Growing
You Can Regrow Greens From Carrot Top Scraps And Potentially Collect The Seeds
IN THIS GUIDE Why Regrow From Carrot Tops For Greens? 1) Selecting Carrots To Regrow 2) Choosing A Method 3) Waiting For Shoots & Hair Roots 4) Planting Sprouted Carrot Tops 5) Saving Carrot Seeds Carrot tap roots won’t regrow once chopped off, but you can regrow carrot greens and potentially collect seeds from the plants to sow next year. Learn how to grow carrots from carrot tops and you can make the most of even the vegetable scraps from your garden. You could, of course, simply decide to place carrot tops in your composting system to recycle their nutrients into the garden system – but before you relegate carrot tops to the compost heap or bin, you might want to consider this fun and useful project. It is important, first of all, to understand that when we talk about growing carrots from carrot tops, we do not mean the colourful tasty tap roots. These, unfortunately, are a ‘one-hit wonder’ and will not regrow from the carrot top no matter how long you wait. However, when you place carrot tops in water or a suitable growing medium or soil, you can grow a supply of fresh carrot greens. And, if you leave the plant to grow on, these biennial plants will flower and set seed, and you could potentially collect the seeds from these plants to sow in your garden to grow new carrots for their roots from scratch next year. Why Regrow From Carrot Tops For Greens? When you think about eating carrots, you are most likely to think about eating the roots. Many people are unaware that you can also eat the green leafy foliage that grows from the top of the taproot. This secondary yield from carrots has a rather strong carrot or parsley-like flavour. The fronds can be added in moderation to mixed salads, or used much as you would use parsley, as a pot herb – it can add flavour to a wide range of recipes. While the plants regrow, they can also make rather attractive houseplants for a sunny windowsill. They have soft feathery fronds, and when grown correctly, can flower with delicate flowers and then set seed. Regrowing carrots is a fun activity to enjoy with kids, or simply to hone your own simple growing skills. And there is a lot of satisfaction to be had in really making the most of a homegrown carrot crop, or of parts of your purchased carrots that might otherwise have been thrown into the composting system. 1) Selecting Carrots To Regrow The first thing to think about is the carrots that you select to regrow. If you grow your own carrots, you should consider saving the tops of the best and healthiest specimens. I’d recommend that you choose organic, heritage options. If you wish to save your own seeds it is important to remember that hybrid varieties will not ‘come true’. In other words, the plants which grow from the seeds may not be the same as the parent plant they came from. “Heritage or heirloom varieties also may not produce ‘true’ seed if there are other varieties nearby with which they have cross-pollinated,” adds Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish. If you have purchased your carrots, from a supermarket, farmer’s market, farm shop or through a veg box scheme, you might not always know which type of carrot you have. Remember, where possible, purchasing organic produce direct from the producer is the most eco-friendly and sustainable option. While this is more expensive on the whole, learning about regrowing can help you buy less and eat better for less overall. 2) Choosing A Method Once you have your carrots, simply cut off the ends of the roots from which the foliage grows, leaving around 2cm or so of the taproots. Eat the rest of the carrots, or set them aside to eat later – what comes next could not be easier. “If the carrots have foliage, cut this back to a few centimetres, because until new roots form, this growth will only wilt,” shares Peter. You simply need to place the carrots, cut side down, in a position where new shoots will emerge from the top, and small hair-like roots will emerge around the edges of the former tap root. For this, sunlight and water are required. There are a few different methods you could use in terms of where exactly you position your carrot tops. You can: Place the carrots into a shallow tray or saucer of water. Arrange the carrots on top of damp pebbles surrounded by water in a tray or on a plate. Layer damp newspaper or scrap untreated paper/card in a shallow container and place the carrot tops on top of that. Whichever option you choose, you should place your carrots on a sunny windowsill. 3) Waiting For Shoots & Hair Roots Once you have placed your carrot tops in a suitable location, the next job is simply to wait for new shoots to emerge from the top of each one. This should not take very long at all and usually, you should see new growth within around a week or so, perhaps even sooner. As well as seeing fresh green growth at the top of the new plants, you should also see, before too long, small new roots like little hairs coming out around the edges of the former tap root. Once you see some of these new roots, you can think about planting up your new carrot plants into their own pots, within the next couple of weeks, so you can continue to enjoy them as houseplants within your home or plan them out into the soil in your garden if it is between late spring and late summer. 4) Planting Sprouted Carrot Tops Carrots need a moist yet free-draining medium, such as peat-free compost, and the right conditions are easy to achieve when growing them in pots for this secondary yield of leaves, or letting them grow on to produce seeds. Simply place your carrots in small pots filled with a suitable growing medium, so that the top crown of the carrot is just sticking above the surface of the potting mix. Then watch your carrots grow and harvest the foliage as and when required or desired. “If you have got the bug for propagating your own veg plants from their tops, why not try the same thing with pineapples?” asks Peter. “Their tops can be used to grow another fruit, but you’ll need patience as this can take a couple of years.” 5) Saving Carrot Seeds If you leave your carrots to mature, they will grow larger, flower, and form seeds. Carrots are biennial, which means that they go to seed in their second year. When you grow carrots from carrot tops, you are allowing carrots to enter this second phase of their life cycles. Just remember that if you want to save seeds from your carrots, these will not necessarily have the same, tasty tap roots as the original unless you have a heritage or heirloom variety. Carrots grown from tops may not always develop full flowering heads. If you want a more reliable way to save seeds then leave a few carrot plants unharvested to flower the following summer. However, if your carrot regrowth does flower, you can leave the head to fully mature. Wait until the flowering head begins to turn brown and dry out, then carefully cut it off. Place it in a small paper bag where drying can continue, and the tiny seeds will fall from the heads into the bag with a gentle shake. You can now retrieve and store the darkened little seeds in a cool, dry location in an airtight container and sow them the following year, either in containers, or outdoors in your garden. By selecting and saving seeds from heritage carrot varieties, you can selectively breed carrots ideally suited to the conditions where you live and create closed-loop, sustainable growing systems in your garden.
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You Can Prevent Broccoli Plants From Bolting By Following These 7 Important Rules
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Choose The Right Location 2) Sow & Plant At The Right Time 3) Practice Companion Planting & Crop Rotation 4) Mulch Plants To Keep Soil Cool 5) Water Broccoli Plants Correctly 6) Harvest Promptly 7) Choose Bolt-Resistant Varieties References Broccoli is still edible once it has bolted, but it can be disappointing if it occurs early and you have not obtained a worthwhile yield from your crop. Broccoli plants can be prone to bolting (running prematurely to flower and set seed) when the environmental conditions are not right. Most commonly, broccoli and Calabrese will be most likely to bolt due to stress caused by temperatures (most commonly too high but also potentially too low early in the growing season), water shortage, or a lack of nutrition.1 Sometimes, extreme weather conditions may be to blame for the bolting – and environmental factors may be largely out of your control. However, a lot of the time, the decisions you make and what you do as a gardener can be to blame. Once a plant has bolted, you can slow it down, but unfortunately can’t bring it back. However, taking steps to prevent your crops from bolting in the first place can often help you avoid disappointment – and making changes can help you grow broccoli more successfully in future if this is a problem that you have encountered more than once in your garden. So, to reduce the chances of bolting broccoli plants, here are a few tips: 1) Choose The Right Location Choosing the right spot for growing broccoli can help you avoid many of the common issues – bolting included. Remember that bolting is caused by stress of some kind, which encourages the plants to rush to reproduce. Plants that are placed in a suitable location with good, fertile soil (or growing medium) and optimal conditions in terms of sunlight and temperatures are far less likely to have a problem. Broccoli likes a situation in full sun or very light shade, with a fertile, and moisture retentive yet well-drained soil. In very hot summers – especially in the south – a lightly shaded spot may be preferable, since broccoli forms better heads in cooler summers here in the UK. In a very hot location, when temperatures rise too high, broccoli is far more likely to bolt. 2) Sow & Plant At The Right Time When exactly you sow your broccoli will depend on which type and variety you are growing and where you are growing it. Typically, seeds can be sown between March and June or July. Seeds are sown indoors or under cover in seed trays or pots before the last frost date, and can be direct sown, usually, from some time in April onwards. Sowing earlier can sometimes be a good policy for summer-harvested heading broccoli (Calabrese) since you can harvest before the weather heats up too much. However, sowing too early can sometimes be problematic too, since plants can bolt if they are not potted up or planted out in time and the roots become too confined or starved of nutrients in their containers. If indoors grown plants are placed outside too early, or placed out without hardening off, they may be stressed and may bolt due to a cold snap or too extreme a change in temperatures and conditions. So make sure you are aware of the temperature expectations where you live, and keep an eye on weather forecasts before you decide to plant your broccoli outdoors. 3) Practice Companion Planting & Crop Rotation Generally, the healthier and happier your broccoli plants are, the less likely they are to experience the stress that can lead to bolting. Like us, broccoli plants will be happiest when they have good neighbours. So make sure you think about companion planting, which can improve environmental conditions, reduce pest problems, and help maintain a balanced and fertile growing area. Practising crop rotation with brassicas like broccoli can also help make sure that the soil remains healthy and the plants are less likely to succumb to diseases or be stressed in other ways which cause them to bolt. 4) Mulch Plants To Keep Soil Cool Another important strategy to maintain the fertility of your growing areas and meet broccoli’s higher nitrogen needs is to mulch well around your plants with a nitrogen-rich organic mulch material. A mulch won’t only help maintain fertility and a healthy soil, it will also help reduce competition for the broccoli from weeds that might pop up. Crucially, it can also help keep the soil cool. Broccoli does not typically bolt due to high air temperatures, but rather due to high temperatures of the soil. Keeping the soil cool with an insulating blanket of mulch will help stop roots from overheating during warm summer weather. A good mulch should also help keep conditions moist, and reduce the amount of water that is lost through evaporation from the soil surface around your broccoli plants. This should help reduce issues caused by drought, which can be another common cause of bolting. 5) Water Broccoli Plants Correctly Of course, in addition to taking steps to conserve water in the soil, it is also important to make sure that you water your plants sufficiently, especially during the summer months. Broccoli is quite a thirsty plant. Typically, you will need to water outdoors grown plants every 10-14 days in dry weather – more frequently of course if you are growing broccoli under cover, or in containers. When watering, make sure that you water plants at the base, rather than from above, to use water more efficiently and make sure that it gets where it needs to go – into the soil around plant roots. If you have a larger garden, or struggle to maintain your watering routine, consider adding drip irrigation, and perhaps an automated system, to make things easier. 6) Harvest Promptly While plants will sometimes bolt prematurely, it is also important to remember that broccoli can also begin to flower and go to seed if you simply leave it too long before you harvest your crop. Keep on top of harvesting and harvest promptly to make sure you make the most of your produce and do not miss out. 7) Choose Bolt-Resistant Varieties Finally, if you consistently experience problems with broccoli bolting in spite of your best efforts, you might like to consider trying to grow more bolt-resistant varieties next year. Some broccoli cultivars are less prone to bolting than others. Hybrid F1 seeds often have better resistance to bolting and handle stress better, though you should note that these will not come true from seed like heritage varieties. References 1. Bolting in vegetables. (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/bolting
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For An Abundant Yield Keep Courgettes Well-Fed - And Use Potassium-Rich Mulch
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Fertilise The Soil 2) Consider Companion Plants 3) Use A Liquid Plant Feed 4) Add A Potassium-Rich Mulch Courgettes are great for an abundant yield – providing a surprisingly large amount of food even from a single plant. However, such productive plants can be particularly hungry and thirsty, so it is very important when growing courgettes to make sure that they are looked after. You should provide them with a rich and fertile growing medium, water them well, and feed them throughout the growing season for the best yields. To feed courgettes (and keep them well fed throughout their growth) in an organic garden: Plant courgettes in a rich and fertile soil or growing medium. Add plenty of homemade compost or some well-rotted manure upon planting – digging it into a hole made prior to planting, or using it as mulch around the plant. Grow peas, beans or other nitrogen-fixing plants as companion plants. (Along with other companion plants that help keep courgette plants healthy). Once the fruits begin to form on the plant, feed it every 10-14 days with a liquid organic plant feed that is high in potassium (such as comfrey tea or a proprietary tomato fertiliser). You can also consider adding an additional mulch of comfrey leaves or other potassium-rich organic material during the fruiting period. Follow these steps for more in-depth guidelines: 1) Fertilise The Soil Courgettes do need soil that has plenty of organic matter, and a healthy soil web. Remember, providing good fertility levels and feeding the plants in your vegetable garden always comes back to the soil. Traditionally, gardeners would often dig a hole in the area where they want to plant a courgette and fill this with homemade compost or a mix of soil and well-rotted manure, as Master Horticulturist Roy Nicol explains: “This hole would be concave so that watering funnels water down to the roots of the plant; something courgettes love is plenty of water.” You might also plant a courgette in an area where kitchen scraps have previously been composted in the ground. In a no-dig garden, the soil is left as undisturbed as possible. So rather than digging a larger hole when planting, it is usual to spread the organic matter as a mulch around the plant. “In a no-dig soil, organic matter is taken down into the soil by earthworms and, together with other soil life, breaks it down into humus, an organic material which makes nutrients readily available to plants,” Roy explains. “The no-dig approach is sustainable as it keeps carbon in the soil and reduces the need for chemical fertilisers.” 2) Consider Companion Plants Since courgettes are hungry plants, it is important to think carefully about what is growing close by. Peas and beans and other nitrogen-fixing plants can be good companions. The degree to which the nitrogen they obtain from the air is made available to nearby plants is unknown. But even so, choosing plants which cater to their own nitrogen needs (with the aid of bacteria in their roots) will retain nutrient availability in the soil for the hungry courgette plant. 3) Use A Liquid Plant Feed Once the first fruits begin to form on your courgette plant, you should think about providing for the plant’s potassium needs. Give the plant or plants a good drink of comfrey tea, or another organic, potassium-rich liquid plant feed every 10-14 days throughout the rest of the growing season. 4) Add A Potassium-Rich Mulch You can also consider adding a mulch of comfrey leaves, or the leaves of other plants known to be dynamic accumulators of potassium (by storing it in their plant tissues and releasing this to the soil when chopped and dropped as a mulch).
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Harvesting Peas Correctly Very Much Depends On The Type You Are Growing
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Pea Shoots 2) Mangetout 3) Sugar-Snap Peas 4) Shelling Peas 5) Pulse Peas How To Harvest Peas Peas are one extremely popular crop to grow in your garden, and once you taste them fresh from your vegetable beds, you will understand why so many people choose to grow this vegetable. “I can’t imagine a dish without some of my favourite peas from my garden,” shares The Seed Detective Adam Alexander. Peas are relatively easy to grow and care for. They are a legume that takes atmospheric nitrogen and makes it available in the soil, helping to maintain soil fertility. If you are thinking about growing peas, then you should know that there are a number of different options to choose from and the options you choose will dictate when you will harvest them. When it comes to harvesting peas: Peas grown for pea shoots can be harvested any time, during early stages of growth. Mangetout, or snow pea types are harvested when the pods are still flat, and around 7cm long. Sugar snap peas are typically harvested when the peas within the pods have started to develop. (Again, when the pods are around 7-8cm long). Typical garden peas (shelled from the pods) are harvested when the pods are well filled and the peas within have reached a good size before the peas begin to harden up. Peas can be felt within the pod, and the pod should be fully green. Peas to dry and use as a pulse, and soup peas are left until they mature more fully, and are typically harvested when the pods begin to dry out. It is very important to think about what you would like to grow and which part of the peas you would like to eat when choosing varieties and determining the best time to harvest your crop. We have listed the ways in which you should harvest (and when) different varieties of peas: 1) Pea Shoots The first thing that it is interesting to consider is that peas can also be eaten as pea shoots during their early growth. Some people will grow peas in containers simply to harvest the shoots alone – a good crop for small spaces. You can also harvest the occasional side shoot from a plant that you also wish to harvest pods or peas from later in the season. As long as you take side shoots and leave the main stems to grow, you should be able to get a few pea shoots for salads and also enjoy your main harvest later. 2) Mangetout Aside from pea shoots, the quickest harvest that you can get from peas are mangetout. Mangetout pea varieties, also sometimes known as ‘Snow Peas’, are pea varieties with which you eat the pods and any peas forming inside. With this type, you can harvest as soon as the pods appear. However, to maximise your harvest it is best to hold off harvesting until the pods are around 7cm long or so. Once they reach this size, it is important to keep up with harvesting, since if you pick them promptly, more should be produced. 3) Sugar-Snap Peas Sugar snap peas are also eaten whole, with the pods and the peas inside forming part of the harvest. However, with sugar snaps you will usually see the peas forming within the pods, rather than them remaining flat. Again, you should harvest regularly and promptly, picking the pods when they are around 7-8cm long. 4) Shelling Peas When growing garden peas that are not meant to be eaten in the shell, the size of your harvest will be somewhat smaller. There will also be a little more work involved in the actual harvesting process since you will not just pluck pods from the plants and use them as they are – you will also have to shell the peas from the pods once you have picked them. Wait until the pods are plump and full and you can see the peas inside almost filling the space when you hold the pod up to the light. Make sure to pick the pods before they begin to dry out and while they are still glossy and fresh looking. 5) Pulse Peas While most garden peas are harvested while they are still fresh and bright green, some peas are left to mature further and dry out for use as a pulse, or for making soups later in the year. It is perhaps less common to grow these types but they can be well worth considering if you would like to be able to eat peas from your garden all year-round. With these types for soups or drying, you will typically leave them on the plant to mature to the stage where the pod begins to dry out and turn brownish in colour. They are sometimes known as field peas. The Harvesting Technique As you can see from the above, there is no one clear answer as to the stage at which peas should be harvested, since this depends on the varietal and type of pea you have chosen to grow and the harvest that you wish to obtain from the plant. But harvesting peas is simply a case of nipping off the part you want with a finger and thumb. You can process and store these as you wish or you can use them right away. Fresh peas can always be frozen if you want to store them for later in the year. “You can save the seeds of heirloom varieties of pea and get a plant with similar qualities,” shares Peter Lickorish, a Master Horticulturist. “It is still possible to harvest peas for eating, but remember to stop harvesting around four weeks before the end of the harvest window for the plant, to allow the last pods to produce fully developed seeds. “This would often be in late July. “Once the pod has become brittle and brown, collect the seed on a dry day and ensure it is completely dry before sealing it in a glass jar. “Place them somewhere cool and dark, before sowing next year.” If you sow, grow and care for your peas correctly, you could be eating peas from your garden, in one form or another, all year long.
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Learn To Grow Cabbages With Kitchen Gardener Ade Sellars' Tutorial
IN THIS GUIDE Overview Cabbage Varieties How To Grow Cabbages Planting Out Cabbage Plant Care Companion Plants Common Pests & Problems Cabbages are one of the most cultivated crops and with good reason – they come in many shapes and sizes and have many culinary uses. Understanding how to grow them is a must for most UK home growers. The cabbage family (Brassicaceae) contains many of the most common crops grown in UK gardens – including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, turnips and radishes. Plants within the cabbage family which have the name ‘cabbage’ belong to several different species and cultivar groups. In this guide, we will focus on cabbages of Brassica oleracea – the Capitata and Savoy cabbage cultivation groups. Though there are also Chinese cabbages which are Brassica rapa (Pekinensis Group). Overview Botanical Name Brassica oleracea Common Name(s) Cabbages Plant Type Vegetables Native Area Cultivated Hardiness Rating H3/H4 Foliage Brassica leaves or tight heads depending on type These cabbages descend from Brassica oleracea var. oleracea, the wild cabbage, native to coastal southern and western Europe. The long process of cultivation and plant breeding means that there are now a huge range of cabbages to choose from when looking for crops to grow in your garden. While cabbages are most frequently grown as annual crops (in rotation in a vegetable garden) it is worth noting that there are also several perennial cabbage varieties to try. Cabbage Varieties Cabbages grown as crops in an annual vegetable garden are most usefully divided according to the season in which they are harvested. For a spring crop, try: ‘Advantage’ ‘Duncan’ ‘Durham Early’ ‘Spring Hero’ ‘Wheelers Imperial’ For a summer crop, try: ‘Golden Acre’ ‘Hispi’ ‘Kilaxy’ ‘Red Jewel’ ‘Tete Noire’ For autumn or winter harvesting, try: ‘Aubervilliers’ ‘Marabel’ ‘Minicole’ ‘Tundra’ I also highly recommend considering growing perennial cabbage varieties, such as the everlasting cabbage and Asturian tree cabbage. These do not form heads, but do provide an abundance of fresh leaves to use in a range of recipes over a number of years. How To Grow Cabbages Summer cabbages are sown from late February or early March until early May indoors (or undercover). Winter cabbages are usually sown in April or May indoors or outdoors and planted into their final growing positions in June or July. Spring cabbages are usually sown outdoors in July or August and placed into the positions where they are to overwinter in September or October. Cabbages can be sown in pots, modules or soil blocks, or placed into a well-raked and firmed seed bed where they will germinate and begin to grow for a short while before being moved into their final growing positions. See our detailed guide to sowing cabbages from seed for more information. Planting Out Cabbage plants will be ready to move to their final growing positions when they have five or six true leaves. Summer cabbages end up in the garden by May or June. Winter cabbages are transplanted into their growing positions in late June or July. While spring cabbages are planted for overwintering in September or October – often once summer crops (usually legumes) have been removed from the bed. How (And Where) To Plant Annual cabbages should be included within crop rotation plans, so deciding where to place them should involve consideration of other crops you are growing. It is also a good idea to think about companion planting (see below) before committing to the placement of your crop. Crop rotation is important for annual members of the cabbage plant family, which should not be planted in the same location the following year. In traditional crop rotation schemes, brassicas are preceded by nitrogen-fixing legumes (since they appreciate the extra nitrogen left behind by these crops in the soil) and are often followed by potatoes, though there are a range of different options. Depth & Spacing Transplanted cabbage seedlings or young plants should be planted so that their lowest leaves are at ground level. They should be placed into holes. You should then water them well, filling the hole up completely and allowing it to drain several times before you firm the soil back in around them. Spacing is not an exact requirement, and there is certainly some flexibility. Spacing will depend also on the specific type and variety of cabbage you are growing. As a general rule of thumb, most cabbages can fit within 1 sq ft in a square foot garden, and should be planted at between 30 and 45cm apart when grown in rows. Spring cabbages are typically planted just 10cm apart, then thinned (and eaten) to give an eventual spacing of around 30cm by late February or March. Cabbage Plant Care Cabbages can be relatively easy crops to grow, as long as you meet their basic needs. Preferred Aspect A vegetable bed for growing cabbages and a range of other annual crops should ideally be positioned in full sun, in a reasonably sheltered spot. Though cabbages can cope with some exposure and some types can cope with a little shade. If growing cabbages in traditional vegetable garden rows, it is usually best to orientate these north-south, so the sun reaches all the plants along the rows. However, there are many different garden layouts to consider and you definitely do not have to grow in rows, though it can help you maximise the use of space. Soil Requirements Cabbages need plenty of moisture in the soil and plenty of nutrients. The soil needs to be firm, but not too compacted and should also drain moderately freely, while also retaining moisture. As leafy greens, cabbages have quite high nitrogen needs, and also need other essential nutrients from the soil. Especially if the soil in your garden is poor and low in nutrients, it is important to top dress the area before planting with plenty of well-rotted manure or a good quality compost to make sure that the soil is healthy and rich in organic matter. An acidic soil is not suitable for cabbages and on soils slightly below the neutral pH level of 7.0, steps should be taken to increase soil alkalinity. This could be by applying garden lime, for which it is advisable to wear a mask, or enriching soil with spent mushroom compost. Watering Cabbages need, to give a rough idea, around 2.5-4cm of water each week – either delivered by you, or through natural precipitation. Water cabbages during prolonged dry periods (ideally with harvested rainwater where possible). Try to water deeply every ten days or so (when growing outside) rather than watering shallowly more frequently. Water particularly generously when heads begin to form and this should greatly improve their size. Preventing Splitting When cabbage heads split, this is usually caused by heavy rainfall or excess water which comes suddenly after a period of drought or drier weather. It can also be caused by excess fertilisation later in the growing season. To prevent splitting: Water deeply and consistently throughout the growing season. Use organic mulch around the plants. This will help retain soil moisture, as well as delivering slow-release fertilisation for your cabbages. Avoid the use of non-organic fertilisers (especially high-nitrogen ones). Try to harvest your crop as soon as the heads are firm. Remember, split cabbages will still be fine to eat. You just need to make sure that you use them up as soon as possible because they will not store as well. Container Growing Larger-headed cabbages take up quite a bit of space and so are not usually the best choices for containers in very limited spaces. Since you will usually only be able to fit a single plant in each container, it may be better to opt for kale, or another leafy brassica crop that you can harvest more, over a much longer period of time. But smaller cabbages can be planted in containers, as long as you fill them with a suitable, fertile, firm, moist yet moderately free draining medium and stay on top of their watering needs. Plants in pots will need more watering than those growing in the ground. Transplanting Cabbage If you wish to move a perennial cabbage to a new spot, the best times for transplantation are spring or autumn, when the temperatures and moisture levels should mean less risk of transplantation shock. Companion Plants Just as peas and beans can be good placed in a bed before cabbages for nitrogen fixation, so too they can be beneficial when planted alongside them. Alternatively, you can grow onions or leeks alongside brassicas, which may help in pest control (but don’t grow legumes and alliums together). Of course, cabbages can be grown with other members of the same family, though they will share the same problems, this can fit in well with crop rotation. Beetroots and chard like similar conditions to cabbages and can also work well alongside them. And intercropping cabbages (which are slower growing) with lettuce or other quick leafy crops is another excellent idea. A wide range of flowers and herbs can also be beneficial companions to help in pest control for cabbages and other brassica crops. Common Pests & Problems Some of the most common pests to plague cabbages are: Cabbage root fly Cabbage white caterpillars Slugs and snails Birds Making sure you attract plenty of wildlife to your garden can help keep pest numbers down and help you achieve a natural balance in your garden. But it is often a good idea to create a physical barrier over your cabbages to prevent excessive damage by netting with a fine mesh. Avoiding growing cabbages where this problem has occurred, rotating your crops, improving drainage, and adding lime to more acidic soil to reduce pH levels is the best way to reduce the chances of this issue recurring. “I strongly recommend growing cabbages within a crop rotation plan, because diseases like clubroot, which mainly attack brassicas, can linger in the soil for many years,” says Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish. “It reduces roots to a crumpled mass, starving plants of water and nutrients. The bigger the interval between growing them in the plot, the less likely it is that this and other diseases will linger. “Clubroot can live on the roots of related weeds such as Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd’s purse), so keeping vegetable patches well-weeded is important. “Otherwise, these could keep the clubroot disease perpetuating in the soil. Also, as they are hungry plants, growing them in the same plot each year would deplete your soil.”
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Sowing Cabbage: An Easy Process For A Complete Novice Or An Experienced Gardener
IN THIS GUIDE Choosing Cabbage Seeds To Sow When To Sow Cabbage Seeds Sowing Cabbage Seeds Planting Out Young Cabbage Plants Cabbage is one of these crops that just keeps on giving. Choose the right varieties, grow these in the right places and in the right ways and you can potentially be harvesting cabbage literally all year round. Growing cabbage from seed is relatively easy, whether you are a complete novice or a more experienced gardener. Here is the process to follow if you would like to grow cabbage from seed: Choose a cabbage type and specific cultivar to grow. Sow seeds at the right time of year for the specific variety you are growing and when you want to harvest your cabbage crop. Sow seeds indoors for best results, in pots, trays or soil blocks around 2cm deep. Plant out young cabbage plants in the garden after around 5 weeks. Follow the steps below depending on the time of year you are growing. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Cabbage seeds, pots, growing medium When To Sow February – September When To Plant Out April – October Choosing Cabbage Seeds To Sow There are a huge array of different cabbages that you might choose to grow in your garden, and that is before you even begin to think about other related plants in the cabbage family. Cabbages are traditionally divided into several groups, named for the period when they are harvested. There are summer cabbages, that are harvested over the warmest months, hardy winter cabbages to harvest after the frosts have arrived, and spring cabbages that overwinter and are harvested the following spring. When To Sow Cabbage Seeds Sow summer cabbages from late February/early March indoors or under cover. Sow winter cabbages in April or May. Sow spring cabbages in July or August, or up until September under cover. Sowing Cabbage Seeds When sowing cabbages, you can choose to sow them indoors or under cover, before transplanting them into your garden. You can also sow them into a traditional seed bed, to move later to their final growing positions in your garden, or you can direct sow them where they are to grow. The easiest option, and the one most likely to end well, is sowing indoors. Since cabbage seeds and seedlings can be rather vulnerable when directly sown into the garden. Planting Out Young Cabbage Plants Cabbages will be ready to move to their final growing positions if not direct-sown around 5 weeks after the seeds are sown. “Cabbages require alkaline soil, so a liming material such as ground limestone should be added to slightly acidic or neutral soils at the time of indoor sowing to ensure the soil is ready for planting out,” explains Master Horticulturist Roy Nicol. “Regular applications of wood ash can achieve the same result.” Summer cabbages are typically planted out in May/June, winter cabbages in late June/July, and spring cabbages in September or October. These brassicas are planted so that their lowest leaves are at ground level. You should give them a very good drink, allowing water to fill the planting hole then drain it several times before you fill it in. ‘’Cabbages should be netted with 4-7mm mesh to prevent white butterflies from laying eggs and their caterpillars from severely damaging the crop and to prevent pigeon damage,” Roy adds. “It’s also worth taking steps to prevent slugs and snails from damaging young plants; the use of nematodes is an effective and organic method.” The soil should be firmed well around the plant. “Firming in the soil is important to prevent wind-rock and encourage the plants to form a good heart,” Roy explains. You should also mulch around the plants with an organic mulch of homemade compost or well-rotted manure. Companion planting with legumes, for example, can help make sure these plants get the nitrogen-rich environment they need to thrive.
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Planting And Growing Onions With Horticulturists: 'You Can Sow Seeds Or Purchase Sets'
IN THIS GUIDE Overview Common Varieties Growing Onions Planting Plant Care Guidelines Common Problems References Onions are an extremely useful addition to your home-grown diet, and can be useful as companion plants for other crops too. Onions are of course highly prized for their flavour. When in growth, their strong pungent aroma is said to deter or confuse a range of pests. Onions are not hugely difficult to grow, especially if you plant sets (young bulbs) rather than growing from seed – but there are some things you need to bear in mind in order to get the best possible yields. In this guide, we’ll tell you more about these plants, and the varieties that you might consider. We’ll cover the basic environmental and care requirements and help you understand how to grow onions from start to finish. Overview Botanical Name Allium cepa Common Name(s) Onions Plant Type Biennial, Vegetable, Bulb Native Area Cultivated Hardiness Rating H2 / H3 Foliage Thin, upright leaves Flowers Globes of white flowers When To Sow February When To Plant March, April / September, October Harvesting Months June, July, August, September People have been cultivating onions for over 5,000 years.1 It is a biennial plant, related to wild species which occur in the wild in Asia, but in gardens and on farms, it is more typically grown as an annual crop. A number of different onions, or plants in the Allium family are commonly grown in gardens. In this article, we are referring specifically to the bulb onion, or common onion: Allium cepa var. cepa. This is related to but has different care requirements from perennial onion types, and other close relatives commonly cultivated in annual gardens including garlic, leeks etc. The shallot is another related plant, which has been classified as the same species (var. aggregatum) since 2010.2 Common Varieties Onion varieties which have been awarded with the RHS Award of Garden Merit (making them particularly suited to growing in the UK) include: ‘Autumn Gold’ ‘Centurion’ ‘Fasto’ ‘Hercules’ ‘Hybound’ ‘Hylander’ ‘Jetset’ ‘Red Baron’ ‘Red Fen’ ‘Redspark’ ‘Rumba’ ‘Setton’ ‘Sturon’ ‘Stuttgarter’ ‘Zebrune’ When choosing onion varieties, it is important to think about whether you would like to grow onions from seed, or purchase sets or young onions to plant (which is the easier option). It is also important to consider how you wish to use the onions (and whether you need them to store well). You also need to think about when you are sowing – some varieties are better for spring planting, and some for overwintering. Growing Onions As mentioned above, you can sow onion seeds, or you can purchase sets and plant these. Deciding which of these options you will take is one of the first things you need to decide when growing onions at home. Sowing Indoors If you decide to opt for the more challenging (but cheaper) option of sowing seeds, the seeds can be sown indoors or outside. When sowing indoors, you will sow the seeds in mid to late winter. Sowing Outdoors You can also direct sow onions where they are to grow from late winter until mid-spring, as soon as the soil is becoming less damp and is starting to warm. “Often, keen gardeners will sow too early in spring and get hit by a cold spell which can make plants bolt,” explains Master Horticulturist Dan Ori. “Bolting is what we call the reaction of the plant when due to a stress factor the plant sends up a flower stalk. “The flowering of an onion affects the quality and storage qualities of the onion bulb, as the plant will put most of its energy into producing seeds rather than developing the bulb. “You can get bolt-resistant varieties like ‘Centurion’ that I would recommend.” See our detailed guide to sowing onions for more information. Planting Onions sown from seed, or onion sets, are planted out in March or April. Certain varieties can also be planted in October or November and overwintered for an earlier crop the following year. Overwintering onions is an option for those who do not have heavy clay soil or a location prone to winter waterlogging. Onion sets can rot when placed in overly wet conditions. However, providing the medium is free draining (or you grow undercover) overwintering onions can be a great idea. Preparing Your Planting Site Onions have fairly limited root systems, which means that it is important to make sure that the area where you are planting them has the nutrients they need, and that the soil is healthy. Using no dig methods to enrich the growing area or create it in the first place, is a great idea. A ‘lasagna garden’ or other no-dig raised bed can be the ideal environment for growing onions, just as it can be great for other crops. Make sure that there is plenty of compost, well-rotted manure or other organic matter in the garden area. Hardening Off Seedlings Harden off indoors seedlings before transplanting into the ground in spring – or potting up into containers if you are continuing with indoors growing. Hardening off seedlings simply means gradually increasing exposure so they are gradually acclimatised to outdoors conditions. How To Plant Onion Sets Planting out onion sets simply involves choosing a suitable site, then placing the sets pointy end upwards in the ground (or the container). Especially when overwintering, but also in spring, it is a good idea to mulch well around the plants. A mulch including potassium-rich leaves of dynamic accumulator plants like comfrey, for example, can help onions grow well. A mulch spread over the surface of the bed or growing area can also lightly cover the sets or young onion plants and stop birds from plucking them from the ground. Spacing If direct sowing, the seeds should be sown around 1cm deep, in rows 20cm apart, thinning to 10cm between plants, or around 9 per square foot. Spacing is approximate and you can alter it, depending on how large you would like the bulbs to become and the varieties you are growing. As a rough rule of thumb, onion sets should usually be placed around 10-15cm apart or, again, around 9 per square foot. Depth When planting onion sets, the pointy tips should just show above the surface of the soil or growing medium. Plant Care Guidelines Onions should ideally be grown in full sun for best results. Watering Water onions every two weeks or so during prolonged dry spells – more frequently if the onions are growing somewhere where they are not getting natural rainfall, or when growing them in containers which will dry out more quickly. Whenever watering, try to water at the soil level, not from overhead, since overhead watering can increase the incidence of fungal infections. Once the onion bulbs have expanded and swelled, by around mid-summer for spring sown crops, stop all watering. If you continue to water past mid-summer, the onions will not store as well. Feeding Nutrition will largely be provided by the soil or growing medium, which should, as mentioned above, be mulched with compost or other organic matter upon planting. Adding a potassium-rich mulch or fertiliser in around June can help encourage healthy bulb formation. Autumn planted onions will also benefit from top dressing with a nitrogen-rich mulch or organic fertiliser like dried poultry manure in late winter. Weeding Onions are one crop that does not cope very well with competition. Unfortunately, since onions don’t give good ground cover or produce much shade, weeds can easily spring up between them. It is important to keep on top of weeds. A mulch will help to keep down the weeds, but you are likely to still have to do some weeding. Since onions have shallow roots, these can easily be damaged by careless hoeing. Weeding by hand, little and often, or careful use of a hoe, can help you keep on top of things. Lift and drop annual weeds on the surface of the soil, or consider collecting more pernicious weeds and using these to make a liquid fertiliser for your garden. Common Problems Onion Fly Onion fly is one of the best-known pests of an onion crop. Unfortunately, the first sign will be drooping yellow foliage (before you would expect to see this as harvest approaches). But by this time, the larvae will already be nibbling away, destroying the bulb. Plant carrots and parsley in rows between onions, or in among them, to reduce the incidence of this problem. These plants can somewhat mask the scent of the onions and so make it less likely that onion flies will find them. Onion Neck Rot Onion neck rot can be a problem during wet summers, especially in locations with heavier and less free-draining soils. You’ll see brown markings and a fluffy grey mould may appear. Avoiding overcrowding and improving drainage may reduce the incidence of this problem, and bulbs should be dried thoroughly so this problem does not occur in storage. References 1. Onion History. (2019, December 1). National Onion Association. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/history-of-onions/ 2. Allium ascalonicum. (2023). United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=2221
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Growing Onions From Seed? It's Lower Cost, But Will Take Up To 120 Days
IN THIS GUIDE When To Sow Onion Seeds 1) Harvesting Onion Seeds 2) Fill Shallow Trays 3) Thin The Seedlings 4) Plant Out The Young Plants 5) Caring For Onion Crops Onions, or Allium cepa as they are botanically named, are a staple of home–growers and can be grown either from seed or from sets, which are simply small onion bulbs that have already been grown from seed. Growing onions from seed can be very rewarding, but patience is required as the crop will take time to mature and generally only be harvestable after 100–120 days from sowing. Here’s a simple process for growing onions from seed: Harvest seeds from the pods of existing plants, or purchase seeds from your chosen retailer Fill shallow trays with a peat-free growing medium Thin the seedlings Plant out the young onions. Ongoing care for onion crops This process is explained in more depth below: Difficulty Medium Equipment Required Seed or module tray, trowel, fork, rake if sowing outdoors When To Sow January, February, March When To Plant Out March, April, May When To Sow Onion Seeds Onion seeds can be sown indoors in late winter to plant out in spring. The months of January and February are generally considered the best. Onions can also be sown outdoors later in spring, but only once the soil has begun to warm up. 1) Harvesting Onion Seeds To harvest onion seed, allow a stem to develop flowers and subsequently set seed before allowing to dry and collecting using a paper bag. Store the seed in a cool, dry place to sow the following spring. Onion seed is cheaply and readily available and is therefore most often purchased rather than being collected. 2) Fill Shallow Trays If sowing onion seed indoors, fill a seed or module tray with a seed sowing compost mix and sow the seeds individually in cells or in groups of 3–4 at a depth of 1cm and cover over with compost. Water gently on sowing to avoid dispersing the seed and keep at a minimum temperature of 10°C, with the soil moist until germination occurs. If sowing directly outdoors, prepare the soil by raking to a fine tilth and sow the seed thinly in rows 15-20cm apart at a depth of 1cm. Carefully water after sowing and keep the soil moist, but not wet. 3) Thin The Seedlings With indoor sown onions, thin the seedlings to 1–3 per module and when they are 5-7cm tall, prick out into individual pots to grow on under cover. For outdoor sowings, once the seedlings are large enough to handle, they can be thinned to a spacing of 5–7cm, or less for more onions of a smaller size. 4) Plant Out The Young Plants Having been grown on in small pots undercover, the onions can be planted out, but only having been gradually hardened off first. On this occasion, our seedlings were grown undercover in trays in a greenhouse, with water added regularly to the bottom of the tray. Plant out the onions at the same depth they were previously planted and water in. For decent-sized onions it is recommended to plant them 10–15 cm apart. However for smaller onions, to maximise space, this distance can be reduced. With outdoor sown onions, these can now be further thinned to a final spacing as above, depending on the desired size of the harvestable crop. “Thinning out excess plants is important to develop good-sized onion bulbs, but often I will thin out crowded onion plants gradually and harvest the larger than normal thinnings to eat like a spring onion,” shares Master Horticulturist Dan Ori. “This approach can also, in a small way, help control weeds.” 5) Caring For Onion Crops For a healthy crop, keep the onions weed-free and water every 1–2 weeks and especially during hot and dry spells, to encourage the onions to swell. If growing in poor soil, a general-purpose liquid feed can be applied, to help provide the required nutrients for an impressive crop. Once the onions have swelled to the desired size, watering can be reduced to help prevent any fungal diseases and allow the crop to begin to dry out, in preparation for storage. If flowers appear on the onion stems, it is advisable to remove them swiftly as they will prevent the bulbs from growing any larger. However, some blooms can be left on the stems to develop seeds to be collected for future sowings, if desired. If sown earlier in the year, onions will generally be ready to harvest from late summer to early autumn and once the foliage begins to yellow and droop. Onions are best lifted using a fork to avoid any damage to the bulbs and then left to dry undercover for 2–3 weeks. Once the skins are dry, the foliage can be removed and the crop stored in a light and well-ventilated area until needed.
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Cabbage Takes Time To Mature, But Experts Advise Harvesting Within 12-20 Weeks
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Pre-Harvest Maintenance 2) Determining Readiness 3) Harvesting 4) Storage Cabbages are divided into spring, summer and winter types; as a consequence, this is one vegetable that you can harvest from your garden all year round in many regions of the UK. Cabbage does take rather a long time to mature – anything from 12-20 weeks, depending on the variety in question. It is also best harvested near its peak of maturity, but in order to reap the best possible crop, some pre-harvesting maintenance is called for. In this guide, we identify the essential pre-harvesting activities and also spell out a three-point method to detect when your cabbage crop is nearing its peak. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gardening gloves, secateurs (optional) When To Harvest Depending on the variety, anything from 12 to 20 weeks after planting To learn how to harvest your cabbages, simply follow the process below: 1) Pre-Harvest Maintenance Cabbage takes quite a long time from planting to harvest – for most varieties the time to harvest is anything from 12-20 weeks, with the specific timeframe depending on the particular variety. In order to reap the best possible harvest the closer you get to the anticipated harvest date, the more you need to maintain your cabbage crop. Cabbages are known to be among the heavier feeders among vegetables. Be sure to fertilise regularly with a vegetable or balanced fertiliser. If any head is not maturing well, looks stunted or its leaves are peeling, cut it off; the remaining leaves can still be harvested. If a good, well-maturing head of cabbage has a limp or withering outer leaf or an outer leaf that has come away, carefully cut it off. Use a small sharp knife, mini secateurs, or scissors. Rabbits, squirrels, voles and mice are all serious threats to maturing cabbages so guard against these pests or protect your crop with wire netting. Finally, be aware that cabbage can bolt. If a plant does bolt, you lose that cabbage as it becomes unpleasant to the taste. Even summer cabbage cannot tolerate continuous temperatures much above 30°C. Continuous high temperature will probably cause scorching or wilting, or, just as likely, some cabbages may bolt. Similarly, if any type of cabbage experiences a stretch of very cold weather, if there is a sharpish uptick in temperature some cabbages may bolt. 2) Determining Readiness When the time to harvest for your given variety is approaching, start to check the cabbages for readiness. First, compare the size of the majority of your lettuce heads to the average size for that particular variety. Hold two or three heads firmly and give them a light squeeze. If they do not feel loose or layered and instead feel tight and firmed up, the cabbage crop is ready for harvest. If you spot a head or two with leaves that have peeled away from the base of the cabbage, that may indicate that harvesting time is here. Or, if a cabbage has split, you’ll know for sure that you need to harvest the other cabbages. 3) Harvesting Hold the cabbage head with one hand, gently pull slightly upward and to one side. On the other side with the other hand, cut the stem at the base of the cabbage. This may be done with a sharp knife or a pair of secateurs. The first time you harvest cabbage in this way you may struggle, but once you do it a few times it will become automatic. You can leave the stumps of the stems behind. If you want to try to grow another set of cabbages from those stems, make notches on their upper surface and keep watering. 4) Storage If you would like to store your cabbage, this is a vegetable that keeps quite well in the fridge. First, check all heads for any outer leaves that have peeled away, are wilting, or have brownish edges. Carefully cut off these leaves. Wash the cabbages in cold water, shake them dry, and let them air-dry for 15-20 minutes. Tightly wrap each head individually in cling film and store in the fridge’s crisper. Cabbages stored in this way will keep for at least 2 weeks and some varieties can be stored for even up to 4 weeks.
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