Growing Your Own Asparagus
A raised bed is considered the best method of cultivating asparagus. It likes a well-drained, sandy soil, but can be successfully grown on heavier, even clay soils providing they have been cultivated first with plenty of humus and some grit or sand to aid drainage.
In April, plant the crowns 20 cm (8 inches) deep, 30–45 cm (12–18 inches) apart, into a trench 30 cm (12 inch) wide. In a standard raised bed (1.2 metres/4 feet wide), dig the trench in the centre of the bed and make it slightly mounded, so that the roots will slope downwards and out.
Cover the crowns with fine sieved soil to about 5 cm (2 inches) above the top of the crown. Fill to the surface as the plant grows.
Keep weed-free but be careful not to damage the shallow roots as you do so: best to hand-weed. Water as required, but avoid making the trench too wet.
Don’t take a crop in the first year. The spears will turn into foliage to feed the plants. As the foliage turns yellow in autumn, cut it off 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) above ground level.
In spring, draw up a ridge of soil over the centre of the plants, about 10 cm (4 inches) high. Add a general purpose fertilizer such as fish, blood and bone or Growmore. The spears will start to appear in early May. Take just a few and leave the rest to develop.
Cut the spears with a sharp knife some 7.5cm below the ground when they are about 10cm high above the ground. You can actually buy a special knife, especially shaped for cutting asparagus.
The real season starts in mid-May and runs through June when you must show restraint and stop cutting.
In the second year just take 6 or 8 spears per plant, double that in the third year and expect about 20 to 25 spears per plant for the next 20 years.
Protect from late frosts with fleece.
Harvesting Asparagus
Pests and Problems with Asparagus
Blueberries need a sheltered site in well-drained, moisture-retentive, acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5) in sun or part shade. If you can grow azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias in your garden, blueberries should be successful too. Check your soil pH if unsure.
If your soil is only slightly acid, you can try acidifying it to lower the pH to the optimum level for ericaceous plants.
If you garden on heavy clay or alkaline soils, it is best to grow blueberries in containers. Improve the soil before planting by removing all weeds and incorporating lime-free soil improvers such as composted bark, bracken, leafmould, pine needles.
Avoid adding manure or mushroom compost which are too alkaline for blueberries.
Highbush blueberries can reach 1.5-1.8m (5-6ft) in height and half-high about 0.5-1.2m (20in-4ft). When planting, space highbush cultivars with 1-1.5m (3¼ft-5ft) all round and half-highs with about 1m (3¼ft) all round. Mulch newly-planted blueberries with pine bark (composted or chipped).
Pollination, fruiting & harvesting
Although many blueberries are partly or fully self-pollinating, it is best to grow a minimum of two, as cross-pollinated plants tend to produce larger fruit. To achieve this, plant two or preferably three different cultivars to ensure reliable, abundant crops.
Pick fruit when it is completely blue and has a white surface bloom. Fully productive plants around seven years old produce up to 2.25-5kg (5-11lb) of berries.
Watering and Feeding
During dry spells water blueberries with rainwater, not with tap water, unless you have no alternative in a drought.
If growing in containers keep the compost moist but not waterlogged and don’t allow the compost to dry out between waterings. Feed container plants every month using a liquid fertilizer formulated for ericaceous (lime-hating) plants, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Mulch plants in open ground in spring or autumn with 7-8cm (2½-3in) layer of acidic or neutral organic matter, composted or freshly chipped pine bark.
Annual additions of organic matter with 15g per sq m (½oz per sq yd) of sulphate of ammonia sprinkled round the plants in late winter. If plants are not growing well try an application of fertilizer recommended for ericaceous (lime-hating) plants as directed by the manufacturer.
Avoid overfeeding, as blueberries are sensitive to high fertiliser levels. Poor growth may be a result of high pH, excess nutrients (high soluble salts) and fluctuation of soil moisture levels.
Winter Protection
Not all blueberry cultivars are fully hardy. Even hardy cultivars, as with many other plants, can be damaged in winter if exposed to a combination of low temperatures and wet conditions, especially if container grown. Move containerised plants indoors in a shed or garage during prolonged cold spells, or wrap the pot in hessian or bubblewrap to protect the roots. Protect flowers from late frosts with a double layer of horticultural fleece.
Pruning and Training
Blueberries fruit on short sideshoots produced during spring or early summer of the previous year. They can also form fruit buds on the second flush growth produced later in the summer, at the tips of strong shoots.
Pruning is rarely needed in the first two years, just remove any crossing or misplaced branches.
Prune any time over the dormant season (November to March), but ideally in late February or early March when the fruit buds can easily be distinguished from the leaf buds. Fat buds produce flowers and fruit, while smaller, flatter buds form shoots and leaves.
A mature bush should contain about one-third old, one-third middle-aged and one-third young stems.
Prune Out
We suggest using the Rootgrow for Ericaceous plants to help plants settle in.
RHS Rootgrow
The first and currently the only plant or soil treatment to be licensed by The Royal Horticultural Society.
RHS gardeners find plants treated with Rootgrow:
How to grow Brassicas
The leafy brassica family includes cabbages, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Swede, turnips and radishes are also part of the family.
Kale is a very easy member of the brassica family, so it’s a good one to start with if you’re new to brassicas. It has the added bonus that you can pick a few leaves at a time rather than having to wait for it to form a head, like a cabbage. Purple sprouting is another great vegetable to grow – it can be expensive in the shops, and it’s really nutritious as well as tasty. Brussels sprouts are fun to grow, and there’s nothing like eating your own crop for Christmas dinner!
Brassicas like a bit of shade, so pick an area that won’t be in full sun all day if you can. Begin by digging your brassica patch over in the autumn, adding a good dose of compost or well-rotted manure to it and working it in well. Once dug, trample over it to make it nice and firm, just how brassicas like it.
Brassicas can be quite picky about the soil they grow in. They like a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, so get a soil tester and add some lime to the soil if it’s too acidic.
Planting out Brassicas
Once the plants reach about 8cm (3”), or 15cm (6”) for kale and Brussels sprouts, they should be ready to plant out. Make sure you give the young plants a good soak the day before you move them. Dig a hole in the soil with a trowel and pour some water into it, remove the plant from the module carefully and place it in the hole, then fill in the sides and firm it down well.
Growing tips for leafy vegetables
These leafy plants will benefit from a couple of feeds. Use a nitrogen-rich feed once when you plant them out in June, and again in September.
Most brassicas are quite drought-hardy, but they will need watering when you first plant them out, until they are settled in and well-established.
If you don’t want your brassicas to be decimated by caterpillas, set up netting over them. Make sure the netting is high enough for taller plants like kale and purple sprouting. The netting will also stop the brids from going after young, tender plants.
For Crop Rotation plant them with peas and beans (legumes)
Varieties of Broad Beans
There are three main types of broad (fava) beans:
Longpods
Dwarf
Varieties available in seed or plant may differ from those listed above.
Pests and Problems with Broad Beans
Tall broad bean plants can be blown over in windy conditions , so support should be provided. The easiest way is to us stakes or strong canes and horizontal strings on each side of the row of bean plants.
The main pest on broad beans is blackfly on the young growing tips in summer. Remove the top portion where the blackflies gather. Or you can wash them off with soapy water or a hosepipe. Rust can be a problem on broad beans later in the growing season. It is a fungal disease spread by the rain and makes the plants look as if they are going rusty. It grows rapidly in warm wet conditions causing leaf drop and possibly reduce the size of the pods.
Chocolate spot is another fungal disease. It causes dark, chocolate-coloured spots on all parts of the plant. It can cause the plant to collapse and is worse in overcrowded , cool, moist, conditions. A lack of potash may weaken plants so add extra potash to the soil.
Sowing and Growing Broad Beans
Sow winter varieties in late October–November for an early crop in June, In a bad wet winter plant losses can be high so consider your local climate. Sowings under cloches from late February through to early May can give a crop from June–October, but the later you sow them the more prone they are to blackfly and fungal diseases.
For best results, sow into 8 cm (3 inch) pots under glass or in a cool greenhouse. These can be planted out about three weeks later. Or sow directly into their growing position. If you do it is a good idea to sowing a few seeds into pots to fill any gaps where they have not germinated . The usual spacing is 20 cm (8 inches) apart in double rows 20 cm (8 inches) apart, staggering the plants. This helps them to support each and some sticks and string will ensure they are not blown over. Space these staggered rows 60–75 cm (24–30 inches) apart.
If you are growing a few in containers, use larger pots, planting 15 cm (6 inches) apart, with at least six plants per pot to support each other.
Harvesting Broad Beans
Blanch older beans and remove the tough outer skin before eating or freezing.
Carrots are quite easy to grow but need deep fertile sandy soil . They come in various shapes and colours ranging from small round varieties, short cylindrical (stump rooted) to the long-rooted types . There are early and maincrop varieties.
The earliest carrots are ready to be eaten after about 10–12 weeks and are suitable for raised beds and containers in a 50:50 mixture of sand and multipurpose compost. They can be grown for an earlier crop undercover, under cloches, in coldframes or in the greenhouse.
The maincrop varieties need about 16 weeks to grow and will store for use over the winter. Carrots don’t like stony ground or ground which has had manure or compost recently added; this can cause them to fork or fang – making them impossible to prepare for cooking.
Seeds may take about 16-20 days to germinate and can retain viability for 3 years.
Sow carrots in a sunny spot outdoors in situ from late February (under cloches before mid-March or in the open after that) until to July for harvest during June to December . Carrot varieties come in short (golf ball to long finger), intermediate and long-rooted varieties.
Pests and Problems with Carrots
Carrot fly maggots mostly causes damage to carrots, but can also affect the roots of other crops such as parsnip, celery and parsley. They hatch from eggs laid in late May–June and in August-September. So those are the months when your crop is at danger.
The fly is attracted by the smell of carrots, which can be particularly strong when you have been thinning them. It is most active during the day laying its eggs in the soil near the carrots. The newly-hatched larvae feed on the fine roots then bore into the tap root.
To avoid damage from carrot fly you should;
Growing Your Own Carrots
The soil for carrots should be fairly deep and fertile but free from lumps of manure and large stones. Sandy soil best for carrots but they can be grown in heavier soils that have been improved by the addition of sand.
Draw a shallow drill half an inch (1-2 cm) deep and sow very thinly, preferably covering the drill with sand. Allow 6 inches (15cm) between rows. After germination, thin the seedlings down to about one carrot every 2-3 inches (5-8cm).
You can also scatter the seeds thinly on the entire surface – this is especially suitable when growing in containers – and cover thinly with sand. Thin the seedlings to a spacing of 3inches (8cm) in each direction . Larger thinnings are good to use raw in salads.
Vitamin Content of Carrots
Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and potassium. They also contain vitamins B6 and C, folic acid, thiamine, and magnesium.
Celery is a mainstay flavouring vegetable as well as popular snack vegetable. With regular watering and weeding, celery is fairly easy to grow. Come autumn, if you still have extra plants, you can dig them up and store them indoors for a few more months of use.
Celery Pests and Problems
Slugs can be the primary problem in the celery plot not only with leaf munching but they can introduce a bacterial disease called celery heart rot, which needs little explanation.
Celery, a bog plant, is very sensitive to any heat and moisture stress so it’s important to keep plants regularly and well watered in hot spells. If plants are in full sun, then some added shade is very beneficial.
Celery fly, parsley worms, carrot rust fly and nematodes can also be a problem. Avoid planting next to parsnips, carrots and celeriac which can be affected by the same pest.
Sowing and Growing Celery
Sow indoors in heat, under glass in late March–early April in a compost and sand mix. Water regularly. Seedlings are temperature sensitive so avoid wide temperature fluctuations to maintain steady growth and ensure there is good air circulation to avoid humidity problems.
Harden them off carefully for planting into their final positions in late May–early June.
Celery is a greedy, thirsty crop that needs hummus-rich soil mixed with plenty of manure or Growmore, and bonemeal. And plenty of water at all times.
Plant in a block, with 20 cm (8 inches) between plants in a partly shaded area. If high heat becomes a problem, add some overhead shade cloth so plants do not bolt, and keep well watered. Feed every 14 days.
For varieties that are not self-blanching, you may need to insert straw between the plants and wrap the outer plants with brown paper, or cardboard tied around the plant.
Harvesting, Eating and Storing Celery
Wait 3 to 5 months after planting the celery to harvest it. The growing period for celery is much longer than 3 months, but they’re best when harvested immature. Wait for 3 months after transplanting, or 4 months after the seed was first started to harvest the stalks.
The longer the celery grows, the tougher it will become. However, the tougher the celery, the more nutritious it tends to be. Harvest according to your personal preferences, but don’t wait longer than 5 months to harvest your first stalks!
Celery also dehydrates very well for use in soups and stews.
Self Blanching Celery does not have to be earthed up in order to keep daylight off the stems. No, it is not quite as ‘crunchy’ as the real thing, but the taste is there, and new varieties are being bred all of the time to get that little bit of Celery Crunch that we all love.
Chilli peppers are Capsicums. They grow well in a greenhouse or polytunnel, although they can be grown outside in a good summer in the milder South. They will also do well on a sunny window sill.
The heat in peppers and chillies is measured in Scoville Heat Units. Sweet peppers are rated zero but some of the hotter chilli varieties are rated at 1,000,000 SHU!
Sowing and Growing Chilli Peppers
Leave fruits to turn a rich red colour for a hotter taste.
The hotter the variety the longer the whole growing process will take (from germination through to ripening) so bear this in mind when selecting your preferred type.
Harvesting Chilli
Pests and Problems with Chilli Peppers
Varieties of Chilli Peppers
You’ll find many varieties of chilli peppers to grow, of varying degrees of heat. The heat of chillies is caused by a chemical called capsaicin – the more of this the chilli contains, the hotter it will be.
Storing Chilli Peppers
The following is a guideline for companion planting vegetables. Keep in mind that companion planting is not the same for everyone, everywhere; it will require experimentation to find what works best in your area.
Vegetable | Companions | Antagonists | Insight |
Asparagus | Basil, Coriander, Dill, Parsley, Carrots, Tomatoes, Marigolds | Garlic, Potatoes, Onions | Marigolds, Parsley, Tomato protect from asparagus beetles |
Beans | Beets, Brassicas, Carrot, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Celery, Chards, Corn, Eggplant, Peas, Potatoes | Alliums (chives, garlic, leeks, onions), Peppers, Tomatoes For Broad Beans: Fennel | Corn is a natural trellis, and provides shelter for beans. Beans provide nitrogen to soil. |
Beets | Brassicas (ie. broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kohlrabi,turnip), Kholrabi, Garlic, Lettuce, Onion, Sage | Pole and Runner Beans | The beans and beets compete for growth. Composted beet leaves add magnesium to soil when mixed. |
Broccoli | Basil, Bush Beans, Chamomile, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Lettuce, Marigold, Mint, Onion, Potato, Radish, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Tomato | Grapes, Mustard, Oregano, Strawberry, Tomato | Rosemary repels cabbage fly. Dill attracts wasps for pest control. |
Brussels Sprouts | Dill, Potato, Thyme | Strawberry, Tomato | — |
Cabbage | Beets, Bush Beans, Celery, Chamomile, Dill, Mint, Onion, Potato, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage | Beans (Pole and Runner), Mustards, Peppers, Strawberry, Tomato | Celery, onion and herbs keep pests away. Rosemary repels cabbage fly. |
Carrots | Beans (Bush and Pole), Garlic, Lettuce, Onion, Parsley, Peas, Rosemary, Tomato | Dill, Parsnip | Beans provide nitrogen in soil which carrots need. Onion, parsley and rosemary repel the carrot fly |
Cauliflower | Beans, Celery, Oregano, Peas, Tomato | Strawberries | Beans provide the soil with nitrogen, which cauliflower needs. |
Celery | Bush Beans, Cabbage, Dill, Leeks, Marjoram, Tomatoes | Parsnip, Potato | — |
Chives | Basil, Carrots, Marigold, Parsley, Parsnip, Strawberries, Tomato | Beans | — |
Corn | Beans, Cucumbers, Marjoram, Parsnip, Peas, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Squash, Zucchini | Tomato | Tomato worm and corn earworm like both plants. Beans and peas supply nitrogen. |
Cucumber | Beans, Celery, Corn, Dill, Lettuce, Peas, Radish | Potato, Sage, strong aromatic herbs, Tomato | Cucumbers grow poorly around potatoes and sage. |
Dill | Cabbage, Corn, Cucumbers, Dill, Fennel, Lettuce, Onions | Cilantro, Tomato | Cross-pollinates with cilantro, ruining both. One of only a few plants that grows well with Fennel. |
Eggplant | Beans, Marjoram, Pepper, Potato | — | — |
Kohlrabi | Beets, Lettuce, Onions | Strawberries, Pole Beans, Tomato | Lettuce repels earth flies. |
Leek | Carrots, Celery, Lettuce, Onions | Beans, Peas | Companion attributes are the same as garlic, onion, chives (alliums). |
Lettuce | Beans, Beets, Carrots, Corn, Marigold, Onions, Peas, Radish, Strawberries | Parsley | Mints repel slugs (which feed on lettuce). |
Marigold | Brassicas (broccoli, etc), Cucurbits (cucumber, etc), Peppers, Tomato, and most other plants | — | It is said that you can plant Marigolds throughout the garden, as they repel insects and root-attacking nematodes (worm-like organisms). Be aware they may bother allergy sufferers. |
Onions | Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Lettuce, Marjoram, Rosemary, Savory, Strawberry, Tomato | Beans, Peas | Repels aphids, the carrot fly, and other pests. |
Parsley | Asparagus, Beans, Radish, Rosemary, Tomato | Lettuce | Draws insects away from tomatoes. |
Peas | Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumber, Lettuce, Marjoram, Parsnip, Potato, Sage | Alliums (Chives, Garlic, Onion, Shallots) | — |
Potato | Beans, Cabbage, Corn, Eggplant, Horseradish, Marjoram, Parsnip | Celery, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Rosemary, Strawberries, Tomato | Cucumber, tomato and raspberry attract harmful pests to potatoes. Horseradish increases disease resistance. |
Pumpkin | Beans, Corn, Radish | Potato | — |
Radish | Cabbage, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Marjoram, Parsnip | — | Radish is often used as a trap crop against some beetles(flea and cucumber). |
Sage | Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Peas, Rosemary, Strawberries | — | Repels cabbage fly, some bean parasites |
Spinach | Beans, Lettuce, Peas, Strawberries | — | Natural shade is provided by beans and peas, for spinach. |
Squash | Fruit trees, strawberries | — | Similar companion traits to pumpkin. |
Strawberries | Borage, Bush Beans, Caraway | Broccoli, Cabbages | The herb, Borage, is likely the strongest companion. |
Tomatoes | Alliums, Asparagus, Basil, Borage, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Marigold, Peppers | Brassicas, Beets, Corn, Dill, Fennel, Peas, Potatoes, Rosemary | Growing basil about 10 inches from tomatoes increases the yield of the tomato plants. |
Turnip | Peas | — | — |
Zucchini | Flowering herbs (for pollination) | — | — |
For information on growing Cucumber
Search “C” for Courgette
Pruning
When pruning clematis there is one really important consideration: when does it flower?
The old rhyme “if it flowers before June do not prune” will get you out of most trouble but clematis can be subdivided into three flowering groups;
Group 1
Early flowering (up to late May). includes C. montana, C. alpina, C. armandii, & C. macropetala. They tend to have many small flowers which are produced on growth made the previous summer. So if you prune now you will be cutting off all flower buds. You will not harm the plant but will radically reduce the quantity of flowers. Trim as necessary (i.e to shape and size) in June. Garden shears are often the best tool for this.
Group 2
Mid season flowering (late May to early July). Tend to have much less vigorous growth and much larger flowers. Include ‘Niobe’, ‘Barbara Jackman’, ‘Nelly Moser’, ‘The President & H.F. Young’. These often flower twice, first on growth produced the previous year and again on new growth. The second flush is always of smaller flowers.
If you prune hard at this time of year you will not have any early, large flowers but plenty in late summer. The best bet is to remove all weak or straggly stems now as well as all growth above the top pair of healthy buds.
Group 3
Late flowering (after mid June) Includes clematis ‘jackmanii’‘, ‘C. viticella’, ‘Gypsy Queen’, ‘Hagley Hybrid’, ‘Perle d’Azur’ and ‘Ville de Lyon’. All are multi-stemmed. They all flower on growth made in spring so all the previous year’s growth should be cleared away now. Always cut down to about 2ft from the ground, leaving at least two healthy pairs of buds.
Courgettes are one of the cucurbits which also include: marrows, squash and cucumbers and are grown in the same way. They are prolific croppers and are suitable for growing in containers.
Courgettes may fail in poor weather if pollinating insects are few but the F1 hybrids will set fruit without pollination.
As well as standard shaped green courgettes, you can grow yellow and ball-shaped varieties too.
Sowing and Growing Courgettes
Courgettes can be sown during late April indoors or March–May outside in 3 inch (8 cm) pots. Sow three–four seeds and keep the strongest two (which will be plenty for a family). Sow the seeds standing on their edge to prevent rotting. Move plants to their final site when there is no more risk of frost.
They can be grown in a large container but if you are planting in the ground, allow 2½–3 feet (75–90 cm) between plants. Remember that courgettes need a lot of food and water so feed them regularly with tomato feed once they start cropping during June – October
Pests and Problems with Courgettes
Courgettes are mainly trouble free, but they are susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew. Slugs are probably your biggest enemy.
Varieties of Courgettes
Please see our range of seeds from Kings Seeds or our plants in the Veg & Herb tunnel.
Harvesting Courgettes
Courgettes are varieties of marrow that have been developed to be at their best when immature so don’t leave them on the plant to grow large because will have an inferior marrow and the plant will stop producing fruit. You can put a large cloche over them later in the season to extend their cropping. Harvest cylindrical varieties when they are about 4 inches (10 cm) long. Pick regularly to keep the plants in production. The flowers can also be eaten.
Eating
They can be eaten raw , thinly sliced or grated with salads or cooked in many ways including delicious courgette loaf. The bright yellow flowers can be picked before they full open , stuffed with herbs and cheese and fried quickly or dipped in light batter and deep fried tempura style. Or just toss them in olive oil until slightly wilted, then stirred through a risotto. The flowers don’t last so pick and cook them on the same day.
Lettuce is an easy plant to grow almost all year-round (under cover during colder months). It can be grown in pots and window boxes as well as the open ground, and is generally happy at close spacings.
Types of Lettuce
Recommended varieties
Pests and problems
Harvesting, Eating & Storing
For information on growing Marrows
Search “C” for Courgette
Onions are the most valuable, yet underrated, vegetable partly due to the bland taste of shop varieties. Home gardeners can choose from a wide variety of onions to suit their taste, from very mild to eye-watering strong. You can also choose particular colours, size, and onions for specific purposes. And a tasty onion is also a healthy choice with Vitamin C, B6, Folic Acid, as well as a good source of fibre.
The onion’s famous potency is due to the sulphur content as well as how you grow your onions such as the type of soil you have, what hummus you incorporate, water content, weather conditions, and the type of feed or fertilizers you use.
Like all plants, onions need potash; the more potash they have available the less sulphur they absorb. Using low potash fertilisers will result in smaller, but stronger tasting onions.
Recommended Varieties of Onions
There are many varieties to choose from depending on the potency you wish, the size desired from pickling to big slicers, colour, and day length.
A popular storage set onion is Sturon and favourite sweet eating onions include Ailsa Craig (subject to availability).
Onion Pests and Problems
The onion root fly can be a problem and fine netting can control this. Slugs can also do some surface damage and eelworms can do significant bulb damage.
Another problem appearing in wet years is onion rot that can totally wipe out a crop and the spores remain in the soil for another 5 or more years.
Onion neck rot is a fluffy grey growth on onion necks.
Sowing and Growing
Main bulb onions are either grown from seeds or sets, which are simply small bulbs. Spring onions or scallions are always grown from seed. Beginners find sets are easier because the onions have a head start even if planted late, are more disease resistant and crop better in poorer soils, and they tend to avoid the onion fly a bit better.
Main crop onion seeds are usually started indoors around February. There is considerable more variety in seeds which are less prone to bolting and usually store better. Start these in modules or flats. Note that onion seeds have a short shelf life so it’s worth purchasing smaller seed packages. When planting time approaches, harden off onion seedlings before planting out.
In the damper UK climate, it’s best to rotate onion growing areas every year to avoid onion rot. Recently cultivated areas from grass will likely contain eelworms.
Bulbing onions are day-length sensitive, and most European long-day onions bulb once 15 or more hours of daylight occur. Short-day onions, often called Japanese onions, can be planted in fall when 9-10 hours of sunlight are available. The short-day type do not store well but do fill the gap until main crop onions arrive a bit later. Choose what suits your area and needs.
Onions have a limited root system therefore improving the soil with plentiful organic matter is invaluable. Apply two bucketfuls of well-rotted manure or other organic matter such as garden compost every square metre (yard). This will help add nutrients, improve the soil structure and hold moisture. Avoid using fresh manure.
Little fertiliser is required at planting, apply 35g per sq m (1oz per sq yd) of Growmore or twice as much organic fertiliser such as dried poultry manure pellets. If you cannot apply organic matter – use more fertiliser, up to twice as much if the soil is poor.
Because onions are a cool weather plant, hot temperatures or other stress conditions like irregular watering in dry times can cause the plant to bolt (go to seed). The bulbing tip can be snapped off and the onion grown on, but it will not store well so should be marked for use once harvested.
One caveat for onion growers is to not overwater them. They are shallow-rooted and once established they do not need much water. They also do not compete well with weeds at any time, particularly when young. In years of heavy rainfall, they appreciate a clear, protective cover to keep soil a little drier.
Harvesting, Storage and Eating
Onions can be harvested at any time as needed, but for storage expect to wait about 12 – 18 weeks depending on variety size. At this time, when the onion tops start to fall over, it’s time to gently push all the leaves downward at the neck and leave the plants to ‘die off’ for about 2 weeks. Once most of the leaves are brown or dried out, the bulbs can be pulled out and placed on screens or slatted flats to dry out for a further few days, even weeks. They cannot be safely stored until all the tops are crispy brown and a dried outer skin has formed. At that time the dried roots can be trimmed, as can the dried tops. Thick-necked onions will not store as long as thin-necked ones.
Once properly cured (dried), onions need air space to stay dry so shallow slatted boxes are idea, as are slim nets or simply roped into strings. Store in a cool, well-ventilated darker space such as a shed that does not freeze.
Onions can be used in any form in most dishes – cooked or raw. The acidity of onions helps soften tough meats which is why they’re so popular in meat dishes. The best way to avoid teary eyes when cutting onions is to cut them either under running water or in a basin filled with water.
Please note that onions are toxic to dogs, cats and other small animals. The severe toxicity is caused by the sulfoxides present in raw and cooked onions which they cannot digest, and this leads to anaemia that can damage red blood cells. Avoid feeding them pizzas, casseroles, onion rings, and other foods containing onions.
Roses can be planted at any time during the year. The extreme weather conditions that we advise against planting in are when the ground is frozen, water-logged or during a drought.
Roses thrive on direct sunlight. For best results, a minimum of four hours of direct sunlight is recommended. However, even when planted against a north wall (meaning no direct sunlight) roses can still perform well.
For best results, plant your rose 3 feet (1m) away from other plants and 2 feet (60cm) from other roses. Avoid planting a rose under an overhanging tree branch.
How to plant roses
Here are some steps to planting roses in the garden:
If you are replacing old roses with new roses, ensure that you dig out the soil to a depth and width of 45cm (18in) and exchange it with soil from a different part of the garden, as roses are at risk from replant disease, also known as soil sickness.
How much water
As a guide, we recommend watering the following amount per rose each time you water:
When to water roses
The need for watering varies greatly throughout the year and is directly related to the amount of rain that has fallen. We suggest the following:
October – February:
You are unlikely to need to water in the UK.
March – May:
Watch out for particularly prolonged dry spells of two weeks or more, particularly if the weather is warm. Newly planted roses – water every two or three days. Established roses – water once a week.
June – September:
Established roses – water once a week. As your rose starts blooming, take note if your flowers are wilting. This will happen in extreme heat but is a reliable sign that your roses need more water. Newly planted roses – water every other day.
It is best to water as close to base of the rose as you can. If the water is starting to flow away from the base, stop for a moment to allow the water to soak in, then continue.
Don’t water over the flowers or foliage. Watering foliage can encourage disease problems, particularly if it remains on the leaves overnight.
Feeding Roses
All roses appreciate being fed, If you wish to get the most out of your roses we always recommend feeding.
When to Feed:
For the best results, we recommend two annual feeds: Late-March/April at the beginning of the growing season. Late July after the first bloom cycle has finished, promoting stronger repeat flowering.
What You Need:
For the best results, we recommend either Maxicrop or Vitax Rose Food. An Autumn mulching of well rotted farmyard manure sets the roses up for the following year.
How to feed:
Maxicrop, dilute as per instructions on label and with the Vitax simply sprinkle Rose Food around the base of each rose (see packaging for full instructions).
Why should I prune?
Pruning is essential if you really want your rose to thrive. Roses are naturally vigorous and, if left without pruning, may become large and leggy shrubs.
The main purpose of pruning is to create a shapely, attractive shrub, with good structure, you can do this by simply removing parts of the plant during the non flowering season. Pruning encourages fresh new growth and plentiful blooms for the following season.
When should I prune?
We recommend pruning in late winter/early spring, when the first growth is beginning. This is generally between January and February. It is ok to prune earlier, but it can be more difficult to identify the less healthy stems that you will want to prune out. If you still haven’t pruned by March it is still better to do so.
Year One:
We define Year One as any rose that has completed its first season of flowering. At this stage your rose will still be establishing its roots to support growth in the future, thus only very light pruning is required.
Year Two:
Your plant will still be developing its root system and will not be at its mature size or shape.
Year Three:
By the third year your rose will be a fully formed plant. Your choice of how much you cut back is a little more flexible. You now have the opportunity to influence the size and shape of your shrub.
Before pruning, choose from one of the following:
Then follow these steps:
Year Four and beyond:
To ensure your rose performs to its optimum, we recommend following the steps in Year Three every year.
To create a short climber follow the Light Pruning and allow the current year’s growth to grow, after a couple of years of doing this the rose will be 5’-7’ and you don’t have to bend down to get your nose into a rose!
Key Points
How to Prune an Established Climbing Rose
Pruning is arguably the most important job you can do for your roses. It gives your rose shape, structure and encourages new blooms for the season ahead.
Climbing Roses. This can be subdivided into two groups:
Runner Beans are a worthwhile crop, one of the most productive and pretty crops for small spaces. In fact they were first grown for their flowers in Britain and people thought the beans were poisonous! Members of the legume family, they produce their own nitrogen, although they still need some additional fertilizer. They can be successfully grown up a wigwam of canes in a large container (50 cm/20 ins) if fed with liquid tomato fertilizer and watered regularly.
Sowing and Growing Runner Beans
Harvesting Runner Beans
Pests and Problems with Runner Beans
Varieties of Runner Bean
For information on growing Squash
Search “C” for Courgette
Straight from the plant, sweetcorn is one of the most delicious vegetables for the home grower. It needs a long growing season but the main reasons for failure are overcrowding and under feeding.
It produces masses of tall foliage and is not really suitable for container growing or close spacing.
Sowing and Growing Sweetcorn
The alternative, simpler method of cultivation, standard:
Harvesting Sweetcorn
Pests and Problems with Sweetcorn
Varieties of Sweetcorn
Eating Sweetcorn
Capsicum is another name for both sweet, bell-shaped peppers and hot chilli peppers. In the UK, sweet peppers are normally a greenhouse crop although in a good summer it is possible to grow them outdoors or in pots.
Varieties of Pepper
Please see our range of seeds from Kings Seeds or our plants in the Veg & Herb tunnel.
Pests & problems
Sowing and growing
Harvesting, Eating and Storing
The flavour of home grown tomatoes is unbeatable, no shop bought tomato can ever compete with a thin skinned variety picked fresh and sun warm from the vine.
The most critical thing with growing tomatoes is to keep them fed and watered properly. More than any other crop, they need regular watering and feeding to produce successfully. A great way to improve the moisture/air holding capacity of potting soil is to add Perlite.
Perlite holds both moisture and air, so it is ideal for keeping roots healthy and plants growing at a consistent rate.
Every time water only is applied to the roots from above, nutrients are washed away from the top few inches of soil – where most of the fine, nutrient absorbing roots live!
This is one reason for the success of the Grow Pot and “Ring Culture”.
Plants are fed/watered in the inner ring and watered in the outer ring. This avoids the problem of water only, removing nutrients from around the fine roots close to the stem base.
Using Grow Pots is a great way to optimize a grow bag.
It’s very easy to overfeed tomato plants – especially when they are young seedlings. The problem with feeding young plants is that their roots are very sensitive and may be damaged if fed a solution of feed that is too strong – such as the same strength that a fruiting adult plant would have.
If you use good compost (already containing food) there is very little need to feed until the plant is beginning to fruit – assuming that it has been potted-on with new compost. After about four weeks in a small pot the nutrients in the soil will have been used-up, so extra feeding may be necessary if the plant is not potted into a bigger pot with more potting compost.
Tomato plants that are fed “little and often” generally do better than those that are fed once a fortnight. This is especially true when plants reach their reproductive stage – flowering and fruiting.
Tomato plants have two stages of growth:
Before Flowering
This is when plants need a balance of nutrients and are normally fed with a general fertiliser. These feeds contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) in more or less equal amounts, plus other nutrients and trace elements.
Before feeding with a fertiliser, take into account the compost that your plants were potted into.
There are already plenty of nutrients in new, multi-purpose and grow bag soil, so feeding is not really needed until the food runs out – usually around three weeks in a small pot and five or six weeks in a grow bag, large pot or container.
After Flowering
This is when plants require tomato food and are fed on a weekly basis.
Tomato fertiliser also contains greater amounts of phosphorus and potassium for flower and fruit growth. However, plants still require a small amount of a wide range of minerals, including nitrogen, in order to develop more trusses and top growth.
Liquid Seaweed Extract is an excellent organic supplement and can be used as a foliar spray to encourage healthy and vigorous growth.
What are fertilisers?
Fertilisers contain concentrated sources of plant nutrients in chemical or organic form. Most contain major plant nutrients, which plants need in relatively large amounts. Some also contain trace elements, which plants only need in tiny amounts.
Most fertilisers are based on the three major plant nutrients:
All fertilisers should quote their N:P:K ratio on the product packaging. For example, a ratio of 20:20:20 indicates a balanced fertiliser, but a ratio of 10:12:24 would indicate a high potassium fertiliser.
Product choice
There are two main types of fertilisers: inorganic (man-made) and organic (derived from plant or animal).
Inorganic fertilisers: These are synthetic, artificial forms of plant nutrients or naturally occurring mined minerals. Inorganic fertilisers are usually more concentrated and faster acting than organic fertilisers. Examples of inorganic fertilisers include: Growmore, Miracle-Gro, Phostrogen, Sulphate of Ammonia, Sulphate of Potash, and Superphosphate and Tomorite
Organic fertilisers: These are derived from plant or animal sources and contain plant nutrients in organic form. Organic products tend to be slower acting, as large organic molecules have to be broken down by soil organisms before the nutrients within them are released for plant use. Examples of organic fertilisers include: seaweed, fish blood & bone, bone meal, poultry manure pellets.
Types of Tomatoes
Cordon or Indeterminate Tomato Varieties
These tend to be the most popular types, usually tied to a cane or string and the side shoots are removed to ensure the plants energy goes into the fruit rather than foliage. When a number of trusses (The plant stalk that bears the flowers and fruit) are set, the plant is stopped to allow the fruit a chance to ripen before the end of the season.
Bush or Determinate Tomato Varieties
Bush tomatoes differ in that they do not need side shoots removing and are effectively self stopping. The drawback of this is that they take up more room and are not so suitable for growing in pots. They do not generally require much or any support but the fruits are often in contact with the ground, which means more vulnerable to slugs and other pests. They can, in poor years, leave you with more green and under-developed fruits but you can compensate for this if you can get them off to an early start.
Dwarf Bush or ‘Hanging Basket’ Tomatoes
Unlike the standard determinate varieties of tomato, these are smaller plants usually giving cherry tomatoes and are bred to grow in containers such as hanging baskets. My experience is that they can be very successful.
Tomato Fruit Types
As well as plant types there are quite a number of different tomato fruit types. As a home grower, you can find many different – some weird and wonderful – varieties but the main types of fruit are listed below:
Growing Tomatoes in Pots or Grow Bags in the Greenhouse
The advantage of greenhouse growing tomatoes in pots and grow bags is that the compost is fresh each year. This means that it is free from disease build up and pests. Once the season is over, the spent compost from the pots and grow bags can be used as a soil improver on the plot.
What size pot to use for growing tomatoes?
Basically, the larger the pot the better. The minimum size is a 10” (20cm) pot which holds approximately 10 litres of compost.
Grow bags for Tomatoes
The original concept of the grow bag was excellent. They are convenient, neat and effective. Just make some drainage holes in the bag, cut holes on the top and plant through them. The bag effectively stopped evaporation water loss.
The only drawback was watering. One way to solve this was a variant on the old ring-culture growing method. Another solution was grow bag watering pots. These are inserted into the bag and water easily added through them.
Tomato Side Shoot Removal
To channel the plant’s energy into producing fruit rather than foliage we need to remove the side shoots. These always start in the angle between the leaf and stem, above the leaf.
The earlier they are removed, the less energy is wasted. A job to be done at least once a week. They are easy to miss, so whenever you are watering or feeding your tomatoes, keep an eye out for them and remove.
After the plant is stopped, it reacts by producing more side shoots – so watch out. Be careful not to confuse these shoots with a truss. A truss is the stem that carries the flowers, which turn into tomatoes. These grow from the stem but not from the leaf joint.
Rather than cutting these side shoots off, tear them away. It sounds crude but ripping them away results in better formation of scar tissue and is less likely to bleed or allow disease to get in.
Stopping Tomatoes
As the season draws to a close the plant will not have time to set, grow and ripen more fruits and it is time to stop it. This is usually when the plant has set four or five trusses but with some varieties you can get seven or eight.
A lot depends on when you sowed and planted as well as the speed which the plant grows fruit. Tomatoes range from 50 to 80 days to crop from germination.
How to Stop Tomatoes
You just take the leading (main) shoot at the top and pinch or cut it off. This means all the plant’s energy can be diverted into fruit, which will hopefully mature before the end of the season. Be aware the plant will react to being stopped by trying to form new shoots so you need to increase your vigilance when side-shooting.
Tomato Pests and Diseases – What’s Eating / Killing my Plants?
Although tomatoes are very easy to grow and are very rewarding there is a vast number of pests and diseases that can attack your precious crop. Fortunately for the amateur gardener, most of these are unlikely to cause a problem as most are easily preventable or simple to treat.
Tomato Diseases
For the home grower, there are some very simple things that can be done to prevent disease in tomatoes.
Avoiding Tomato Diseases
As healthy plants are much more likely to resist disease and other problems, giving your plants the right soil and fertilizer along with regular watering, you will find that you will have a mainly trouble-free time growing your tomatoes.
If growing outdoors keep the plot free of weeds and debris where insects and diseases can flourish.
Rotate crops each year so that soil-borne diseases cannot get established, if growing indoors (e.g. in a greenhouse) change the soil each year.
Keep your gardening tools and equipment clean, this stops the spread of disease (and the tools last longer as well)
Remove any unhealthy leaves as soon as you see them, and remove any unhealthy plants if needed. Do NOT compost any diseased plant or leaves. Do not water the foliage of your plants, as most diseases thrive in damp conditions.
Leaf Mould
This is a fungal infection that attacks the foliage of tomatoes and is extremely common amongst tomatoes grown in greenhouses. You may sometimes see this fungus referred to as Fulvia fulva or Cladosporium fulvum, but it is now known as Mycovellosiella fulva. The main symptoms of tomato leaf mould are yellow patches on the upper side of the leaves, with a pale, greyish-brown mould (sometimes purplish) on the underside of the infected leaf. In severe outbreaks, the mould may also be seen on the upper surface of the leaf. Eventually, the infected leaves will turn brown and shrivel but tend not to drop. Occasionally the flowers and fruit may be attacked but this is very uncommon, an infected plant will give reduce yield and lack vigour in growth
The tomato leaf mould fungus produces a huge number of microscopic spores on each affected leaf, which can be spread by air currents, insects, hand and clothing. These spores are resistant to dry conditions can easily overwinter on the surfaces of the greenhouse structure and on any debris left in the greenhouse, the disease develops and spreads rapidly in warm high humidity conditions. Plants that have had the soil dry out and then soaked tend to suffer more severe attacks.
Leaf Mould – Non-chemical control
By providing plenty of ventilation, especially at night, to reduce the humidity in the air, and only watering in the early morning avoiding getting the leaves wet, will greatly reduce the risk of infection. Do not let the soil dry out as this will weaken the plants and make them more susceptible to attack. If at all possible keep the temperature below 21°C (70°F). In order to increase airflow remove some of the lower leaves once the fruit has set. At the end of the season remove all plant debris and clean the greenhouse structure of a disinfectant such as jeyes fluid (tar oils) always follow the manufactures instructions on usage.
Grey Mould
Grey Mould (Botrytis) affects many plants not just Tomatoes. It is a fungal disease that thrives in excessively moist conditions, such as in an unventilated greenhouse. The spores are around all the time and are air-borne and infect a plant through a wound, (such as caused by removing the side shoots). Grey Mould will affect all upper parts of a plant (leaves, stem and fruit). The symptoms of Grey Mould are patches of grey fur, underneath which the plant tissue rots. As the infection matures black sclerotia about 2mm across are produced, which fall to the ground and act as a place for the spores to overwinter.
As there are no fungicides are approved for use against grey mould by amateur gardeners, prevention is the only real way to fight this disease. So keep the greenhouse well ventilated, do not overcrowd the plants, remove all infected leaves, fruits or plants immediately. The use of Jeyes fluid (tar oils) as a soil sterilant may kill the sclerotia as part of winter hygiene in the greenhouse.
Water or Ghost Spot
This is caused by the spores of Grey Mould infecting the fruit and then drying off as the conditions get warmer and drier. It shows as transparent rings on the stems and the fruit and does not cause any real damage. To prevent it follow the advice above for preventing Grey Mould and also avoid getting water on the setting fruit.
Blight
This is the same as potato blight, so if growing outdoors avoid growing them together or near each other, also avoid growing where potatoes grew the previous year. You are much less likely to get blight on our tomatoes if you grow them in a greenhouse. Infected plants develop dark brown to black patches on the leaves and may also have brown patches on the green fruit, more mature fruit will decay rapidly. Destroy all infected plants as soon as you see them.
When wet weather is forecast from June onwards, protectant sprays are advisable, especially for outdoor tomatoes.
Verticullium Wilt
This is a soil-borne fungal disease that affects the roots of the plants, the first signs of infection are the wilting of the top leaves in hot weather and then the lower leaves start to turn yellow. After a while, the whole plant wilts and becomes permanently limp. If you cut through the stem just above soil level you will see brown staining in the internal tissues. There is no cure for infected plants and they should be carefully removed and destroyed, avoiding spreading the infected soil. So again prevention is the byword here keep weeds under control, keep your boots and tools clean to avoid spreading infected soil.
Stem Rot
This is caused by the fungus didymella, which infects the stem of the plant just above soil level. The infection normally shows up as dead rotten patches that can girdle the stem. Infected plants then wilt and die. If the disease is caught early enough then it may help to spray with captan. although it is probably better to remove and destroy the infected plant.
Tomato Viral Diseases
Any infected plant should be removed and destroyed. These viral infections cause a wide variety of mosaic patterns and distortions to the leaves, stunted growth and marbling patterns on the fruit.
Spotted Wilt
This is the most serious of the viral diseases affecting tomatoes as it spreads rapidly and can destroy a crop. The young top leaves of the plant turn brown with concentric rings appearing on them as well. This virus is spread by thrips so controlling these will help to prevent the spread of this virus.
Mosaic Virus
This shows as pale green or yellow mottling on the leaves which may also curl and distort. Another symptom is that the fruit will fail to set or will have a bronzed patchy appearance.
Enation Mosaic Virus
This virus causes the leaves to be so badly distorted that they will become long thin curled and twisted threads, mainly affecting the leaves at the top of the plant.
Blossom End Rot
Blossom end rot shows as a circular patch, varying in colour from greenish-brown to black, at the end of the fruit that had the flower (the end furthest from the plant). As this patch increases in size, it becomes sunken so that the fruit has a flattened appearance at the affected end. The blackened patch varies greatly: in some fruits, it is only 1cm (1/2in) across, while in others it is 2.5cm (1in) or more in diameter.
Blossom end rot is due to a lack of calcium reaching the fruit and the main reason for this is lack of water flow through the plant. Tomatoes that are grown in pots or growbags (where there is limited root space) are more likely to suffer from this, as they are more likely to have the soil around the roots dry out and hence stop the flow of water through the plant.
To avoid this problem keep the soil evenly moist at all times, and during hot days it may need watering two or three times during the day, which is better than one double dose. Keep the air humidity down by proper ventilation.
Once a fruit has blossom end rot there is no cure for it.
Greenback
The fruits have hard green patches around the stalk which never ripen, this is generally caused by either too much sun, excessively high temperatures and/or a poor feeding regime.
Blotchy ripening
Parts of the fruit remain orange, yellow or pale green and never ripen, it is also known as whitewall, the causes are the same as for greenback.
Split Fruit
This is the result of irregular watering, either a lot of water has been applied after a dry spell in the greenhouse or heavy rain follows a drought outdoors.
Tomato Pests
Moth; The green or pale brown caterpillars of the tomato moth feed on the leaves and fruit causing a lot of damage. Remove the caterpillars by hand.
Eelworm: Both the potato root eelworm and the rootknot eelworm can affect tomato roots, the infected plant will have stunted growth, discoloured leaves and be severely wilted. Plants infected with eelworms will usually have tiny cream-coloured cysts on the root.
Red Spider Mite: Tomatoes grown under glass are very susceptible to red spider mite. The mites lay their eggs on and feed on the underside of the leaves producing a reddish mottled look. In heavy infestations, you may see fine silk webbing on the plants, and the leaves lose most of their green colour and dry up or fall off. Heavily infested plants are severely weakened and may die.
Whitefly: Whitefly is a common sap-feeding pest, mainly of houseplants and greenhouse plants. Whiteflies excrete a sticky substance (honeydew) on foliage, which allows the growth of sooty moulds. The adult flies, which look like tiny moths, lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves.
Companion Planting