Growing
Make Sure To Harvest Your Lettuce Before Your Plant Bolts And Turns Bitter And Inedible
IN THIS GUIDE Harvesting Loose-Leaf Lettuce When To Harvest Head Lettuce Harvesting Technique Storage If you harvest lettuce from your own garden to take with you to your kitchen table, it will be packed full of flavour that store-bought lettuce just won’t have. You can enjoy this tasty veggie right from June clear through to November. But when exactly do you harvest lettuce? This depends – of course – on when you sowed the seeds. However, two additional factors come into play. First, the time to maturity of the given variety, and, second, your personal likes and needs. All types of lettuce can be harvested young or when fully mature. Most varieties will be ready for harvest from 8-12 weeks after germination though a few varieties take longer. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gardening gloves, sharp knife or secateurs/scissors or mini-secateurs (optional) When To Harvest Head lettuce from 8 to 12 weeks after planting Harvesting Loose-Leaf Lettuce Loose-Leaf lettuce can be harvested on an ongoing basis similar to how you harvest chard. Leaves can be picked from about 6 weeks after sowing or when the outside leaves have grown to about 15cm. The idea is to take what you need from each plant while allowing it to keep growing and producing fresh leaves until the end of autumn. Pick three or four leaves from each lettuce, going only for the outside leaves. Gently pull away a leaf and snip it at the stem a few centimetres off the ground. If you use mini-secateurs or scissors you run less risk of inadvertently slicing through other leaves. Also, instead of bringing the scissors or mini-secateurs into the plant, run them at a tangent to the plant so that you are sure to isolate the leaf you want to cut. You can – of course – harvest the entire Loose-Leaf lettuce in one go. When To Harvest Head Lettuce As stated above, most lettuce varieties will be ready for harvest in from 8 to 12 weeks, though a few varieties take longer. You may harvest lettuce young to suit your needs, but you must harvest it by its ‘Expiry Date’. If you don’t and the plant bolts, the lettuce will become bitter and inedible. “Start harvesting early and often, as if you wait too long your lettuce will start to bolt and you’ll have a lettuce glut on your hands,” shares Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly. “Little and often is my tactic when it comes to harvesting lettuce.” Fortunately, lettuce throws up a tell-tale signal that you may soon lose it! For all types of head lettuce that have a round shape, if the round head shows the least sign of elongating, that lettuce should immediately be harvested as it will otherwise bolt. You can pre-empt this signal and still harvest lettuce at its peak of maturity. For all hearting lettuce, including romaine or cos, simply peer into the lettuce, parting a few leaves as necessary. If it has formed a heart, it is fully mature and is ready to harvest. Harvesting Technique Lettuce is best harvested in the early morning, especially in summer or hot weather, otherwise you may well be picking limp, tired heads. To harvest, firmly grasp the lettuce head with one hand, gently pull up and over to one side, and on the other side with the other hand, using a pair of secateurs or a sharp knife, cut the stem cleanly close to the soil. You may struggle the first time or two that you harvest lettuce but you’ll soon get the hang of it. If you plan to harvest some of your lettuce crop early, then, instead of harvesting several heads growing adjacent to one another, you could pick every other lettuce (assuming you don’t need to clear a patch of ground for some other crop). Taking alternating heads will allow the plants left behind room to develop even more fully. Storage After bringing in your lettuce, pull out leaves in twos and threes, then put in a shallow bowl and wash in cold running water. The best place to ‘store’ your freshly-harvested lettuce is on the kitchen table! The delicious taste will diminish the longer lettuce is stored. If you must store your harvested lettuce for a longer period of time, wrap it tightly in a polythene bag or cling film that has a few tiny holes, and store in the fridge’s crisper. The longer you keep it in the fridge, the less flavourful and succulent it will get. We suggest you keep it in the fridge for a maximum of four days.
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Lettuce From Seed: These Annuals Are Very Amenable To Successional Sowing
IN THIS GUIDE 1) Prepare The Soil 2) Sow Seeds 3) Water 4) Thin The Seedlings Lettuce comes in several types – iceberg and romaine, butterhead and loose-leaf. However, they all have a couple of attributes in common: they are everyone’s first ingredient for salads, and they are all grown in a similar way. By mixing up those lettuce types in your garden, you can make your salads more varied! Lettuces are annuals that are grown from seed and they are very amenable to successional sowing, though you have to be on your guard during warm summers to avoid plant bolting. The ideal daytime temperatures for growing lettuce are between 15°C and 21°C, but there is some ‘room for error’. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gardening gloves, hoe or other cultivating implement, cane or stick When To Sow April – Early September Aspect Full sun or morning sun; preferably sheltered; some cultivars require a south- or east-facing aspect Growing these leafy greens is a simple four-step process: 1) Prepare The Soil Select a site that gets full sun or at least morning sun. A sheltered spot would be preferable; many lettuce varieties need it, though some don’t. Using a hoe or cultivating implement, till the ground well. You don’t need to go very deep – about 20cm is enough. Mix in ample organic compost or well-rotted manure. Though the soil should not be heavy and should drain very well, it should retain moisture. Amendment with organic compost should do the trick but you can always mix in vermiculite as necessary. Soil pH levels from 6.1 to 7.3 – slightly acidic to neutral – will be perfect. If you live in a warm region of the country and intend to sow in summer, your lettuce plants may not germinate, and if you grow this crop through summer, your lettuce plants may bolt. “If I’m sowing lettuce in the summer, I’ll put some shade netting up around the newly sown trays to avoid lettuce seeds from entering dormancy through conditions being too hot, which happens quite easily in a greenhouse,” shares Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist. “This has happened to whole batches of my newly sown seeds before, so I’m quite cautious to make sure they don’t ‘bake’ once sown.” To ensure germination you can sow seeds in trays that are placed in a cool location and to avoid losing your lettuce crop, select a spot that gets afternoon shade and keep the soil consistently moist (and be sure to use cold water). 2) Sow Seeds In most regions of the UK, you can sow lettuce seeds at any time from April through to early September. To do this, make a very shallow drill, about 1cm deep, and sow seeds thinly in it. Cover very lightly with a mixture of organic compost, vermiculite, or both. Do not pack in the medium because these seeds need light to germinate. The spacing between rows depends upon the size of the varieties but you can’t go wrong with a row spacing of 30-40cm. You can sow seeds every two weeks – successional sowing – to reap an ongoing harvest. For the most part, you can sow seeds until about September, but this depends on your region’s first frost date and the time it takes a given type of lettuce to mature. Quite a few lettuce varieties can withstand a light frost or two, but it is wise not to sow seeds if the lettuce will not be ready for harvest by the first expected frost. 3) Water Lettuce needs shallow but regular watering so that the soil can stay consistently moist. In fact, besides overly warm weather, dry soil can cause lettuce to bolt. On the other hand, soil should not stay soggy either. Every few days check the soil with a finger to about 3cm. If it is not moist, water. Be sure to use cold water and to water by mid-morning. You can apply a thin layer of mulch over and around the growing site to conserve moisture. It is a good idea to add vermiculite to mulch when the aim is moisture conservation. 4) Thin The Seedlings Start to thin your lettuce after the seedlings have put out two true leaves. Remove the laggards and seedlings showing uneven growth. Thin again after two to three weeks, and do so again if necessary. The aim is for the growing plants to be spaced 15-25cm apart. As for the thinnings, they should be going to the kitchen as your first lettuce harvest of the season!
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Sowing Kale: 'It's A Reliable Germinator - Even In Relatively Cool Spring Temperatures'
IN THIS GUIDE When To Sow Kale Seeds 1) Harvesting Kale Seeds 2) Fill Shallow Pots / Beds With Compost 3) Sow Seeds At A Depth Of 1cm 4) Growing On Kale, or borecole as it is sometimes known, is a highly nutritious and ornamental vegetable with a long harvesting season. Growing kale from seed can be very rewarding. It is easy to care for and its leaves can be picked for months on end during the colder months. “Kale is a reliable germinator and will do so in relatively cool spring temperatures,” says Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist. “Grown as both a micro-green or salad crop and as a mature autumn-winter crop, kale can be harvested for 9 months of the year if you sow successionally.” Here’s a simple process for growing kale from seed: Harvest seeds from the pods of existing plants, or purchase seeds from your chosen retailer. Fill shallow pots with a seed sowing compost. Plant seeds at a depth of 1cm. Growing the young plants on and planting out. This process is explained in more depth below. When To Sow Kale Seeds Kale can be rather slow growing and is often sown undercover or in a separate bed to save space from spring until early summer, to plant out later in the season. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gloves, Seed or module trays, compost, rake if sowing outdoors When To Sow March, April, May When To Plant Out May, June 1) Harvesting Kale Seeds Kale seed is widely bought rather than collected as it is readily available to purchase and is often great value for money as there are quite often hundreds of seeds per packet. If you do want to harvest seed from a kale plant though, the plant needs to be allowed to over winter and produce flowers the following summer before the pods are formed and allowed to dry out, from which the seed can then be collected. 2) Fill Shallow Pots / Beds With Compost To sow kale seed, prefill a seed or module tray or shallow pot with a free-draining seed sowing mix or if sowing outdoors, rake the sowing site to a fine tilth and remove any weeds. 3) Sow Seeds At A Depth Of 1cm If sowing undercover, sow the kale seed thinly or individually if using a module tray at a depth of 1cm and water in gently – being careful not to disperse the seed. For sowing directly into the ground, prepare a shallow drill 1cm deep, with rows approximately 50cm apart if applicable and sow the seed sparingly before covering over and watering in. 4) Growing On Depending on the conditions, kale seeds usually germinate within 7–10 days from sowing, after which any crowded seedlings can be thinned out. Keeping the soil moist, allow the seedlings to develop into young plants with several pairs of leaves before either potting on or planting out in their final growing site around May or June. Kale requires a fertile soil to grow well and will benefit from some well-rotted manure added to the site before planting. When it comes to planting out, depending on your chosen cultivar the plants will need a final spacing of 40–60cm between them to allow them space to mature. Firm in, water thoroughly on planting and continue to do so, as kale prefers a moist soil and not to be allowed to dry out.
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Choosing French Bean Seeds To Sow - It's Best Done Between April And July
IN THIS GUIDE Choosing French Bean Seeds To Sow When To Sow French Beans Sowing French Beans Indoors Direct Sowing French Beans French beans are a popular crop, which can be grown for the green pod beans, used as a vegetable, or left to mature for the beans inside them, which can then be dried for later use as a pulse. These are very useful plants in the vegetable garden because not only are they fairly easy to grow – they also fix nitrogen, aiding other plants grown near them, or plants following them in rotation. To grow French beans from seed: Choose which French beans to grow. Sow seeds between April and July. Sow seeds indoors in late April or early May. Direct sow outdoors from late May onwards. Choosing French Bean Seeds To Sow Of course, there are many different French bean varietals that you might grow. The key thing to consider first is whether you are looking for a dwarf bean or climbing bean type. Dwarf beans can be great for containers of small spaces. They produce a yield more quickly, but also crop only over a short period of a few weeks. Climbing beans need supports, and do best in the ground. They take longer to reach harvestable stage, but will produce beans over a longer period, from mid-summer to early autumn if you pick them regularly. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Seeds, potting medium, containers (optional) When To Sow April – July Planting Aspect Full Sun / Sheltered When To Sow French Beans French beans can be sown between April and July. When you sow will largely depend on whether you can start crops indoors early in the year. Of course, when you sow will also depend at least in part on which type and cultivar you are growing. Sow indoors late April or early May, or outside, where they are to grow, from late May or early June onwards. You can successional sow dwarf French beans to prolong the length of the harvest, sowing in batches every couple of weeks for a staggered harvest. Sowing French Beans Indoors If you decide to sow French beans indoors (which can be easier because you won’t have pest problems). Sow the seeds into small pots or modules, one in each. The seeds should be sown within a peat-free seed starting compost mix, around 5cm deep. “I often get asked which way up to plant a bean seed,” shares Master Horticulturist Dan Ori. “In 2020 and 2021, I conducted a small-scale trial of 500 bean seeds and concluded that it does not matter what way up or edge they are planted on, as long as they are not planted too deep or shallow; shallow being less than 3 times the width of the seed and deep being 3 times the length of the seed.” Place them in a heated propagator, or on a warm, sunny windowsill for germination to take place. Once they germinate (within a couple of weeks), water regularly and ensure light, bright conditions. Harden off indoors grown seedlings in May before planting them out into their final growing positions in late May or early June. Direct Sowing French Beans You can direct sow French beans as soon as the weather has warmed enough for this summer crop, typically also in late May or early June – or a little earlier if you are growing undercover or with cloches or other protection. If you are growing dwarf beans, it is best to sow these in blocks, 5cm deep and 15cm apart, rather than in rows, so they can support one another. Remember to sow in batches, a couple of weeks apart, to prolong the harvesting period. If you are growing climbing beans, it is best to place supports that are required before sowing. You might use canes or stakes, or trellis-type support.
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Supporting Climbing French Beans - 'Hang At A Good Sheltered Harvestable Height'
IN THIS GUIDE Which French Beans Need Support? Support For Dwarf / Bush Beans Support For Climbing / Pole French Beans French beans are popular crops to grow in UK gardens. They can be relatively easy to grow, but choosing the right options and placing them in the right locations can be important. Just as important is providing the climbing varieties with the means to grow vertically. Which French Beans Need Support? One thing to think about when choosing which French beans to grow is how much space you have available. There are two main types of French bean that you might grow – dwarf beans, also known as bush beans, and pole beans, also called climbing beans. Bush beans are typically grown so that they support one another. They are best grown in blocks rather than rows and when grown in this way, they won’t typically need additional support or staking. However, sometimes it may be beneficial to place short twiggy sticks into the soil between the plants to keep them upright and make sure pods remain up off the ground. “I have grown bush beans in a hanging basket before, with the chains of the hanging basket giving some support,” shares Horticultural Consultant Dan Ori. “It looked great when the pods hung down over the basket. “The trick is to hang at a good sheltered harvestable height and keep them well watered.” Climbing beans, on the other hand, are much taller-growing plants, which do always require some kind of support or staking. Thinking about the options for this upfront is important, since you should have supports in place before you direct sow or plant out your French beans. Support For Dwarf / Bush Beans Smaller and lower-growing bush beans or dwarf beans can be grown without any support at all. However, this can lead to issues when plants flop, and pods touch the ground. You can however eliminate the need to place additional supports by growing these types of French bean close together, in blocks, so that the plants support one another. You can place the plants in grids, around 15cm apart from one another. Bush beans might also get a little support from companion plants, which provide structure to help keep plants upright and pods up off the ground. But if you feel the need to place additional support, the solution is simple and typically free. Simply take some natural twiggy branches from your garden or the surrounding area, and insert these in the soil between French bean plants (much as you might with peas) to give them a little additional support. Support For Climbing / Pole French Beans Climbing or pole beans grow much taller, and do need a sturdy support system. Traditionally, bamboo canes or natural straight branches from a garden are used to create a support structure. These are often inserted into the ground in two rows, then joined higher up to make an A or an X shaped framework. In smaller spaces, a wigwam shape of canes can be created, but joining a circle of canes together near the top. Plants will climb up each cane or branch, and should be spaced around 15cm apart. It can be beneficial to gently tie newly planted beans to the canes to get them started. “One common problem I see when gardeners want to harvest their beans is they find the growing support or twine is too close together,” adds Dan. “When constructing your growing support, I recommend allowing enough distance for reaching between and cutting out your harvest.” However, one interesting alternative to a man-made support structure for climbing beans is using other plants as support. In the famous ‘three sisters’ companion planting scheme, beans are planted at the base of sweetcorn, and use the corn as a support. The beans provide nitrogen for the system, and the third sister, squash, protects the others and provides ground cover around the area to conserve moisture and suppress weed growth. So thoughtful companion planting to provide support could be another option to consider.
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You Can Harvest French Beans Over A Long Period, But These Guidelines Are Important
IN THIS GUIDE When To Harvest French Beans Harvesting Green Beans As A Vegetable Harvesting Immature Shelling Beans Harvesting Mature Beans & Drying As A Pulse French beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, are a varied type of bean commonly grown in UK gardens. While typically, UK gardeners will harvest the pods as a green vegetable, these plants also yield seeds that are eaten at the immature stage as beans. They can also be dried for later use as a pulse. Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gardening scissors (optional) When To Harvest July – September (and sometimes later) Here are some basic things to know about the French bean harvest: Harvest French Beans from July to September, and perhaps longer into autumn. The time for which you will harvest depends on the type you are growing. You can find varieties of green beans or shelling beans. Begin to harvest green beans when these are around 10cm long. Some shelling beans are harvested when green and immature – while some are harvested at the end of the season, for drying. French beans are a crop that can potentially be harvested over a long period. See below for more detailed insight depending on the type of green beans you’re looking to harvest – When To Harvest French Beans Most French beans are harvested sometime between July and September. However, when precisely you can harvest, and how long you will be able to harvest from a plant, will depend on which type and variety you are growing. The first thing to consider is whether you are growing dwarf or bush beans, or a climbing or pole bean type. Bush beans typically provide a harvest for a few weeks, while climbing beans take longer to come to harvest, but will typically yield over a much longer period when the green beans are picked regularly. It is also important to think about the specific cultivar or cultivars you are growing. In the UK, most gardeners grow French beans that yield edible pods. But some cultivars are not grown primarily for their pods, but rather for seeds that form within them. Seed beans are harvested while young in some varieties. In others, they are left to mature fully, and then dried as a pulse. So when precisely you harvest will depend on the specific French beans you are growing, and which part of the plant you plan to eat. Harvesting Green Beans As A Vegetable As mentioned above, the most common harvest from French beans are the pods, used as a vegetable. Typically green, these also come in shades of purple, yellow etc. There are many interesting cultivars to consider. If you are growing a French bean variety for green beans, then you will typically begin to pick the pods when these are around 10cm long. The pods, when ready for harvest, should snap easily, and they should not have visible beans forming within them. You should be able to easily use a finger and thumb to break through the top of the bean pod and remove it from the plant, but you can also snip them off with gardening scissors if you prefer. “One common problem I see when gardeners want to harvest their beans is they find the growing support or twine is too close together,” shares Dan Ori, a Horticultural Consultant. “I recommend allowing enough distance for reaching between and cutting out your harvest.” It is important to keep an eye on your plants and to harvest regularly, since repeated harvesting should encourage new beans to form – for a few weeks for dwarf types and for much longer with climbing varieties. Harvesting Immature Shelling Beans With some cultivars, French beans are grown for seeds that are shelled from their pods and eaten while immature. With these types, you will harvest when the pods plump out and you can see the forms of the beans within. You can, again, simply break or cut off the pods, then shell the beans within to use in your recipes. Harvesting Mature Beans & Drying As A Pulse Other cultivars are chosen for use as a pulse crop. When growing these types, you will leave the beans in the pods until they mature towards the end of the season. With many types of shelling bean, you will wait until the pods begin to turn brown and dry, the shell the seeds from the dry pods. These beans can then be dried out some more, then stored for later use. So when thinking about harvesting French beans, it is important to consider what yield you are after, and which type you are growing. When you are clear on the specific variety, you can find out what these should look like at the harvesting stage, and make sure that you harvest in the right way, and at the optimal time.
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French Beans Plant Care For Bumper Harvests With Emily Cupit
IN THIS GUIDE Overview Planting Guidelines Plant Care Storage Common Types References French beans are a great addition to a homegrown vegetable plot. French beans, or green beans, are commonly cultivated through temperate and subtropical regions as an annual crop. This is a crop which can provide a range of benefits. As a legume, French beans provide not only an edible yield, but also help to maintain fertility in your garden. Like other legumes, they have formed a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in their roots which take nitrogen from the air and make it available in the soil.1 Some of that nitrogen is used by the plant themselves, but some may be available for the uptake of neighbouring plants, or for plants which follow the beans in rotation. Overview Botanical Name Phaseolus vulgaris Common Name(s) French Beans, Green Beans Plant Type Annual / Vegetable / Climber Native Area Americas – Cultivated Hardiness Rating H2/H3 Foliage Three oval smooth-edged leaflets Flowers White, pink or purple When To Sow / Plant April – July Harvesting Months July – September French beans, also known as common beans, are cultivars of Phaseolus vulgaris. A herbaceous annual plant, this crop is most commonly grown in the UK for the tender pods, eaten before the seeds inside develop (often called green beans). These plants however can also be left to grow on for a yield of dry beans which can be taken from the pods at maturity. Cultivars produce many familiar dried beans, such as the haricot, kidney bean, cannellini bean and pinto bean for example. These are pulses which can be a valuable addition to a homegrown diet – so growing types for a yield of dry beans could also be an interesting thing to consider in your garden. Planting Guidelines Climbing beans are ideal for garden growing. They do best in the ground with sturdy supports, though they can also be grown in larger containers. Dwarf or bush types are great where space is limited, and do very well in containers. They can also work well in hanging baskets or other suspended containers. Spacing & Depth Sow French beans around 5cm deep, placing each one into a small pot, module or soil block if sowing indoors, or spacing around 15cm apart if direct sowing. If planning on growing on your beans in a container, containers should be 30-45cm wide for dwarf types, and 75cm wide and 45cm deep for climbing varieties. Hardening Off From the end of May or in early June (depending on your location and the weather conditions) harden off your young plants to get them used to outdoors conditions. This simply means gradually moving them outside – gradually exposing them to outdoors conditions for increasing lengths of time over a couple of weeks. Land Preparation If you are growing climbing types which need support, it is best to get this support in place before sowing or planting out. There are various different support options which you could consider. Choose a suitable location for your French beans, and prepare the soil by top dressing with plenty of homemade compost or well-rotted manure. Make sure the area is weed-free, and water well. Planting Out If you are not direct sowing, indoors grown plants can be planted out (after the hardening-off process). As when direct sowing, make sure you wait until the conditions are reliably frost-free, and aim for a spacing of around 15cm between plants. Make sure that you water the plants well before and after planting out. With climbing beans, place the plants at the base of the support structure or structures you have installed and tie them in loosely with natural twine. Plant Care French beans are relatively easy to grow as long as you place them in the right location and meet all of their basic needs. Watering French beans have relatively high water requirements and will provide the highest yields when watered regularly. Remember, if growing in containers, more frequently watering will generally be required. Soil & Feeding Mulching around your French beans will help retain soil moisture, and will also help with fertility and weed control. A mulch of high-quality homemade compost, worm castings or well-rotted manure will be ideal. Light French beans should be grown in a location in full sun, which receives as much light as possible throughout the summer months. Pollination French beans are self-pollinated and are rarely insect pollinated. Cross-pollination is rarely an issue for these plants. “Pollen is typically released the night before the flower opens and the next day, the anthers and stigma typically make contact as the flower opens,” shares Dan Ori, a Horticultural Consultant. Weeding Weeding around French beans is important. Keep the surrounding soil covered with mulch, or consider planting ground cover companion plants, which will not compete overly with the beans for water and nutrients. French beans can be excellent companion plants for a range of other crops, due to their nitrogen-fixing capability. “French beans will rarely enrich the soil with nitrogen for other plants to access, as they use the nitrogen they fix for their own crop production,” adds Dan. “However, they will not normally reduce the soil’s nitrogen levels which is very useful if you are practising crop rotation.” “For a companion planting tip, I advise not planting Tagetes species (marigolds) near nitrogen fixers as some studies suggest it affects their root ability to fix nitrogen.” One of the most famous companion planting combinations involves growing climbing beans alongside corn and squash. This beneficial combination is called the ‘three sisters’ companion planting scheme.2 The corn is the supporting sister, giving support to the beans. The beans fix nitrogen, and the squash provides ground cover, for moisture retention and weed control. Beans can also be beneficial companion plants for a number of other crops – especially green leafy vegetables with high nitrogen needs, as Gerald Stratford, the King of Veg, explains: “You can grow French beans with runner beans and courgettes, but honestly, if you see a plant you want to grow with your beans, have a go. “It’s better to have a go and fail than not have a got at all.” Storage If you are not eating your green beans right away, you can store them (unwashed) in the crisper drawer of your fridge for up to a week or so. If you wish to freeze your green beans, blanch them by boiling them for 2-3 minutes, then plunging then into icy water. Once blanched, place them in the freezer in sealed containers. They should keep well for around 8-10 months. Shelled beans should be fully dried, then placed in airtight containers. Common Types French beans are typically divided into two categories: climbing beans, and dwarf or bush beans. The former grow tall, usually requiring some support, while the latter have a bushier, shorter form and do not always need a trellis or staking. Some great climbing beans to consider include: ‘Abundance’ ‘Algarve’ (AGM) ‘Blue Lake’ ‘Cherokee Trail of Tears’ ‘Cobra’ (AGM) ‘Golden Gate’ (AGM) ‘Neckarkonigin’ And some good dwarf types to consider include: ‘Aquilon’ ‘Boston’ (AGM) ‘Elba’ ‘Lilana’ ‘Purple Teepee’ (AGM) ‘Sprite’ (AGM) ‘Tendergreen’ If you would like to harvest dry beans rather than green beans try: ‘Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco’ ‘Jacob’s Cattle Gold’ ‘Lingot’ ‘Mor Kristin’ ‘Oro’ ‘Taylor’s Dwarf Horticultural Long Pod’ (‘October Bean’) ‘Yin Yang’ References 1. Wagner, S. (2011b). Biological Nitrogen Fixation. The Nature Education Knowledge Project. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/biological-nitrogen-fixation-23570419/ 2. Kruse-Peeples, M. (2016, May 27). How to Grow a Three Sisters Garden. Native-Seeds-Search. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.nativeseeds.org/blogs/blog-news/how-to-grow-a-three-sisters-garden
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When Harvested Correctly, Chard Can Be Taken As Needed Throughout The Year
IN THIS GUIDE Thinning Young Plants Harvesting Guidelines Storage Coming as it does from the southern shores of Italy, ’Swiss Chard’ is more Sicilian than Swiss but it has been welcomed and ‘naturalised’ in a host of countries including the UK. And because it is not really Swiss, this leafy green is increasingly called (simply) ‘Chard.’ Difficulty Easy Equipment Required Gardening gloves, secateurs or mini secateurs When To Harvest As permitted by your region’s climate, up to all year round. Bear in mind that Chard is two veggies in one. Mature leaves are a bona fide leafy green akin to spinach while the thick flavourful stalks can be treated as a substitute for celery or asparagus. Young leaves can be tossed raw in salads like lettuce. Relatively recent cultivars add a third dimension to this plant: they present an intense contrast as their dazzling rich green leaves are set off by striking deep red or bright pink stems and ribs; as a result, they triple up as ornamental plants! Ornamental or not, you can maximise your enjoyment and also prolong the ‘pickings’ if you harvest Chard correctly. It is important to realise that Chard is not a ‘conventional’ veggie that has a well-defined harvesting season or one that you harvest all at once within a short period of time. Harvested correctly, Chard can be taken (and is taken by old-hand gardeners) on an as-needed and ongoing basis for months on end including – your region’s climate permitting – all twelve months of the year. Underneath we guide you on how best to harvest Chard. Thinning Young Plants Your first harvest of Chard will actually be a by-product of routine thinning of the young, growing plants. “Harvesting crop thinnings is a great way to get an early harvest from many crops, such as lettuce, beetroot and spring onions – perfect for a micro salad,” shares Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist. After you have sown Chard, the young plants should be thinned when they have grown to 5-10cm. Thin such that the plants you leave behind are spaced by about 25cm. The preferred way to thin Chard is by cutting off each plant right at the base with a pair of secateurs – we suggest you put on gardening gloves before doing so. You may uproot the plants too but we do not recommend it as this style of thinning requires considerable care and technique because there is a real risk of disturbing the roots of adjacent plants – young Chard are very shallow-rooted. These thinned Chard plants should not be bound for the compost heap – they should be bound for your kitchen. The tender young leaves will be perfect for salads and stir-fries while the stalks will lend flavour to soups and stews. Harvesting Guidelines Right around 10 weeks after sowing, Chard plants are mature for ongoing, as-needed harvesting. You can certainly pick fresh young leaves at an earlier stage as well. So how can you be sure you can go on harvesting Chard on a continuing basis? Here are some tips and tricks:– Do not pull or tear off leaves; cut them cleanly with mini secateurs at the petiole 4-5cm off the ground. Using mini-secateurs will significantly reduce the chances of unintentionally snipping off an extra stem or two. Tip: only partially open the mini secateurs and slide the blades on to the petiole to be cut, not directly into the green top but at a tangent to its circumference. You are sure to easily and quickly isolate the target leaf. Harvest only a few leaves, and only the outer leaves, from each plant. Leave behind at least four leaves on any given plant. Do not cut the inner leaves, and do not disturb the plant’s central part or the crown. Do not handle the plant roughly or jiggle it around. For most varieties of Chard, leaves that are less than 25cm long will be succulent as well as flavourful. Keep on harvesting and do not let the leaves age on the plant or allow it to become dense with foliage. If your plants are producing more than you need, fresh-picked Chard accompanied with some other veggies from your garden might be a thoughtful little present for a neighbour or relative. Under favourable conditions, Chard – and some varieties more than others – may very well re-grow even if you cut off all the leaves. That mentioned, we advise against doing so. If you follow these pointers for harvesting Chard, you will not only have a continuous supply of Chard but your plants will respond very well to such treatment; they will keep growing and producing fresh leaves! Storage Unlike root vegetables which you harvest during the harvesting season and then store, Chard – as mentioned – has no harvesting season as such, nor is it a good idea to try to store it as it loses its flavour in the fridge. Simply harvest what you need when you need it. Fresh Chard (like most greens) that has never been in the fridge has a taste all its own. Now if you have harvested Chard and some sudden need pulls you away from your cooking plans, then you can certainly store it. In such a situation, do not wash the veggie – wrap it in a sheet of newspaper or put it in a loose plastic bag, and put that in the fridge’s crisper. It should be enjoyed within three or four days tops.
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How To Grow Swiss Chard For A Continuous Supply Of Tasty Greens For Months On End
IN THIS GUIDE Overview Commonly Grown Cultivars When & Where To Plant Chard Plant Care Growing Chard In Pots Common Pests & Problems Both the brilliant green leaves and the bright red stalks of Swiss Chard have their own rich flavours which vary from cultivar to cultivar. This useful veg is easy to grow and is prolific enough to provide a continuous supply of tasty greens for months on end. Ruffled, puckered leaves in a brilliant or rich shade of green bisected by a colourful petiole that is quite often a bright, popping red will decorate your garden if you grow Swiss Chard. Overview Botanical Name Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla Common Name(s) Chard, Swiss Chard, Silver Beet, Leaf Beet, Seakale Beet, Beet Spinach, Perpetual Spinach, and Ruby Chard Plant Type Biennial Native Area Sicily and the Mediterranean Region Hardiness Rating H3 Foliage Scalloped and puckered leaves of a bright or deep green Flowers Spike-like sprays of green, yellow or pink florets When To Sow April and mid-July-to-mid-August are most advisable Harvesting Months June, early July, and mid-September through frost are best Cut Back July or August If you haven’t heard of Swiss Chard, perhaps you know it by another name. This leafy green – rather like a private eye – goes around by many an alias. Some of the more well-known ones are Silver Beet, Leaf Beet, Seakale Beet, Beet Spinach, Perpetual Spinach, and Ruby Chard. As for Chard’s ‘given name’ – it’s quite a mouthful. You see, this vegetable is a sub-species of beetroot, the root vegetable. Beetroot’s botanical name is Beta vulgaris, so Chard’s (rather lengthy) botanical name is Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla. One could describe Chard as bridging spinach and kale. Its several cultivars have sufficiently varying flavours to please spinach-lovers and kale-lovers…and quite possibly also those who do not like either spinach or kale! Commonly Grown Cultivars Not very many Chard cultivars are commonly grown or available but from those that are we have selected half-a-dozen of the best. All but the first are recipients of the RHS’s Award of Garden Merit. Chard cultivars vary in colour, taste, and other characteristics as well. However, almost all of them grow to 40-50cm in height, and to 23-30cm in spread. ‘Perpetual Spinach’ is identified by its very name as a cultivar that you can be assured of harvesting on a continuing basis. It is more spinach-like than most Chards and makes a fine spinach substitute. This variety keeps particularly well, and can be refrigerated longer than most others, and is the best one to store frozen. “‘Perpetual Spinach’ is my favourite chard because of its little and often mode of harvesting,” says Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly. “It also has a very long harvesting season from late spring well into autumn. It’s taste and use in the kitchen are very much like that of spinach.” ‘Rhubarb Chard’ or ‘Ruby Chard’ is the cultivar that gives Swiss Chard its reputation for ornamental value. Though the leaves are tasty enough, this variety is probably one for decorative value: the scallopy, wavy leaves are a brilliant, deep shade of green while the petioles, midribs and even the veins are an equally vivid ruby red. ‘Fantasy’ splits the difference between taste and ornamentation. It has ruffled bright green leaves and also bright red petioles and veining. It is very flavourful but with a pleasingly mild taste without any ‘bite’. It is perhaps the best variety for eating raw in salads. ‘Canary Yellow’ is also ornamental and tasty but in a different way. The leaves are of a rich, bright green colour while the petioles and midribs are bright yellow. It has a heavier, more ‘substantial’ taste with a touch of pepper or bitter, making it an excellent cooking variety. ‘Lucullus’ is an heirloom variety that is well known to be prolific. Its strengths are heavily skewed towards taste rather than ornamentation. The yellowish-green leaves are as tasty as any green vegetable. The petioles are ‘merely’ white but they too are tasty and juicy, and make a very good asparagus substitute. It does not tolerate overly-wet soil. ‘Fordhook Giant’ is also an heirloom variety that is renowned for its vigorous growth. It is also particularly hardy and the most frost-resistant, allowing the gardener to harvest leaves through winter so long as the ground is not frozen over. Its leaves are almost the colour of kale while its stems and petioles are creamy white. It is strongly flavoured and is great for cooked dishes. When & Where To Plant As average frost dates vary very widely in the United Kingdom it is not possible to specify a single timeframe for the whole country for planting Chard. The Chard-growing season will be more constrained in northern regions and in colder zones because you must plant seeds later in the season and you must make your final harvest before the first frost of the season. For the most part, in England and Wales Chard seeds can be sown from the beginning of April through early September though it is not advisable to plant this vegetable during May and June. Though you can plant seeds about ten days before the last expected frost date, we suggest that you wait out the last frost of the season and then sow seeds. You can sow Chard seeds up to about ten weeks before the season’s first expected frost. As a general rule, plant Chard at the top of spring and the end of summer with April and mid-July-to-mid-August being the best time periods. By all means, allow your spring-planted Chard plants to grow through summer but it is not a good idea to plant Swiss Chard for growing during the summer months. Though one can harvest on a continuing basis from Swiss Chard plants, one can practise succession sowing with this vegetable. Chard Plant Care For the specifics of Chard plant care, please see the following sections. Soil Conditions Chard likes nutrient-rich, fertile soil that has been well cultivated. Any type of loam will do so long as you till it well and deeply, and work in ample organic compost or well-rotted manure. The soil should drain very well. The ideal soil pH is slightly acidic, that is with a pH of 6.1 to 6.5. Of course, there is some leeway and anything from moderately acidic to neutral will work out. Thinning As the seedlings grow, one necessary care task is to thin the young plants. When the plants are young, between 5-10cm tall, thin them to about 25cm apart. Do so by cutting off the plants at the base. If you pull them up, be very careful not to disturb the shallow roots of the adjacent young plants! The thinned Chard plants should not be composted or thrown away – they will make tasty additions to salads and stir-fries. Preferred Aspect Swiss Chard should be sited in full sun. A few hours of shade is fine but the more sun the plant gets, the better the crop. Any aspect will do but it should be grown in a sheltered location. Watering & Feeding Water the plants regularly but in moderation. Aim to water about twice a week such that the planting area is kept moist – it should not be soaked through and through. When and how you feed the plants depends on when you sowed the seeds and on the quality of your soil. As a general rule, feed the plants 20-25 weeks after sowing. If your soil is nutrient-rich to begin with then simply work in a small quantity of organic compost or well-rotted manure into the soil around the plant. If not, then feed the plants with a fertiliser. Blood, Fish & Bone is a very good option if your soil is poor. We suggest organic vegetable liquid fertiliser, appropriately diluted, as the easy alternative. Weeding Check the planting area for weeds regularly as they will affect the growth and vitality of Chard plants. Consider mulching around the plants to suppress weed growth. Avoid using any chemical weed killers near Chard (or any other edibles). Winter Care In preparation for winter lay mulch to about 15cm. Do so right after you have made your final harvest of the season; do not wait until the frost. An organic mulch of compost, leaves, and pine needles will serve the purpose very well. If you live in the frigid zones of the north and you want to be sure of protecting your Chard plants, besides mulching them, consider building a low tunnel over them. Growing Chard In Pots You can grow a single plant to a small pot though if you want to grow multiple plants in a larger container or in a planter, sow seeds at least 5cm apart and thin later, or simply space the seeds in keeping with the spread of the mature plant in the first place. The latter alternative is perfectly viable considering how reliably Chard seeds germinate. Fill pots or containers with organic compost or a rich potting soil. Pots or containers should have drainage holes. Water the soil after sowing so that it becomes damp. Keep watering regularly but in moderation so that the soil stays moist to damp. The soil should not become waterlogged. Guard against overwatering. As with growing Chard in open ground, the pots should be placed in a sunny but sheltered location. Common Pests & Problems Chard is seldom troubled by any of the usual pests and diseases that affect vegetables. The plants are quite often eaten by slugs. They are nocturnal creatures so if you go out in the morning and see tears and holes in your Chard, suspect slugs. Deer also find Chard very nice to nibble on. If you are growing Chard during a hot summer, you need to be aware of a few caveats. It will grow noticeably slower than it does in temperate weather, and the leaves will become bitter more quickly and will need to be harvested much earlier than normal. Finally, be watchful as the plants may bolt, leaving you high and dry.
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