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Welcome to our web site nursery news
On these pages we update what is going on at the nursery, what we have for sale and keep you up to date on the seasons growing with monthly hints and tips.
For updates on the dates for 2026 see News about our Shows for 2026.
If trying trying ‘Grow your Own’ for the first time, don’t be put off by a failure. As we have always said, each year is different, so never be put off by a bad years results. There is always next year, gardeners are optimists. A seed is a perfect symbol – small, full of potential, and with the right care capable of growing into something wonderful, even in challenging times.
There is always our facebook page to check for daily updates and each monthly mail shots for more information on growing month by month.
As always the nursery is open for the collection of all your vegetable plants as the seasons progress.
All our plants are grown using John Innes compost which is loam based. We use biomass boilers to heat all our glasshouses and use predator’s or a natural spray to control unwanted garden pests rather than a chemical spray.
Plants sent by mail order are packed using recyclable material.
We are committed to following the advice from the experts to deliver the highest standards of safety and hygiene for our staff and customers.
Registered on the APHA list of distance plant sellers. Plant Passport No.20404
We regret we cannot send any plants to Northern Ireland or the EU.
Available now at the nursery we have
Our full range of vegetable seeds
Vegetable plants for winter
SPRING PLANTING GARLIC,
HATIVE DE NIORT SHALLOTS
RHUBARB CROWNS
FULL RANGE OF ONION & SHALLOT SETS, SEED POTATOES
NOW IN STOCK
JANUARY nursery opening times
Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm
Saturday and Sunday – CLOSED
POTATO WEEKEND AT THE NURSERY 7th & 8th FEBRUARY. 10am – 2pm
Jobs in the garden for January here in the UK
Dear Gardeners,
The new year has begun with a sharp cold spell with lots of snow for many gardeners, following the very wet and stormy end to 2025. If your ground is still waterlogged, resist the urge to start working it too soon, turning wet soil often causes more harm than good. Although last spring and summer’s heat feels like a distant memory, spring is already stirring. We’ve yet to see much snow, but there’s still time. Gardeners are, by nature, optimists, and the seasons always come round again. The first snowdrops are already pushing through the soil, reminding us that brighter days are close.
Jobs for January
Soil & Ground Preparation
Leave outdoor ground rough and uncovered. Frost will naturally break down the soil, and birds will help clear away unwanted pests. Avoid covering the soil with plastic sheeting.
Our exhibition‑vegetable ground, dug, enriched, and left in ridges over winter remains untouched. The traditional method for preparing onion and leek beds has been unchanged for over 160 years. You can find full details in the opening pages of our catalogue, on our website under cultivation hints, or by emailing us for a copy.
Sowing & Growing
Onions & Leeks
Mammoth onions and leeks can now be sown in a warm glasshouse, ideally kept at 13°C overnight. Pot them on at the “loop stage”, when seedlings first emerge in a curved loop before straightening into a blade. If you miss this stage, simply wait until they are larger and easier to handle.
Avoid overwatering at this time of year; low light levels can cause seedlings to damp off. We never use additional lighting for large onions; there’s no need for the extra energy or cost. Smaller onion and leek varieties can be sown from late January.
Chillies, Peppers & Aubergines
Both chillies and peppers benefit from an early start, as they grow more slowly than tomatoes. For early tomatoes, try varieties such as Tumbler for hanging baskets, or Sweet & Neat and Patio Plum for compact indoor pot growing.
Salads & Herbs
There’s still time to sow winter lettuce, Rocket, American Land Cress, and the punchy Wasabi Rocket. Early salad leaves, microgreens, and some herbs can also be started now. Slow‑growing Faulds Parsley should be sown in a warm greenhouse.
Garlic & Onion Sets
Unplanted garlic can be started in pots until the ground becomes workable.
Onion sets are available from mid-January and can be potted up ready for transplanting. Consider varieties such as:
- Santero – mildew resistant
- Snowball – pure white, mild flavour
- Red Baron – mild red onion
- Red Cross – a red onion with some resistance to bolting
Please note: we will not have Rose of Roscoff onion sets for 2026, but seeds are available now and plants will be ready for outdoor planting in April.
Seed Potatoes
Seed potatoes will be available from mid January and can be set to chit. With such a wide range available, there’s a variety for every taste and growing condition. For an early harvest, try planting a few tubers inside a greenhouse or polytunnel.
Our Potato Weekend takes place on the 7th and 8th of February from 10am to 2pm. The nursery remains open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. Potatoes can also be ordered by mail, see our website for details.
Compost & Growing Media
There is ongoing discussion about the shift to peat‑free composts. We have always used John Innes, a loam‑based, peat‑free compost. Other good peat‑free options include SylvaGrow and Westland. Quality peat‑free composts may cost a little more, but the price generally reflects performance.
Peat‑free composts often require specific fertilisers, not as a marketing tactic, but because nutrient balances differ. Use the recommended fertiliser or one with a similar profile.
Remember: peat‑free compost behaves differently. You may need to feed more often and monitor watering carefully. John Innes retains moisture well, so plants need less frequent watering. Many gardeners find a mix of John Innes and peat‑free compost offers the best of both worlds.
A Note on Buying Seed
Before investing time and effort into sowing, always buy seeds and plants from reputable UK nurseries and suppliers. Some online sellers appear UK‑based but actually ship from overseas without the required legal documentation or inspections.
Whatever the rest of the year brings, we wish you good gardening.
The Robinson’s
W Robinson & Son (Seeds and Plants) Ltd
‘The Home of the Mammoth Onion’
Sunny Bank, Forton, Preston
PR3 0BN
01524791210
www.mammothonion.co.uk
e: [email protected]
facebook.com/mammothvegetables
A pest solution.
Use this simple garlic repellent to deter garden pests like aphids and slugs. It can also help eliminate powdery mildew on foliage.
Peel the cloves from a whole head of garlic and put in a food processor or blender with 235 ml of water. Purée the mixture (this takes about a minute in a regular food processor). Alternatively, chop or crush the cloves as finely as you can by hand and mix well with the water.
Add a further 700ml of water to the mix, along with 30ml of any liquid soap. Blend again and then transfer to a clean jar.
Leave the mixture to steep overnight, or for at least 12 hours, so that the garlic can infuse the liquid with its potent sulphur compounds.
Once the mixture has had time to steep, strain it through a muslin cloth or fine mesh strainer to remove the solid garlic pieces (which would otherwise clog the nozzle on your spray bottle).
Pour the garlic-infused liquid into a reusable spray bottle and store in the fridge between uses.
Mist plants in the evening, holding the spray about 15-30cm away from the foliage, and cover both sides of the leaves with an even coating of the garlic pesticide spray. Re-apply every few days (and after any rainfall) when your plants are suffering with an infestation, or once a week as a deterrent.
Garlic has a reputation for warding off vampires but it’s also effective against smaller blood-sucking creatures such as mosquitoes.
Add two-three crushed fresh garlic cloves to a food grade oil such as sunflower oil and leave to infuse for 24 hours.
The following day, add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the mixture, along with 500 ml water.
Strain the garlic, lemon and oil mixture through some muslin cloth or a fine mesh strainer to remove the pieces of garlic.
Transfer to a spray bottle and apply this natural repellent as needed to keep mosquitoes away.
Below is a guide for when to feed vegetables which we hope will be of help.
GENERAL RULES FOR FEEDING VEGETABLES.
All root vegetables….. Never. If the ground is correctly prepared.
Brassica…… Never. If the ground is correctly prepared
Chilli Peppers….. When the fruit has started to set and swell well, never feed too early.
Courgettes, Marrows and Cucumbers…… When first picking starts.
Onions and Leeks……. Never. If the ground is correctly prepared.
Onions and Leeks for exhibition……. Never. If the ground is correctly prepared. However they respond to a feed of Nitrate of Soda if a burst of growth is needed.
Peppers and Aubergines…….. When fruit is golf ball size.
Tomatoes under glass……. When the fruit on the first truss is pea size.
Tomatoes outdoors…….. When the fruit on the second truss is pea size.
NEVER FORGET PLANTS DON’T HAVE TEETH, THEY DO NEED WATER TO TAKE UP THE NUTRIENTS IN THE GROUND! ALWAYS WATER THE GROUND WELL IN HOT DRY CONDITIONS.
W Robinson & Son (Seeds and Plants) Ltd
‘The Home of the Mammoth Onion’
Sunny Bank, Forton, Preston PR3 0BN
01524791210
www.mammothonion.co.uk [email protected]
facebook.com/mammothvegetables