split up the vegetable crops grown in garden into the following bearing for informality of point of reference them in this parliamentary law :
( a ) ROOT CROPS
Beet
Q. A fortune of my beet roots ‘ bolt ’ , i.e. run to seed before the antecedent are properly developed . What can I do to prevent this ?
A. The bolting may be due to sowing too presently . If an early sowing is made with the estimate of pull the young roots when about golf - clod size of it the plants can be left fairly thickly in the words and some works will nearly always send up prime stems . It is not such a trouble with this early harvest as with master craw common beet . The latter should not be sow in too too soon , mid - May is sentence enough .
Beet needs to be grown in rich soil without any check , but even so , there is often a inclination for some industrial plant to deadbolt , and inquiry body of work is being done to produce strains of seed which are less probable to make off than those in use at the present clock time .
All one can do as yet is to seed in well - prepared soil which has been well manured with constitutive manure in the previous year , and water freely in ironical spell .
Q.Which of the radical crop can stay in the ground all winter , in other lyric , which need not be lifted and stored ?
A. Parsnips are amongst the most hardy and will stand even severe frost . The roots can not be rescind when the soil is frozen intemperately , so when rime threatens abstract a few stem and keep them indoors in a cool place , for function as required .
Beet must be wind and store . Carrots are best lifted , although they will brook a few point of hoar . swedish turnip will also stand some hoarfrost , but it is best to get up and store as draw afterward . The same utilize to turnip .
Onions must be lifted in September or later August and stored indoors in a ironical cool shed or building on shelves on conducting wire - netting rack or in ropes .
To make a forget me drug of onion plant , first take a thick piece of strand about 3 foot . long and attach it to a nail or hook so that the bottom hangs at about the level of one ’s chest . Tie an Allium cepa to the fundament , securing the balance of the old stem to the string . Next lay a bulb on top of the first one and safe to the train by twisting the remaining stem around the string as show in Plate 6 . If the remaining stalking is so short that it can not be bend around the string tie it to the chief string . stay on until the ‘ roofy ’ of bulbs , is 2 foot . or so in distance .
One of the comfortable methods of storing rootage vegetables on a small scale in wintertime is in peat in an orange box . If such a box with three divider can be obtained , and carrots , beet and turnip are being stored , a separate compartment can be used for each . If a two - partition corner is receive then more than one vegetable can be hive away equally well in a section .
Lay 2 in . of ironic peat in the bottom of the box , then a layer of root , either carrots , beet or parsnips or turnips , on top . Cover with an in of peat and continue in this fashion . The authoritative point to bear in thinker is that the radical must be fairly dry when salt away . Store only sound specimens , and do not bump or bruise them at any level .
The loge must be kept in a frost - proof shed , garage or building and if there is any doubt about the frost - proof nature of the building being used , hide the box at top and sides in severe hoar with sacks , old drape textile , onetime carpeting or matting .
Q. I plan to try some Allium cepa sets this year for the first time . I want humble or medium - sized onions , not monsters . At what aloofness shall I found the sets ?
A. works the sets at 6 in . space for medium - sized bulbs . works in well - prepared ground in a shallow drill for preference , so that the astuteness of planting is such that the backsheesh are just exhibit above the soil . Do not press hard on the elevation of the bulbs between ovolo and finger when imbed , as this may cause equipment casualty later .
(b) LEGUMES
Q. My Caranx crysos beans do not adjust a good crop , they get ample peak , but all or most of these drop off , and although the plants themselves and growth generally are satisfactory , the crop is poor .
A. Research work is being done on this problem at the present time , and the finding to engagement indicate that the cause antecedently thought to be responsible may not in fact contribute to this problem .
At one clip it was felt that cold weather condition or cold pissed atmospheric condition , or insensate confidential information , were at least partly responsible , in that in such weather condition bee and other pollinating insects were less active .
In a juiceless summertime it is easy to say that lack of water at the roots stimulate bud drop , but similar flower - bud drop can and does go on in the wettest of season .
It is suggest that if some of the blossom are piece off when there is a mass of bloom on the plants the next batch of buds to open will localise more satisfactorily than if all flowers are left .
Q. Do I have to leave 2 , 3 or even 5 foot . between row of peas ? It seems a permissive waste of space to me .
A. Where space is short , and peas are a popular crop , it is potential to lay aside room by growing two rowing closely together . I find that if a dwarf mixture is grown in a 4 in . wide drill another such drill can be sown alongside . The first diversity should be an early , and the second a chief crop or at least a later potpourri . Careful attention to staking is require , but if stick of sufficient meridian to deal with the later sort are used the two rows can be taken without difficulty .
A good combining of miscellany is Kelvedon Wonder for the early sowing , with Onward for the late mess . The main point to watch over is that there is a pronounced difference in tiptop in the varieties chosen , and also a difference in time of year .
Q. If I take out trenches to uprise celery can I use the same web site for unlike crops next class ?
A. If selected vegetable crops are grown in heavily manured oceanic abyss , e.g. cultivated celery and stolon noggin , the residual from the farmyard manure or compost left from the preceding year is still worthful , and full usage should be made of the same site for other crops which will respond to being grow in these conditions .
Peas or leeks will do very well in last season ’s celery oceanic abyss area , as will dwarf bean . Cauliflower is another crop which can be borne in mind . After runner beans and after gelt has been taken , I like togrow outside tomato plant , or to plant the tomatoes amongst any kale that still remain . Sweet corn will also do well in such a site .
Where a trench is used for a 2d metre no more farmyard manure or compost is needed for the above crops , but apply 4 oz . to each square yard of trench area of a balanced fertiliser , like 3 parts bone meal,2parts hoof and horn , and part sulphate of potassium hydroxide .
fag the oceanic abyss area as profoundly as possible , thus mixing in any rotted manure or compost that remains , and make it moderately firm if there is any inclination to loose or ‘ tumid ’ conditions .
(C) BRASSICAS
` Browning ’ of Brussels SproutsThis trouble , which cause a brown discoloration inside the buttons , can be serious . The full causes are not fully understood . It may be due to a check in growth . perchance because of too much nitrogenous eating and not enough potash , and also due to spells of wry conditions .
` Blown ’ sproutsA uncouth problem with Brussels Sprouts , and one which often causes vexation as it come at the end of the grow season when small or nothing can be done about it , is loose button , i.e. sprouts themselves are not firm and are not properly shape . At one prison term this was often put down to loose soil , i.e. soil not sufficiently firm at planting prison term . It is on-key that part of the worry may be so make , but I do not call up that it is the whole story .
I have sometimes noticed that plant set rather shallowly tend to give pursy sprout , as they are called . This circumstance may also be due to overmuch nitrogen-bearing feeding early on in the increase . It is true that adequate N is involve , as this helps to give color to the sprouts for one intellect , but overmuch should be stave off . If there has been trouble antecedently with shove along sprout try reducing the amount of nitrogenous fertilizer , and give special potassium hydroxide , for instance 2 oz . of sulphate of potassium hydroxide to the second power chiliad , as well as a general fertilizer mixture as a understructure grooming .
Q. It seems a dissipation of land to engraft Brussels Sprouts 3 ft . apart each means . I know there are dwarf - growing varieties which can be set at 2.5 ft . spacing , but what will happen if I plant ordinary smorgasbord at , say,2 ft . spacing ?
A. Under garden conditions in rich soil you may certainly plant at2 ft . spacing . The flora will tend to be rather improbable and upright turn . On the whole the individual sprout may lean to be rather minor than usual , but for ordinary house employment this is a in effect thing . pillage off any yellow lower folio from time to time in autumn and early winter .
Q. Which winter greens ( winter brassicas ) will resist severe weather well ? I regain that in a knockout wintertime I fall back most of my sprout and natural spring cabbage . I want to avoid time and labor wasted in growing a crop which may be lost anyway .
A. In a very severe wintertime with as much frost as 30 degrees , i.e. temperatures of 20F. , and with prolonged menses of severe frost , many brassicas may be kill , specially if the position is exposed and plants are in the teeth of freezing winds .
The Kales , e.g. Curly Green , Cottager ’s Kale , are amongst the hardiest of the winter brassica chemical group .
Q. I am not sure about growing spring cabbage , specially the difference between ‘ jet ’ and average cabbage .
A. Which variety of give scratch do you prefer ? If magnanimous heads , ie well - hearted plants , are ask then industrial plant at 18 in . spacing between the rows and 15 in . between the plants in the row . If little , half - hearted , stamp ‘ William Green ’ are prefer , then plant at much nigher spacing , and here , 9 inches solid is a suited distance . It is possible to compromise and plant at this near spacing , but only cut alternate plants in the rows , and substitute course , thus leave some plants to heart up fully .
In any cause , always depart a few plants in the seed bed over wintertime , as they may be very valuable in early March for set up as a separate batch , to follow on after the master batch . If the wintertime has been very terrible such a late - implant pile will be even more valuable .
For planting out in fall reserve the site which was used for the main - croponions , or , considerably still , the strip which was occupied by runner beans , especially if these have been farm in a oceanic abyss . Use small or intermediate - sized plant , never large plants .
(d)POTATOES
Q. I have just taken over another garden , and see that my white potato , when cooked , have a peculiar taste . Why should this be ?
A. There are several reasons why there should be such a contamination or odd spirit , and in some case I have cope with this trouble where it was not possible to pinpoint why there should be a curious spirit .
One possible understanding is taint cause by certain soil insecticides . The same kind of contamination can arise with carrots . In one case I recall having this odd flavour problem myself in a garden which was very low - lying and adjoining a marshy region of nation .
I am not indisputable whether there can be chemicals in disinfectant in strawy manure from stable if such manure was used for murphy , but it is a point to keep in mind . If genus Tuber are affected by the disease called ‘ Scab ’ they sometimes have an odd ‘ gross ’ smell .
Q. If large seed potato Tuber have to be cut what are the of import stage to digest in mind ?
A. The variety Majestic heals the cold shoulder surfaces slowly , and some of the baseball swing sets may kick the bucket off . Each one-half of the cut tuber must have a ‘ sprout ’ . It is best to cut the tuber in half lengthways , for nine - tenths of the length , whilst the Tuber are still in tray , i.e. being ` chitted ’ ( sprout ) . At planting time just break off the stay portion . The cutting off tissue will have healed over by then . If skip at planting time I put the cutting set in right away , but do not engraft them in very ironical dirt .
Q. How can I grow some really former tater outdoors ?
A. Set some sprouted genus Tuber of an early kind like Home Guard one to a five - column inch whalehide pot in January . suffer them in a moth-eaten build but cover the chalk at dark fourth dimension with sacking in cold spells .
indurate off for seven to ten day , then establish out of doors , at I ft . spacing , but not until danger of frost has passed , ordinarily in Mid - May . The leaf will need to be covered at night if frost peril .
(e) SALADS
` Bolting ’ of lettuceLettuce often tend to ‘ decamp ’ , i.e. run to come , in the summer months , particularly in hot dry weather condition , particularly when no watering is done .
A new multifariousness which has been raised for its boring bolting character is called Buttercrunch . I grew this for the first time this season , and found them very acceptable .
Q. What is the least quantity of lettuce to grow at one time to feed a family of four who are neat on salad and where a long time of year of use is need ?
A. I would suggest that a yard - long length of Mandrillus leucophaeus is sown every week from early March to other August , say twenty weeks in all , or for a slightly longer menses in the south .
Sow the seed thinly on each occasion , i.e. setting the seeds about an in apart , and thin out the minuscule industrial plant when large enough to treat to 6 in . spacing . This will give small or medium - sized lettuce and aims at six usable boodle to each grand of row , or approximately one a Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , for family unit use .
If you feel that slightly more than this will be required , make the weekly sow 4 ft . rather than 3 ft . The crucial point is to make these small-scale sowings on a regular basis . utilize a summer miscellanea for either ruckle leafage or still leaves or depart the sowings using some of each type .
(f)OTHER CROPS
Q. Iknow that former sticks of pieplant can be obtained by standing some big drainpipe - pipework over the crown , but I have none . What can I use as an option ?
A. The large old buckets you’re able to find , even if there are no bottoms left in them . mob some straw or some bulky compost around the sides of the pail . apply straw only if nothing else is useable and pass over the top of the bucket as well .
This forwarding as it is called ( rhubarb isforcedunder glass or in rhubarb sheds ) should only be done on well - established crowns , not on oneor two - year - old crown .
Q.Why do the pocket-sized fruits of marrows moulder off before they are decent formed ?
A.This problem is usually worst in a cockeyed season when the industrial plant are making a lot of leaf growth or are develop very vigorously . matter are made bad if the plants aregrowing on a heap of manure or compost and excess nitrogen plus wet weather cause the fruitto rot , often directly due to the disease Botrytis .
I find it estimable to grow marrows in ground or in soil with not overmuch manure or compost added . If growth is still very unassailable , and the weather wet , hit some of the leaves with a sharp tongue from the centre of the plant to give rather drier conditions at this point , plus a better air circulation .
It will also aid to add some extra caustic potash in a wet time of year using sulfate of potash at2 oz.to the square yard prior to implant .
Spraying the plants in wet weather with fungicide is a help . Any damage fruits bear on by the grey fungus spores mold of Botrytis should be find fault off and burned to prevent further spread head .
(g)GENERAL PROBLEMS : PLANNING
A commonly asked question under the gallery of planning is ‘ Shall I just fulfil up my garden with a jolly wide mountain chain of summertime and wintertime crop and just use what we can , or set out to spring up given quantity of sealed crop only , i.e. budget as most as potential for what we need ? ’
The first major point to finalize is whether main - harvest potatoes are to be grown . If the garden is large , then the answer may well be ‘ yes ’ . If it is small or intermediate sizing it is usually better to cut out all master - crop assortment of murphy and to develop only a few row of early varieties .
Next , decide which veg are least liked , or not wanted at all . Then blame out the most popular crops , i.e. those which can be produce given most outer space .
There are usually a few very popular crop , for instance Allium cepa , lettuce , Brussels Sprouts , spring cabbage . One commonly has to allow for roots for storage , and a fairly generous supplying of winter brassicas .
Many of these latter crops can postdate summer crops so that the same piece of footing can carry two crop in the same season . Cropping and planning can be made easier by grouping the main types of crop together , for example potato , legume , brassicas , salads and root crops , and impart each group a strip or plot to itself .
