We hope you have been enjoying a bit of well earned sunshine. It has been the wettest and most challenging spring that we can remember and is the unsettling reality of climate change.

There is plenty of stuff you can sow now so don't worry if you're feeling a little behind. You can find a full list of seeds to sow in June by following the link below.

​

How to hold water in your soil

Although the soil has been totally saturated by the rain, this water will quickly evaporate now that the sun is out.

The type of soil that you have makes a huge difference to how it behaves in relation to water. Sandy soils dry very fast and clay soils dry slowly.

In undisturbed soil water evaporates from the surface through a process known as "capillary action". The water moves up through the soil in tiny channels like being sucked through a straw.

As the soil dries out and shrinks, cracks can appear in the surface which opens up the soil further down, allowing even faster evaporation, creating a positive feedback loop (meaning that the problem accelerates over time).

To slow down this process we need to stop the capillary movement of the water up through the soil profile.

The most basic method which is practiced all over the world - particularly in areas where people use 'flood irrigation' is to simply break up the surface of the soil once it starts to form a crust. You can do this with a hoe or a mattock or even just using your hand. It creates what is sometimes referred to as a 'dust mulch', and it is very effective.

Alternatively you can use other kinds of mulches such as straw, hay, or compost. Beware of using raw mulches such as straw that you will be unable to hoe the weeds once you have put it down, so if using this method, weed really well first and use a thick layer (3 inches) to help prevent subsequent weed growth.

Second Spring Seed Collection 2021 coming soon :)

​

Throughout July and August our famous "Second Spring" seed collection will be available to buy.

There is loads of stuff that can be sown in the second half of the summer which will keep you nourished with home-grown goodness over the winter.

It might feel strange already thinking about the winter as it feels like summer is only just beginning but its really important to get winter crops sown in good time so they have time to grow while there is energy from the sun available.

Second Spring has 10 of our favourite varieties for over-wintering, and has a 10% discount on it. Click the button below to find out more.

All the best

Fred and Ronja