Page 37 - Simply Veg Issue 3 2019

Lavatera Mont blanc
these I use either twist ties or sweet pea rings.
Something else that will probably be growing strongly are weeds so try to keep on top of them. Keep the hoe going between rows of plants or resort to hand weeding,
as I mostly do. Most importantly try to
get rid of them before they seed. Another method which I often use, particularly if there are thousands of tiny seedlings, is to use weedkiller. Glyphosate is the one commonly used. You have, of course, to be careful not to get any on your crops. It doesn’t harm the soil and you can sow or plant the area as soon as the weeds have died.
In the greenhouse, tomatoes grown on the cordon system need tying regularly as well and also as I have said before, the side shoots removing and feeding once a week with tomato fertiliser. I have emphasized the need for keeping up with the watering for the last two months. And we could still get hot weather. One thing that shortage of water causes with tomatoes is blossom end rot so keep your eyes open for it. It shows itself as
August 2019
The main sowing season is over but there are still seeds that can be sown. Even though some have been sown before, more can be sown for succession. This applies to lettuce, radish, spinach, endive, calabrese, corn salad, winter and spring cabbage and cauliflower and sprouting broccoli. Corn salad is mainly for winter use but there are lettuces for winter such as Vaila winter gem (most suppliers) , marvel of four seasons(Shelleys and D.T.Brown) and Brighton (Dobies). You can grow them in the greenhouse border or polytunnel or outside protected
with cloches. There are also varieties
of radish for winter use including black Spanish(most suppliers ) and April cross (Shelleys and D.T.Brown).
This is also the time to sow winter onions, sometimes called Japanese onions. They
Climbing French beans and courgettes
Lettuce planted between rows of runner beans and sweet peas
a hard, dark patch on the blossom end of the fruit. It is caused by calcium deficiency but it is due to shortage of water preventing the uptake of calcium by the plant. While on the subject of watering , make sure that crops in flower such as peas and beans don’t get dry or the flowers may not set.
As I have said before, keep looking for pests such as greenfly, blackfly and whitefly and take the necessary action and also
the diseases that I mentioned last month- chocolate spot on broad beans, mildew
on marrows and courgettes and of course,
Red hot pokers
blight on potatoes. Blight begins with brown patches on the leaves. If you do notice it, cut down the foliage and get rid of it (not on the compost) to prevent the spores being washed down onto the soil and affecting the potatoes .This is the main month for digging up early potatoes and you should have several other crops ready for harvesting. Onions and shallots can be harvested if they are big enough and spring planted garlic when the leaves begin to yellow. You may also have raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries.
Lettuce planted in polytunnel
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