Category Archives: Growing Guides

Runner Beans

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There are many different types of bean available:

Climbing French Beans – French beans tend to be on smaller, more tender pods than runner beans. The immature pods are eaten whole, the semi-mature pods are shelled and the beans inside are eaten and ‘flageolets’ and the mature pods can also be shelled and eaten fresh or dried and stored, these beans are like kidney beans. Climbing varieties can reach up to 2.5m in height and are best grown up canes.

Dwarf French Beans – the same type beans are produced as on the climbers (above) but on more compact plants, generally about 45cm tall. These are good for growing in containers.

Runner Beans – Runner beans have a more pronounced flavour than French beans. The plants are more prolific (some can grow up to 2.5m tall) and the beans produced are very long and flat.

Dwarf Runner Beans – These produce beans just as good as on the large runner beans, only on very compact plants. These varieties are actually quite ornamental in containers.

When to Sow Beans Any beans from seeds: April – June

Any beans from young plants: Plant in May

Harvest Time Runner beans grown from seed: July – September Dwarf French beans grown from seed: June – October Climbing French beans grown from seed: June – August Dwarf French beans grown from young plants: July – August Climbing French beans grown from young plants: July – August Runner beans grown from young plants: July – September

Site and Soil Beans are happy in most soil types, but they do require it to be well dug. Their roots don’t like compacted soil, so before plants make sure the soil is loose to a depth of around 30cm.

Position beans in a sunny but sheltered spot, if possible. Because of their height, they can suffer from damage in very windy areas.

Provide canes or a combination of canes and Pea & Bean Netting for the beans to grow up (not necessary for dwarf varieties).

How to Grow Beans from Seeds

Sowing Beans can be sown directly outside or, if you’d prefer to start harvesting slightly earlier, you can start them off indoors and then plant them out in May.

To sow indoors, sow two seeds per 9cm pot or Rootrainer in April. Seeds should be sown 5cm deep. Leave to germinate on a windowsill, propagator or in a greenhouse and plant out into growing position once the roots fill the pot.

When planting outside, position the bean plants 15cm apart, making sure that a wigwam or climbing structure is in place for them to grow up.

Seeds can be sown directly outside at spacings of 15cm and a depth of 5cm from April in warm areas. Beans can be sown in rows (for criss-cross growing frame, or circles for wigwam growing frames).

Harvesting Harvesting Runner beans and French beans is fun and easy. Pick them from the plant whenever they reach the desired size – the more you pick, the more will grow. If you have too many to eat in one go they can be frozen for use at a later date.

If Runner or French beans are left to grow a bit too big, they can be shelled and used at the ‘Flageolets’ stage.

Storing The easiest way to store broad beans is by freezing them. This way they can be used cooked or defrosted as and when needed. Beans can also be shelled, dried and stored in air-tight jars.

Bean Pests and Diseases Runner and French beans can be susceptible from the following pests and diseases:

Slugs – Slugs are attracted to the young plants.

Blackbean aphid/blackfly – Young shoots are often covered with masses of black aphids. These growing tips can be snipped off and disposed.

Bean Seed Fly – Can prevent germination and attack seedlings. They’re at their worst in cold, wet soils. They can be prevented with Insect Netting until germination has taken place.

Pollen Beetle – may attack open flowers. It’s best not to control them with chemicals, but they shouldn’t cause a problem with your crop.

Garlic

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When to Plant

  • Autumn varieties: September – December
  • Spring varieties: January – March

Harvest Time

  • Autumn varieties: May – July
  • Spring varieties: June – August

Site and Soil

Garlic needs an open, sunny site with light, free-draining soil. Avoid planting garlic in very heavy or freshly manured ground. Garlic responds well to potash, so if you have any available wood ash you can make use of it by digging it in to your soil. Or, for best results, use a pre-planting garlic fertiliser as well.

How to Grow Garlic from Bulbs Planting Both autumn and spring varieties can be planted straight outside into prepared soil. Break the bulbs into individual cloves. Loosen up the soil in the planting area, add some pre-planting fertiliser and work it into 10cm ridges. The cloves should then pushed into these ridges about 15cm apart (pointy-end up) at a depth of about 2cm.

Garlic prefers light soil, but where this isn’t available dig a generous amount of grit into the planting area to ensure any water can drain away from the bulb.

Growing

Garlic benefits from watering during dry spells in the middle of summer. Once established, garlic requires little attention other than occasional weeding and feeding with a liquid feed. Hardneck varieties produce a flower stem which, if cut off 3 – 4 weeks before harvesting, can increase the bulb size by up to 20%.

Harvesting

If you want to eat your garlic ‘green’ or ‘wet’ you can harvest it around May to June, when the foliage is still green. Don’t lift all your crop early because it doesn’t store for long and won’t dry out successfully. Autumn-planted varieties are better for lifting early because they have had longer to establish.

Alternatively you can harvest garlic at the traditional time, once the leaves start to turn yellow (around mid to late-summer). The easiest way to lift them is by pushing a hand or border fork into the ground next to them and easing them out of the ground.

Storing

Once you have harvested your garlic bulbs, the best way to store them is by drying them out, this usually takes about a week to do, ideally in sunny, breezy conditions.

Dry garlic by hanging in bunches or plaited, or laid on wooden shelves. For those drying out by lying on benches, cut off the stems down to about 2cm. Bulbs left in the soil for another winter  tend to re-sprout the following spring and produce clusters of flavoursome leaves which can be used like chives.

Garlic Pests and Diseases

  • Rust disease – rusty spots form on the leaves, sometimes killing them off completely, often resulting in smaller bulbs size. This commonly happens when the growing garlic sits in damp soil for too long, it can also happens if grown in soil where either onions, garlic or leeks have been grown before. There isn’t a cure for rust disease, but if you see any leaves with rust-coloured spots on, remove them and throw them away to help prevent the rust from spreading. Don’t grow garlic, onions or leeks in areas that have been affected by rust – avoid these areas for 4 to 5 years as the spores can be active for years.
  • Onion white rot – the leaves turn yellow and wilt, preventing the bulb from forming properly. The bulbs will have white, fuzzy spots on if they have onion white rot. There isn’t a cure, the best thing to do it remove the bulbs from the area completely to avoid the disease spreading.
  • Onion fly – the leaves start to wilt and turn yellow, preventing the bulbs from developing. Onion fly can affect garlic and leeks as well as onions. The larvae of onion fly live in the soil and eat the roots of the bulb, and eventually burrow into the bulb itself. Discard any bulbs you discover with onion fly..

Carrots

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There are different types of carrot available, each offering different qualities:

Early Summer Varieties These can be sown from as early as February and take about 3 – 5 months to grow. They’re mostly eaten fresh but they can be stored in the ground. Early varieties are available in the following types;

  • Round/square-rooted – suitable for difficult soils.
  • Amsterdam  – pointed and narrow, excellent raw.
  • Nantes – Large and cylindrical.

Maincrop Varieties Produce a later harvest than the early varieties and can store in the ground throughout winter until as late as March. Maincrop varieties are available in the following types:

  • Chantenay – Medium-sized, reputation for good flavour.
  • Berlicum – large, cylindrical, matures late.
  • Autumn King – large, tapered shape and high yielding.
  • Intermediate – long, large roots.
  • Imperator – Thin roots with a very sweet flavour. Great for eating raw.

When to Sow Early summer varieties: February – August Maincrop varieties: April – June

Harvest Time Early summer varieties: June – November Maincrop varieties: September – March

Site and Soil Carrots are a bit particular about where they grow, but if you’ve got the right site for them you’ll find it easy to achieve a successful harvest with them. Carrots thrive in light, deep, fertile, stone-free, well-drained soil and don’t do well in heavy clay soil. The roots tend to fork in freshly manured ground so it’s best to mulch the area several months before sowing.

How to Grow Carrots from Seeds Sowing You can start sowing early summer varieties from February but it’s advised that you cover with cloches for small tunnels to warm the ground slightly for the first month or so. For the longest lasting harvest of early summer varieties, sow successionally throughout the summer, i.e. sow a new row every month. Maincrop varieties can be sown from April.

Sow into drills in well prepared, fine soil. The drills should be 1 – 2.5cm deep, in rows about 30cm apart.

Growing Carrots are very susceptible to weed competition in early stages, so weed seedlings carefully.

Once the carrots are established, the carrot foliage blanket the soil so weeding isn’t as urgent. Carrots don’t require much watering, but it’s a good idea to not let the soil dry out completely because that can cause your carrots to split if it suddenly rains very heavily.

Once the carrots start to grow and become densely packed in their rows that will need thinning out. The smell released when thinning notoriously attracts carrot root fly (one of the worst problem pests with this crop), so it’s worth bearing this in mind when sowing. Try to sow as thinly as possible to prevent the need for thinning out altogether.In most cases it is necessary to thin the carrots out, no matter how thinly they’ve been sown. They should be thinned to a distance of 3 – 5cm (or slightly less for narrower varieties).

Harvesting You’ll be able to tell when you’re carrots are ready for harvesting because you’ll be able to see the ‘shoulder’ of the carrot just above the soil surface. They can be left in the ground until they reach the required size, or left to store there until needed. In light soil pull out roots carefully as they reach the required size. In heavier soil you’ll need to push a fork into the ground next to them and gently leaver them out.

Storing Carrots withstand light frost, but are damaged by heavy frost. They can be stored in the following ways:

  • In the ground – This is the best method for retaining flavour, but is best in light, well drained soil. Allow the foliage to die back, or cut back foliage from early November if it hasn’t yet died back, and cover with black polythene to keep it dark and to keep the rain off. For additional protection you can include a layer of cardboard underneath the polythene too. These can be dug up and used when required.
  • Indoors – Lift the carrots before the first heavy frost. Cut the foliage off and lay them in rows in cardboard or wood boxes, each layer separated by a layer of sand. Carrots can be pulled from the box when required

Carrot Pests and Diseases: Carrot fly – avoiding carrot fly is very tricky. This is where flies lay eggs at the base of the plant: when hatched tiny maggots tunnel into the roots leaving them holey. There are a number of methods that can help prevent them:

  • Sow thinly – this can reduce need for thinning out, which creates a smell that attracts carrot fly.
  • Choose resistant varieties –varieties such as ‘Resistafly’ hove shown to be less popular with carrot fly.
  • Grow next to onions – the smell of onions can deter carrot root fly, so planting alternate rows of carrots and onions may be effective.
  • Grow high up – it’s thought that carrot fly stay close to the ground so goring them in a raised bed, bench or window box at least 1m from the ground may work.

Onions

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Onions are raised either from seed, plants or from sets (small bulbs), each has pros and cons:

Sets Advantages – easier to grow, less prone to pests and diseases, matures earlier. Disadvantages – less choice of variety, more prone to bolting, more expensive.

Seed Advantages – available for all varieties, less prone to bolting, more flexible sowing times, cheaper. Disadvantages: more labour, longer growing season, more susceptible to pests and disease.

Plants Advantages – easier to grow, less prone to pests and diseases and have had a head-start on arrival, meaning a shorter growing season for you. Disadvantages – Less choice of variety, more expensive.

Different types available which have different growing times and methods:

  • Autumn planting onion sets: small bulbs which are cleaned, graded and stored, ready to plant out in the autumn. Gives an earlier crop than spring planted varieties.
  • Spring planting regular onion sets: small bulbs which are cleaned, graded and stored, ready to plant out in the spring.
  • Spring planting heat prepared onion sets: the heat-treatment minimises bolting and extends the growth period, meaning much greater yields can be achieved.
  • Autumn planting shallots sets: small bulbs which are planted in autumn and grow to form a cluster or shallots the following summer.
  • Spring planting shallot sets: small bulbs which are planted in spring and grow to form a cluster or shallots slightly later in the summer than the autumn-planted sets.
  • Autumn sowing onion seeds: Sow in autumn for a crop of onions from early summer the following year. These varieties don’t keep as well as spring sown varieties but are useful for plugging the gap earlier in the season.
  • Spring sowing onion seeds: Sow in early spring for a crop of onions from mid-summer through to autumn. These onions can be stored until spring the following year.
  • Onion plants: Plant in mid-spring for a crop from mid-summer to autumn.

Bulb onions, such as Red Cross, Troy and Red Barron, can be grown from sets or seed and can be eaten fresh, or dry them out for storage.

Spring onions, such as White Lisbon and Guardsman, are grown from seed. Depending on whether their variety is winter hardy or not, you can sow them anytime between March and October for a long harvest between February and September. They don’t store well but only take around 12 weeks to be ready to harvest and can be sown throughout most of the year.

Site and Soil Onions prefer an open, sunny site with light, free-draining soil. Avoid planting onions in very heavy or freshly manured soil. Onions are sensitive to acidity, so if you know you have acid soil it’s a good idea to dig in lime to the planting area beforehand. For best results, dig a pre-planting fertiliser into the ground.

How to Grow Onions and Shallots from Sets

When to plant Autumn planting onions: September – November Spring planting onions: March – April Autumn planting shallots: September – December Spring planting shallots: February – March

Harvest time Autumn planting onions: June – July Spring planting onions: August – September Autumn planting shallots: June – July Spring planting shallots: July – September

Planting: Both autumn and spring varieties can be planted straight outside into prepared soil. If the soil is loose and well dug you should be able to push the sets into the ground, or use a dibber to create a hole first. Plant them, pointy-end up, in rows at a spacing of about 15cm.The tips of the sets should be just level with the soil surface.

How to Grow Onions and Shallots from Seeds

When to Sow Autumn sowing onions:  August – September Spring sowing onions: January – March Spring sowing shallots: January – March

Harvest Time Autumn sowing onions:  June – July Spring sowing onions: August – September Spring sowing shallots: August – September

Sowing Autumn-sowing onions can be sown indoors to be transplanted outside at a later date, which will give them a bit of a head start, or they can be sown directly into the growing position. Spring-sowing seeds are usually sown directly into their growing position.

Sowing indoors: For an earlier start, especially in colder areas, sow seed in a cool greenhouse in late winter or early spring. Once the seeds have germinated and are about 1cm tall and at ‘crookneck’ stage, they should be pricked out at a spacing of about 5cm. Start to harden them off once they reach 2-3 leaf stage before planting out into eventual growing position in mid – late spring.

Transplant the seedlings into rows outside in mid – late spring, at a spacing of around 15cm, or allow up to 25cm for larger bulbs.

Sowing outdoors: As soon as the soil is workable in spring, or before it becomes in mid-autumn prepare it by digging and raking it to a fine texture. Avoid sowing into very cold or wet soil. Sow thinly into rows at a depth of about 2cm. The rows should be about 30cm apart from each other. As the seedlings start to grow they will need to be thinned every now and then to create space for bulbs to develop. Use the removed seedlings as spring onions or chives. Once they reach a spacing of about 15cm you’ll no longer need to thin them.

How to Grow Onions and Shallots from Plants

When to plant: April Harvest time:    August – September

Planting: Onion plants are delivered in early April when they’re ready to be planted outside. Make sure the soil is well dug and crumbly before planting. Remove the plants from each cell one at a time by pushing them out from underneath. Using a dibber, create drills (the same depth as the plant cell) in rows at a spacing of 15cm. The plants should be planted no deeper or shallower than they were in the cell tray. Firm them into the ground and water-in.

How to Grow Spring Onions

When to sow: Spring onions: March – July Winter hardy spring onions: August – October

Harvest time: Spring onions: May – September Winter hardy spring onions: February – May

Sowing: Sow winter hardy spring onions, such as White Lisbon, in autumn and spring varieties from March. You can continue to sow spring onions throughout summer to provide a continuous harvest. Prepare the soil by digging and raking it to a fine, crumbly texture. Avoid sowing into very cold or wet soil. Sow thinly into rows at a depth of about 2cm. The rows should be about 10cm apart from each other. As the seedlings start to grow they will need to be thinned every now and then, but whatever you remove doesn’t have to go to waste. You can use the removed seedlings as spring onions or chives. Once they reach a spacing of about 2cm, you’ll no longer need to thin them out.

Further Growing Information for Onions and Shallots

Growing: Onions and shallots prefer light soil, but where this isn’t available you can dig a generous amount of grit into the planting area to ensure any water can drain away from the bulb.

Protecting growing onions and shallots with netting should help prevent bird and insect damage. It’s also important to keep the area around them weed free.

Onions and shallots benefit from watering during dry spells in the middle of summer. But generally, once established, they require little attention other than occasional weeding and feeding with a liquid feed.

Harvesting: For fresh use, lift onions when they reach a usable size. If harvesting for storage, wait until foliage starts to die down and the tops bend over naturally. Ease the bulbs gently from the ground. In dry weather you can leave them on wooden benches or boxes to dry outside for a week or so, but if it’s damp you may be better off drying them in a greenhouse.

Harvest shallots from mid–summer onwards. They form clusters of bulbs that should be lifted whole, using the same method as lifting bulb onions.

Spring onions don’t keep for long, so it’s best to harvest them as and when needed. They’re easy enough to harvest without tools, simply by gently easing them from the ground by pulling on them gently.

Storing: Onions and shallots are ready for storage when the skins have gone dry and papery, then they should be kept in a well ventilated place. Our onion storage nets are ideal for storing onions, shallots and garlic, helping to keep them in top condition for as long as possible.

Health Benefits: Onions have been used in the past as a treatment for angina, coughs, colds and asthma. It’s also found to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Onions Pests and Diseases: Rust disease – rusty spots form on the leaves, sometimes killing them off completely, often resulting in smaller bulbs size. This commonly happens when growing onions sit in damp soil for too long, it also happens if grown in soil where either onions, garlic or leeks have been grown before. There isn’t a cure for rust disease, but if you see any leaves with rust-coloured spots on, remove them and throw them away to help prevent the rust from spreading. Don’t grow garlic, onions or leeks in areas that have been affected by rust for 4 to 5 years.

Onion white rot – the leaves turn yellow and wilt, preventing the bulb from forming properly. The bulbs will have white, fuzzy spots on if they have onion white rot. There isn’t a cure, the best thing to do it remove the bulbs from the area completely to avoid the disease spreading.

Onion fly – the leaves start to wilt and turn yellow, preventing the bulbs from developing. Onion fly can affect garlic and leeks as well as onions. The larvae of onion fly live in the soil and eat the roots of the bulb, and eventually burrow into the bulb itself. Discard any bulbs you discover with onion fly. Try preventing onion fly by planting next to carrots.