Growing
8 Tips For Growing Radishes In Pots - 'Avoid Crowding' Says Gerald Stratford
IN THIS GUIDE Are Radishes Suited To Container Growing? 1) Larger Planters Mean A Greater Yield 2) “Avoid Crowding” Says Gerald Stratford 3) Use Fertile Soil Or Compost 4) Plant One Seed At A Time 5) Consider Succession Sowing 6) Water Regularly And Harvest Quickly 8) Carefully Consider Sunlight Exposure Summer radishes are wonderfully mild and flavourful with a succulent mouthfeel and are so easy to grow in pots. On the other hand, if you like winter-grown radishes, some cultivars can be grown in containers too, but they might not be so easy to grow in this way. Summer radishes are an excellent crunchy addition to light, cold summer salads, whilst zingy winter radishes are equally excellent in hearty pot-cooked foods. Regardless of which kind of radish you grow, you can rest assured that it will taste twice as good coming from your garden, or from your pots, than from the supermarket. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Container, potting mix, radish seeds, watering can, fertiliser (optional) Are Radishes Suited To Container Growing? Yes, in fact, it is quite easy to grow all varieties of summer radishes in pots and they are often grown in all kinds of containers, including grow bags for the smaller varieties. It is also possible to grow some varieties of winter radishes in containers, though this is not commonly done. If you are new to growing winter radishes in pots, I suggest you start with a variety that is not as large as most and does not take as much time to mature for harvest as most winter varieties do. There is little point in attempting to grow a very large type, such as ‘Longipinnatus’, in a container. 1) Larger Planters Mean A Greater Yield We suggest that you grow your radishes in a planter or tub rather than a pot. Whatever container you use, it should have drainage holes. The advantage of using a planter is that you can sow an entire row of radishes with confidence that they will have ample room and depth, which will result in a successful harvest. If you use a standard 60cm planter, which is one of the smaller ones, you’ll be able to grow 16-20 summer radishes in a single row. 2) “Avoid Crowding” Says Gerald Stratford Avoid squeezing them in too close because if you do, hot and sunny weather may cause crowded plants to bolt. “I’d recommend growing radishes in a 10-litre bucket,” says Gerald Stratford, Garden Blogger and ‘The King of Veg’. “Make sure there are some holes in the bottom for drainage, then fill it with compost.” Winter radishes vary widely in size and time to maturity, so it is not possible to specify a particular size of container. Also, these large root vegetables are good to grow singly, one to its own half-conical pot, much like a flowering plant, though you can use a planter of sufficient depth to grow 5-6 in. As for material, anything is fine for summer radishes. For reasons of breathability and temperature stability, we recommend traditional terracotta or clay pots or wooden planters for winter radishes. 3) Use Fertile Soil Or Compost Radishes grow best in fairly fertile soil that is of a friable texture and drains very well. Soil should be free of clods and stones, particularly for summer radishes in small pots. You can make your own soil or use commercial compost. To make your own, start with a loam amended with some combination of grit and perlite to facilitate drainage. Amend it with well-rotted manure by 30-35% of the volume of the loam. You can substitute the manure with organic compost. The best soil pH is one that is slightly acidic, though a neutral soil will also work. 4) Plant One Seed At A Time “With your finger, make a snake circle across the top of the pot, so you’ve got a snake-shaped trench around 1 inch deep,” shares Gerald. “Get your packet of radish seeds and plant 1 seed at a time, 2.5cm apart.” “If you just sprinkled all of your radish seeds in a trench in the garden, you would have loads of foliage and no radish to eat, so spacing is important,” Gerald advises. If sowing in a planter, instead of sowing and growing in a straight line, stagger the seeds. In effect, this will result in two offset rows. This technique will maximise spacing between the maturing veggies and utilise the planter’s space to the fullest. 5) Consider Succession Sowing If you intend to use more than a single container, you can succession-sow radish seeds by sowing a small number every 10 days or so. This will enable you to reap multiple harvests of fresh radishes. Winter radish seeds should be sown 1-2cm deep. If you grow one of the not-so-large winter varieties in a wide enough planter, space the seeds by 15-20cm. Summer radish seeds may be sown from March through to early August, whilst winter radishes should be sown between July and September. 6) Water Regularly And Harvest Quickly Regular watering is of utmost importance, especially for summer radishes. “Water in your trench, but don’t overwater it – you shouldn’t have to water it for a further week after the first watering,” adds Gerald. “You’ll get radishes within 30 days. It is so quick.” As Gerald suggests, the great majority of summer radish varieties are ready for harvest in 4 weeks, though it’s better to harvest a little too early than a little too late! Winter radishes take much longer to reach maturity and have very different times to harvest, ranging from 8-12 weeks. You can plant several summer radishes in a medium-sized pot. 8) Carefully Consider Sunlight Exposure Both summer and winter radishes may be kept in a site that receives full sun in the UK or, if that is not available, a partially shaded spot. However, during hot and sunny weather, summer radishes must get some shade. You should not grow summer radishes in containers during the height of summer if the weather forecast indicates that the temperature will be above 25°C. Be sure to water summer radishes regularly so that the soil stays moist, as the soil should not be allowed to dry out, especially in hot weather. “Little and often in the cooler months of the growing season is best when sowing radishes,” says Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “This is to avoid a glut when sown at the same time, but also to avoid bolting (flowering) in hot weather, which results in a bitter taste.” Winter radishes need regular watering too, but if the soil gets dry for a day or two, no harm will be done. However, if the soil remains dry for much longer or regularly dries out, the radishes may well become stunted or will not develop the distinctive sharp or potent flavour that is their hallmark. Summer radishes need no fertiliser, but if you are growing winter radishes and are doubtful about the richness or quality of your soil, simply amend or feed one time with the appropriate quantity of vegetable fertiliser.
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Late Summer? Time To Harvest Your Sweet Potatoes, With Storage Tips From Andrew Hock
IN THIS GUIDE When To Harvest Sweet Potatoes The Harvesting Process Storing Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes, Ipomoea batatas, are not the easiest crop to grow in the UK, but there are now varieties much better suited to cultivation in our climate than were on offer before. It is definitely possible to achieve good results as long as you have positioned and cared for your crop correctly. In our climate, it is certainly easier to grow a worthwhile harvest of sweet potatoes under cover in a greenhouse or polytunnel, but even outdoors with some protection, it will be possible in much of the UK. Once you successfully grow these plants to maturity, you will need to know when and how to harvest your sweet potatoes correctly and what to do with them once you have. Below are the basic things that you should know when it comes to harvesting and storing your sweet potato crop. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Fork or trowel When To Harvest August to October When To Harvest Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are typically harvested between late summer and the first frost, which is usually between August and October. When precisely you will harvest will depend on when you planted your slips and also on where you live, the conditions to be found there and the variety that you have chosen to grow. “By waiting to harvest for as long as possible, you can expect as large a yield as possible,” says Andrew Hock, Founder of The Sweet Potato Society. “The tubers can live underground pretty happily, as long as it’s not too wet and soggy, so wait until the top greens begin dying. “A lot of energy gets sent back down to the tubers as the stems and plants die. “It’s hard to be patient this time of year but if it’s not too wet or cold, hold off as long as possible for the biggest yield.” Some sweet potato cultivars have a shorter time to harvest than others, but you can typically expect to harvest your edible sweet potato tubers around 4-5 months after you planted the slips in the spring. Of course, you will only be able to harvest a worthwhile yield after this time has elapsed if you have taken good care of your crop over the summer months by keeping them well watered, well fed and otherwise cared for correctly. The main harvest from your sweet potatoes is the tubers, but it is also worth remembering that these plants also provide an additional yield. The young shoots and the leaves are also edible and you might consider these as an additional source of nutrition from these plants. Therefore, you might harvest the odd little shoot or leaf here and there much earlier than when the main harvest becomes available. “To get the best harvest for the space and easily pick young shoots, I recommend growing sweet potatoes up something, as it’s a climbing plant and totally different in habit to our normal potatoes,” shares Master Horticulturist Dan Ori. The Harvesting Process To harvest the edible tubers from the sweet potato plants, wait for the leaves of the plants to start to turn yellow and die back. Feel below the ground or growing medium gently and you should be able to feel the roots which will help you to determine whether they have reached a worthwhile size for harvesting. Ease a fork into the ground close, but not too close, to the plant and pry upwards, and your sweet potatoes should be revealed. If growing in a container, you can simply overturn the pot to allow the contents to spill out, exposing the harvest of sweet potatoes inside. Once you have unearthed your sweet potatoes, it is a good idea to check them over very carefully. Any with damage or blemishes should be placed to one side to be used up as soon as possible, as they will not keep for long. Any potatoes that look damage free should be cured by leaving them in a warm, dry spot for a few days for the skins to dry out and harden a little so that they will store a little better and for a little longer. Storing Sweet Potatoes Unfortunately, sweet potatoes will not store successfully for long even when they have been cured. Therefore, it is best to use them up quickly or to preserve these in your freezer. They can also potentially be dehydrated or canned for later use. Blanched or boiled sweet potatoes can be frozen and will keep in the freezer for a number of months. If freezer space is at a premium, there are recipes that will allow you to pressure can your sweet potatoes and store them safely at room temperature in sealed preserving jars. Be sure to always check for reliable recipes from trusted sources when canning food at home. Sweet potatoes can also be cubed or shredded and dehydrated in an oven, stove or electric dehydrator and can be stored in an airtight jar in this form for later use. If stored this way, they can be kept for a year or even more, as long as they are stored correctly. They can later easily be rehydrated and added into a range of different recipes. Baking the sweet potatoes before dehydrating them gives the best results in terms of flavour. Of course, you may have no difficulty in using up your sweet potatoes without these preservation techniques, as there are plenty of great recipes in which you can use them in your kitchen soon after you have harvested them from your garden.
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Harvest Your Parsnips Later - The Taste Will Be Better Once They're Exposed To Frost
IN THIS GUIDE When To Harvest Parsnips The Harvesting Process Storing & Preserving Parsnips References Parsnips are a wonderful crop to grow in your garden. Though they will take up space in a garden for a relatively long period, there is nothing quite like being able to pull your own parsnips from the ground through autumn and early winter. The parsnip harvest is the reward for your efforts over the growing season, from sowing the seeds in spring to thinning your crop to keeping everything well mulched and weeded during the summer months. If you are growing parsnips for the first time, you may have some questions about the harvesting process. So, let’s take a look at the process involved and explain when and how to harvest this relatively easy and low-maintenance crop. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Garden fork When To Harvest September to December When To Harvest Parsnips Parsnips can be ready to harvest from around September onwards. The roots can be lifted as soon as the foliage begins to die back towards the end of the season. However, parsnips are generally better harvested later, since their taste will improve after they are exposed to frost. Parsnips will typically be mature around 100-120 days after sowing, but remember that this is just a rough guideline and the time to harvest will vary depending on which variety you choose to grow. The time to harvest will also depend on where you live and the weather conditions. Though there are, of course, no rules about not harvesting while the parsnips are smaller and not fully grown, waiting until the foliage dies back means that you are getting as much edible root as possible. Waiting until later to harvest your parsnip crop also makes more sense because you will find that the parsnips taste so much better after they have been exposed to the first few touches of frost. The frost turns the starches in the root into sugars and makes the parsnips a little sweeter. The parsnips harvested just in time for Christmas dinner can be the sweetest and best-tasting imaginable – a very fine addition to your festive table. I tend to harvest a few parsnips for birthday meals in early October, then use more for bonfire night, before saving the rest of my crop for the yuletide season. I find that parsnips are something to look forward to as the weather grows colder and the nights draw in. The Harvesting Process When you are harvesting your parsnips, do not tug on your parsnips from above. To make sure you get them out intact and do not damage them, use a garden fork to pry them up from the soil. The roots can easily break if you tug them or are careless as you try to remove them from the soil. If you break your parsnips you can still eat them, but they won’t store well and will have to be cooked immediately or frozen and preserved for later use. Gently ease a large garden fork into the soil, remembering that parsnip roots can go pretty deep, and lever upwards to bring the parsnips up from the soil. “I try to harvest parsnips when the soil is moist but not wet,” Colin Skelly, a Horticultural Consultant, explains. “I find that they are easier to remove, hold less soil, require less cleaning, and cause less compaction on the surrounding soil.” Try to lever up a whole area of soil rather than the parsnip itself so that you do not damage the parsnip root in the process. Storing & Preserving Parsnips As mentioned above, the parsnips can be left in the ground and harvested as and when you want them through the winter months. However, in areas where the ground freezes solid, you may like to lift and store your roots before Christmas. Of course, you might use up the parsnips that you harvest right away. In my home, we love honey-roasted parsnips and also use parsnips in hearty soups over the winter. In fact, there are many different recipes that you might try.1 However, there may be times when you want to store parsnips out of the ground for longer. Undamaged parsnip roots that are in good condition can be stored in a root cellar or other suitable spot to use up over the winter months. Like carrots and other root vegetables, you can store them in a box of sawdust or damp sand to prolong their life in storage. However, in most cases, parsnips will store best when kept in the ground until used. You can simply leave them in situ and ease each one from the ground as and when it is required. If you do not have anywhere suitable to store parsnips traditionally and cannot keep them in the ground, you can slice, par-boil and freeze them for later use. You can also use a pressure canner and can parsnips using a trusted recipe if you have a suitable canner at home. References 1. Hardwick, N. (2023, March 10). 20 ways with parsnips. BBC Good Food. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-ways-parsnips
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Sow Parsnips In Spring: This Crop Needs A Long Time To Mature And Create Roots
IN THIS GUIDE When To Sow Parsnips 1) Choose & Source Your Parsnip Seeds 2) Decide Where To Grow 3) Sow The Seeds Parsnips are a biennial root crop that should certainly be considered by any home grower. Though they take a relatively long time to grow, the roots that develop will make a delicious addition to your kitchen and are a great-value crop from the garden. Parsnips are often one of the first crops sown by gardeners in the spring, but they can be sown any time between March and May to provide a harvest in the following autumn or winter. If you would like to grow your own parsnips from seed then there are a number of things to do. Here is an outline of the process: Choose a variety of parsnips and source the seeds. Decide where you will sow your parsnips. Sow the parsnip seeds directly where they are to grow. Read on for a more in-depth discussion of the above. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Seeds, mulch, dibber When To Sow March to May When To Sow Parsnips Parsnips should not be harvested until autumn or winter, but you need to sow the seeds in spring, as this crop needs quite a long time to mature and create good-sized roots. Parsnips can be sown as early as February in warmer and more southerly parts of the country. However, I find it is generally best to hold off and sow in March, April or even May. Leaving it a little later before sowing seems to yield better germination rates and get plants off to a better start. The seeds do take a long while to emerge – often up to as long as three weeks, so don’t give up on your parsnips too early. When precisely you decide to sow will depend on where you live, the conditions in your garden and the weather conditions in a given year. To prevent issues, I’d advise from experience to wait until mid-spring where you live, sowing when the soil has begun to warm and the winter chill is behind you. This will likely be sometime around the last frost date. 1) Choose & Source Your Parsnip Seeds Before you can sow parsnip seeds, you will need to decide which particular variety of parsnip you would like to grow. There are varieties better suited to different soil types and different parts of the UK, so it is a good idea to do your homework to make sure that you select parsnips that will grow well where you live and in the conditions that you can provide. Suttons recommends ‘F1 Gladiator’ and ‘Tender and True’ as their favourite varieties for sowing in spring. 2) Decide Where To Grow Next, you will naturally have to spend some time thinking about where you would like to grow parsnips and where they might do well. You might grow them in raised beds, in the ground or in containers if there is no other space. Parsnips like an open spot that is as sunny as possible. They require deep, light and friable soil that remains moderately moist throughout the growing season. As well as considering the basic needs of the plants, it is also important to think about where parsnips will fit into your overall garden plan and which other crops they might grow alongside. Personally, I like to grow parsnips alongside carrots, with rows of each of these interspersed between rows of spring onions or bulb onions. Parsnips, like carrots, are plagued by the dreaded carrot fly, but onions and other alliums mask the smell of the parsnips and carrots and help keep them safe from these pests. In return, the scent of the carrots and parsnips keeps onion flies away. I also like to sow radishes in the same rows as the parsnip and carrot seeds at the same time. The parsnip and carrot seeds can both take up to 3 weeks or so to germinate, while radishes pop up quickly and mark the rows. The radishes will be harvested before the parsnips and carrots need space. 3) Sow The Seeds It is definitely best to sow parsnips directly, like carrots and some other common root crops, where they are to grow. While many of the crops in UK gardens are best sown indoors and transplanted to the garden after germination has taken place, parsnips do not fall into this category. In fact, they do not like transplantation at all. If you have trouble with germination, it may be that you have sown your parsnip seeds too early or that they have been eaten by pests before germination could take place. Wait a week or two if you think you have sown them too early, then try again. In any case, you may wish to sow successional batches of parsnips so that you can harvest them from early autumn right through to December and beyond. “If successional sowing, do your research and select different cultivars for different harvest timings,” advises Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist. “Some are better early and some are better standing longer in the soil. Also, try some shorter and longer cultivars. You’ll quickly get to know which suits your soil conditions best.” Sowing some every week or two from March until May will allow you to enjoy a staggered harvest. You can sow parsnips in rows or in another configuration, but either way you should sow the seeds thinly in drills. After germination, thin the seedlings to give an eventual spacing of around 15cm between each plant when the plants reach around 2.5cm tall. Keep your seedlings weed-free and water when it is very dry. Mulch around the plants in early summer with good quality homemade compost or other organic material.
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Growing Mustard Leaves From Seed: How To Choose A Variety And Sow Seeds Correctly
IN THIS GUIDE Choosing A Mustard Variety When To Sow Mustard How To Sow Mustard References Mustard leaves make a great addition to a salad and can also be used like spinach in a range of cooked recipes. Growing mustard leaves from seed is actually quite simple. In this guide, we share everything you need to know about sowing this herb in your own garden. Choosing A Mustard Variety Mustard is a member of the Brassica plant family and is related to common members of the cabbage family.1 There are many different varieties of mustard – some are grown for their leaves, others for their seed. Of the varieties grown for their leaves, there are many different cultivars that can look very different from one another and can be used raw or cooked in a range of recipes. Some are mild tasting and quite sweet, whilst others are fiercely peppery and spicy. When choosing a cultivar, make sure that you select one that suits your own particular tastes and consider how you wish to use the mustard that you grow. “White mustard, Sinapis alba, has more slender leaves than brown mustard, Brassica juncea,” shares Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish. “Many of the popular mustard leaf varieties are cultivars of the latter.” When To Sow Mustard When you sow mustard leaves will depend on which of the above options you are considering. For summer salads, you can sow mustard leaves in early spring indoors, to plant out after the last frost date in your area. Or, you can direct sow mustard leaves in the garden where they are to grow in late spring or early summer. You should stagger your plantings and sow a batch of mustard leaf seeds every 3 weeks or so, as this way you ensure that you have mustard leaves to harvest throughout the growing season. However, those sown in the run-up to midsummer may be prone to bolting and going to seed quickly, so, usually, it is best to stop sowing during this time. “The logic is that harvest follows sowing by around 7 weeks, so plants sown in late June could be bolting in July, around the time you would be looking to harvest,” says Peter. You can then sow again from July, August or early September to get another harvest of mustard leaves before the cold weather arrives in autumn, and, if you sow in a polytunnel, mustard leaves may often overwinter and give you some leaves throughout winter and into early spring. Mustard sown outside in August, September or early October will die back over the winter months in most of the UK, but this can be beneficial where mustard is used as a green manure or winter cover crop. The frosted remains will protect the soil below. Sow mustard seeds indoors at any time and you can eat the young shoots as micro-greens. How To Sow Mustard Sow seeds around 1cm deep in pots or seed trays indoors. The easiest way is to fill a seed tray and firm the compost down, before loosely sprinkling the seeds. Covering with an additional layer of compost, back to near the top of the seed tray, will give around 1cm depth. Alternatively, sow in drills of approximately this depth in a garden bed or a raised bed if direct sowing. Water the seeds well and wait for germination to take place. This typically won’t take long at all and in summer they will often germinate after just a few days. “The speed of mustard seed germination is so quick that, if we need seedlings for students to handle at short notice for an assessment, mustard is our go-to plant,” explains Peter.” I would recommend sowing a quick crop of mustard between harvesting summer vegetable crops and sowing over-wintering veg. “You can sow thickly, and harvest some as leaves in late summer, before digging the rest in as green manure. That way, you replenish some lost nutrients between crops.” When plants reach a reasonable size, you may like to thin some varieties to create a spacing of 15-20cm apart. References 1. Petruzzello, M. (2023, March 3). List of plants in the family Brassicaceae. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-plants-in-the-family-Brassicaceae-2004620
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Grow Your Own Salad Leaves With This Foolproof 5 Step Process From Emily Cupit
IN THIS GUIDE When To Sow Varieties To Sow 1) Prepare The Growing Area 2) Sow Seeds 3) Wait For Germination 4) Thin Out Seedlings 5) Harvest Your Leaves Being able to eat freshly grown salad that you have grown yourself at home is a wonderful thing. Even if you have never grown any of your own food before, you should find this a relatively easy process and you might be able to harvest fresh leaves in as little as a month or so. “Growing your own green goodies from seed is so fun and rewarding,” shares Joe Harrison, Garden Blogger & Horticulturist. “The excitement (and sometimes relief!), you feel when the first signs of life appear never leaves you, no matter how many seeds you sow over the years.” To grow your own salad leaves from seed: Prepare seed trays or small pots filled with a peat-free multipurpose compost or homemade equivalent. Scatter the salad leaf seeds and cover them with soil. Water in the seeds and wait for germination to take place. Prick out the salad leaf seedlings or thin them out. Harvest your salad leaves. Read on to learn more about each of these steps. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Seeds, seed trays or pots, watering can, gardening scissors When To Sow All year (indoors) or March to September (outdoors) When To Sow For outdoor cultivation, salad leaves can be sown any time between March and September, but if you provide the right care, you could be sowing and growing salad leaves indoors or under cover all year round. Varieties To Sow There are a wide variety of plants that can be grown to provide leaves for salads, including some perennial plants and even some trees! Here are some of the most commonly grown options to use as salad leaves to consider: Lettuce Cabbage family plants Rocket Chard Baby leaf spinach Chicory Lamb’s lettuce Cress Sorrel 1) Prepare The Growing Area Prepare seed trays or small pots and fill them with peat-free multipurpose compost or a homemade equivalent if you are growing salad leaves in containers. Consolidate this well to prevent it sinking later. Alternatively, consider sowing seeds in spring or summer where they are to grow in the ground to fill gaps in your vegetable garden or to serve as companion crops. 2) Sow Seeds Scatter the seeds thinly over the growing medium or soil and then cover them with a thin layer of compost, approximately 1cm deep. A sieve or riddle is useful for making sure only fine material covers the seed. “I find that for most salad crops, the simplest and most productive way of growing is to treat them as cut-and-come-again crops,” shares Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish. “This way, seeds can be sown fairly densely, and leaves harvested sporadically as needed. “If a seed packet contains 100 seeds, I would let that cover a 1.5m² to give good spacing, as a guide.” 3) Wait For Germination Make sure that the growing medium or soil is moist, but take care not to overwater, making sure that there is adequate drainage. Sow outdoors in full sun, or, when sowing indoors, place the seeds in a light, bright location. Seeds should germinate relatively quickly. “With the right growing conditions, the average amount of time a gardener will have to wait to see signs of life is around 7-14 days,” Joe says. “However, this can vary depending on the vegetable variety which has been grown and germination can be much quicker or much longer.” 4) Thin Out Seedlings If the seedlings seem crowded, you can thin them out if you wish. You can also prick out some options to grow them into fuller and larger plants, but when growing for salad leaves, you typically don’t need to do so. 5) Harvest Your Leaves Once the plants are around 10cm tall, you can use a pair of scissors to cut them all off and use the leaves in a salad. This stage can be reached in as little as 4-6 weeks, depending on which types you have chosen and where they are grown. New leaves will grow to replace those you have taken in a couple of weeks and you should get 3-4 batches of leaves from just one sowing. “My best advice is to just go for it – the worst that can happen is your seeds don’t germinate,” says Joe. “The best that can happen is you get rewarded with lots and lots of tiny greens which you can nurture and enjoy all season.”
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Sweet Potatoes: Growing, Starting Slips, Rooting And Nurturing With Andrew Hock
IN THIS GUIDE Overview How To Grow Sweet Potatoes Common Varieties When To Grow Sweet Potatoes Sweet Potato Slips Planting Guidelines Sweet Potato Plant Care A Note On Growing Alongside Regular Potatoes References Sweet potatoes always need a long growing season, which can potentially make them a little more challenging to grow in the UK than a range of other common crops. However, if you choose the right variety, grow them in an appropriate place and provide them with the right care, then it is possible to achieve abundant harvests of sweet potatoes at home. In this guide, we’ve teamed up with Andrew Hock, the Founder of The Sweet Potato Society. Andrew has many years of experience gardening and has a personal love of sweet potatoes. “Not only are they a beautiful plant to grow with lush and verdant foliage, but they are also a nutritional powerhouse,” says Andrew, when explaining why he is so passionate about these root vegetables. “The process of growing, starting slips, rooting and nurturing them until planting and then waiting months for the harvest and curing is a rewarding exercise of dedication and patience.” Overview Botanical Name Ipomoea batatas Common Name(s) Sweet potato Plant Type Vegetable Native Area South America Hardiness Rating H1C Foliage Deciduous Flowers Insignificant purple and white blooms When To Plant May to June Harvesting Months Late summer to early autumn Sweet potatoes, Ipomoea batatas, are vining plants with tuberous roots. This crop also produces leaves and young shoots as an additional yield, which potentially makes this an extremely productive plant to grow in your garden. Sweet potatoes can, in the right setting, grow like weeds. In fact, they are related to bindweeds, as they are also members of the Convolvulaceae plant family.1 However, it is important to remember that this plant is native to tropical climes and loves as much heat and as long a summer as possible, which is why we are often reliant on a good summer when growing them here in the UK. You can also grow sweet potatoes in a polytunnel, greenhouse or under cloche protection to see the best results here in the British Isles. How To Grow Sweet Potatoes “Rainy climates with shorter summers are a challenge for this type of crop,” warns Andrew. “Still, if you’re considering growing sweet potatoes, I’d say go for it! “Even a small yield is satisfying. It’s a very decorative plant, so just having all the pretty foliage is a nice addition to a garden.” In addition to this, growing sweet potatoes successfully begins with choosing the right variety or varieties for where you live. It is important to choose one of the varieties that has been specifically formulated for growing in the UK and that is suited to the growing conditions that gardeners in the UK can typically provide. Common Varieties Some common and well-regarded sweet potato varieties grown in the UK include: ‘Beauregard Improved’ ‘Bonita’ ‘Evangeline’ ‘Kaukura’ ‘Tahiti’ Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’ Sweet potatoes may not be the easiest of crops to grow in our climate, but choosing one of the above (or another variety suited to UK cultivation) will lead to a much higher chance of a successful harvest. When To Grow Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are typically not grown from seed but from either unrooted or rooted cuttings (plug plants). The unrooted cuttings are known as sweet potato slips. Both of these are typically available from garden centres and plant nurseries from around late April onwards. They should be planted up into pots inside as soon as they are purchased, but will not be planted into their final growing positions until there is absolutely no risk of frost. Sweet Potato Slips Sweet potato slips, as mentioned above, are the unrooted cuttings from a sweet potato plant. They should be potted up into any good peat-free multipurpose potting mix. You might be able to gather your own sweet potato slips if you successfully manage to store tubers previously grown in your garden until the spring. They are best kept covered with clear plastic in a sunny, warm spot or kept inside a heated propagator until they root. Luckily, this will not typically take too long, as they tend to root readily. “You can easily grow your own slips from a sweet potato,” says Master Horticulturist Dan Ori. “For pest and disease prevention I recommend buying your first slips. Potatoes from your own harvest can be used to propagate if you are able to store them until spring.” Planting Guidelines Remember, sweet potatoes, whether they were purchased as plug plants or as slips, should only be planted out into their final growing positions once all risk of frost has passed. Remember to harden them off before transplantation. As mentioned above, it can often be easier to grow sweet potatoes in a greenhouse or polytunnel (though this need not be heated). In most areas, some form of cloche protection will be required at the very least when attempting to grow these plants outdoors. You can plant sweet potatoes in a container or a grow bag, or you can grow sweet potatoes in the ground, as long as the soil and positioning are appropriate. As a general rule of thumb, plants should be placed around 30cm apart. Sweet Potato Plant Care “The most important factors when caring for sweet potato plants are sun, soil and patience,” Andrew says. “You need a long, warm growing season and good, loose soil. “Otherwise, once properly established, in my experience, they are fairly worry-free.” So, if you have a suitable location to grow sweet potatoes, that is a major part of the job completed. These plants can romp away in the right location and take up a fair amount of space, though vertical growing with supports is an option where space is limited. However, finding the perfect spot to grow sweet potatoes is extremely important, as without its basic requirements being met, a sweet potato plant can certainly fail to thrive. Here are the key things to think about when it comes to sweet potato plant care: Preferred Soil Sweet potatoes are relatively hungry plants and require a fertile and humus-rich soil or growing medium. If growing in containers, any good quality peat-free multipurpose compost should work just fine. The soil or growing medium should be moisture-retentive yet free draining. When planting outdoors or in the ground in a greenhouse or polytunnel, it is a good idea to enrich the area before planting by top dressing with plenty of homemade compost or well-rotted manure. “Growing sweet potatoes in well-rotted manure can work well outside,” shares Dan. “However, I recommend not using animal manures and concentrated chicken manure fertilisers in greenhouses and polytunnels due to the smell and high ammonia content. “My alternative to manure is good-quality garden compost and leaf mould with seaweed feed watered on.” Position & Sunlight The most important thing when trying to grow sweet potatoes in the UK are the temperatures that you can provide. Remember, growing in a greenhouse or polytunnel or at least below row covers or cloches can make a big difference to how easy you find the undertaking. Choose as light, bright, warm and sheltered a spot as possible for the best results. A sheltered spot close to a south-facing wall might be ideal if growing sweet potatoes outside. Watering & Feeding Sweet potatoes need to be kept well watered at all times and it is especially important to think about their water needs when growing them undercover or in containers. If there is a water shortage, the tubers will not swell up as they should. Remember, plants in pots will typically dry out more quickly than those in the ground. However, even those growing in the ground outdoors will need to be watered or irrigated properly during any dry spells in summer. Mulching the plants after you have placed them in the ground or in containers with a layer of homemade compost or other organic material won’t just help to suppress weeds and retain moisture. It will also provide slow-release fertility for these hungry plants. Sweet potatoes growing in the ground typically won’t require any other feeding as long as there are sufficient nutrients in the soil. However, those in containers can benefit from the provision of a high-potassium organic liquid plant feed on a fortnightly basis throughout the summer months. Common Problems Sweet potato problems most commonly arise from trying to grow them in too cool or unsuitable a location. Low temperatures, exposure and water problems are far more likely to cause problems than pests or diseases, which is why it is so important to grow these plants in the right place. However, when growing sweet potatoes undercover you may well encounter common greenhouse pests such as whitefly or red spider mites. “The tender young leaves of baby plants are like candy to bunnies and groundhogs, so if they are around you’ll need to protect your young plants with some fencing or deterrent,” warns Andrew. “Once the plants are established though, the leaves are mostly safe. “Rodents will sometimes eat your tubers from underground, and you won’t even know until it’s too late! “Remedy this with deterrents and traps.” A Note On Growing Alongside Regular Potatoes “It’s a common misconception that sweet potatoes are similar to their named counterpart – sweet potatoes are actually an entirely different species than regular potatoes,” Andrew explains. “Potatoes are in the nightshade family and sweet potatoes are actually in the Morning Glory family. “You’ll notice this if your vines flower, as the flowers are almost identical to morning glories and are very beautiful and delicate! “While my experience growing regular potatoes is limited, I do know they take less time and are somewhat more susceptible to rot since the skins are more delicate. Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are not ideal companions because they will be overly competitive for space and resources such as water and nutrients in the soil. Instead, I would recommend you grow sweet potatoes near nitrogen-fixing legumes to help meet their nutrient needs and with radishes, spinach and alliums to take up the space around sprawling sweet potato plants. These plants will also not shade them too much or become overly competitive. References 1. Broyles, S. (2012, November 15). In a Bind with Convolvulaceae. Whiteknights Biodiversity. Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/whiteknightsbiodiversity/2012/11/15/bindweed/
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Propagate Cucumbers From Seed: It's Best To Start Them Between February And April
IN THIS GUIDE When To Sow Cucumber Seeds 1) Acquire Your Seeds 2) Choose A Suitable Spot 3) Sow Cucumber Seeds 4) Pot Up Or Plant Out Cucumbers taste amazing when you have grown them yourself at home and doing so is well worth the effort. Even a single plant, when properly placed and cared for, can be amazingly productive, often giving you more cucumbers than you can eat over the summer months. Fortunately, growing your own cucumbers is not hugely challenging. Although you can purchase young plants rather than propagating your own, it is relatively easy to grow your own cucumber from seed, as well as being an eco-friendly and sustainable choice. Cucumbers are typically sown indoors between mid-February and late April or, with some varieties suited to outside cultivation, in late May or early June. To grow cucumbers from seed: Choose and source your cucumber seeds. Decide where to sow and grow your cucumbers. Sow seeds either indoors or directly where they are to grow. Pot up cucumber seedlings as required or plant out indoor-sown cucumbers outdoors in early June. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Pots or seed discs, seed-starting compost, cucumber seeds When To Sow February to April (indoors), May to June (outdoors) When To Sow Cucumber Seeds Cucumber seeds should usually be sown indoors or undercover in a heated propagator. When precisely you sow indoors will depend on where you decide to grow your crop. If you plan to grow your cucumbers in a heated greenhouse, then you should sow between mid-February and mid-March. If you are growing your cucumbers in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel, sow them sometime in April. If you plan on growing suitable cucumber varieties outdoors then it is also best to sow in late April. 1) Acquire Your Seeds If you want to grow cucumbers from seed then one of the first decisions that you will have to make is which particular cucumber varieties you will grow. Remember, there are many different varieties to choose from. Some are best suited to growing in a greenhouse or polytunnel, while others are suited to outdoor cultivation. It is important to make sure that you choose the right variety or varieties for you and your intended growing location. 2) Choose A Suitable Spot Remember, you can grow cucumbers in a heated greenhouse space, in an unheated greenhouse or polytunnel, or outdoors in your garden. It is important to make this decision before you start sowing because, as mentioned above, it will dictate the timing for sowing the seeds. You will also need to decide whether you will sow your seeds indoors or directly outside where they are to grow. If you are growing outside, then you might still sow indoors or you might sometimes direct sow if you live in a milder area. However, sowing indoors is generally the best policy for most of us in the British Isles. 3) Sow Cucumber Seeds Cucumber seeds that you decide to sow indoors should be sown 1-2cm deep in small pots or in the ground if directly sowing. The seeds should be sown on their side. Make sure that you keep the seeds in moist seed-starting compost and at temperatures of 21°C for successful germination. Although a sunny windowsill will often do, a heated propagator can increase your chances of success. 4) Pot Up Or Plant Out If you have sown indoors, then you should pot up your cucumber seedlings into pots at least 25cm in diameter that are filled with good quality, peat-free potting compost. Typically, you will do this in late March if growing in a heated greenhouse or in late May in an unheated undercover growing area. Alternatively, you can plant cucumbers into the ground or raised beds either under cover or outdoors. Undercover, you may plant out into the greenhouse or polytunnel beds or borders in May or early June. Outside, you will typically wait until early June and may see better results if you first warm the soil with row covers or cloches. “Given the need to delay sowing due to the need for soil temperatures to increase, sowing indoors, even on a windowsill, will produce more reliable germination than growing outside,” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “They will also be far less prone to suffering damage at an early stage of growth due to slugs and snails.” Wherever you choose to sow and grow your cucumbers, take good care of your plants and you will surely be rewarded with a bounty of cucumbers for your salads throughout summer and often well into autumn.
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Winter Growing Leeks With Late-Cropping Varieties: Choose A Suitable Site And Get To Work
IN THIS GUIDE Why Are Leeks Good For Winter Growing? Choosing Winter Varieties Sowing Winter Leeks Choosing A Growing Site Transplanting Before Winter Harvesting Winter Leeks Leeks are a perfect winter vegetable, as there are many different varieties that will do very well in a UK garden over the winter months. These are hardy plants that can actually taste better after they have been exposed to frost. The key to being able to harvest leeks all through the winter lies in: Choosing the right varieties of leek for winter growing. Timing things correctly when it comes to sowing leeks in and for winter. Choosing the right place to grow your leeks. Transplanting leeks to growing areas at the right time and using the right method. Caring for leeks well over the summer and autumn months. Making sure leeks can be harvested as needed during the coldest months. Leeks do have a long growing season and take a long while to grow. They will occupy your garden during summer as well as throughout autumn and winter. However, the investment in space and time is well worthwhile, as you will be able to continue harvesting leeks from your garden, potentially right through the winter months. Why Are Leeks Good For Winter Growing? Leeks are a great choice for sowing in the late winter or leaving in the ground throughout the winter of the following year. With the former option, you can sow leeks inside in February to harvest in late summer or early autumn, but note that you will not typically place leeks outside in their final growing positions until April or May. With the latter, it is important to understand that the plants are not actually in active growth during the winter months. Rather, they grow to maturity over the summer and then are kept in the ground in winter until they are ready to harvest. If you wish, it is possible to do both. You can start sowing leeks inside in February to harvest at the beginning of the leek harvesting season and then sow further batches of seeds during spring and early summer in order to continue to harvest leeks right through to the next year. Choosing Winter Varieties In order to be able to harvest leeks throughout a long harvesting period, it is important to choose the right varieties. There are leeks that are ideal for early sowing and harvesting, leeks that are great for harvesting in the mid-winter period, and leeks that are ideally suited to leaving in your garden right through to spring. When choosing which leeks to grow, make sure that you look at whether they are considered early, mid or late-season varieties. You should also check how well they can cope with the winter conditions where you live. According to the HPAA, some late-cropping varieties which would be suited to winter growing include: Below Zero F1 (incredibly hardy to cold conditions) Giant Winter Leek Musselburgh (again very hardy – crops from December through to March) Tadorna Leek (another that crops from December to March) Sowing Winter Leeks Typically, you can expect to start harvesting leeks around six months after they are planted. This means that, if you want your leeks ready to harvest in winter, you should not sow too early. ”I sow my winter leeks in June and then into the ground in July, making sure that they have sufficient water in early growth,” shares Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist. “Autumn is normally a good growing period as it gets wetter and stays warm. “Sow too early and even a winter leek cultivar can tend to bolt (start to flower), which can still be used if harvested quickly, but messes up your harvesting plans! “A very mild winter can still do this even if your timing is perfect.” Remember, those planted in winter will typically be harvested in late summer or autumn. Sow and plant in spring if you want to enjoy a later harvest. Leeks can potentially be sown right up until June, though here in the UK it is generally best to sow earlier in spring to allow the plants as much time as possible to mature before cold weather arrives once more. Choosing A Growing Site Choosing the right spot to grow leeks in is always important, but it is especially important to think about where you grow leeks if you want them to remain in the ground for as long as possible over the winter months. Plant your leeks in a location with full sun and make sure that the soil or growing medium is rich, fertile, and moist yet free-draining with plenty of organic matter. Choosing a more sheltered position might help if you wish to keep them in place over winter, though, in general, they won’t mind an exposed location. Even though winter leeks are hardy down to around -10°C, in particularly cold areas or in extremely cold winters, it is important to make sure that you have planted your leeks in a good spot and not in a frost pocket or particularly cold location. Transplanting Before Winter Once you have decided where to grow your leeks for the rest of the growing season, you should take the leeks you have grown from seed and transplant them to their final growing area in your vegetable garden. See this guide for tips on transplanting leek seedlings outside. The healthier your leeks are before winter arrives, the more likely they are to stand in your garden to be harvested as you need them through the winter months. Harvesting Winter Leeks To make sure that you can continue to harvest leeks through winter, you should ensure that the soil around them does not freeze solid and make harvesting difficult. You can help to avoid this by adding a thick layer of carbon-rich mulch, such as dried leaves or straw, around your plants. Alternatively, you can remove leeks from a growing area and heel them into another part of your garden where the ground will not freeze as readily.
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