111 The
Dartmouth Gardener
White Winter hymnal A
don’t like the weather in August just wait an hour”; we Devonians know that the season is on the cusp of turning. The knowledge that at 9.00pm on the last Thursday of the month the sky will be pitch black in readiness for the first firework display of Regatta. not wishing the summer away of course but we
gardeners are always planning one-season ahead as thoughts run to winter vegetables, not just the usual but also the unusual. The leeks have already been planted on the bed cleared of early potatoes and the winter brassicas, savoy cabbage, Cavalo nero Kale and Purple sprouting broccoli are out under micro netting to ward off predators large or small. All are strong hardy vegetables to survive the winter weather. But this year, in order to utilise the soon to be
s the lanes grow narrower and the weather becomes more changeable, as they say in Devon “if you
By Alex Webster
Rocket sown at this time of year gives great results
vacant tomato bed in the poly tunnel, I shall be trying my hand at winter salads. Things such as pea shoots, Rocket, winter lettuce, spinach, Chinese leaves and land cress. All of the above will give a reasonable crop up until the
colder winter months and with a little protection from fleece will survive until late Febuary when new growth should rapidly appear. sowing should take place any time from late August till
late september when there is still some warmth in the air and day light hours of a reasonable length. Modular trays with a general compost are best as this will save any pricking out and root disturbance. Four or five seeds sown per cell will give a positive
germination rate. Rocket sown at this time of year gives great results; like
me you probably sow it in spring only to have it run to seed just after you begin to harvest it. This is because Rocket is a member of the brassicas family and regardless of when it’s sown it will near always flower in late spring/ early summer. The longevity of the harvest is closely linked to plant spacing, a planting centre of 22-25 cm will allow for roots to develop. once established, plants will produce leaves for five or
six months. It’s not all plain sailing but weeding the bed and applying a mulch of 50-75mm and planting through it, will keep the plants clean and picking regularly will help fight against frost as small leaves are more resilient. Herbs such as flat leaf parsley and coriander will grow well then racing away in the spring. sow the slower growing parsley in August
and coriander in september. I have grown claytonia, sometimes called winter Purslane, outside but will try it under cover this year. It has tender round leaves with a delicate texture. The seed is minuscule so a pinch to each cell will make the task easier. sow in september or
october. Tasks for August
● Still time to sow outside, quick maturing salad crops such as summer lettuce, radish, rocket, sorrel, chicory and fennel.
● Continue to sow spring cabbage, turnips, Oriental vegetables and over wintering onions,.
● Summer prune side shoots on restricted trees (such as espaliers and fans) to three to four leaves to form fruiting spurs.
● Summer prune restricted apples and pears.
● If necessary, prune nectarines, apricots and peaches after they have fruited.
● If necessary, prune plums, gages and damsons immediately after harvest.
● Water cranberries and blueberries regularly with rainwater. Tap water will do if butts run dry.
● Loosely tie together new blackberries and hybrid berry canes.
● Remove straw and old leaves and tidy up strawberries after fruiting. I have in the past set the rotary mower on its highest setting and run it over the strawberry bed.
● Prune out fruited summer raspberry canes and tie in new ones.
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