Plant indoors jan - march 2010
Autumn -Spring planting
Tomatoes
It's a great to to start sowing your tom's seeds inside.
Tomato seed is large enough to plant into individual modules which is a good alternative to the above method. Dampen the end of something like a stick to pick up the seed and place on the top of moistened compost. Cover with sieved compost or vermiculite.
Put on a windowsill or into an electric propagator. These are not so expensive to buy or run these days. You can use the middle ground solution which is a mini propagator that is unheated that sits on the windowsill or provides a bit of bottom heat by sitting on a radiator.
The seeds will germinate quite quickly. Once they are large enough to handle "prick them out" into individual 3 inch pots. If they seem to be stretched, "a bit leggy" plant a little deeper than they were when they came out of the seed pot. Hold them by the seed leaves and not the stem. Damage the stem and your careful work to date might be wasted.
Once in their new pots they may seem that they have come to a standstill. They are starting to push down their roots and the top growth will soon follow. When you spot roots starting to come through the drainage holes pot on into 5 inch pots.
When the first flowers have appeared it is time to plant into their final positions.
Full Growing guide will be placed on the left menu
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Salad
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Chitter potatoes
Time to buy you spuds :) and get them( chitted )I personally dont care much for chitting potatos .... And will show some tests later on the website of chitter VS not .
The method is simple: spread the seed tubers in open-top crates, boxes or flats, one layer deep with the “seed end” uppermost. (If you’ll closely observe a seed potato, you’ll notice that one end was attached to the plant, the other end has a larger number of eyes from which the sprouts emerge. This end with the eye cluster is called the seed end.) The flats are kept in a warm place (70 degrees F.) where light levels are medium in intensity (bright shade). The warmth stimulates the development of strong sprouts from the bud eye clusters, which in the presence of light, remain stubby and so are not easily broken off. Usually seed potatoes are greened up starting a week or two before planting.
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Mint
Growing ..Peppermint and spearmint are perennials growing 12 - 36 inches (30 - 90 cm) tall although some mints are ground hugging. Produced at the end of square stems, terminal spikes of dainty lilac, purple, pink, or white flowers usually bloom in mid-to-late summer. Cultivation requirements for growing mint: grows best in moist, deep, loosely textured sandy soil; full sun but will do well in partial shade; keep well watered; pinch off flowers to promote bushy growth; and if growing indoors, fertilise with an organic fertiliser at half-strength every 3 or 4 weeks. Where winters are harsh, mulch with straw or leaves to protect your plants.
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Cucumber
Sow...cucumbers inside or a heated Greenhouse ,This time of year
Then its times to cultivate your soil/plot for outside cucumbers with a hoe and rake, removing all weeds, grass, and debris. Rake and then cross-rake your cucumber patch before planting. outside direct seed planting should be down 2 weeks after last frost ,So about late march .
Plant your seeds one inch deep and at least six inches apart, with three seeds per hole. Allow plenty of space for the vines to grow. If you are planting more than one row of cucumbers, leave at least eight inches between rows.
Fertilize.... your cucumber patch until the plants start flowering. Use manure compost and work it into the soil, adjacent to the plants.
While it is true that cucumbers grow well in moist soil, do not over water since doing so can cause your fruit to rot in the soil.
Inspect your crop while it grows, if there are signs of rot, try gently turning the fruit so that all sides can face the sun periodically. A canopy of leaves will grow over the top of your crop, shading it from direct sun, but it is good to allow the sunlight to shine directly on the fruit at least a few hours each day.
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chard
Use like spinach: Rainbow / Normal Chard is attractive in all stages of growth. Most leaves are medium green, some are darker, with stems of yellow, gold, pink, crimson, and various shades in between. Chards and is suitable for fresh salad greens as well as cooked like spinach.
Sowing ... Plant chard seeds outdoors as soon as ground can be worked. Plant in rows 18 inches apart, spacing seed 1 inch apart in row ( sowing/thinning must be done ). Cover seed with 1/2 inch of fine soil, well pressed down. Keep soil moist until seeds start to grow. can be planted Now till the end of summer
Thinning... Thin Chard to 12 inches apart when plants are 2 inches tall. For ornamental use, select your own color sequence and transplant the color chard 4 to 8 inches apart each way. They do Transpant well we have found
Germination ... Chard seed germinates in 14 to 18 days depending on soil temperature and weather conditions.
final thoughts ... Make cuttings of mature Chard leaves about 1 inch above the ground and new chard leaves will form. For young salad greens, clip chard plants just above the soil. The chard plants will then grow new stems and leaves. Magic...............
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cabbage
Soil Preparation
Cabbage will grow in a range of soil types but prefers well drained fertile soil that has been dug over the previous autumn with plenty of well rotted manure or organic matter added.
Sowing And Planting
One method of growing cabbage is to sow them indoors under glass. We sow 2 or 3 seed per large module
You can sow the seed direct into a seed bed outdoors. The seedlings will need thinning to three inches apart and then let them grow until they also have five or six leaves.
When the cabbage seedlings are ready transplant them into firm ground, 12 inches - 18 inches apart and just below the first set of leaves. This will encourage more root growth and help with stability.
Looking After The Plants
Protect the cabbages from birds and cabbage white butterflies by netting over the crop, ensuring that the net does not the leaves. Keep the cabbage bed weeded and water frequently during the summer months. Enviromesh or ultra fine netting is a must for keeping the butterfly and other flying pests away
Using nematodes we found did the job of keeping the ground bugs like slugs at bay ,
Harvesting
Harvest when the cabbages have a good solid head before they split. Heavy rain can cause the heads to split. If this happens harvest the cabbage as soon as possible and salvage what you can for eating.
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Parsnips
Soil Preparation
Parsnips will grow equally well in heavy clay or light loam but the soil does need to be deep and well manured from a previous crop, or manured in autumn of the previous season, otherwise the roots will fork instead of growing straight and clean.
Sowing
The parsnip is usually the first vegetable crop to be sown each year, in the south they can be sown at the end of February, whilst it is normally the end of March in the north. If they are sown later in April, then they tend not to grow as large but they are more likely to germinate better because the ground will have warmed up.
Drills should be 1in. (25mm) deep and about 15 in. (381mm) between rows. Because parsnip seed germinates badly, it is less important that seed is sown thinly. The fact that they germinate slowly does have its advantages because other quick growing crops such as radish may be sown with parsnips for when space is required for the host crop, the catch-crop (the radish) will be ready to harvest.
General Care
Keep the ground free from weeds but take great care not to damage the root, as they will succumb to canker. Make sure that they have plenty of water to prevent the roots from splitting and so that they are able to develop and grow well.
Harvesting
Parsnips are slow growing occupying the ground for several months before they are ready to lift; they may be dug up any time after the foliage begins to die away. They taste better when they have been touched by frost as this will sweeten them adding to their flavour, and therefore they may be left in the ground until late in the winter. If the ground is needed for other crops before the frosts have arrived, the parsnips may be dug up and left on the ground in a heap, where they can await the frosts. In excessively hard frosts the roots should be taken into a dry shed and covered with a sack, alternatively they can be stored in boxes of peat or Vermiculite.
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broccoli
Planting .
Broccoli is a cool-season vegetable that requires from 40 to 90 days to reach harvest depending upon the variety. Broccoli grows best in temperatures that range from no more than 80ºF (27ºC) during the day to about 60°F at night. Broccoli is frost hardy and can tolerate temperatures as low as 20ºF. Temperatures that are too cold or too warm will cause broccoli to bolt without forming a head. Plant broccoli so that it comes to harvest during cool weather.
Spring crop .
Sow broccoli seed 4 to 6 weeks before your region's average last frost date for a late spring harvest.
Early and late crop.
For a fall or winter harvest, transplant broccoli seedlings into the garden in midsummer in the North. In mild winter regions such as the South and Southwest, broccoli can be planted in the fall. In cold regions, broccoli should come to maturity before the freezing weather sets in; protect broccoli in a plastic tunnel for harvest into winter.
Where to grow.
Broccoli grows best in full sun, but will grow in light shade. Broccoli is not a suitable crop for very hot climates.
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broad beans
Leeks
Growing Leeks
leeks do not form bulbs or produce cloves but develop an edible 6 to 10 in. (152mm - 254mm) long round stem as much as 2 in.(50mm) in diameter. The leek has leaves very similar to garlic. They are flat rather than round and hollow like onion leaves. Leeks are undoubtedly one of the easiest vegetables to grow. They can be made into soups, stews and broths with, or in place of onions.
Soil Preparation
Leeks do perfectly well in any soil, though good, deep loam is best. It is important that they have well-drained soil; they will not tolerate stagnant soil conditions. Add lime as a surface dressing before planting out. To prepare the ground, dig in some well-rotted manure or compost at the rate of one bucketful to 8 sq. yds. bury it down to a spades depth. Two weeks before planting add fish and bone manure at a rate of 3 oz. (90g) to the sq. yd.
Sowing
Late March in the north and Feb in the south East . make shallow drills in. (12mm) deep and 6 in. (15cm) apart, sowing the seeds thinly. Earlier sowings can be made as early as January if the seeds are sown in trays and kept in the Greenhouse at a temperature of 55 deg F. (13 deg C.). Keep them in the until March then begin to harden them off in a cold frame; they can then be planted out either late April or early May.
Planting
Leeks can be planted into trenches or at ground level. To plant in trenches dig out to 1 ft. (30cm) deep and 1 ft. (30cm) wide adding manure or compost to the trench to a depth of 4 in. (100mm). Put back 3 in. (75mm) of the soil leaving the remainder on either side of the trench. Insert the plants 1 ft. (30cm) apart down the centre of the trench, the trenches should be 1 ft. (45cm) apart. The plants will now be standing at a lower level than the surrounding soil.Leeks should'nt be earthed up at this time , so when the make the hole just put the leek in and water ,Don't fill the hole up with soil .
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Pea's
Sowing and planting
The key to success with peas is to give them a fertile plot, know the variety you are sowing and provide support for them with a trellis where necessary.
For an early summer crop, sow outdoors once your soil reaches about 7C (late winter in mild areas, mid-spring in colder areas). If necessary, warm your soil before and after planting with cloches.
For your main summer crop continue sowing until the early summer (peas grow less vigorously in the heat), sowing every 2-3 weeks from mid-spring to early summer using any cultivar. Alternatively (this is the clever bit), sow three cultivars (one from each group) on the same dates in mid- to late spring for a staggered harvest.
For a late spring crop the following year, sow a hardy overwintering variety in a sheltered spot from late autumn. Protect with cloches when necessary, but ventilate on warmer days.
Peas sown in situ find it very difficult to germinate, so try first sowing a row of peas in a length of guttering, filled with soil or potting compost. Keep in a cool greenhouse or sheltered spot outside and wait for the seeds to become established, then gently slide the soil and seedlings into a similar-size trench in the ground. Pea seeds are fairly large so should be pushed 2.5-4cm deep and spaced between 5-7.5cm apart (depending on the final height of your cultivar). The further you plant your seeds apart, the greater your crop, so always read the seed packet.
Cultivation
Peas are very awkward to weed once planted, so make sure they go into weed-free ground in the first place. Mulch heavily once established to keep the weeds back. Only water in early stages, unless the weather is particularly dry. Too much water will encourage leaves, not pods. Once growth reaches 8cm, place pea sticks or supports into the ground.
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