Page 30 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2021

eyes shallow, and if a smooth variety the skins should be bright and clear. Rough skinned kinds, of which Schoolmaster is a good type, should be shown in a good clean condition, but no endeavour should be made to give it a smooth appearance.
That would certainly stop them from going green on the show bench overnight!
No absolute rule can be laid down
respecting the size of samples, which should vary in accordance with the average size
of the variety they represent. Taking Rector of Woodstock as an example, the average size of which is 6 ounces, each tuber should not weigh less than 5 and a half ounces,
for any tubers below that weight would
be considered of small size, and would therefore lose a point in judging; and tubers of this variety that much exceed 7 ounces approach to coarseness. It is the case with all varieties that tubers that are beyond the average size of the variety they represent have a tendency to become coarse, and are therefore defective in quality.
The average size for Early Rose and Early Vermont is about 8 ounces, Snowflake 9 ounces, Brownell’s Beauty 10 ounces and Red Skin Flourball is at its best from 10 to 12 ounces; anything exceeding that size may be considered too large for general purposes and out of place on the exhibition table.
Before you all go reaching for your judges guide the optimum weight we look for today is between 7 and 9 ounces, so a dish of Red Skin Flourball must have been pretty
impressive. I love the name, but if it was indicative of the taste it is probably why it has disappeared.
Mr Pink has much more to say on the history and introduction of the potato, cutting tubers, taking cuttings, cultivation, presentation and storage which is both
salutary and raises the eyebrow in equal measure. If you get chance to read a copy I can thoroughly recommend it. My task now is to track down his first book, How to Grow One Thousand Pounds of Potatoes from One Pound of Seed. A snappy title which I’m sure would have flown off the shelves!
Seed Germination
April/May is the main sowing season for many vegetables so this is an appropriate time to write about seed germination. I was originally going to write about seed germination temperatures but realised there are other factors which are just as important and affect the germination as much so have covered these as well.
Going back to basics there are five factors that affect whether a seed germinates or not, these are:
1. Water
2. Oxygen
3. Correct temperature
4. Dark / light – depending on the plant
5. Viable seed
Looking at these in a bit more detail, water
is the first requirement as it softens the testa (seed coat) and starts of the respiration process which starts the enzymes breaking down the stored carbohydrate in the seed and the radicle (young root) growing out into the soil. If the soil or growing media is dry the seed will not germinate or only partly. If the soil is waterlogged the seed will rot.
Oxygen is the next requirement and is needed for respiration, just like we need it, to produce the energy required for growth from the stored food in the seed. if there is insufficient oxygen the seed will not germinate.
The correct temperature will vary depending on which plants are being grown
and where they originate from. I will cover this in more detail later in the article.
Light / dark, again this varies with the species of plant but the vast majority
of vegetables require dark conditions
to germinate. In other words they need covering with soil or growing media (compost). The exceptions to this rule
are very small or fine seeds like celery
or celeriac, or flowers like Begonia and Antirrhinums. These can be left uncovered or covered very thinly with vermiculite.
The fifth requirement is viable seed, if it is not viable it will not germinate – in effect it
is dead! This may be because it is old seed, or has been stored in poor conditions and some species (mainly trees and shrubs) produce unviable seeds some years or most years if they are infertile. If storing seeds store in cool and dry conditions for most vegetable seeds. If stored in a Tupperware type container with a sachet of silica gel and kept at fridge temperature most seeds will keep for three to five years.
Vegetable seeds, sold in the U.K. must be of a certain standard and must be viable so germination is usually good. Apart from parsnip and onions they will keep for over two years.
Before looking at the germination temperature another factor in the germination equation is the sowing depth; this will be stated on the seed packet or in
the catalogue. If it says 1cm (1/2”) it means that depth and not a near approximation.
It surprise my how deep some people sow their seeds and deep sowing will reduce or even prevent germination. If you consider that for the seed to produce the radicle and plumule (shoot) and for the plumule
to get to the soil surface (before it can photosynthesise) all of the food is in the seed; if sown too deep the seedling will run out of food before it gets to the surface. Check your seed drills before sowing and also your depth of covering whether sowing indoors or outdoors.
The other fly in the ointment for seedlings are pests and diseases, slugs, snails, cutworms and similar insects can mow
off a recently germinated row of seedlings overnight! The main diseases of seedlings are the damping off disease and these are mainly a problem indoors, although it can happen outdoors if the seeds are sown too thickly.
So moving onto the correct temperature which as stated above varies between vegetables (and other plants). The temperatures for the common vegetables are set out in the adjacent table. The reason for the variation is that it depends on where the plant originates from and the temperature it has evolved to grow at. A cabbage or lettuce which are native to Northern Europe will germinate at a lower temperature than sweet
30 Simply Vegetables