Spinach Beet is grown for the young leaves which are ready for harvesting when they are about 6 to 9 inches long from tip of leaf to far end of stem. You may want to harvest leaves for salads when they are tiny – much smaller than this.
The leaves keep coming (it is also known as perpetual spinach) – so keep picking whether you want them or not, to encourage new ones to grow. Cut leaves from the outside of the plant, taking care to avoid damaging the roots.
Thanks Sara from FarmingFriends for asking this question
Every vegetable gardener has to decide when broad beans are ready to harvest.
A lot depends on how the individual likes to eat them – small, sweet & tender, or large with flavour!
broad-bean-pods-filling
If the pods have swollen and the beans inside are properly formed, but still really small and sweet, the whole pod can be cooked and eaten with the beans inside.
It is always a balance between yield and sweet tenderness. (more…)
It is worth putting string round broad beans & tying to a stake if they are growing on fertile soil, as they grow tall and tend to fall over in heavy rain or wind.
LodgedBroadBeans
When the broadbean plant blows over it ‘lodges’ with other broad bean plants and stays close to the soil. Some of the leaves will be hidden from bright light so the broad bean pods will not be fed so well which means that they will not grow and fill with good sized broad beans.
lodged-Optica-broad-beans
The beans in the picture lodged at a late stage in their growing period, so will provide a decent harvest. But if the lodging had happened at flowering time, the broad bean pods would not have filled properly.
broad-bean-plant-Optica
The broad bean plants are quite heavy, particularly when wet from rain, so it is worth putting some string round them to stop them falling over.
Calling all producers of tayberries, loganberries, quince and medlar.
tayberries
Chris of the Victorian Kitchen is a small jam producer wanting to source tayberries, loganberries, quince and medlar.
medlar
Please contact TopVeg if you are able to help
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Rainfall in the TopVeg garden in May 2010 was 8.25ml
January 2010 was 57 ml
February 2010 was 59.5ml
March 2010 was 26.5ml
April 2010 was 18 ml
Rainfall in the TopVeg garden in 2009 was 518.75
| Month |
Rainfall ml |
| January |
32 |
| February |
45.5 |
| March |
17 |
| April |
7 |
| May |
41.5 |
| June |
13 |
| July |
111 |
| August |
40 |
| September |
11.5 |
| October |
63.75 |
| November |
69.5 |
| December |
67 |
The annual rainfall in the TopVeg Garden:
| Year |
Rain ml |
| 2006 |
631 |
| 2007 |
795 |
| 2008 |
571 |
| 2009 |
519 |
The rainfall in May 2010 in the TopVeg garden (8.25) was much lower than last year (41.5), what was yours?
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A fun online game from Weedol has just become available with the chance to win an iPad.
Kill the Weeds has been launched “to celebrate the unique capabilities of new Weedol Gun! Rootkill Plus.”
It’s good fun: all you need to do is blast the weeds! Have a go: http://www.lovethegarden.com/games/kill-the-weeds.php
Radish can be harvest right through the summer, if the radish seed is sown every 2 or 3 weeks.
bunch-vienna-radish
This year we have grown:
1. Vienna F1 hybrids
- large, golf ball sized roots if left – we harvest a bit smaller
- pure white flesh
- firm, crisp texture
- juicy
- spicy flavour
vienna-F1-radish
2. French Breakfast
- long,tapering radish
- bright red skin with a white tip
- crisp, crunchy flesh
- delicate, mild taste
- quick growing
french-breakfast-radish
Children love to grow and harvest radish as thye are such quick growers.
June is a busy month with lots of vegetable gardening jobs:
Sow:
- continue to sow directly into the soil french & runner beans, peas, beetroot, carrots,spinach beet, lettuces and salad leaves.
- plant out seedlings of leeks, cabbages, celariac, courgettes, pumpkins, squash, calabrese, purple sprouting broccoli and outdoor tomatoes
planting-out-leeks
Harvest:
- soft fruit
- broad beans, peas, early potatoes, garlic & shallots
- keep picking salad leaves, rocket and cut-&-come again lettuce
Optica-broad-bean-pods
Other jobs for June:
- dry shallots & garlic in sun
- mulch fruit bushes to retain moisture & smother weeds
- stake tomatoes, peas and dwarf beans
- tie raspberry canes to wires.
- net soft fruit against birds
- use enviromesh to keep insects & birds off brassicas & carrots
- collect rain water & use on veg in dry weather
Enjoy the vegetable gardening jobs in June!
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