Posts Tagged ‘growing vegetables’

How to vegetable garden in December with hints and tips about growing vegetables and herbs.

If November has not been very cold and affected crops and the ground we can be fairly sure that December will make up for it.

The calendar may say it is the end of the year but us for gardeners it is the time to plan for the next growing season and at the same time clear and tidy up after a busy growing year.

The shortest day is in December and although the weather may be cold and damp there is optimism that the days will lengthen and that spring does not seem that far away. It is the perfect time to start planning for the next growing season.

Here are some hints and tips for growing a selection of vegetables during the month of December:

Root Crops

Lift Carrots, Turnips and Beetroot and store. A proven method is in boxes with sand packed between the rows of roots.

Be vigilant for signs of damage or rot when storing as this can soon affect healthy root crops. It is best to do a regular check on stored vegetables, removing any rotting or mouldy specimens.

Parsnips can be left in the ground until required for the kitchen as they taste better when they have been exposed to frost.

Celery

Leave Celery in the ground until needed but mulch with straw as protection.

Brussels Sprouts

The roots of Brussels Sprouts can become loosened by the wind, weakening the plant and reducing the crop so add a support before any damage is done.

When picking sprouts off the haulm begin by selecting the largest sprouts, which will be lower down the stem.

Take off yellowing leaves as soon as you see them which will help to prevent the spread of grey mould and brassica downy mildew.

Shallots

For those lucky enough to live in a mild area and garden on well drained soil it is possible to plant shallots in December. However for those gardening on heavy clay leave planting until the soil is warmer Shallots will easily rot.

Garlic

Garlic can be planted in December if you live in a mild area and garden on well drained soil.

If you garden on a heavy clay soil it is better to delay planting as there is a good chance that your Garlic will rot off. However you could plant Garlic cloves in modules to be planted out once the soil has warmed.

Spring Cabbage

If you planted out spring cabbages earlier in the autumn some may be ready to harvest and eat as winter greens. In mild autumns it is possible to have them heart up almost as large as they would achieve by spring.

Pigeons can devastate a crop so to prevent pigeon damage cover your crop with cloches, netting or fleece.

Soil and Garden Maintenance

If you have not done so dig over and incorporate soil improvers into available sections of the vegetable plot.

Cover these areas with thick polythene to keep the soil dry and make it easier to work in the spring. A practice that is very useful for heavy clay soils. Clear polythene will increase the soil temperature, enabling earlier sowings in spring. Black polythene will suppress weeds but many professional vegetable gardeners prefer to put down a black material membrane that allows the soil to breathe and not become sour.

Clear any remaining plant debris to discourage the spread of disease.

Slugs are still active so be on your guard around your crops and during the colder months mice are also on the lookout for an easy meal.

Bay Trees

Bay trees are not totally hardy so it is best to protect them during winter.

If your tree is in a pot and is small enough, carry it into a frost free greenhouse or similar structure. If not portable:

• Wrap the top growth with horticultural fleece
• Put the pot on feet so that it has good drainage
• Keep the compost on the dry side so that it cannot freeze

I have used this method for several years and now have a very good sized Bay.

Herbs in General

Some herb species can be kept going through the winter months by potting up pieces into small pots and keeping on the kitchen windowsill. Remember that they have missed their winter sleep and it may be necessary to dispose of them in the spring.

Provide protection for the crowns of herbs that have died down for winter by adding bark, grit or similar mulch.

See also:

How to Vegetable Garden in November
How to Vegetable Garden In January

It may seem as if the vegetable growing season is drawing to a close but take a closer look at how to vegetable garden in October and you will see that although the vegetable winter season approaches there are still many things to do in the vegetable garden. 

To begin with vegetable care tips, the harvesting of crops continues while gardeners in milder regions will still be sowing seeds. This is a good opportunity to begin to clear and clean plots ready for the winter and begin vegetable garden planning for next year.

Tomatoes

Now is the time to dig up any remaining outdoor tomatoes plants. For those vegetable gardeners with a greenhouse take the plants into the shelter of the house and hang them upside down to enable the fruits to ripen. For those with no greenhouse you have the option of picking the fruit and putting them in a shoe box with a banana to speed ripening or use them green in chutneys. 

Broad Beans

Broad Beans can be sown in situ if you live in a mild region and over wintered by covering the trench with fleece or cloches to provide insulation.

Peas

Once again for those gardening in milder regions sow peas in cold frames. But do remember that mice will be foraging for extra food for the winter so take extra precautions to protect your crop.

Carrots Vegetable Growing Tips

For milder climate gardeners the option is open to sow carrots in cold frames. An alternative method is to have a deep box which can be constructed easily from scrap timber and filled with compost. Sow the carrot seed and move the box into the greenhouse or shelter before any real winter weather begins.

Spring Cabbage

A very popular green vegetable so plant out spring cabbages this month. It is essential to cover your crop with netting or fleece to deter pigeons as they can devastate your crop.

Celery

Make sure that you earth up plants of trench celery so that just the top is showing. Cardboard can be used to achieve the same result. 

If you are growing a self-blanching celery variety harvest before the first frosts as these are not as hardy as the trench varieties. 

Squashes and Pumpkins

Harvest squashes and pumpkins when ripe. Store them in a cool, dry, dark place after letting the skins harden by leaving them in the sun, greenhouse or garage.

Asparagus

If you did not cut back your asparagus foliage and mulch around the plants during September then this should be done in October.

If you are planning to add an asparagus bed to your vegetable garden prepare now by digging in organic matter and grit for added drainage. Plant up in the spring. 

Root Vegetable Storage

Remember to check crops carefully and only store healthy root crops, this includes carrots, beetroot and potatoes. 

Leave parsnips in situ as frosting will improve the flavour. 

Runner Beans

Probably the last picking of Runner Beans in October as remaining beans will be tough and stringy.

Onions and Garlic Vegetable Growing

For an early crop next year plant autumn onion sets now. 

Start garlic in containers or modules and plant out when more mature.

Sprouts

To prevent grey mould problems remove yellowing leaves from Brussels Sprouts.

Digging Over the Vegetable Garden

October is normally not that warm but at the same time not too cold so take the opportunity to dig over areas of the vegetable garden where crops have been cleared.

Vegetable Garden Hygiene

Whether it is your allotment or vegetable patch at home it is best to remove all plant debris to lessen the risk of spreading disease.

Vegetable garden planting time has arrived at last. After all the hard work the fun bit begins. Did you say what hard work? If you did it can only mean that you have moved into a home with a vegetable plot already prepared, taken over an existing garden allotment or you are annoyingly young and fit!

Before your vegetable garden planting begins, as part of learning how to vegetable garden you have hopefully thought about the vegetable garden layout and prepared the ground by double digging if using the raised be or deep-bed method and have worked in a good quantity of organic material such as well rotten manure or compost. 

The step before actual planting and sowing is working your soil into a good tilth. To quote Wikipedia, good tilth is a term referring to soil that has the proper structure and nutrients to grow healthy crops. To achieve a good tilth you may have to break up lumps of earth and a good way to do this is by using the back of a garden fork. Swing the fork from side to side and strike the earth and you will find that the large clumps break up into workable crumbs. Then rake over the surface to level it, further break up the lumps of soil and remove large surface stones. 

Do not be in a rush to sow or plant but wait until the ground has warmed up sufficiently. A good way to judge is to look for signs of weed seeds germinating. 

To sow seed make a groove in the soil which is known as a drill. The depth of the drill should be just deep enough to cover the seed to about twice its diameter or if the seed is very small as shallow as you can make it to just cover the seed. For peas, rather than making the groove with a cane or the edge of a hoe, use a spade to make a shallow but wide trench so that the seeds can be broadcast (scattered) rather than in a regimented row. 

Carefully water the bottom of the drill, avoiding washing the drawn back soil into the drill. If the soil is very dry repeat this process as many times as required, letting the excess water drain away before sowing the seed. 

Sow the seed thinly; do not be tempted to sow thickly because the seed is very small. You can of course thin out the germinated seedlings and some varieties will successfully transplant to reduce wastage but some vegetable seedlings do object to being moved. A good method to use when sowing very fine seed is to firstly mix the seed into a cup that contains fine grained dry sand (not builder’s sand as this is too heavy) and then sow this mix into your drill. Draw the dry soil over to cover your seeds using your garden rake or, in the case of a shallow drill, your fingers. Gently pat down over the filled drill with the back of your garden rake or your hand to make sure the seed is in contact with the soil. If your soil is heavy clay it may be better to backfill the drill with potting compost. Do not be tempted to water the filled drill at this time as there is a danger that the top surface will form a hard crust that the young seedlings may find hard to penetrate. 

If you have purposely sown seeds thickly into a seed bed to be planted out into a fresh plot there are a couple of rules to remember. As a general rule the young plants should be carefully lifted so that neither the roots nor stem is damaged and then be planted to the same level as they were in their original home. There are exceptions to this rule such as leeks which when pencil thick make a hole with a dibber so that the leek drops in deeper than they were originally. Cabbages are buried to a depth of the lowest leaves but do not transplant until five true leaves have formed. You need to limit the shock of being moved as much as possible and it helps if you water well before and after transplanting. 

To get a head start seeds can be sown under cover and be raised in trays or pots. For small seed use a tray of good proprietary compost. Fill to about two thirds, water with a watering can fitted with a fine rose and allow to drain. Sow the seed thinly on the surface and cover with sieved compost or alternatively use Vermiculite. The latter is good in that it is lightweight, does not form a hard crust over the seed and lets in light. Many new to gardening assume that seed needs to be buried so that no light is allowed to reach but this is not the case. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, gently grip the seedlings by the leaves and “prick out” into trays of compost to grow on to planting size. Pricking out is just a term that means taking out seedlings that inevitably will be growing too close together and spacing them out in new compost. You will learn the best number of a variety to put in a seed tray by experience but if you start with 5 along the length and 4 across the width resulting in 20 plants to a tray you will not go far wrong. 

For large seed such as Broad Beans or Runner Beans sow these directly into individual pots. Two beans can be sown to a pot as insurance in case one does not germinate. 

If sowing very early you will need to give your seed warmth to get then to germinate and will need to provide warmth and shelter until the conditions outside are suitable for the plants to be put out. Do not take young plants from their cosy growing conditions and put them straight out into the soil as they will get a shock that they will not recover from or will suffer a setback. Do not be impatient; wait until the risk of frost has well and truly passed. 

Hopefully you will have kept your seed packets for reference or taken note of the wording on the packet so that you can plant out at the recommended distances apart. If using a raised bed and deep-bed method you will be able to plant closer than the recommended distances. 

Vegetable garden planting time is an exciting time and one that gives the gardener optimism and something to look forward to, all those tasty fresh vegetables that have only travelled a short distance from your garden to the kitchen. 

 How to vegetable garden hints, tips and ideas for jobs in the September vegetable garden obviously depend upon the part of the world where you live. 

The month of September still provides a good harvest but the cooler air and shorter days tells the gardener this year’s growing season is coming to a close and so this monthly vegetable care program includes harvesting and storing. 

The fact that it is getting late in the vegetable planting calendar does not mean that there are not things for the vegetable gardener to do and following are some suggestions. 

Tomatoes 

To help to reduce the chance of blossom end rot and splitfruit remember to keep up a good and regular watering system. Take away split fruit as soon as seen otherwise if left it will soon start to rot and introduce disease. 

Pick any remaining outdoor tomatoes the end of September and ripen inside. Cut off the whole truss and allow the fruit to ripen on the vine either on a windowsill or in a box with a ripe banana which will help the ripening process. Don’t forget that the green fruits can be used in chutneys as can any red tomatoes superfluous to requirements. 

Potatoes 

Make sure that you lift your potato crop before slug damage becomes a problem. When storing the potato skins need to harden so leave the tubers on the surface on a dry day before storing in paper sacks or boxes. Take care to only store undamaged potatoes. 

Be vigilant and if you see any sign of potato blight cut off the blighted potato haulms and burn or dispos of with household rubbish. The good news is that the potatoes can still be harvested. 

Bad weather helps to spread the disease and if happy usingsprays try products such as Bordeaux Mixture, Dithane 945 and MurphyTraditional Copper Fungicide. 

Wet weather in September for those vegetable gardening on clay soil is a time when potato powdery scab can make an appearance and affected tubers should be disposed of. This is when crop rotation becomes crucial to prevent the problem building up in the soil. 

Common scab and other potato skin problems can be a problem in dry warm weather. An important regime is watering as an alkaline soil worsens the problem (use of acidic fertilisers may help). 

Be sure to clear rubbish created when lifting potatoes and take care not to damage the haulms. By leaving potato debris in wet weather there isa danger of fungal diseases such as black leg or fluffy grey mould developing. 

Onions and Shallots 

Sow seed of salad and bulb type over wintering onions to mature next spring. 

Onion sets for over wintering should be planted in lateSeptember. 

Lift onions and shallots as soon as the foliage starts to die back. Do not be tempted to bend over the tops as this can reduce their storage time. In dry weather allow the onions to dry on the soil but if wet dry them in a well ventilated shed. 

Whichever method you use store them in moisture free conditions and check over at regular intervals to check for any rot which may spread to other stored onions. Preferably use up thick necked onions as if stored they can be more prone to rot. 

Cabbage 

Spring Cabbages sowed in August should be ready to plant out. To prevent pigeons devastating your crop take the precaution of covering them with horticultural fleece or netting. 

Sweetcorn 

Harvest Sweetcorn as it ripens and test if ripe by pushing a fingernail into the kernel when the tassels at the end of the cob start to shrivel and brown. If the liquid looks milky they are ready. Enjoy! 

Green Manures 

Sow green manures, such as mustard and Italian ryegrass which will prevent autumn weeds establishing. When dug in during winter and spring this will also act as a soil improver. 

An alternative is to place black plastic over bare ground after clearing old crops to suppress weed growth. 

Parsnips 

Parsnips should be left in the ground until needed for a meal as they taste better once frosted. 

Squashes, Pumpkins, Marrows 

Leave marrows, pumpkins and squashes ready for harvesting in the sun or in a greenhouse or garage to let the skins harden and dry off. 

Store them in a cool, dry, dark place. 

Celery 

Earth up celery for the last time in September just leaving a tuft of foliage sticking out of the trench or collar in order to blanch the stems. 

If you are growing self-blanching varieties these are not so hardy and must be harvested before the first frosts. 

Trench cultivars of celery can be left in the ground but it is advisable to throw some horticultural fleece or straw over the tops if severe frost is forecast. 

Asparagrass 

Cut down asparagus when the foliage turns brown but be cautious of the spines. 

Mulch the asparagrass well and prepare any new asparagrass beds. 

Carrots 

Towards the end of the month think about lifting and storing undamaged and disease free roots. 

Beetroot 

As with carrots, towards the end of September is a good time to start consider lifting and storing undamaged and disease free roots. 

Turnips 

Lift and store undamaged and disease free roots. 

Herbs 

September is a good time to take cuttings of rosemary,lavender, bay and hyssop. 

Cut back herbs that have flowered to encourage a second flush. 

Divide herbs before they die back in the cold weather. 

Pot up your favourite herbs to keep on the kitchen windowsill for use in winter. 

Vegetable Seeds to Sow in September 

Vegetables to sow in September for over wintering to mature next spring include: