How To Grow Veg

Emma Rawlings

Deputy editor, Kitchen Garden magazine

Growing your own vegetables is a popular pastime for many and with concerns about food miles and climate change there has never been a better time to grow your own. So, whether you are just starting out in growing veg or have been doing so for years our howto guide will provide a handy reference to cultivating many popular vegetables. You will nd details such as sowing times and spacings plus tips on speci c jobs during the growing season for each individual crop.

For each veg there is also a ‘watch out for’ section giving tips on dealing with problems such as common pests and diseases and how to control them.

Growing your own vegetables is not only the best way to have the freshest produce but it can be a great way to try many di erent varieties of vegetables that you just can’t buy from a supermarket. In this guide you will nd examples of varieties you can try. Happy gardening!

Editor: Steve Ott, sott@mortons.co.uk

Deputy editor: Emma Rawlings, erawlings@mortons.co.uk

Staff writer: Tony Flanagan, tflanagan@ mortons.co.uk

Picture credit: (iStock)

ASPARAGUS HOW TO GROW

DID YOU KNOW?

The Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire is a commercial asparagus growing area and every year there is an asparagus festival, and a world-famous asparagus auction is held at the Fleece Inn at Bretforton. Here people bid for the season’s freshest and best spears donated by local farmers.

PLANT: March

HARVEST: April-mid-June

PLANTING THE CROWNS

Preparing the soil well before planting is important because the asparagus will be growing in this spot for many years. Sandy soils are best for asparagus growing but if you don’t have this type of soil, dig over what you have well and add well-rotted garden compost, manure or other organic matter at the same time. Remove as much perennial weed and roots as you can. It will not be easy to do this after planting. A week before planting apply 56g (2oz) per sq m/yd of a general fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure or Growmore.

When your crowns arrive do plant as soon as possible as they can dry out. If you

GROWING ON

can’t, just loosely cover in some earth or put in boxes of damp compost. Dig a trench about 30cm (12in) wide, or at least wide enough to accommodate the roots without bending them and about 20cm (8in) deep. Add a mound of gritty soil (add some horticultural grit if you have some) to the bottom of the trench about 8cm (3in) deep. e spider-like roots are splayed out evenly over this mound to help water drain away from the central area of the crown. Plant the crowns 45cm (18in) apart with rows 1m (3ft) apart. Cover the crowns with 5cm (2in) of soil, gradually topping up until the trench is lled as the shoots develop.

WATCH OUT FOR

Asparagus beetle: The beetles are small (6mm/¼ in) long and reddish brown with six distinctive yellow spots on their backs. The plump maggots will feed on the ferns, quickly stripping them and weakening the plants if allowed to continue. Pick off light infestations or in severe cases consider spraying with a suitable insecticide.

Slugs: Can be very damaging as the spears emerge. Apply a biological control once the soil reaches 5C (40F) or once the spears start to emerge.

Don’t cut any spears in the rst year as the plants need all the growth they can to help establish the crowns. Just let the ferny growth do its thing. You could take just one spear per plant for a taster. Keep weeding the bed by hand so as not to damage the roots and water during dry summer spells. Support the ferny growth

using a bean net stretched horizontally over the crop on stakes. It will stop the stems snapping in strong winds. In autumn, when they turn yellow, remove the ferns to just above soil level and top the beds with a layer of garden compost or manure. In February apply a dressing of general fertiliser at the rate above.

HARVESTING

Cropping can start in year two when you can take a few spears and in year three onwards you can harvest as many as you need when the spears are 10-15cm (4-6in) long. Cut

a few inches below soil level with a sharp knife. Stop cutting the spears in mid-June and allow the rest to grow into the tall ferns which will feed the crowns for next spring.

Let asparagus ferns grow after cutting has finished

VARIETIES TO TRY

‘Gijnlim’: Produces masses of succulent green spears. It can also be grown as a white asparagus if the plants are covered with sandy soil just before they are about to push through the ground.

‘Burgundine’: A relatively new purple variety which has a sweet flavour and low fibre content so the spears can even be eaten raw.

‘Guelph Millennium’: A later variety which has great vigour. One of the hardiest varieties you can grow and is more tolerant of different soil types.

Asparagus is a long-term crop. Once it is established it can keep on giving crops of spears annually for about 10 years. It is best to buy as one- or two-year-old crowns for quicker cropping

Asparagus beetle is something to keep an eye out for

FRENCH BEANS HOW TO GROW

French bean varieties can be climbers, or they can form short, bushy plants so the choice is yours depending on the space you have. Try planting climbing French beans for colour and fragrance

DID YOU KNOW?

Originally from South America, French beans are a member of the legume family, the same as runner beans and peas. French bean pods are usually around the same size no matter the type of the plant, plus they come in a range of colours from green to purple, red, yellow and even mottled.

SOW: April-June

PLANT: June-July

HARVEST: July-October

SOWING UNDER COVER

If you prefer to start your plants off a little earlier in the greenhouse you can use deep cell trays or Rootrainers and fill with a good multipurpose

compost. Once the young plants are well developed and there is no danger of frosts, plant out about 15-23cm (69in) apart.

SOWING IN THE SOIL

Try not to sow too early – wait until the weather has warmed up at the end of May/early June when sowing in the soil and cover with a cloche. is simple trick warms the soil and protects the seeds from mice.

Mix in lots of homemade compost or well-rotted manure into the planting holes before

you sow as French beans are heavy feeders and to get a good crop they need to have access to plenty of food. at said, make sure that you don’t feed them with too much nitrogen or you may get lots of green leafy growth without many beans. Sow 15-23cm (6-9in) apart.

Rootrainers and toilet roll tubes are ideal for sowing bean seeds in

GROWING ON

Put supports such as a wigwam of canes in place before planting out climbing French beans and plant one young plant at the base of each. Plant both types out once the fear of frost has passed. Water during dry spells and protect against slugs by using your favourite

form of slug control. Feed occasionally with a high potash tomato food to encourage owering and pod ripening.

e weight of ripening beans can make the branches droop and the beans touch the soil. is makes it easier for slugs to damage the beans and rain can splash

them with mud. Growing in containers or troughs allows the beans to hang down the side of the container and makes them easier to pick. If you’d prefer a dwarf variety for the open ground, try ‘Mascotte’ as it holds the beans up above its foliage and is totally stringless.

You don’t have to have a lot of space to grow dwarf varieties like this one in a window basket

HARVESTING

Harvest pods while young and tender and before the seeds start to swell. Cut from the plant rather than pull so as not to damage the branches. Freeze after blanching if you have a glut.

WATCH OUT FOR

Slugs: Can be a nuisance especially in the early stages of growth. Starting them under cover usually avoids the problems, with this pest, especially if you plant out when quite good sized plants.

Aphids: Blackfly can be a problem on French beans, especially on the new growth. You can reduce damage by regularly spraying affected plants with an approved organic spray.

VARIETIES TO TRY

‘Rocquencourt’

‘Rocquencourt’ (Dwarf): These beans, bred in France in the 1840s, form small bush-style plants. The beans are a waxy, yellow colour.

‘Mascotte’ (Dwarf): Ideal for growing in windowboxes and pots. Produces good crops of round, extra fine, stringless pods on plants approximately 40-45cm (16-18in) in height.

‘Necker Gold’ (Climbing): Yellow-podded version of ‘Neckar Queen’. Lots of tasty, stringless, bright yellow, pencil pods, borne on vigorous plants which can tolerate unfavourable and variable weather conditions – just right for growing in the UK!

Picture credit: Dobies

RUNNER BEANS HOW TO GROW

DID YOU KNOW?

Runner beans are among the easiest crops to grow and with staggered sowings you can harvest from July to September. There are many super varieties and they are not particularly fussy about site and soil as long as they are well fed and get plenty of sunshine.

SOW: April-July

SOWING DIRECT

e bene ts of direct sowing (usually mid-May in milder regions, mid-June in colder ones) include no messing about with pots and compost and roots travelling straight down. Have the supports in place rst and sow 5cm (2in) deep and 15cm (6in) apart. Pots and modules of ready to plant bean seedlings are relatively cheap to buy in. e main drawback here is lack of variety choice.

SOWING UNDER COVER

A mid-April sowing is ideal in most parts of the country. Temperatures above 10C (50F) are needed for germination and they tend to fare best out on the staging or on a heated bench with an open top rather than in a propagator. Young bean seedlings seem happy to be separated by pulling their roots gently

apart, so one method is to ll several shallow 15cm (6in) pots and sow six or seven seeds in each. Alternatively, sow one per deep cell in a cell tray 5cm (2in) by 4cm (1½in). Sow again in late May/early June with a further batch in the rst week of July. If you are only going to sow once, make it mid-May.

One of the highlights of the growing year are runner beans which are easy to grow, pleasing on the palate and easy on the pocket

Young runner bean plants ready for planting

Runner bean seeds

HOW TO PLANT

Runners are best rotated about your plot so they don’t occupy the same piece of ground every year. Having said this, many gardeners grow in the same spot year after year when restricted to a small growing area and they often have few or no problems. Soil should be good, deep and full of well-rotted organic matter either dug in or spread on the surface, preferably in autumn.

Most runners need the support of 2m (7ft) long hazel poles or bamboo canes forming circular wigwams, or double rows. For wigwams, mark a circle of 45cm (18in) diameter on the ground and push a

pole into each of ve holes, and tie the tops in over the middle. Plant one bean at the foot of every pole and one in the middle. Peas will cling to almost anything, unlike beans which need something to spiral around and climb up.

For long rows, run two parallel garden lines down the bed, 35cm (14in) apart and set the poles or canes in opposite pairs, 23-30cm (9-12in) apart all the way down. Tie the tops together over the middle, then run a pole horizontally so it rests along the top. Tie each pair to it for added stability. Plant one bean at the foot of each pole. Water in immediately.

HARVESTING

‘Hestia’ is a good dwarf variety for container growing

GROWING ON

Grow runners in a sheltered position to encourage pollinating insects and ll your plot with lots of owers to bring them in. Whiteowered varieties are less attractive to sparrows and often set better in hot, dry weather. French bean crosses (such as redowered ‘Firestorm’ and white- owered ‘Stardust’) taste like normal runners

but are self-pollinating and therefore very reliable. Water well during dry spells and mulch around the roots after planting to retain water through the summer months. Feed occasionally with a high potash feed such as a tomato liquid fertiliser or comfrey feed. Nip out growing tips when beans reach the tops of their supports to stop a tangle forming.

GROWING IN POTS

Choose the largest container manageable. A good growing medium is half proprietary compost and half a 50:50 mix of good garden soil with well-rotted garden compost. For climbing varieties, x a wigwam of poles as normal. Sow or plant 20cm (8in) apart around the poles. Alternatively, choose a dwarf variety such as ‘Hestia’.

Harvest pods every few days, selecting beans just as pods reach full size but before the beans start to swell inside. If

necessary, they’ll store well in a poly bag in the fridge. ey can also be frozen after preparing and blanching lightly.

‘Firestorm’ is a red-flowered, selfpollinating bean

Wigwam frame

A-frame: for two rows set the canes in opposite pairs

Pick pods just before they start to swell inside

VARIETIES TO TRY

‘Red Rum’: A reliable selfsetting, red-flowered runner happy to produced large crops despite indifferent weather.

‘Enorma’: An exhibitor’s favourite, this red-flowered runner is a great choice for long beans. ‘Armstrong’ is an improved, stringless version of it.

‘White Lady’: White flowered varieties are well-known for setting best when weather turns hot and dry. Expect good clusters of long, straight, stringless pods.

‘Firestorm’: A self-fertile runner bean with red flowers which is said to set well even in hot or cold, wet weather. Stringless beans which are tender and sweet.

WATCH OUT FOR

Slugs and snails: These often home in on seedlings and young plants, so pick or trap them, or use ferric phosphate slug pellets (sparingly).

Black bean aphids: These are usually taken care of by naturally occurring parasites and predators when a natural balance is maintained.

Bean rust: This shows as rust pustules on leaf undersides but is only usually troublesome as beans grow older. Dispose of infected material.

Slugs can do a lot of damage, to young plants especially, so protection is often necessary

Picture credit: Sarah Raven

Picture credit: Marshalls

BEETROOT HOW TO GROW

DID YOU KNOW?

‘Boltardy’ is a variety bred to resist bolting (running to seed), an all-too-common consequence of sowing too soon in the season when it’s still a little cold.

SOW: March-July

HARVEST: May-November