Page 39 - Simply Veg Issue 3 2019

Annuals on the allotment
Also, as I have said before, don’t let plants go short of water, as we can still get spells of hot weather. With all the watering, your water butts may get empty . If they do, it is
a good chance to swill them out with the hose pipe. One crop that needs water in particular is celery, which in the wild is a bog plant. Another point about celery and also leeks is that they need blanching. I use builders damp proof material for this. I have
Potatoes lifted
pieces of this cut into different sizes and use whichever the plants need and increase the length as the plants grow. Another crop that needs blanching is endive. This is done by placing an upturned plant pot over the plant and blocking the drainage hole to exclude light.
You should finish digging up early potatoes this month and carry on with the second earlies. You will, hopefully , have
plenty of other crops ready for harvesting. Try to harvest them as soon as they are ready , particularly beans because if left
too long they go tough and stringy. Harvest courgettes when they are about 6 inches (15 cm.) long. You can test when sweet corn is ready. First of all the silks at the end of the cobs turn brown. If you peel back some of the outer sheath to reveal the cobs inside they should be deep yellow and the fluid inside the kernals should be milky, not clear.
Continue to remove side shoots from cordon tomatoes. Also, when tomato plants have reached the top of the greenhouse , remove the tops. You don’t need plants to keep producing tomatoes that won’t ripen. It is more important for the tomatoes already produced to ripen.
Lastly, consider having a go at showing. There should be local shows in your area this month and next. It is the aspect of gardening that I enjoy most. You need, of course to find out who the show secretary is and ask for a schedule. In many shows there is a section for novices and you usually have to send
in your entries in advance. If you don’t feel ready to have a go yourself, just visit a show and compare your produce with that on the show bench. You will learn a lot by doing so and most exhibitors are more than willing to help and give advice.
Also, as I have said before, don’t let plants go short of water, as we can still get spells of hot weather.
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Happy cultivating. Jackie Whiteley
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