Page 32 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2023

Carrot seedlings
Certain wildflowers / weeds like comfrey, nettles, yarrow, wild sage, chamomile, wild pyrethrum can be cut and added to the heap and appear to improve the quality of the compost. They had a small area on the holding where these plants were grown. They also did an experiment of allowing weeds to grow for a year and harvested 28lb’s in a year from 1 square yard.
Surface Cultivation
When they converted to no-dig this led to an improvement in crops as well as the soil condition and also a big drop in the number of weeds that grew. Although the holding was now no-dig they did use a type of onion hoe called a scrapper
to remove weeds, crop remains and to prepare the ground for sowing when following another crop. No cultivations were deeper than 75 to 100mm and preferable shallower, the aim of using the tool is to keep the depth as shallow as possible to avoid disturbing the soil any more than necessary and upsetting the soil fauna and flora.
It is important to avoid treading on the beds and they used boards where it was necessary to reach over the beds. The beds were 4ft 6” wide and paths were 16” wide the length of the beds was 66ft which is 25 Dutch lights long. The width and length, in fact whole system was based on the Dutch lights. The beds were marked with lines and the paths dug out to 80mm deep, the soil thrown onto the beds; the frame walls kept the soil in place. Straw was spread 75mm deep on the paths and the beds had a mulch of 30mm of compost. Once they were familiar with no-dig beds they did not even dig new beds, they were just cleared with the scrapper and any deep roots like docks forked out (which interestingly they composted!). If very weedy the area was covered with straw 75mm deep, watered with QR solution (1 pint / 12 sq yds) and kept damp. After 4 weeks the weed growth was decayed and the weeds and most of
Radish seedlings
the straw was composted. An alternative was to plant through the straw and sometimes potatoes was used as the first crop to help clear the ground. The potatoes were placed into the straw and were earthed up using compost, so no digging was required. Straw can also be used to earth up potatoes.
Growing Crops Under Dutch Lights
These days cold frames or polytunnels can be used, some of the early sowings are in my opinion very early and are too early for northern growers; you will definitely need some protection even with climate change! Considering Mr O’ Brien was based in Leicestershire which is not a warm county I am surprised he got away with some of the dates.
Broad Beans
Sow on 1st February in 2 triple rows in each frame the length of the bed, each triple
row is 25cm wide and 50cm from the path edge. Draw out a drill with a Dutch hoe or spade 75mm deep and add a 25mm layer of compost with some soot and granite dust. The beans are sown 25cm apart with the middle row staggered, cover the seed 50mm deep. A late summer crop of broad beans can be sown after a leafy salad
crop. Spread 50mm of compost and sow the beans into the compost 50mm deep
in triple rows again. The seeds could just be pushed into the compost. Water after sowing if dry and repeat if it stays dry. When the beans are 15cm high weed the bed and mulch alongside the beans with compost. Remove the growing tips when a good set of beans.
Peas
Again, the first sowing is on the 1st February using Kelvedon Wonder, the drills are 25cm wide with one on each side of the bed and 20cm from the path edges. Sow the seeds 50mm deep in three staggered rows and cover with compost. Another
sowing can be done in June for a late crop, these will need watering. Hand weed when the peas are 25cm high and mulch with 25mm of compost, hoe if more weeds occur. As soon as the peas and beans are finished clear the haulms and compost before the go tough.
Lettuce
Seedlings (nowadays plug plants could be used) were planted on the 28th February, 10 days before this the beds were mulched with compost to 25 to 50mm deep. If there were any crop remains these were raked off and composted. The lettuce are planted 15cm* 15cm apart for smaller cultivars and 20cm*20cm apart for the larger butterhead and Webbs types. Plant so that the lowest leaves are just above the soil level and water in. Weed the beds when the weeds are same height as the lettuce, this was the only weeding!
Successional sowing / planting is carried out as space becomes available, crop remains are cleared, 25mm of compost spread and seeds sown, or plants planted. The lettuce were followed by a root crop like radish or carrots, no compost was added for these. The lettuce remains were cleared and the seed sown the same day
– no wasted time there then! The lettuce were sown thinly in 1cm deep drills and thinned out to 10cm apart when 25mm high, the thinning’s can be used as salad leaves, weed at the same time. Water if required but try not to wet the leaves.
Carrots
The first sowing is on the 5th March and is a stump rooted cultivar; apply compost 14 days before sowing and rake into the surface. Sow in rows 20cm apart and drop a seed every 15mm and cover with 1cm
of soil / compost. When the seedlings are 30mm high thin out to 50mm apart and weed at the same time. No further thinning is required but remove the next “crop” of weeds when 50mm high.
Cauliflowers
Remove any crop remains and weeds and then spread compost over the area and rake level. Plant in rows 45cm apart and the first row 20cm from the frame edge; drop approx. four handfuls of compost at each planting space and plant into the compost firming well. Do not allow the plants to dry out and do the first weeding when the curds just start to show. Radishes can be sown as an intercrop between
the rows of cauliflowers. The cauliflowers should be ready in June, cut and trim to use then remove any stumps and weeds and compost. This crop is usually followed by lettuce or allowing the weeds to grow and use as a green manure crop which is composted. The lettuce will be sown in late June and should be ready for August Bank Holiday.
32 Simply Vegetables