Page 43 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2023

July
Most of the seeds that I mentioned for sowing the last two months can still be sown. All can be sown direct outside
in drills but as I have said before, there are some that I prefer to sow in cell trays or pots but this is just a personal choice. Those that I always sow in drills are turnips, swedes, salad onions and radish. Turnips and swedes will not grow as large as if sown in April or May, but they will be a usable size. Those that I prefer to sow in cell trays are lettuce, rocket, kohl rabi, corn salad, endive, spinach and beetroot. I sow carrots in drums and buckets as I have explained before.
I always sow cabbages, cauliflowers, and broccoli in 3-inch (7.5 cm.) pots, three or four seeds in each and thin them to one when they germinate. At this time of year they should be winter and spring varieties. For winter cabbages I mentioned January King and Tundra last month which are
both widely available. The next most widely available variety is Savoy King (R, Sh, F). The most popular spring cabbages are Durham Early (R, Sh, B.), Wheeler’s Imperial (D, S, Sh.) and Winterjewel (D, S, Sh.). There are several varieties of Chinese cabbage but not one variety is more popular than the rest. By far the most popular variety of broccoli is Early Purple Sprouting which most suppliers sell. For winter cauliflowers there are Aalsmeer (most suppliers), Triumphant (Sh, B, F.) and Jerome (M, Sh.). Please see the top of page for the key to these suppliers.
If you have sown seeds in batches for succession as I have suggested before, you will have plants at different stages of
The first Cheddar cauliflowers
development. Seeds sown in drills need thinning in stages until they are in their final positions. If sown early enough you may already have some in their final positions.
Seeds sown in either cell trays or pots need thinning to one per cell or pot, and
if these were sown early, you may have plants ready for planting. Just rake in some general fertiliser before planting. Also, if you are planting brassicas (cabbages, cauliflowers etc.), cover them with netting to keep off the butterflies, as I have said before.
Strawberries should be planted either this month or next to allow plants to get established before the cold weather comes. They should start cropping the following
June or July. Strawberries are prone to virus so it is important that you get your plants from a reputable supplier because they will be guaranteed virus free. If you already grow strawberries, I mentioned last month about putting straw under the plants to keep the fruit off the ground and put a net over them, so if you didn’t do it in June, do it now.
While on the subject of fruit, there are some that need pruning now. Plums and cherries should not be pruned in winter to prevent silver leaf disease so now is the time to do it. All you need to do is to cut out any diseased, damaged, or crossing branches. Some pruning of gooseberries, and red and white currants is done in
Seasonal jobs
DEREK BROOKS FNVS
Falco turnips
Lettuce planted in polytunnel
Lychnis chalcedonica (Maltese cross)
KEY TO SUPPLIERS
D – Dobies
S – Suttons
B – Browns
F – Fothergills
R – Robinsons Sh – Shelleys M – Marshalls
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