c
 

Most vegetables will grow better in sun than in shade, so always try to site your veg plot in a sunny
spot. If you only have a part shaded garden don¶t worry as you can still grow some vegetables
including cucumber, endive, lettuce, radicchio, peas and spinach. Shelter from cold and strong winds
is beneficial and essential for some of the more exotic crops like aubergines and peppers. It will also
ensure better crops of certain vegetables like peas and beans. A position away from large trees,
bushes and hedges will ensure your veg doesn't compete with these thirsty, hungry plants

 
   

The most important part of just about every plant is its root system - if the roots aren't healthy and
growing well then the rest of the plant will suffer. The roots are important for absorbing water from the
soil together with a whole host of nutrients.

The soil has to be moist and in the right condition for the nutrients to be available to the plants. Light,
sandy soils lack moisture and nutrients; heavy, clay soils dry and crack in the summer and become
waterlogged in winter and plants find it difficult to grow in either of them. Luckily, help is at hand for
both soil types - in the form of bulky organic matter. This includes well-rotted manure, compost, leaf
mould, composted bark, mushroom compost - in fact, anything you can get in bulk. Digging this into
light soils provides something to hold the moisture and nutrients. In clay soils it helps break up the
large particles so the soil doesn't crack, drains better and is easier to work. Even on good soils, plenty
of organic matter will improve yields. Digging in sharp sand and/or calcified seaweed into clay soil will
improve the structure even more and make it even easier to work.

The best time for soil preparation is in autumn for clay soils and spring for light, sandy soils. Autumn
digging allows the soil to be further broken down by frosts and rain. Start by digging over the soil to a
depth of 15-18in (37.5-45cm) and incorporating your organic material as you go. Improving your soil
in this way will ensure you can grow all the vegetables described in this booklet - and grow them well.
 
  

The majority of a plant's weight and strength comes from its water content and water is essential for
nutrient uptake and most vital internal life processes. So you can see that water is vital - and it needs
to be in constant supply. Once a plant goes short of water it stops growing and often starts to go to
seed prematurely - or just dies. For healthy, strong growth and the highest yields of the best crops
your plants will need a constant water supply.

Watering dry soil in summer is often necessary. Plants growing in containers are almost totally
dependant on you to supply water and you may have to water some container crops once or even
twice a day in summer to prevent them drying out. Try to keep the soil or compost evenly moist -
soaking dry soil can cause some crops to split and become unusable. The initial stages of growth are
the most critical for many plants, so make sure seed beds and seeds sown in containers are kept
moist while plants are establishing. Always use fresh tap water for this; water stored in water butts
may contain pathogens that could affect seedling growth. Some crops - such as the greenhouse
'exotics' and runner beans - and most seedlings will suffer a shock if watered with cold water, so allow
it to reach ambient temperature before use. If water is in short supply then use it on the following
crops: peas, beans and sweet corn when they are in flower; potatoes when they are producing their
new tubers; large, leafy crops before they start to wilt.

 

To get the most from your plants they will also need a constant supply of nutrients. Adding compost
and even wellrotted manure will add little in the way of nutrients -they are used to improve soil
structure and to hold nutrients in the soil. Feeding with a fertiliser will be necessary.

For most crops, add a general fertiliser a week or so before seed sowing or planting out. You can use
Growmore, or blood, fish and bone if you prefer to garden organically. Some crops will need
additional light feeds throughout the growing season using a liquid feed. For leafy crops this should be
a balanced feed containing equal amounts of all the major nutrients. For fruiting crops, you should
change to one that is higher in potash to improve the quantity and quality of the fruit. Plants growing in
containers will be totally dependent on you to supply nutrients and you should either feed weekly with
a liquid feed after two to three weeks, or add a controlled-release fertiliser to the compost at planting
time


   

Yields of most crops will be reduced if weeds are allowed to interfere with their growth and compete
for nutrients. Providing deep-rooted and other perennial weeds are dealt with when the vegetable
patch is started, the only ones that should become a problem are annuals and the seedlings of
perennials. These are easily dealt with if you hoe regularly. A good sharp Dutch hoe is a deadly
weapon if it is used frequently to deal with weeds when they're small. Weeds growing amongst rows
or in containers will have to be dealt with by hand. Although weeds will affect all crops, they should be
dealt with especially quickly and regularly around seedlings and crops that don't produce a dense leaf
canopy such as carrots and onions. Potatoes, on the other hand, are more or less unaffected by weed
growth and are even used to help clear weeds.

      

A mulch is simply a soil covering used to keep weed growth to a minimum, to conserve soil moisture
and help insulate plant roots from extremes of cold and hot weather. Mulching with black plastic for
instance is a good idea for marrows and can be used to produce crops of potatoes without having to
earth up. Most mulches, however, are made from organic material - such as those used to improve
soil structure (see p3). To be totally effective they need to be around 2in (5cm) thick but mustn't make
direct contact with the plants.

   

If the same vegetable or group of vegetables is grown in the same area of soil year after year,
diseases and other problems build up in the soil affecting the plants' growth, usually with a reduction
in yield and sometimes killing the plant.

One way around this is to divide the growing area and to grow different types of vegetables in these
areas - something referred to as crop rotation. The three main types of vegetables are the brassicas,
legumes (peas and beans) and roots; the other vegetables are then fitted in where space allows. In
practice, however, apart from on allotments and in large vegetable gardens, this can be difficult to
achieve. Even so, it's still worth trying to do. A three-year crop rotation is usually practised and this is
achieved by dividing the vegetable patch into three areas. The vegetables are then rotated around the
areas as shown below.

If space allows, try a four-year rotation where members of the onion family are the fourth group. By
using crop rotation, the legumes provide nitrogen for the following nutrient hungry brassicas. Organic
matter would be dug into the brassica plot before sowing/planting and would be completely rotted by
the time the roots crops are grown, as recently manured soil will cause them to fork
Pest & diseases

Unfortunately, pests and diseases can affect most crops at some stage during their life. By ensuring
your crops grow well in good soil and aren't stressed by a lack of water and nutrients means they are
less likely to be attacked. Some problems are specific to each crop, others will affect many types of
vegetables. For instance slugs, aphids and whitefly will affect most crops. Control varies from problem
to problem, but identifying a problem quickly and dealing with it immediately will help prevent the
problem reaching epidemic proportions; this can lead to a reduction in yield, weak plants, inedible
crops or even the death of the whole plant. Crop rotation helps prevent the build-up of soil-borne
pests and diseases. Covering the plants with horticultural fleece (before the pest attacks!) will prevent
the insect pests from reaching the plants. It's important to ensure the edges of the fleece are buried in
the soil to prevent insect access and that the fleece is loosely held over the plants so that it can move
with them as they. grow. This is now how many growers produce carrot fly-free carrots and cabbage
rootfly-free brassicas. In extreme case you will have to resort to using a pesticide. If you don't like
using chemicals then try Bio Organic Pest Control which is based on oil seed rape and is safe to use
on all crops. In all cases, prevention is better than cure

ï
   

The vast majority of vegetables are grown by sowing the seed directly into the soil where they are to
grow. To do this you make a shallow trench (called a drill) with a cane or corner of a Dutch hoe. The
seed is sown directly into the drill and covered with soil that is lightly firmed down. Always sow evenly
and thinly to avoid excessive thinning out of the crop afterwards; final seed/seedling distances are
given in the guide for each crop. The soil is then watered to provide adequate amounts for the seeds
to germinate.

   

To provide plants for earlier crops or for tender crops that can't tolerate early
spring temperatures, the seed is sown indoors with heat - preferably in a
thermostatically-controlled propagator - although germinating on a warm
windowsill or in a warm conservatory are other possibilities. Where this is
needed this guide gives details of the best temperature to use; remember
that this temperature should be kept as constant as possible throughout the germination process.

Once the seed has germinated the resulting seedlings will need to be kept at a cooler temperature but
a cold greenhouse will normally be too cold for the seedlings to grow on without a check to their
growth. The seedlings are then transplanted (pricked out)individually into small 3-3.5in (7.5-9cm) pots
or cell trays for growing on. Before these plants can be planted outside they will need to be
acclimatised to the temperature outside. To do this move the plants to a warm, sheltered position
outside on a warm, still day and then bring back in at night. Then leave them outside all day - either in
an open coldframe or covered with fleece. This hardening off process should take between 10 and 14
days.


   

A seed or nursery bed is a carefully prepared and area in a warm, sheltered position with finely tilled,
fertile soil. It is often used to start brassicas, leeks, bulbing onions etc. before they are moved as
rapidly developing plants to their final growing position. In this way, they can be watched carefully and
do not take up valuable space in the main veg patch.

c 

    c 

Most seeds won't germinate below a soil temperature of 45°F (7°C), so early sowings must be
delayed until the soil has at least reached this temperature. One way to speed up this process is to
warm the soil by putting cloches or clear plastic sheeting or even bottomless plastic bottles over the
soil a few weeks before sowing or planting out. The protection should be kept in place over the seeds
and plants for a few weeks or until the weather warms up or the sudden shock of lower temperatures
can kill them or seriously affect their growth. Fleece is a good stand-by to cover susceptible plants
when a cold spell is forecast; simply drape the fleece over the plants or, better still, support it over the
plants; remember to remove the fleece during warmer weather
 

  
   
   


You either love them or you hate them, but brassicas are an important group of vegetables and
includes cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, calabrese, kale, kohl rabi, swedes and
turnips. By selecting the right varieties and sowing at the right time it's possible to have most of them
available for a long season. They make up an important part of our diet and are grown together in a
crop rotation as their needs and pest and disease problems are similar.




With a little planning it's possible to pick fresh cabbages just about every day of the year. Cabbages
are divided - depending on when they're ready to use - into spring, summer and winter varieties.
Spring greens are undeveloped spring cabbages and traditionally sown in summer but can be sown
all year round. Savoys are a distinct type of winter cabbage

Sowing: Sow thinly a half-inch (13mm) deep in a seed bed in rows 6in (15cm) apart. Thin to 3in
(7.5cm) apart.
!
 : Sow in July/August; transplant in September/October.
!

 : Sow from late February/early March (under cloches or similar cover) until early
May; transplant in May/June.
ã
 : Sow in April/May; transplant in late June/July.

Growing: Transplant to growing position when plants have five or six true leaves, setting the lowest
leaves at ground level. Water well the day before moving, firm in well after transplanting and 'puddle'
in the plants with plenty of water. Plant compact varieties 1ft (30cm) apart, larger varieties up to 18in
(45cm) apart. Plant spring cabbages just 4in (10cm) apart in rows 1ft (30cm) apart - thin to 1ft (30cm)
apart in late February/March and use thinnings as spring greens.

Varieties: Mini Heirloom, Red Ruby Ball F1, Savoy F1, Sugarloaf.

Harvesting: Cabbages are harvested by cutting through the stem at ground level with a sharp knife.
Cut a half-inch (13mm) deep cross in the stump of spring and summer cabbages and you'll be
rewarded with a second crop of much smaller cabbages.
 


To grow perfect caulis you'll need a rich and deep soil - manured for a previous crop - and there
mustn't be a check to growth, so careful planting and watering are essential. Sowing Sow as for
cabbages (see page 8). The main sowing period is March to May, although early crops can be
achieved by sowing under glass in January.

Growing: Transplant to their growing positions (as for cabbage), spacing summer and autumn
cropping varieties 2ft (60cm) apart and winter varieties 30in (75cm) apart; spacing 12-18in (30-45cm)
apart will provide mini, 'one person' curds. Protect the plants from birds by covering with netting or
fleece. Water regularly and feed occasionally as cauliflowers are a hungry crop. Protect the curds of
summer varieties from the sun by bending a few leaves over them; doing the same with winter
varieties will protect against frost - particularly important with the less hardy romanesco types such as
Amfora.

Varieties: All the Year, Quickheart.

Harvesting: Start cutting when the heads are firm; you've left it too late once the florets start to
separate. By lifting the plants and hanging upside down in a cool shed they can keep for up to three
weeks; mist the curds frequently to prevent drying out.

 



 


Although often despised by children - of all ages - well grown and well cooked sprouts are well worth
growing especially if you choose F1 varieties. Firm, water-retentive soil is important for good crops.
Sowing Sow as for cabbages. For an early crop sow under glass in February, otherwise sow March to
April in a seed bed.

Growing: Transplant to their growing positions, leaving 30in (75cm) between plants. Plant smaller
varieties like Peer Gynt 18in (45cm) apart for an earlier crop of smaller, tastier sprouts. The soil must
be firm and should have had plenty of humus added the previous autumn. Protect from birds using
netting or fleece; the latter will also protect against cabbage white caterpillars. Keep young plants well
watered and feed in summer with a liquid foliar feed.
Varieties: Evesham Special.

Harvesting: Start picking the lower sprouts when they are the size of a walnut and are still firm and
tightly closed. Snap them off with a sharp downward tug. The flavour is usually better once the
sprouts have had a touch of frost.
           




In recent years broccoli has been praised for its high vitamin content and anti-cancer agents making it
one of the most popular modern vegetables. There are three types - white and purple sprouting and
calabrese. The sprouting types are hardy and are overwintered for harvest in spring, filling the gap
between sprouts and spring cabbage, whereas calabrese is harvested in the same autumn.

Sowing: Sow as for cabbages. The main sowing time is April and May although you can sow in March
in mild regions.

Growing: Transplant to their growing positions (as for cabbage), leaving 18in (45cm) between plants
of white and purple sprouting varieties, 1ft (30cm) between calabrese. Water well in dry weather and
conserve soil moisture with a mulch. Occasional summer feeding with a liquid fertiliser will improve
results. Birds can be a problem, so net the plants when the heads are produced.

Varieties: Green Emperor F1, Italian Sprouting, Sprouting Red Arrow.

Harvesting: Cut when the flower shoots (spears) are well formed but before the individual flowers
begin to open. Cut the central spear first. This is followed by side shoots which can be picked
regularly over four to six weeks.
    
  


      


All root crops like a deep, well-dug, moisture-retentive soil that has had some compost added;
manures and other strong soil improvers are best added for a previous crop as they can cause the
roots to fork when 'fresh' as can a stony soil. On heavy soils, stick to stump or round-rooted varieties
as the roots don't go down so far.

 

An easy crop to grow and to judge by our sales, one of the nation's favourite vegetables! The roots
are best picked when young and cooked fresh. Pickling is another option. If roots are stored in winter
you can have beetroot almost all year round. The young leaves of Burpees Golden are good in leafy
salads. For best results you should sow little and often and harvest the roots when young and tender.

Sowing: Sow two seeds at 4in (10cm) intervals, one inch (2.5cm) deep in rows 12in (30cm) apart.
Sow at fortnightly intervals from mid-April to July for a succession of tender, tasty roots; those sown
from June onwards can be used for storing in winter.

Growing: When the seedlings are about one inch (2.5cm) high thin out to leave one seedling per 4in
(10cm) station. Dry soils will lead to woody roots, so make sure the soil is always moist; preserve soil
moisture by adding a mulch.

Varieties: Boltardy, Crimson Globe, Detroit 2, Forono, Moulin Rouge, Perfect.

Harvesting: Pull up alternative plants once they have reached golf ball size to use as a tasty treat in
the kitchen; leave the others to become no bigger than a cricket ball.

 

By regular sowing of suitable varieties you can have fresh, frozen or stored carrots all year round.
However, it has to be said that they are at their best when freshly picked

Sowing: Sow a half-inch (13mm) deep in rows 6in (15cm) apart. Sow thinly to avoid thinning out, or
thin to 2-3in (5-7.5cm) apart. Early varieties can be sown as soon as February or March under
cloches, but the main sowing season is from April to early July. Growing Be careful when thinning out
to avoid carrot root fly, see below. Keep the soil evenly moist to avoid splitting.

Varieties: Early varieties Early Nantes, Early Scarlet Horn, Earlybird. Maincrop varieties All Year
Round, Amsterdam, Baby Pak, Chantennay Red Cored, Manchester Table, Navarre F1, Topweight
Improved.

Harvesting: Harvest carrots as soon as they are large enough to use; don't aim for the largest roots or
you'll sacrifice flavour. Carefully use a fork if the soil is heavy.


A stalwart winter vegetable which has many uses. Thinnings make excellent salad vegetables. Young
plants are raised in a seed bed and then transplanted to their final growing positions, possibly where
you have already taken an earlier crop of something. Dig in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure in
the autumn.

Sowing: Sow thinly a half-inch (13mm) deep in rows 6in (15cm) apart in March and April.

Growing: Thin seedlings to approximately 1.5in (4cm) apart. The plants are ready to transplant in
June when they are about 8in (20cm) high and the thickness of a pencil. Water well the day before
lifting and transplanting. Prepare the plants by trimming off the root tips. Make 6in (15cm) deep holes
with a dibber 6in (15cm) apart in rows 12in (30cm) apart and drop a plant into each hole. Fill the hole
with water to settle the roots. Top up as necessary for the plants to establish.

Varieties : Crenten F1, Lyon Prizetaker.

Harvesting: Start picking when the leeks are still quite small to ensure a long harvest period. Gently lift
from the soil using a fork. Leeks can remain in the ground through the winter until they are needed.

 ! 

Onions are one of the most versatile vegetables and are quite easy to grow. Many people grow
bulbing onions from sets - immature bulbs - although seed is a good and straightforward starting
point; shallots are usually grown from sets although hybid seed is now available.

Sowing/Planting: Plant onion sets 4in (10cm) apart in rows 8in (10cm) apart from mid-March to mid-
April. Plant shallots 6in (15cm) apart in rows 9in (23cm) apart from mid-February to mid-March. Gently
push the sets into soft, well-worked soil so that the tip is just showing and firm the soil around them.
Birds can be a problem lifting the sets, it helps to carefully remove the loose skin at the top of each
set. Sow seed a half-inch (13mm) deep in rows 8in (20cm) apart from late February through to early
April. Thin first to 2 in (5cm) apart and then again to 4in (10cm) apart.

Growing: Water if the weather is dry and feed occasionally with a general liquid fertiliser. A light feed
of sulphate of potash in June will help ripen the bulbs. Mulching the soil will help conserve soil
moisture and keep down weeds. Stop watering and feeding once the onions have swollen and
remove any mulch or soil to expose the bulb to the sun. Remove any flower spikes as soon as they
are seen.

Varieties:
( : Californain Red, Creamgold, Early Californian Red, Gladalan White, Hunter River Brown,
Odourless, Paris Silverskin.
! : Longwhite Bunching, Red, Golden.

Harvesting: Harvest onions when the foliage turns yellow and starts to topple over. The practice of
bending over the foliage or gently lifting the bulbs to break the roots is no longer recommended.