VEGETABLE PATCH : The Waxing Crescent moon is ascending, pulling energy down into the soil — a reliable signal to focus on root crops today. Direct-sow turnips (Brassica rapa ‘Purple Top Milan’, ‘Golden Ball’) in rows 30 cm apart, pressing seeds 1 cm deep into a well-raked, stone-free bed / Sow scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica) and salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius) in situ at 1.5 cm depth, thinning later to 10 cm apart — these long-season roots rarely forgive transplanting / Work in a handful of wood ash per metre of row before sowing to supply potassium, which encourages strong, dense root formation rather than leafy top growth / In heavier soils, add sharp sand to a spade’s depth before sowing to prevent forking — scorzonera especially appreciates a loose, deep profile.
INDOORS : A good moment to check on celery (Apium graveolens ‘Victoria’, ‘Tall Utah’) and celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum ‘Monarch’, ‘Prinz’) seedlings started under cover — roots are quietly developing beneath the surface. Pot on any root-bound plugs into 9 cm pots using a low-nutrient compost to encourage roots to search and spread / Water sparingly at the base, avoiding the crown, to prevent damping off at this young stage / Harden off the sturdiest plants by setting them outside in a sheltered spot for two to three hours during the warmest part of the day, gradually extending exposure over the coming week before planting out.