Now is the time to think about vegetables for the summer! Hopefully the following article will inspire you…….
A return visit by Geoff Hodge ended the Gardening Club’s year. Geoff is extremly knowledgeable and what he doesn’t know about growing vegetables really isn’t worth knowing! He has managed a Garden Centre, wrote for the RHS for years, contributes regularly to Garden News, has several books under his belt, and has an excellent website – http://www.gardenforumhorticulture.co.uk.
“Grow your vegetables for flavour” Geoff said – “they will taste far better than those you purchase in a supermarket. You will also be ‘doing your bit’ by involving fewer airmiles! Add vegetables to your flower garden, raised beds, window boxes (excellent for cut ‘n come again salad crops) – you will not be disappointed.”
An 8″ pot will be fine for 5/6 French bean plants or peppers (6/7 plants in a 15″ pot), use a 12″ pot for cucumbers, an 18 – 24″ pot for 5 runner bean plants. Beware of using grow bags unless you top them up with more compost or lie then on the open ground. NOW is the time to buy your seed potatoes, chit them for better results and they will be ready for planting out in April.
Use good quality compost to fill your pots – you will need to start feeding in about 5 to 6 weeks – every 7 to 10 days in the growing period. High potash fertilisers like Tomorite are good for flowers and fruiting. But – don’t feed your tomatoes until the first truss has set! In fact – keep the tomato plant in a small pot until the first truss of flowers begins to open (didn’t know that, did you?).
Do keep this information for your future use and then let us all know about the wonderful crop of vegetables you have grown in your containers!
Thinking of food – we enjoyed probably the best-ever Splendid Christmas Buffet in December – thanks to our generous members who brought all kinds of goodies. Can’t wait for next year…
Happy Gardening in 2014
