I emptied my potato bin today. I planted 2 tubers of maincrop
'Sarpo Mira' back in the Spring. I planted them at the bottom of a black plastic dustbin. Every few weeks I would earth them up until the soil reached the top of the bin. More tubers grow from the stems all the way up to the top. You can only do this with maincrop potatoes and not earlies. Had quite a good crop.
I filled the bin back up to the top, added a few extra ingredients to re-fertilize. I planted a courgette 'Defender' in its place. The first courgette plants are now about 6foot across and in full flow at the moment, they will slow down in a few weeks' time and start to fade. I rekon we will have warm weather right up till October or November, so I have taken a chance on a second crop. I have also just planted out a second sowing of dwarf bean, they will produce beans right up till the first frosts. I have planted a second sowing of greenhouse cucumbers which will be producing fruit when the others are fading away. I planted some perpetual spinach seeds today as well. Don't just think of Spring as the time to sow your seeds. Plan for a mild Autumn too.
My beetroot '
Detroit' are making superb pickings of golf ball sized beetroots at the moment. The small ones are just bite sized, but my favourite way of eating larger beetroot is to cook them, grate them into a bowl when cool, then spoon horseradish sauce over them. This is a traditional dish in Eastern Europe and Poland. Believe me... these two flavours were born to go with each other. Give it a try, you won't be sorry.
I emptied my potato bin today. I planted 2 tubers of maincrop 'Sarpo Mira' back in the Spring. I planted them at the bottom of a black plastic dustbin. Every few weeks I would earth them up until the soil reached the top of the bin. More tubers grow from the stems all the way up to the top. You can only do this with maincrop potatoes and not earlies. Had quite a good crop.
I filled the bin back up to the top, added a few extra ingredients to re-fertilize. I planted a courgette 'Defender' in its place. The first courgette plants are now about 6foot across and in full flow at the moment, they will slow down in a few weeks' time and start to fade. I rekon we will have warm weather right up till October or November, so I have taken a chance on a second crop. I have also just planted out a second sowing of dwarf bean, they will produce beans right up till the first frosts. I have planted a second sowing of greenhouse cucumbers which will be producing fruit when the others are fading away. I planted some perpetual spinach seeds today as well. Don't just think of Spring as the time to sow your seeds. Plan for a mild Autumn too.
My beetroot 'Detroit' are making superb pickings of golf ball sized beetroots at the moment. The small ones are just bite sized, but my favourite way of eating larger beetroot is to cook them, grate them into a bowl when cool, then spoon horseradish sauce over them. This is a traditional dish in Eastern Europe and Poland. Believe me... these two flavours were born to go with each other. Give it a try, you won't be sorry.