodchip as the pile is decreasing and we have no idea how long the dropped soil is going to be in the way before we get another delivery. 

First of many Barrow loads of woodchip from the car park. It appears the plot holders with the soil came and moved some yesterday after I left at 4:00pm. Not a third of the volume as quoted by them last night on the Allotment Wat's App group, but a start. They were a no show this morning, as as stated before, historically they are not frequent visitors despite living in the estate behind the allotment. 

I decanted the woodchip into Bed H1 (Left Photo) and then levelled it (Right Photo)

Another wheel barrow of woodchip decanted, and walked on with and without the spreader board to help consolidate it. 

Another view from the opposite end of Bed H1, Another two wheel barrow loads of woodchip decanted into Bed H1, filling the timber frame to the top. 

Another view from the opposite end of Bed H1. The woodchips will be pulled down into the trench once the soil has been decanted into 30L Pots with Handles 

Soil to be weeded and decanted on the left and the woodchip fill on the right, now up to the top of the framed bed. This will be pulled into the left side once the trench is bottomed out and weed free, likely on 10th March weather permitting as I have a hospital appointment on the 9th March. 

Garland Garden Trays used to cover the bed to keep the soil and trench dry to make working in there easier, and less muddy.

No one will ever know the amount of work that goes into making the bed foundation and back fill. Typical Civil engineering works, it gets lost and all people see is the structure above the surrounding ground once completed.

The woodchip pile is going down, and hopefully the owners of the soil will get their skates on and get the soil moved to their plot so I can arrange another woodchip drop off.

How To Grow Rhubarb - UK

(c) 2026 Keith Wheeler of Facebook Group Allotment Life For Beginners UK

I love these informative posters that Keith produces and I have made a Keith Wheeler hyperlink label so you can find them all.  Used on manvslug.uk with permission 

More Woodchips for Bed H1 Excavation

Colder today and overcast, I took more Oakland Gardens 30 Litre pots with handles and filled six of them with woodchips and then barrowed them to my plot. So that's 1,800 More Litres to backfill the excavation of Bed H1 once completed.

Disappointing when the plot holders who have had topsoil dropped off in front of the woodchip pile have not started to move it, only 3 more days Sunday, Monday & Tuesday of dry weather forecast in the next 14 days.

STOP Too Early To Plant Potatoes

Graphic (c) 2026 Keith Wheeler of Allotment Life For Beginners UK

There is currently a major sudden stratospheric warming taking place which has the potential to bring us a cold spell in early April from the early model forecasts.

Many on Facebook groups are stating they have just got there spuds in the ground. Off course its entirely up to you but if you do go ahead make sure you have fleece ready and watch the night time forecasts like a hawk

If you plant your potatoes now they will be up by early April and in a prime place to be killed off by frost its far better to wait.

Today looking at the posts of ice on car windscreens around the country I think we have moved to here.

To Find Your Last Expected Frost Date by Post Code in the UK < Click Here  

Gathering Woodchips & Bed H1

It was supposed to be 11C today, it only got to 9.5C it was chilly and overcast and the rain came about 12:30 I got to the allotment by 9:00am.

The compost heap has taken a bashing since I was last down, so I decided to fill as many 30L buckets with handles with the woodchip so that I have enough to fill the excavation of Bed H1.

Seven Oakland Gardens 30 Litre Buckets with Handles filled with woodchip and then barrowed in pairs into plot 1 and placed along a path

Steroids now reduced to 4mg a day as I'm being weened off them, but I'm attempting to be more active in order to build muscle before I'm off them and hopefully improve my stamina.

I'm still working on taking a rest/ water break as required and for as long as required before I have another bash.

2.4m Scaffold boards stacked on Beds 16 & 16A ready for De-Banding the ends.

Hopefully I'm getting a drone shot of the allotment shortly and then again in 3 months time so I can see the progress being made.

Square Flower Bucket filled with bits of branches and twigs from when the Ash tree was trimmed last year and not picked up by the tree surgeon.

A plot lot holder allowed the top soil delivery to be dropped in front of the woodchip pile. So no more woodchip can be ordered until they have removed the soil to their plot. Getting woodchips is always a hit and miss affair. 

They are not the most active of plot holders, and have said they will "Be slowly moving it in the coming days" and have also stated when pointing out it's location stops another load of woodchips from being delivered "Not to Worry, it won't be there for long"  We have no option but to wait and see, I suppose! 

I did suggest that they would have been better off placing it along the fence on the right of the car park, and drop off/ pick up area where it would not be an obstruction to the cars or for loads of Woodchip to be dropped. 

Nine 30L Pots with handles filled with woodchips. I do have some more of these pots with handles to take down to the allotment, and I will get more woodchips on my plot, especially as arranging a delivery of woodchips will be delayed. 

Two more 30L Pots with handles filled with topsoil from bed H1, before the rain stopped play. 

 H1 covered up when the rain started around 12:30 and I made my way home for lunch. 

Sowing Tomato, Peppers, Chilli & Aubergine Seeds in the UK

 

(c) 2026 Keith Wheeler of Allotment Life For Beginners UK

I love these informative posters that Keith produces and I have made a Keith Wheeler hyperlink label so you can find them all.  Used on manvslug.uk with permission 

Grandson More Important Than Allotment

My Lad loves his books and being read too, there again so did his Mum and Auntie when they were that age. I may have to try him with a seed catalogue and start identifying the vegetables, he has all the farmyard animals cracked now, and can make the noises each one makes.  

Common Seedling Mistakes

 

(c) 2026 Keith Wheeler of Allotment Life For Beginners UK

I love these informative posters that Keith produces and I have made a Keith Wheeler hyperlink label so you can find them all.  Used on manvslug.uk with permission 

(c) 2026 Keith Wheeler of Allotment Life For Beginners UK

I love these informative posters that Keith produces and I have made a Keith Wheeler hyperlink label so you can find them all.  Used on manvslug.uk with permission 

I would add another "How To Fix Them" Use white card, or a foil covered piece of cardboard  behind the tray to reflect the sunlight on the backs of the seedlings, in addition to turning to keep them straight.  

Bed H1 Continued

Another afternoon on the allotment this time working from within Bed H1. Stepping into the excavation made decanting the soil and weeding it an awful lot easier, and not as hot  as I had the long sleeved T shirt on today and not the fleece, and a T-Shirt.

When I think I could not get into and out of the potting shed two years ago, and had trouble with the front door and backdoor thresholds at home, the fact I can step down into the trench and get back out is awesome. I'm happy to be getting some of my mobility back for a while in 2023 / 2024 I thought I might have to give up at least half of my allotment.

Potting shed was 20c and 24c the cold end and 32c the warm end at 2pm today which was Sunny and 15C outside.

I felt like I was actually making progress today and didn't have to take as many breaks, as I was not trying to bend more than double to weed.

Photo taken about an hour in from arriving and at one and a half 30L Pots with Handles filled.

Three 30Litre pots with handles filled today and weeded as decanted. I estimate at least another two days/ visits worth of excavation before I can start back filling the excavation. 

Garden trays placed over the Bed to keep the soil dry. I also branded the 30L Pots with Handles that I had brought down to the allotment.  

The Condensation Killer

 

Even without a single drop of rain, a winter shelter can become a drowning chamber. Survival in the cold is not just about blocking the wind; it is about managing the water vapor exhaled by the occupant.

The Myth: The Roof Equals Dryness

There is a persistent misconception that as long as a wildlife shelter has a waterproof roof, the interior bedding will remain dry. We focus entirely on external precipitation, assuming that "keeping the rain out" is the final step in shelter design. We operate under the false security that a sealed, airtight box is the warmest option for a sleeping animal. In reality, an airtight box is a deathtrap of moisture.

The Scientific Reality: The Dew Point Trap

The danger inside a small, enclosed shelter is governed by the laws of thermodynamics.

The Breath Factor: A mammal’s breath is nearly 100% saturated with water vapor. In the confined space of a cat or hedgehog house, this warm, moist air quickly hits the cold interior walls.

Phase Change: When the temperature of these walls is at or below the "dew point," the vapor undergoes a phase change, turning into liquid water (condensation).

The Wetting Effect: This water then drips directly into the bedding. If you have used blankets or hay (which are hydrophilic), they absorb this water and lose all insulating properties. Conductive heat loss then accelerates, pulling warmth away from the animal's body up to 25 times faster than dry air.

What is Happening Right Now (March 3rd)

As of early March, the UK is experiencing highly erratic temperature fluctuations. We are seeing mild, damp days followed by sudden, sharp frosts at night.

Hedgehogs are currently emerging from hibernation. This is their most vulnerable physiological state; their immune systems are suppressed, and they are prone to "Hedgehog Lungworm" and bacterial pneumonia. If they spend the night in a damp, condensation-heavy box, the combination of cold and high humidity irritates the respiratory lining, often leading to secondary infections that prove fatal during the "hungry gap" of March.

Why It Matters Ecologically

Artificial shelters are a vital response to the loss of natural habitat, but poorly designed ones act as "ecological traps." By attracting vulnerable species into a space that fosters dampness and pathogen growth, we inadvertently increase mortality rates. Building for physics—prioritizing airflow and moisture management—is the only way to ensure these refuges serve their intended purpose as life-support systems.

Small Practical Actions for Today

The Ventilation Rule: Drill several small holes (roughly 1cm in diameter) near the top of the shelter’s walls. This allows warm, moist air to escape before it can condense on the ceiling.

Elevate the Floor: Place the shelter on bricks or wooden "feet." This prevents "rising damp" from the cold March soil and allows air to circulate beneath the floor, keeping the base dry.

The Straw Standard: Use strictly agricultural straw. Unlike hay or blankets, straw is hollow and hydrophobic; it allows moisture to drain away and maintains its structure even in high humidity.

Pitch the Roof: Ensure the roof has a slight overhang and a clear slope to prevent water from pooling or seeping into the entrance.

The Verdict

Breath becomes water on cold walls. To save a life this March, you must build for physics, not just feelings. A small vent and an elevated floor are more valuable than the softest blanket. Keep the air moving, keep the bedding dry, and let the shelter be a true refuge.

Scientific references & evidence

British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS). Hedgehog Homes: Design and Safety. (Emphasizes the critical need for ventilation holes and elevated floors to prevent respiratory distress caused by condensation).

The Mammal Society (UK). Winter mortality and shelter microclimates. (Documents the high incidence of hypothermia in small mammals associated with damp bedding and inadequate airflow in artificial cavities).

Incropera, F. P. (2006). Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer. (Provides the biophysical basis for condensation and conductive heat loss in saturated insulating materials).

Bed H1 & Loft Conversion

Afternoon on the allotment, it may be Fools Spring but we had 17C-18C outside and 32C in the potting shed.

I continued weeding the narrow bed H1, the bending double and some to get the bindweed roots out is exhausting. I really needed the long sleeve T-Shirt or the cooling arm sleeves today.

Bed H1 - the previously dug end, the spade shows the depth of excavation

Loosen up all the soils and bringing the bindweed roots and mares tail roots to the surface

Loosen up all the soils and bringing the bindweed roots and mares tail roots to the surface

Filling the 30L Pot with handles with bind weed and mares tail root

In the end I decided to re assemble the loft conversion in the potting shed using the Ryobi glue gun so I can then fit the timber along the panels and screw it together so it can't become unstuck and fall apart again

Root Trainer Tree Trays

 

Grow stronger roots from day one

Our Root Trainer Tree Trays (Pack of 6) are designed to encourage deep, healthy root development — perfect for trees, sweet peas, beans, and strong seedlings.

Promotes straight, downward root growth

Reduces transplant shock

Reusable & durable

Ideal for allotments and serious growers

Was £25.95 – Now only £20

Use code TREE6 at checkout to receive your discount.

If you’re starting trees or deep-rooted crops this season, this is the time to stock up.

Offer ends midnight Sunday 8th March

Shop now www.oaklandgardens.co.uk

Freecycle Find

 

Collected today, I will use on the strawberry bed and on filling the the new raised bed. Which is best for the strawberries Hay or Straw?