Beginner Plants: Perennial Herbs

Read time: 6 minutes

Perennial plants are plants that live for more than 2 years. So they will be a permanent or semi-permanent plant in your garden.

Lemon Balm

When to plant

Sow seeds inside or outside from March to May.

Transplant seedlings outside after all danger of frost has passed.

Where to plant

Lemon balm can grow in sun or light shade and doesn't need to go anywhere specific in a rotation plan. It can be quite aggressive and take over in the garden if not controlled, so be careful with it.

Lemon balm can grow alongside most plants, but you'll probably want to avoid plants that prefer drier conditions than lemon balm, like rosemary or thyme. 

Growing

If you cut it back after flowering, you can encourage leaf growth. Water during dry spells for better results.

Harvesting  

Pick fresh leaves as and when you want them. You can also dry the leaves for later use.

Mint

It can be grown from seed, but it isn't recommended to do this due to its long germination time and low germination rate. It is also easy to grow from root cuttings or by dividing clumps of established plants.

When to plant

Take softwood cuttings from young shoots in spring, and stand them in water until they get roots, then plant them out.

If you are taking root cuttings, then do so in autumn or winter. Dig down a little to expose the roots at the edge of the plant, and cut off long pieces for cuttings. Cut that into pieces 2 - 3 inches long and plant them just below the surface in compost.

If you are dividing clumps, then do so in autumn. Dig up the mint plant and split the roots however you are able to. Pull them apart if you can, and if you can't you can use a spade to split the root ball.

Where to plant

It's a good idea that wherever you choose to grow mint, you contain it in some way. Either plant it in pots or in a contained space in the garden where you can limit its spread, otherwise it may overtake other plants.

Mint can help deter pests for tomatoes, beans, onions, carrots, and brassicas. So they can be planted in any or all sections of your garden with a crop rotation plan. It's also said to repel slugs.

Growing

Water regularly if grown in pots. If not, water during hot weather, especially if you are picking leaves.

When mint has finished flowering in late summer you can cut the plant down to a few inches off of the ground to encourage production of leaves.

Harvesting 

You can start harvesting the leaves from late spring (around May) until autumn, before the plant dies back in winter.

Regular leaf picking can help keep the plants compact, and will encourage leaf growth. 

Oregano

When to plant

If you are growing from seed, then sow them inside from February to May, or outside in April or May. Sow them on top of compost and water them, but don't cover the seeds.

Transplant seedlings outside after all danger of frost has passed.

You can also buy oregano plants or propagate by dividing clumps in spring or autumn, or by taking softwood cuttings in summer.

Where to plant

This plant doesn't need to go anywhere specific in a crop rotation plan. Try to plant in a sunny spot and give the plant around 12 inches of space as they form a clump. 

Oregano can be planted near garlic, squash, brassicas, beans, and tomatoes, meaning they can be grown in any or all plots in your crop rotation plan. 

Growing

Water in the first year, but after that, once the plant is established, it won't need watering unless grown in a pot. 

Harvesting 

Harvest leaves as required in late spring and throughout summer, even into early autumn. Strip off shoots and strip the leaves from them.

You can use the leaves fresh, dried, or frozen.

An oregano plant flowering in the summer

Rosemary

While rosemary can be grown from seed, it's not recommended as germination is slow and it can take years to grow large enough to start harvesting.

When to plant

You can grow rosemary from bought plants or by taking cuttings.

If you are taking a heel cutting, where you take a cutting with some of the stem from the base, then do so in spring. 

If you are taking semi-ripe cuttings, then do so in late summer.  

Where to plant

Rosemary does not need to go anywhere specific in a crop rotation plan. Space plants 18 inches apart.

Rosemary grows well with sage, thyme, lavender, beans, carrots, and can also be planted with brassicas and tomatoes, although not too close to tomatoes. This covers all 4 plots in the garden, meaning rosemary can be planted in any or all plots in a crop rotation plan. 

Avoid growing rosemary with mint, basil, and squashes. 

Growing

Rosemary is fairly drought tolerant, and established plants will only need watering after a long spell of hot dry weather. But if you are growing them in a container they will want more regular watering.

If you want to keep rosemary compact and encourage fresh growth each year, trim it back lightly once the flowers have faded. Make sure not to cut into old wood. If left unpruned for a long time it can get leggy, woody and bare. 

Harvesting 

You can harvest leaves throughout the year, however the soft new growth in summer has the best flavour. 

You can use the leaves fresh or dry them. 

A rosemary plant in autumn

Sage

You can buy sage plants, or grow them from seeds or cuttings.

When to plant

If you are sowing seeds, then sow them February to May inside, or April to May outside.

If you are growing them from cuttings, take these softwood cuttings in early summer.

Plant seedlings outside after all danger of frost has passed.

Where to plant

Space plants 1 ft apart.

Sage can deter pests and help brassicas, carrots, tomatoes, and beans. This covers all 4 plots in the garden, so it can be planted in any or all plots in a crop rotation plan. It also grows well with thyme, rosemary, lavender, and lemonbalm.

You should avoid growing sage with alliums (the onion family) and cucumbers. 

Growing

Sage plants can get woody and straggly after 4 - 5 years. Taking regular cuttings to propagate new plants can allow you to prevent this by swapping out plants every few years.

Harvesting 

You can pick sage leaves throughout the year, but fresh growth in spring and early summer is said to have the best flavour.

You can use the leaves fresh or you can dry or freeze them for later use. 

A sage plant in autumn

Thyme

You can buy thyme as a young or established plant, or you can sow seeds or take cuttings.

When to plant

If you are sowing seeds inside, then sow them in March or April, or outside between April and September. If you are growing it from seed, you probably won't be harvesting any thyme in the first year.

If you are growing from cuttings, then take them in late spring or summer.

Where to plant 

Space plants 8 - 12 inches apart.

Growing

Water in hot spells. Trim it back after flowering if you want to keep the plant compact. It can get woody after a few years, so you can regularly take cuttings to replace the plants every year or two.

Thyme likes dry conditions, so avoid growing alongside plants that don't like it dry. Including plants like basil, coriander, parsley, and cucumber.

It has similar growing conditions to lavender, sage, rosemary, so grows well with them. They are also a good companion to tomatoes.

Harvesting 

Thyme leaves can be harvested throughout the year, but fresh growth in spring and summer is said to have the best flavour.

Snip off young shoots. Regular harvesting helps to keep it compact and bushy, and will encourage new growth. 

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ 

Beginner Plants: Annual Herbs

Read Time: 4 minutes

Annual plants are plants that complete their life cycle within one growing season before dying, going from seed to plant to flower to seed. Some of these plants can be kept alive through winter using certain methods, but they are generally considered annuals where you will let them die at the end of the season.

Basil

If you want to skip the sowing seeds stage, you can buy plants in a supermarket. You can multiply these plants by cutting stems around halfway up, taking off the leaves, and putting them in water or soil. I personally prefer water as the hydration is managed and you can see the roots.

When to Plant

You can sow seeds inside from late February until July.

If you are sowing seeds outside, then do so when the temperature has warmed up to 15°C, probably around June. 

Where to Plant

Basil seeds are best sown inside. They don't need to go anywhere specific, but they want to be planted in full sun. 8 - 12 inches between plants.

They grow well alongside many plants, including tomatoes, carrots, parsnips, marigold, and borage.

You want to avoid growing them with sage, thyme, and cucumber.

Growing

Water regularly when it's hot.

If you want to prolong the production of leaves, pinch out any flower stems that come up in mid summer. Letting them flower will stop leaf production, but will act as a good nectar source for pollinating insects like bees.

Harvesting

You can harvest the leaves throughout summer, picking up to a few leaves from each plant, leaving at least 2/3 still on it. If you are going to be cooking with them, you can pick the leaves and immediately freeze them. I place them in a single layer on a baking tray to prevent them sticking together, and then when frozen (usually 30 mins or less) transfer them to a bag. Use as required.  They will defrost in minutes, if not seconds.

Basil flowers are edible, and are said to have a milder flavour than the leaves.

You can also eat basil seeds, and they are a source of Omega-3. 

Coriander

If you want to skip the sowing seeds stage, you can buy plants in a supermarket.

When to Plant

Sow seeds straight outside into their final growing position any time from Spring to Autumn.

Sow seeds inside in February or March. 

If you are growing coriander for the leaves, then sowing every few weeks is likely to be best. Whereas if you want seeds, getting them off to an early start will help ensure they fully ripen.

Where to Plant

They don't need to be grown anywhere specific in crop rotation. 2 - 4 inches between plants.

They grow well alongside basil, lettuce, marigolds, and beans.

You want to avoid growing them with dill and carrots (cross-pollination, so only if allowing to flower), as well as thyme, rosemary, and garlic.

Growing

Water during spells without rain, as dry conditions can cause coriander to bolt.

If you aren't growing them for seeds, then you can remove the flower stems if you want so that it puts energy into seeds. You can do this before or after it flowers, depending on preference. 

Harvesting

You can harvest the leaves, taking only a few every couple of weeks per plant. You can start once the plants are around 6 inches tall. Eat fresh or freeze for later use.

Flowers will form, and when they do you can either leave them for pollinators (and allow them to go to seed) or pick them and eat them. 

Harvest seeds by cutting the stem and placing the whole thing over a container so that you don't lose them. They are often used in cooking.

A flowering coriander plant

Dill

When to Plant

If you are sowing the seeds outside, which is recommended, then you can sow after the last frost, up until July.

If you are sowing the seeds inside, then it can be sown year-round.

Where to Plant

If you are sowing the seeds outside, do so directly into their final growing position. They don't need to go anywhere specific in a crop rotation plan. 6 inches between plants.

If you are sowing the seeds inside, do so into individual modules, transplanting them after the last frost. 

Growing

Dill is prone to bolting (going to seed), so water frequently in hot weather if you want to delay it.

Dill grows well alongside basil, lettuce, cucumbers, onion and brassicas.

Avoid growing dill with lavender, potatoes, and coriander.

Harvesting 

You can start harvesting the leaves from 8 weeks after sowing. The more you pick the more likely you are to delay flowering. You should be able to harvest up until October if you have made repeat sowings. You can eat them fresh, dry them, or freeze them.

You can eat the flowers or wait for them to go to seed and use the seeds. 

A dill plant

Parsley

When to Plant

Parsley seeds can be planted from around March to June, either inside or outside.

Where to Plant

They don't need to go anywhere specific in a crop rotation plan. 6 inches between plants if in the garden bed. They do grow well in containers, where they will ideally have a pot around 10 inches wide.

Growing

Water regularly in hot weather. 

Parsley grows well with tomatoes, beans and brassicas.

Avoid growing parsley with mint, dill, and coriander, alliums, carrots and lettuce. 

Harvesting

You can harvest parsley leaves throughout summer, making sure to leave at least 2/3 of the leaves on the plant.

You can eat parsley flowers or let them go to seed and eat the seeds.

A young parsley plant

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ

Leafmould

Read Time: 2 minutes

What is Leafmould? 

Leafmould is the compost that is produced by the breakdown of leaves over time. While it doesn't contain a huge amount of nutrients, it will still add some nutrients to your soil, and is a great soil conditioner.

How do you make Leafmould?

Rake up fallen leaves.

Then you can either put them into bin bags, make holes in the bag to allow airflow, tie the top and leave them for up to a couple of years. You could use any bag for this, they don't have to be bin bags.

Or you can put them in a pile somewhere, surrounding them with wire or fence or something to stop them blowing away, and leave them for up to a couple of years. This is what I personally do, and I have some wire fencing and some old tyres surrounding my pile.

How long does it take to produce?

Assuming you collect the leaves in autumn when they fall, by the time spring comes around it may have broken down enough to add to the top of your soil (as a thin mulch layer) or to dig in, as it will further break down once there.

If you want good quality leafmould to use it as a seed or potting mix, then it will want to be fully rotted down, and it will probably take 2 years. I personally just add my leafmould to the soil either mixing in or just sprinkling on top, and I use the compost I make (or bought compost) for seeds and potting.

Turning the pile regularly can speed up the decomposition process.

You can collect the leaves with a rotary mower to speed up the process as it will shred the leaves. The added grass clippings may also speed up the process, and will provide nitrogen to the compost.

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ

Beginner Plants: Squashes

Read Time: 5 minutes

Squashes, or curcubits, are flowering plants that produce edible fruits. The squashes that I've chosen for this series are cucumbers, courgettes, and winter squashes. These don't need to go into a specific location in a crop rotation plan.

Cucumber

When to Plant

If you are sowing seeds inside, which is usually recommended, then sow seeds mid-February to mid-March if your cucumbers will be growing in a heated greenhouse. Sow seeds in April if they will be growing in a polytunnel or unheated greenhouse. Sow seeds in late April if the plant will be growing outside.

If you are sowing seeds outside, which you can do with outdoor varieties, then sow them late May to early June.

Where to Plant

Plant seeds inside, one per small pot or in modular trays, potting them on when necessary. 

If you will be growing cucumbers up a trellis, then they want to be spaced 1 ft apart somewhere where they can grow up a support, such as bamboo canes, fence, trellis, or anything else that the tendrils can wrap around. Otherwise space them 3 - 4 ft apart, where there is space for them to trail along the ground.

You want to transplant cucumbers when the temperature won't drop below 12°C. If you are growing them in a heated greenhouse then this can be as early as late March. If you are growing them in a polytunnel or unheated greenhouse, then this will probably be around late May. If you are growing them outside then it will probably be from early June onwards.

If planting outside, sow the seeds into their final growing position, 1/2 inch deep. Protect with fleece or a cloche. 

Cucumbers don't grow well next to other squashes. They also won't do well with brassicas and nightshades. 

They grow well with peas, onions, lettuce, marigolds and borage, among other plants. 

Growing 

Fruits will be more susceptible to pests, like slugs and snails, if they are trailing on the ground.

When watering, avoid getting the leaves wet, and don't water too frequently. 

Check the chosen variety for details, but many greenhouse varieties produce only female flowers (they have a tiny fruit behind the flower). These do not want pollinating otherwise the fruit will be bitter. Remove any male flowers (no fruit behind them) that form. Outdoor varieties will have both male and female flowers. The female flowers, with the fruit behind them, want pollinating, and the male flowers want removing. 

Harvesting

You can eat the flowers either raw or cooked. 

Cucumbers will be ready to pick from around July, and possibly harvested until as late as October. If you are growing small varieties, then they will be ready when around 4 inches long, whereas if you are growing full-sized varieties, they will be ready at about 6 - 8 inches. They should be uniformly green and firm.

To harvest cucumbers, cut the stem attached to the fruit with a sharp knife or secateurs. They are fast growing, and regular picking encourages more fruit. 

Courgette

There are a lot of varieties of courgettes. Courgettes are summer squashes that you can pick very frequently. The most common variety is green and long, but you can also get yellow ones, round ones, patty pan which I really like, and many more.

When to Plant

If you are sowing seeds inside, which is usually recommended, then sow seeds in April or early May.

If you are sowing seeds outside, do so around late May to early June. 

Where to Plant

Plant seeds inside, 1/2 inch deep, on their side, one per small pot or in modular trays. Pot them on when necessary. Plant seedlings outside after danger of frost has passed.

There are two types of courgette plants, bush and trailing. Check which variety you are growing.

Both bush and trailing varieties want planting roughly 3 ft apart. Plant trailing varieties where there is space for them to trail along the ground, or space for them to trail up something. 

Growing 

Fruits will be more susceptible to pests, like slugs and snails, if they are trailing on the ground. 

When watering, avoid getting the leaves wet. Frequent watering may be needed.

Treat courgette flowers differently to cucumbers. Courgettes are usually pollinated by insects, and they collect pollen from the male flowers and take it to the female flowers.

Harvesting

Courgettes should be ready to start harvesting 6 - 8 weeks after planting. 

It's best to harvest courgettes when young and tender, usually when they are around 4 - 5 inches long if a long variety. Regular picking will encourage more fruit to grow. 

You can also eat courgette flowers, but make sure you leave some male flowers to pollinate the fruits. 

Courgettes (green) and Patty Pan (white)

Young courgettes on a plant

Winter Squash

There are a lot of varieties to choose from here, and most of them are grown the same way and just as easy as each other. Butternut varieties are the most common, and you're probably familiar with them. Turks Turban are a variety that I personally really like. Blue Hubbard squashes are supposedly good to use as a trap crop.

When to Plant

It's recommended to sow seeds inside. Sow seeds from mid-April onwards.

Where to Plant

Plant seeds inside, 1/2 inch deep on their side, one per small pot or in modular trays, potting them on when necessary. Plant seedlings outside after danger of frost has passed.

Both bush and trailing varieties want planting roughly 3 ft apart. Plant trailing varieties where there is space for them to trail along the ground, or space for them to trail up something. 

Growing

Fruits will be more susceptible to pests, like slugs and snails, if they are trailing on the ground. 

When watering, avoid getting the leaves wet. Frequent watering may be needed, especially when fruiting.

It can be a good idea to place something below larger winter squash fruit, such as a brick, slab, or wooden board, Fruits being exposed to full sun can aid ripening. 

You can trail plants up supports, but make sure they are sturdy enough to support the plants and the fruit. 

These are pollinated the same way that courgettes are. 

Harvesting

You can harvest winter squashes as soon as they are ripe. But if you want to store them, then they can be left to ripen further, keeping them on the plant as long as possible, but picking them before the first frost. This allows you to store them for months.

You can also eat winter squash flowers, but make sure you leave some male flowers to pollinate the fruits.  

Young Turks Turban's growing on the plant

Ripened Turks Turban ready to be stored

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ

Beginner Plants: Salad Leaves

Read Time: 3 minutes

Salad leaves are the leaves of vegetables that are eaten raw, and many different plants can be categorised that way, but I've chosen lettuce and spinach here, as they are the most commonly grown and should be easy to grow. They don't need to be planted in a specific location in a crop rotation plan.

Lettuce

There are many different varieties of lettuce. The two important factors are taste and loose-leaf vs head lettuce. Loose-leaf varieties are ideal for picking individual leaves, whereas with head lettuces you harvest the entire thing. Sow seeds every few weeks if you want continuous harvests.

When to Plant 

If sowing seeds for summer and autumn harvests, then sow between late March and late July.

If sowing seeds for early winter harvests, then sow in early August.  

Where to Plant

You can sow them directly into their final growing position. They can be started off inside, but it isn't necessary. 

If you are planting loose leaf varieties, they can be very small with small root systems and fill in small gaps in the garden wherever you have them, provided you give them up to 6 inches of space to grow. They can be planted near most plants, but it's best to avoid those in the brassica family (other than radishes, which are okay).

If you are going to be growing them during the hottest part of summer, then it might be a good idea to grow them where they can get some shade, either from other plants or a location in the garden that gets shade in another way.

Grow head lettuce spaced 1 ft apart. 

Growing

Water seedlings and newly transplanted lettuces, and do so in the morning.

In the hotter months they may bolt and go to flower, which will turn the leaves bitter and often inedible, which is why it's important to have them partly shaded, especially during the hottest part of the day.

Harvesting

If you are growing loose-leaf varieties, they may be ready to start harvesting within 4 - 6 weeks of sowing. Pick up to 1/3 of the leaves from a plant when harvesting.

If you are growing head lettuce, time to start harvesting will vary based on variety and time of planting, but you can expect it to be around 2 - 3 months. Check the time from sowing to harvest for your chosen variety.

Spinach

It's best to sow spinach seeds directly outside into their final growing position, as transplanting them will make them more likely to bolt. Sow seeds every few weeks for continuous harvests.

When to Plant

If sowing seeds in spring, then sow between March and May.

If sowing seeds in late summer, then sow between August and September. 

Where to Plant

Sow spinach seeds directly outside into their final growing position. Spinach plants want to be spaced at 3 - 4 inches between plants. They can also be used to fill gaps in the garden.

They don't like the heat of the summer, and it can cause them to bolt, so you can plant them near crops that can provide them with some shade (or in a garden location that gets shade). 

Alternatively, because spinach is fast growing you can plant them to fill in temporary gaps in the garden. Either a space because you haven't planted something yet, or a gap because the plant next to it is still small. 

Growing

Slugs and snails can eat the leaves, especially when young, and birds can also get seedlings. So you might want to protect the plants. 

Spinach generally wants frequent watering, and doing so, alongside growing in the shade, can delay bolting.

When spinach bolts, it will send up long stems and produce flowers. Once this happens it will stop leaf production, so you can harvest the leaves (they may be bitter) and pull up the plant if you want the space or don't want it to flower, or leave it in the ground to flower, leaving some leaves on it.

Harvesting

Harvest as explained above if you want to.

If you are growing them for baby leaves, these can be ready to harvest from as little as 1 month after planting. Pick up to 1/3 of the leaves, regularly.

If you are growing them for more mature leaves, then these will be ready to harvest from around 2 months. Pick up to 1/3 of the leaves. 

Spinach growing in the garden in November.

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ

Beginner Plants: Onions and Root Vegetables

Read Time: 6 minutes

The last of the 4 plots in the 4-year crop rotation is onions and root vegetables. The onion family, otherwise known as alliums grow below the ground, as do root vegetables, which isn't one family of plants but a collection of plants where the edible root grows below ground.

The alliums that I've chosen are garlic and onions, and the root vegetables are carrots, parsnips and beetroot. Plants like these where the main part grows below the ground don't like to be transplanted, so you should sow the seeds directly outside into their final growing position. Garlic is most commonly grown from garlic cloves rather than seeds. Onions are also usually grown from immature onions, called onion sets, but can also be grown from seed as well.

Garlic

When it comes to garlic you have two types, hardneck and softneck. Within these there are many varieties, but hardneck and softneck have some key differences. Softneck stores for longer, has smaller but more cloves, is less likely to bolt and is less hardy.

When to Plant

Most varieties will want planting in late autumn or early winter, but some can be planted in early spring. Check the variety that you are using.

Where to Plant

Split the bulb into cloves and plant them straight into the ground into their final growing position, about 1 inch deep, spaced roughly 6 inches apart.

Growing

Once growing, garlic needs little maintenance. Water in dry spells and cut off any flower stems that form.

Harvesting

You can harvest a few leaves if you wish while the bulbs are growing.

Once the leaves of the plant have turned yellow, the bulbs are ready to harvest. For autumn planted garlic this will likely be around June, and for spring planted garlic this will likely be July - September. Carefully dig the bulbs up with a fork, or loosen the soil and pull up the plants.

Bulbs will store better if you don't leave them in the ground once they are ready. 

A few harvested garlic bulbs

Onions

When to Plant

If you are sowing seeds inside, then sow them in January or February.

If you are sowing seeds outside, then sow them between February and April.

If you are planting from onion sets, then plant them between mid-March and mid-April.

Where to Plant

If you are sowing seeds inside, then sow 2 seeds per module in a seed tray, thinning out to 1 if multiple sprout. You'll probably want a heated propagator to get seedlings to appear, as they will want to be 10-16°C

If you are sowing seeds outside, then sow them outside in their final growing position 1/2 inch deep, either in a trench or individual holes. They want to be grown about 4 inches apart. You can sow more and thin them to this distance.

If you are planting from onion sets, then plant them outside in their final growing position, 4 inches apart in a row and about 3/4 inch deep, so that the tip is just showing on the surface.

Growing

Water every couple of weeks during dry spells, but once the onions have swollen around July (mid-summer), stop watering them. 

Remove flower stems that start to form, unless you are saving seeds or want them to flower (they will put energy into flowers and later seed production instead of growing the bulb). 

Birds may pull up newly planted sets, so you can cover them with fleece or netting until they start to grow to protect them.

Harvesting

They are ready to harvest from August to October. Harvest when the stems are yellowing and falling over, but before they have died down completely. Carefully lift them with a fork, or loosen the soil and pick them up.

Onions growing

Flowering onion that provided me with seeds

Beetroot

When to Plant

Sow seeds between March and July in regular sowings so that you have ongoing harvests for up to 5 months. Your regular sowings can be starting from one end of the row, or doing them spread out across the entire row (although that can be harder to keep track of which are which).

Where to Plant

Sow seeds directly outside into their final growing position. Make a very shallow trench or individual shallow holes to plant seeds. Beetroots want to grow 4 inches apart, so you can either sow them at this distance, sow 2 seeds at each 4 inch point, or scatter them along a trench a couple of inches away. If more come up than you want, or they come up closer than 4 inches apart, thin plants to 4 inches. You can pick out the shoots and eat or compost them, or you can allow them to start growing and harvest them very young, primarily for the leaves, giving the remaining enough space as they start to grow near full size.

Growing

Seedlings aren't commonly eaten by birds, but they can be, so you can protect them with netting if you wish (they won't flower unless you let them go to seed). Once established they shouldn't need watering, unless in a dry spell, where watering every 10-14 days is recommended.

Harvesting

The roots can be harvested from June until October, depending on variety and sowing time. Check your seed packed (or variety if you have saved seeds) and note down your sowing time to see when you should harvest. Loosen the soil and then pull up the plants. If you are only harvesting some, pick alternate roots in the row.

You can also eat beetroot leaves. If you are harvesting them young to eat raw, then pick some leaves from the plant, but never more than 1/3 of the leaves on a plant. If you are going to cook them like spinach, you can use mature leaves for that, which will be when you harvest the root. 

Carrots

When to Plant

Sow seeds between February and July. You can do regular sowings like with beetroot, but carrots, once full size, can stay in the ground for a while, so it isn't as important to do as with beetroot.

Where to Plant

Sow seeds directly outside into their final growing position. Make a very shallow trench or individual shallow holes to plant seeds. Carrots want to grow around 2-3 inches apart. You will usually get hundreds if not thousands of carrot seeds in a packet, so you don't need to worry about trying to sow these precisely.

Growing

Carrots are drought resistant, but may want soaking in a long dry spell.

Carrot flies can be a problem for carrots, so you can cover them with a net if you want (they won't flower unless you let them go to seed). 

Companion planting can also help you to protect your carrots from carrot flies. Planting them close to plants in the allium family, such as the garlic and onion listed here, can mask the smell from carrot flies. You can also plant rosemary, dill or parsley fairly nearby in the garden, as these are some of the herbs that attract ladybirds and hoverflies, that eat carrot flies. 

Harvesting

Carrots should be ready to harvest 12 - 16 weeks from sowing, but they can be left in the ground into winter. Loosen the soil and pull up the plants. When harvesting the roots, you can use the carrot tops (leaves) in cooking or raw in salads.

Parsnips

When to Plant

Sow seeds between March and May. They will germinate best when the temperature is at least 12°C, so try to plant seeds outside around that time in your location.

Where to Plant

Sow seeds directly into their final growing position. Make a very shallow trench or individual shallow holes to plant seeds. Due to their long and sometimes inconsistent germination you might want to 'oversow' the seeds and then pick out the extras as talked about above. They can take a while to germinate, so keep watering regularly. Covering with a fleece can help keep temperatures high enough for consistent germination.

Growing

Water them regularly until they are well established, at which point they become quite drought tolerant, but you'll still want to keep the soil moist during dry spells.

Companion planting can also help you to protect your parsnips from carrot flies. Planting them close to plants in the allium family, such as the garlic and onion listed here, can mask the smell from carrot flies. You can also plant rosemary, dill or parsley fairly nearby in the garden, as these are some of the herbs that attract ladybirds and hoverflies, that eat carrot flies.

Harvesting

Parsnips are ready to harvest when the leaves start to die down in late summer or autumn, however they taste sweeter if they are left in the ground until after your first heavy frost. Loosen the soil and pull up the plants. You can also eat the tops (leaves) of parsnips, so pick some leaves during growing if you want to use them.

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ 

Beginner Plants: Potatoes and Tomatoes

Read time: 5 minutes

The next of the 4 plots in the 4-year crop rotation is nightshades, which are a wide variety of flowering plants. These plants are planted in the plot where brassicas were planted the previous year. In the plot, onions & roots will follow them the year after.

The beginner plants that I've chosen for this category are potatoes and tomatoes. Although these are in the same plot, they do want to be separated. As mentioned in my crop rotation post, you'll want to either do 8 plots (2 for each section in the crop rotation) and put tomatoes in one and potatoes in the other, or grow them in the same plot separating them by 10ft (ideally). If you are sowing tomato seeds inside, then ideally you'll sow in compost, in either modular trays or small pots.

Potatoes

Choose a variety based on what you want out of your potatoes. There are early varieties and main crop varieties. Early varieties are for smaller new potatoes, and main crop varieties are for larger potatoes you'd use for most other things. Within main crop potatoes, different varieties are suited for different ways of cooking potatoes, so choose based on which variety is good for how you want to cook your potatoes. 

When to Plant

If you are growing early varieties, then you'll want to plant them late March to early April.

If you are growing main crop varieties, then you'll want to plant them mid April to late April.

You can chit potatoes 4-6 weeks before you plan on planting them outside if you want to get them off to an earlier start (it can also lead to more reliable 'germination'). To chit potatoes, place them in a seed tray or old egg box, one per hole, with any side with 'eyes' on the potato facing up. The 'eyes' are where they start to sprout from, which is why you want those facing up. You want the starter potatoes to be roughly the size of a chicken egg (which is why people use egg boxes), so any potatoes around that size you can leave as they are, but if there are bigger ones with 'eyes' on multiple parts of the potato, you can cut them into 2 or more pieces, ensuring any pieces are roughly egg sized. Leave the potatoes in a cool, frost-free area with plenty of light, but not in direct sunlight, until ready to plant out.

Where to Plant

Potatoes want to be planted directly into the ground, in their final growing position. Dig a trench around 6 inches deep and place the potatoes at the bottom of the trench, sprout side facing upwards. Cover the potatoes with an inch or more of soil. Alternatively you can dig holes in a row at the right spacing.

If you are growing early varieties, space them around 1 ft apart, with 2 ft between rows. 

If you are growing main crop varieties, space them 15 - 18 inches apart, with around 24 inches between rows, as they'll get bigger than early varieties.

If you are practicing no-dig, then cover the potatoes with a mulch layer instead, so that when it comes to harvesting you can just pull them up from the stem, or move the mulch first.

Growing

Although they are planted out early, shoots won't like a hard frost, so it's ideal to protect them if possible on nights when you might be getting a frost.

As the stems of the plants grow, it's a good idea to mound up the soil around them, both to protect the shoots from frost damage, and to ensure the potatoes aren't exposed to direct light, which can cause them to grow green and become inedible. If you are practicing no-dig, then do the same but mound up mulch instead of soil.

Harvesting

If you covered your potatoes with mulch then you should be able to pull them up by the stem. If they are covered with soil, then you'll need to dig down, starting just off where you think they are so you don't skewer them. 

Early varieties can be ready to harvest from June, potentially as late as August, depending on when you planted them. They are ready from as little as 12 weeks from being planted. Check the variety you have chosen to see the time it will take for them to be ready to harvest.

If you are growing main crop varieties, then they will be ready to harvest at some point between late August and October, usually taking 15-18 weeks from being planted. Check the variety you have chosen to see the time it will take for them to be ready to harvest. 

A box of freshly harvested potatoes

 

Tomatoes

Tomatoes, like potatoes, have different varieties suited to different ways of eating them. Cherry tomatoes are good for salads and sandwiches. Larger varieties, like beefsteak, are good for burgers, salsa or for eating fresh. With plum varieties being good for salsa or cooking sauces and stews.

When to Plant

If you will be growing them in a greenhouse, then sow seeds from late February to mid March.

If you will be growing them outside, then sow seeds from late March to early April. 

Where to Plant

Sow seeds inside, 1-2 per module in a modular tray, or 3-4 in the middle of a small pot.

Plant seedlings out after the last frost, spacing them 18-24 inches apart and in a sunny, sheltered spot if possible. Most varieties of tomatoes need growing support, so place these at each plant at this stage. You can use bamboo canes, fence, or pruned branches.

Growing

Check which variety you are going to be growing, as bush tomatoes are more compact and you should allow their side shoots to grow. Whereas if you are growing non-bush tomatoes (cordon), they will grow as tall, single-stemmed plants, and you'll want to regularly pinch out any side-shoots that form

Harvesting

While it varies based on variety, location, and time of planting, you can likely expect your tomatoes to start ripening from July onwards. Pick individual tomatoes when they are ripe.

At the end of the season, you may still have tomatoes on the plant that aren't ripe. I find it easier to pick them and lay them somewhere warm and dark in a breathable container, like a cardboard box or paper bag. You can speed up ripening by adding a ripening fruit to the container, as that will release ethylene gas. Bananas are commonly used.

 

Tomatoes ripening on the vine

I am proud to be affiliated with JustSeed, a company that I have bought seeds from for a few years now. I believe in what they are doing over there, and if you are going to buy seeds, garden tools, or seedlings, then please consider checking them out and using my link below to do so. Thank you for supporting me.

https://justseed.com/?ref=ANGJ