Growing Brussels Sprouts Evesham Special

Sprouts are very tolerant of almost all soil conditions although they dislike acid soils. A firm soil is best in order to enable the root system to support these top heavy plants. They will grow equally well in sun or partial shade, but prefer partial shade.

Brussels Sprout seed should be sown in late March to end of April in a seed bed outside

They should be sown 1cm (half inch) deep and well-watered. Sow thinly, because crowded seedlings result in weak plants later on. The seedlings should initially be grown at least 10 cm (4ins) apart. Germination should occur in about 10 days time, maybe a little longer in cold weather.

Harvest from August-April
Start by picking the buttons from the bottom of the stem and working upwards.

Growing - Broad Beans - Imperial Green Longpod

Broad Beans are very tolerant of the soil they grow in. They prefer a deep free draining soil. Most soils however are perfectly adequate for broad beans although they will not stand being water-logged. They prefer a sunny site which is not exposed to high winds. Most varieties will grow to about 1.2m (4ft) and they form a dense barrier of foliage.

Sowing time is February to March

Dig out a drill in the soil to a depth of 6cm (2in) and 20cm (8in) wide. Sow the seed in two rows, one row down one side of the drill, the other row down the other side. Each bean in a row should be spaced 25cm (10in) apart from the next bean.

SWEETCORN - F1 MINIPOP MINI VEG

Normal sugar type very tender pericarp makes this an ideal variety for mini sweet corn. Best grown at high density, and harvested when cobs approximately 10cm in length. Produces 5-6 cobs per plant. This variety normally crops after approximately 65 days, and does not require pollination to produce cobs.

Grow your own tiny corn cobs for Chinese cooking and casseroles. Harvest delicious tiny, tasty sweet corn, cobs and all, fresh from your garden - so much tastier than the tinned variety. Baby corn are harvested before pollination just as the silk tassels begin to show.

Sowing Instructions
Sow in mid spring 4 weeks before last expected frost in your area, singly - in deep in 3in pots of compost. Germination usually takes 6-10 days at 70-75F.
Growing Instructions
Keep free of weeds and water regularly. Harvest the tiny cobs when the silks first show above the husks. What you are harvesting is the immature corn on the cob. Under ideal conditions each plant should bear 4-6 cobs. If you forget to harvest on time a normal sweet corn will be produced but you will have prevented the plant from developing more cobs throughout the season.

Crop

65 Days

SWEETCORN - F1 MINIPOP MINI VEG

Growing Carrots - Help Hints And Tips

Get the soil conditions correct and carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to grow in the cooler climates. Incorrect soil conditions lead to mis-shapen carrots - these may well cause a chuckle when dug up, but they are not so well appreciated at cooking time!

Where To Grow Carrots
Carrots prefer a light soil which has been improved with lots of well-rotted organic material fully dug into the soil. Carrots grown on heavy soil, or where organic material is not well-rotted, will become misshapen and grow 'forked. Stones in the soil will have the same bad effect. Prepare the bed two weeks or so before planting, forking in a handful of bonemeal for each square metre. Ensure that the soil is dug to a spade's depth and is of a crumbly texture.
Early carrot varieties do best in full sun, especially if they are to be harvested when young. Maincrop varieties do best with some shade especially in mid-summer.

When To Plant Carrots
Carrots are best sown over a long period to ensure that they are ready for eating from early June to October (longer if stored correctly).

CARROT - ATOMIC RED (Maincrop) Sow May-July Harvest August-October

CARROT - F1 FLYAWAY (Early and maincrop) Sow April-June Harvest July-September

CARROT - AUTUMN KING 2 (Early and maincrop) Sow April-June Harvest July-September


How To Plant Carrots
Using a trowel, dig out narrow drills 2cm (3/4inch) deep and 12cm (8inches) apart. Sprinkle seeds every 2.5cm (1 inch) along the narrow drills. Sow the seed thinly to avoid too much thinning out later. Cover the seeds with fine soil very gently firming it down. Water with a fine spray if the conditions are dry. The seedlings should start to appear 15 to 20 days later.

Looking After Carrots
water when the weather is dry, weed as required. Thinning out (removing some seedlings to avoid over-crowding) should begin when the seedlings are about 2.5cm (1inch) high. Thin the maincrop carrot seedlings to 20cm (8in) apart, early variety carrots to 13cm (5in) apart.
Don't feed carrots, this will only encourage the greenery at the expense of the carrot growth.
Thinning out the seedlings will release the scent of carrots, and attract the attentions of carrot fly. To avoid this, perform this activity in the evening when the carrot fly is not about. Ensure that any soil disturbed by the thinning process is firmed back down with your hand

Harvesting Carrots
When the foliage begins to wilt and shrivel up, the carrots have reached maturity. Use a fork to get the roots up, driving it in a few inches to one side of the row, using it as lever to loosen the roots' grip on the soil. The carrots can then be removed by hand. If the weather is particularly dry, water the previous evening to avoid damage to the carrots.
Carrots harvested before maturity will be tender and more tasty than those left in the ground longer - pull a few up and experiment to see what suits you.

Growing Beetroot - Help Hints And Tips

Beetroot is most often eaten cold where it adds a tasty splash of deep red to summer salads.

Varieties of Beetroot
If you are not yet a connoisseur of beetroot, go for 'Bolthardy'. This variety is resistant to bolting and can be sown as early as the weather permits. It keeps extremely well, lasting into early Spring - the flavour is excellent, fresh and sweet.

BEETROOT - BOLTARDY


BEETROOT - CHIOGGIA

Soil and Site for Beetroot
Beetroot's ideal soil is medium to light, although a heavy but well-dug soil will also be OK. What it definitely does not like is a soil which has recently been manured - this will cause the roots to be mis-shapen.

Either use a site which was well-prepared for a previous crop (such as peas, beans, onions or celery) or dig the soil well the previous autumn and let the winter frost break it up even more.
When digging, remove as many stones as possible - the roots like to grow without restriction.

Sowing Beetroot
Beetroot should be sown when the danger of hard frost has passed, mid-April is about right. In order to avoid glut, plant in small batches up until mid-July. If you want beetroot crops three or four weeks earlier, use a small poly-tunnel or cloche. Simply place the poly-tunnel in position two weeks before sowing (to warm up the soil), then sow the seed three or four weeks earlier than normal.

Before sowing, soak the seeds in water for an hour or so. This will remove any chemicals present which has so far stopped them growing. Only soak enough seeds necessary for immediate planting.

With a trowel, scoop out a line in the soil about 2.5cm (1in) deep - where more than one line is to be planted, space each line about 30cm (1ft) apart. Space the seeds in the lines 5cm (2in) apart and cover with soil. Water if the soil is dry.

The seedlings will appear in about 15 days, depending on the weather. Each seed planted will result in a cluster of three or four seedlings. Remove the weakest seedlings, leaving only the strongest for each seed sown. When the seedlings reach 5cm (2in) high, thin them to their final distance apart. This is 10cm (4in) apart for round or globe varieties and 15cm (6in) apart for long varieties.

Care of Beetroot
The young seedlings may well attract the unwanted attention of birds. If your area is troubled, it is best to cover them in netting for a while or whatever is your best method. Clear plastic plastic bottles with the top and bottom cut off and placed over the seedlings when they emerge is a good method if you plant only a few seeds.
Beetroot will definitely appreciate a thorough watering if the conditions become dry. This will encourage them to grow quickly and the roots will be more tender and tasty.
One tip is to apply a light application of common or rock salt around the plants (avoid the foliage) when the seedlings are established. Beetroot does best near the sea and applying salt mimics these conditions.

Harvesting and Storing Beetroot
Harvesting of globe beetroot can begin around nine weeks after sowing the seed. At this stage the bulbs will be about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter and they will be at their most tender - important for salads. These first pickings should be evenly applied over growing area to give the remaining beetroot good room to grow larger.

Continue to harvest as required until the beetroot reach about 8cm (3in) in diameter. At this point it is best to harvest all the beetroot and store them. If they are left in the ground much longer, they will become woody and not taste so good. Another sign that the roots are ready for harvest is when the foliage starts to go limp.

When harvesting beetroot, especially if they will not be eaten immediately, cut the leaves off about 5cm (2in) above the root. This will keep them fresh longer and prevent them from 'bleeding'. Use a trowel to dig gently under the bulb and gently tease it away from the soil. Avoid damaging the root in order to keep them fresh for long time.

BUY BEETROOT - BOLTARDY

BUY BEETROOT - CHIOGGIA