Page 36 - Simply Veg 3.21

Jersey Update
Jersey Royals
These were planted on the 25th January 2021 into the prepared soil and harvesting began on week beginning the 25th April. As we all know there is nothing like growing and harvesting your own potatoes, especially if you have access to Vraic (seaweed) which gives us that added extra flavour.
The very first outdoor Jersey Royals were planted on the 7th January 2021 on the slopes and were harvested for export on the 12th April. (I was only just planting my potatoes then and I suspect our Northern members were not even doing that in this cold spring. Ed)
Carrots – Short and Sweet
This is a novel variety of carrot that I have grown in a five litre mayonnaise container which I picked up especially for this purpose.
I drilled five small holes for drainage around the bottom of the container and filled it with a good multipurpose compost. The
Shop window display
tiny carrot seeds were sown on top of the compost and covered with about half an inch [2cm] of the same before being given a gentle tap of the palm of my hand to firm up the seed bed.
These carrots were advertised in a seed catalogue which stated that they were very sweet and were only four to five inches [10 to 13 cm ] long and had been specifically bred for poor soil and apparently were a juicers dream. I can certainly vouch for
their sweetness as they are the best I have ever tasted. I managed to harvest about seventeen carrots from this small 10 litre pot.
After harvesting the carrots l noticed that there were probably enough to make up a reasonable set for a competition, this would of course be ideal for the kids especially
if they were to use their own five-litre
containers, I can just imagine the excitement. Still that’s something for the future and something to think about.
Display of vegetables
With Covid-19 restrictions preventing Jersey’s Spring horticultural show going ahead as planned, an alternative was found with a virtual show judged on photographs and the display of some of the entries
in the windows of the town’s shops and businesses.
The Jersey Association of the NVS also played its part promoting locally grown vegetables including its famous Jersey Royal potatoes with miniature barrows of produce taking centre stage at Collins in Halkett Place, St Helier - a retail outlet specialising in stationery and art materials.
36 Simply Vegetables
GRAEME LE MARQUAND FNVS