It’s hard to believe we’re nearly half way through 2010! The bonus is that by now, newbie veggie growers may be starting to feel like they’re a bit more in their stride, and the joy of the first home grown mini-harvests can be savoured.
There’s still plenty of time to start, even if you’ve never grown before. And as we always say, if this is your first attempt, take it EASY – maybe a couple of containers (on a table top, if you’ve got a bad back), or a bit of window-ledge friendly planting… If you try to do too much you’re likely to get a little daunted or discouraged.
Sowing indoors:
Here’s what can still be started off indoors from seed close to windows for warmth and sunlight:
French and runner beans (eventually you’ll need vertical space for these to climb, so think fences, arches, or up trellis – growing vertically is a great space saving way of getting started growing your own)
Beetroot – these will need to be 10 cm apart and if you’re planting in containers, remember they’ll need a little depth as they’re a root vegetable. You can plant more every fortnight into July to yield a long harvest
Carrot – consider buying seeds for round varieties of carrot is you’re container growing
Kohl rabi – bear in mind that these need to be sown 30cm apart as the swollen edible stem bases take up a fair bit of space
Lettuce – to have a long supply of your own lettuce / other salad leaves, keep sowing every fortnight (successional sowing) wherever you have space
Radish – these need to be sown 15cm apart and, as with beetroot and carrot, remember they’re a root crop, so choose a suitable container if you’re container growing
Spinach – grow this exactly as you would lettuce and other salad leaves
Squashes – if you want to grow marrows, courgettes, butternut or other squashes, early June is the time for planting a few seeds about an inch deep in their final position. You’ll get best results if you prepare the ground a week or so in advance, digging a 30cm square and deep hole and filling it with compost (or well rotted manure) and soil. When you plant the seeds in a week later, cover them with a cloche or jar. When the seedlings are established, pull up all but the strongest one.
Turnip – turnips sown at this time of year are “earlies” and need about 15cm spacing
If you’ve already started any of the following indoors (Broccoli, Summer or winter cabbage, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Leek, Sweetcorn), now is also the time for planting out – remembering to “harden off” or prepare them. All that’s required is putting them outside during the day and bringing them in at night for a week or so before potting them on into their outdoor containers or planting them out into the ground.
Maintenance:
Try to keep the ground and any containers evenly watered – avoid “boom and bust” ing, especially with tomatoes and root veg, because they’ll end up cracking / splitting.
Keep a stern eye out for weeds and hoe them up regularly to give all your crops their best chance.
Steal leaves from your salads regularly to encourage them to sprout more ("cut and come again") … After a while they’ll get a bit sick of this and will look "past it" at which point it’s time for the compost heap!
And finally, stay watchful for tomato side shoots and pinch them out to keep the plant focused on providing nutrients to the flowers that will fruit on the main “trusses”. See the Royal Horticultural Society picture here to understand what a tomato sideshoot looks like.
Harvest:
If you’ve been growing any of these, then it should be just about harvest time!
Aubergine, Broad beans, Carrots, Lettuce, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Radish, Spinach, Tomatoes, Early planted Turnips.
BEWARE when you pull up carrots if you’re not pulling them all up in one go – the smell of broken carrot greenery attracts carrot fly which could ruin the rest of your crop.
As always, we’d love to hear how you’re getting on with your growing, especially if you’re a newbie. And if you’re an old hand, do let us know if we’ve missed any top tips for this time of year.
Categories: seasonal eating
