Crops
Let’s share tips and make each year better!
Please send us your tips and information about how your crops have grown this year. Just fill out the column to the right.
Potatoes first early
Ulster Sceptre (2011) – organic from Tuckers. Adequate, some slug damage, one or two plants got blackleg. Planted March 21, lifted June 21. Helen & Terry KH plot 1
Potatoes second early
Charlotte (2011) – did well both last year and this, though succumbed to blight of course. Some slug damage. Helen & Terry KH plot 1
Potatoes main crop
Sarpa Mira (2010) – new-ish red skinned blight resistant variety. Grew prolifically and did resist blight, but tubers very badly damaged by slugs and some rot. Taste average.Helen & Terry KH plot 1
Potatoes planted onto cardboard and manure, ‘earthed up’ with straw – used to clear ground. Not the best potatoes, but a fair crop and the ground got cleared to boot! Simone Wilkie KH
Tomatoes
Tomatoes (2011) – succumbed to blight. Simone Wilkie KH (they almost always do – Helen)
Root veg
Carrots copyright-free (2011) – Carrots- interplanted with onions and leeks to disguise the smell from carrot fly and worked on them in the evening when the fly isn’t supposed to be around…..no carrot fly! BUT I didn’t get very many seeds to germinate or plants to thrive. Used organic Nantes from Tuckers. Bed had a steep slope, water ran downhill, the ones at the bottom were better. Simone Wilkie KH
Onions garlic leeks
Onion sets Red Baron (2011) – almost all went to seed. Helen & Terry KH plot 1
Brassicas
Peas and beans
Cherokee beans (2011) – thrived with little or no watering, work best using beans for drying – can anyone recommend another good bean which has been developed for the purpose of drying for storage?) Simone Wilkie KH
Runner beans (2011) – can’t fail with these! Simone Wilkie KH
Other veg
Sweetcorn ‘Swift’ (2011) – grown for 3 years now, on allotment and in garden: good. Start in modules at home. First crop planted out May 17 good crop. Second crop a month later, only got a few cobs. Seaweed from beach, rinsed and put on corn as a mulch, helped it grow really green and vigorous. It’s worth staking corn so it doesn’t blow over. Helen & Terry KH plot 1
Squash (2011) – Burgess Buttercup from ‘Real Seed Calalogue’ – big rambling plants, out of two I got just 5 squash. Gorgeous tasting, weigh about 3lb each, good keepers. Simone Wilkie KH
Courgettes (2018)- courgettes grew fanastically this year. Also tried out round yellow courgette (possibly courgette ‘Floridor’ F1) which produced an abundant crop
Spinach and chard (2011)- did well everywhere! Simone Wilkie KH
Amaranth– fascinating to watch develop into tall and beautiful plants with multi-hued seed heads. I have used the leaves cooked as I would spinach and juiced with apples- supposed to be a superfood? Now have the promise of seed to use as a grain, though I’m not counting on a large harvest (from ‘Real Seed Calalogue’). Simone Wilkie KH
Fruit
Flowers & Herbs
Gladioli (2018) – My gladioli grew beautifully this year with very little effort on my part. Lovely cut in vases at home and for gifts.
Simone’s poppy 2011 (2011) – My poppies that I just scattered seeds on empty beds have been AWESOME and filled my heart with joy, attracting bees galore! (there are also antirrhinum, lavender, borage and marigolds for them – I’ve just loved having bees around!) Simone Wilkie KH
