This week Idle Gardener Blogwort contributes our Saturday column

AS ALYS FOWLER noted in last week’s Idle Gardener, February is indeed the month for doing nothing in the garden.

However, there are one or two idle gardening activities relating to potatoes, tomatoes and chillies that might be worth bearing in mind if you feel so inclined.

Early potatoes: chit them for extra abundance

If you’re an avid potato grower, or have the inclination to start your ‘first early’ potatoes under cover, now is the time to get your seed potatoes chitting in a light and frost-free place, such as a windowsill.

Various recommended first early types include: Swift (the Idler’s choice this year), Rocket, Casablanca, Arran Pilot, Pentland Javelin, Foremost, Abbott and Red Duke of York.

Tomatoes and chillies: sow in pots

A very simple but fruitful task for February and the coming early spring months: sow a few chilli pepper seeds.

If you’ve got a greenhouse, you could start some early sown tomato seeds in small pots, with some sort of seal to keep the pots moist (but not wet). Place the pots somewhere warm and eventually move to a sunny windowsill, with a temperature between 18-25C.

The seeds should take around 7-10 days to germinate.

You’ll be eating hot salsas, curries and greenhouse grown tomato salads by Midsummer’s Day.

Final note: when choosing your tomato seeds, choose the right type for your growing situation.

Indeterminate means vine-like in habit. These varieties of tomatoes are the most common and grow as cordons  – single stems with side shoots removed. They grow very tall, up to two metres if not kept in line.

Determinate means bush, dwarf or even short trailing, these varieties grow like bushes and are quite short in habit, much shorter than indeterminate varieties, and the stems end in a fruit truss. They don’t need any pruning or side shoot pinching.

There are thousands of varieties of chilli pepper and tomatoes to choose from. This year the Idler is starting off with some Jalapeño and short bush type chilis called ‘patio fire’ and ‘Medusa’, and thinking about growing some strong, Arctic cold-enduring Russian heirloom tomato varieties.

ENDS