Page 32 - Simply Veg 4 2022

Peter Fitch – Aubergine Patio Baby
germination rate and that they seem to be at the same stage as his own carrot seed that he had sown four weeks earlier. He
is looking forward to the taste test and he advised he is going to give the brassica’s a try (he normally doesn’t grow them, mainly because what the pigeons don’t eat, the caterpillars do), so this will be an interesting addition to the trial for
19th June and potted on 30th June. Steven planted them out on 14th July, and they were looking good. The carrots, Topweight improved best, they were sown directly into No Dig Beds, 3rd June, Germination date 14th June, a bit patchy. Sown under cloches to stop bird disturbance, Steven also sowed some Chantenay Red 3 as a comparison.
9th July. Steven reported that at first, they appeared to have been suffering with the long hot days but seems to have weathered through, a small leaf spinach where some individual plants have gown better than others.
John Trim had prepared his ground in readiness for his DT Brown Seeds with an application of Super Dug Extra. A good handful to a square yard, plus 4oz of Vitax Q4 fertiliser, and 50 grammes of Perlka to counteract the club root endemic in most allotment soils. John advised that he finds this very effective. The seed was sown
in half size seed trays. Once the young seedlings had a true pair of leaves, they were transplanted into 3” square pots in compost and left to grow on. The brassica plants were set out 18” apart. John is also trailing Celeriac ‘Neon’ and a runner bean called ‘Prizewinner,’ so we look forward
to hearing how they do. John’s Spinach ‘Rubino’ was reported to have had patchy germination and they also ran to seed very early (often a problem with a true spinach), but this hot weather won’t have helped. Finally, all John’s brassicas were strong and healthy at time of writing this report.
Phil Braithwaite (Darlington) had a
Graham.
Steven Powlesland (West
The carrots were slow to get going but he felt they actually coped with the very dry recent weather better
Graham reported that
the carrots were slow to
get going but he felt they actually coped with the very dry recent weather better. Thinning’s have been very uniform and good to the eye.
Steve also reported on his Cauliflower - Dionis F1. It was sown in cells 13th June, Germinated 19th June (93% rate), potted on 30th June. Planted out under cover 14th July. Steven advised the growth is good, so good
Devon) has had some initial
mixed results, his Broccoli,
Babilon F1, was sown in
cells on the 18th June,
Germination date was 23rd
June @ a 66% success rate,
these were planted out into
no dig raised beds. They
were quite small but gained
growth well and were
looking good until a vole, he
thinks, decided to burrow
under each plant in turn and
eat the roots, so Steven only had one plant left.... the trials and tribulations of growing veg ! Better news for his Brussel Sprouts
that he needed to cover with a taller net on the 1st August. Steven’s Monteray Spinach was sown 13th June into cells, germination date was 19th June (86% rate) and they were planted out into No Dig Raised Beds
- Cascade F1. They were sown in cells on the 13th June, germination (80%) date was
32 Simply Vegetables