Page 38 - SV 3 2024

Unusual Veg!
Hamburg Parsley
Petroselinum crispum Var. tuberosum
As can be seen from its Latin name this is a type of parsley that produces both edible leaves and roots, hence the tuberosum part of the name. The roots have a strong flavour and are similar to parsnips both in taste and appearance. The leaves will remain green over winter and can be used the same as parsley.
Sow the seeds in March / April 2cm deep in rows 30cm apart, either sow the seed thinly or sow in stations 2 /3 seeds at each station which should be 15cm apart and then thin out to one seedling per station if more than one germinates. Germination can be slow like parsnips so it can pay to mix some radish or lettuce seed with the parsley to mark the position of the rows, the radish or lettuce will be harvested before the parsley need the space.
The plants grow well in the same conditions as parsnips to which they are distantly related that is in the same family of Apiaceae but not genus. The soil should be well drained as they will still be growing in the winter when the weather may be wet. Do not add organic matter as this can encourage forking or fanging of the roots. Grow on as for parsnips, keep weed free and allow the roots to grow down in search for water to give good root length. Like parsnips they need a long growing season so sow in March / April and leave until at least late autumn before harvesting as they will keep growing during mild spells.
The roots can grow up to 15 to 20cm long with a diameter of 5 to 7.5cm and when harvested are cooked like parsnips. The roots can be harvested from late autumn
to the end of February, if necessary, they can be lifted and stored in crates of old growing media or sand and store in a frost free shed or garage.
Asparagus Pea Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
Asparagus Pea
Tetragonolobus purpureus
(Syn Lotus purpureus)
Syn is short for synonym which was the plants earlier or previous name, but it has been change by the taxonomists for some reason.
In older books it will be referred to by the genus Lotus hence this being a synonym but is now named Tretragonolobus, it is not related to asparagus in any way but is distantly related to peas as it is in the same family Fabaceae but not the same genus.
It is an attractive plant that can be grown in flower borders or used decoratively
in gardens and containers on the patio.
It looks attractive planted in groups in borders. It should be grown somewhere where it is convenient to pick as it is important that the winged pods are picked regularly when approx. 20 to 30mm long or they get tough and stringy becoming awkward to eat.
The flowers are a rusty dark red and the foliage a light green and not too different to pea foliage. The plants are bushy and grow to a height of approx. 45cm with a spread of 60cm. It is easy to grow with few pests or diseases and grows in most soils. It is an annual plant and will happily grow on chalky soils.
Sow into modules in April / May into
a multipurpose compost so the seeds
are approx. 25mm deep; place into a temperature of 15 to 21°C., once germinated grow them at 15 to 18°C. When big enough harden them off and transplant outdoors in May / June after the last frost. Space plants 20 to 30cm apart and in rows 45cm apart. Support the plants with short canes or pea sticks and keep watered if dry weather.
Asparagus pea can be sown outdoors directly into the soil in late May 3 to 4cm deep and space the seeds 25 to 30cm apart in rows 45cm apart.
They start cropping after approx. 12 weeks and keep on picking to ensure the pods do not go tough, they tend to crop from late June to late August. Asparagus pea is not a heavy cropper as the pods are only small but is an interesting plant to grow and fits in well into flower borders so not using space in the vegetable area. Expected yields are about 450gms per 3 metre row if picked regular through the summer.
Lima Bean
Phaseolus lunatus
Also called the butter bean and there are both dwarf and climbing types available, they are closely related to both the runner and French beans as all three are in the Phaseolus genus. The lima bean is a short-lived perennial plant that is grown as an annual; the beans are used green like runner beans or dried as butter beans, and they can also be eaten as sprouting seeds or microgreens.
They need similar growing conditions as the runner and French beans, a good fertile soil that will hold some moisture but not be waterlogged and shelter from strong winds. Like its two closely related species it can be sown indoors or direct outdoors, if sown indoors sow 3cm deep into pots or modules into a multipurpose compost and germinate at 18 to 21°C. once the first two true leaves have formed they can be hardened off before they start to climb too much and become a tangled mess and planted outdoors at 15cm apart in rows 60cm apart at the base or canes for support. If sowing outdoors wait until late May and the worst of the frosts have passed and then sow 5cm deep at the base of 1.8 to 2m high canes. They
Lima Phaseolus lunatus Fagiolo Du Spagna
need a minimum of 18°C to germinate so wait until late May in the south and mid-June in the north.
Once the plants start to climb, they may need a bit of guidance by twisting the stem around the cane after that they will climb on their own and soon reach the top, once at the top pinch the tips
of the plants out to make them produce more laterals. If the soil becomes dry water by giving a good soaking twice a week until rain arrives but especially so once they start to flower. Feed with a high potash fertiliser if required.
Beans should be ready to harvest in three months to pick green like runner beans or leave the pods on the plant until fully ripe and dry for butter beans in the autumn. If wanted green pick regularly to encourage further beans production. They suffer the same problems as runner and French beans so treat accordingly.
38 Simply Vegetables