GET OUTDOORS PLANTING THE BED
With hard frosts likely in early spring, it is too soon to plant tender crops so turn your attention to hardier vegetables such as carrots, beetroot etc. As the frosts become less severe towards late spring you can acclimatize the tender crops (which should have been cultivated indoors/in a greenhouse to get a head start) such as sweetcorn, runner beans and courgettes. Stand them outside in the day, and bring them in at night for about ten days, then plant outside in early summer once the risk of frost has passed. Remember when planting out that all those nasty bugs and slugs will be waiting to munch on your tender seedlings – use pellets around crops and hoe between crops to keep on top of weeds control.
TOP TIP
Water seedlings well when planting out to encourage deep rooting, and think
about using biodegradable pots so there is no root disturbance when planting.
CARING FOR YOUR CROPS
So everything is in the ground, and as the temperature increases with the onset of summer your patch will begin to flourish quickly. You can begin the harvesting of quicker maturing crops such as salad leaves, while fruit and vegetables that take
longer to mature such as tomatoes will require regular maintenance, such as tying in and removal of any yellow leaves.
Insect netting can be a good idea, while regularly earthing up soil round developing potatoes will prevent light reaching the tubers. Continue to check you plants for slugs and disease, and remove any diseased growth immediately.
WHEN TO PICK
Mid- to late summer will be bumper harvest time for any plot, when French beans, courgettes and salad leaves will be at their best, and will continue to harvest once initial yield has been picked. One-off crops such as carrots and beetroot will need re-planting once picked. This will be a period of regular watering, but will also produce a pile of vegetables to be proud of!
48 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
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