Growing parsnips under enviromesh has given us happier plants. The photo below shows how well the parsnips have developed, with very long roots.
parsnips' long roots
The parsnip leaves are in perfect conditiom, but in previous years the parsnips never looked well and grew slowly. We think the enviromesh must have kept the insects off the parsnips & these were the insects which caused unseen damage which resulted in slow growth.
To Prepare Beetroot for cooking:
The Beetroot is now ready for cooking. If you cut the leaves too close to the beet, or if you cut the roots, the beetroot will ‘bleed’ and all the red colour could be lost from the beetroot. So just twist the leaves off, wash the whole beetroot, with roots & stubbs of leaf stalks attached
beetroot-growing
To cook the beetroot:
Click this link for more cooking ideas for beetroot and recipes.
Turnips are quick growing & easy to grow.
turnip2
Ideal soil for turnips is:
Sow turnip seeds:
Thin seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle to:
To look after the growing turnips:
Harvest:
turnip
Turnips are best when they grow quickly, so it pays to look after them and keep them growing.
The difference between swedes & turnips is evident when you see the two side by side. The turnip is smaller, smoother & rounder than the swede. Swedes have a whiter flesh than swedes.
turnip2
swede
Swedes came from Sweden and were known as the Swedish turnip- & this name was shortened to Swede. Swedes are frost proof, but turnips are not – so swedes can stay in the garden all winter & turnips must be harvested before the cold weather.
Swede – Latin name Brassica napus napobrassica
Turnip – Latin name Brassica rapa
Swedes are a hardy, cool-season vegetable which are difficult to grow in the garden. They are prone to mildew which is not so prevalent in an airy, windy site. Mildew resistant varieties, such as Magres, are easier to grow in the kitchen garden.
Growing conditions preferred by swedes:
Sow
swede - virtue
Sow seeds April – June
growing-Magres-swede
Magres-swede-plot
damaged-swede
swede
Shallots are traditionally planted from sets ( very small shallots).
clump-of-shallots
They grow new bulbs in a cluster around the mother set, rather like a garlic clove.
using-walking-board-to-plant shallots
Plant as soon as soil is dry enough , in March or April.
pushing-shallot-in-ground
Use a trowel, unless soil very light, when sets can be pushed in, so that they are buried to half their depth & have their shoulders poking through. Plant 15cm (6in) apart with 30cm (12in) between rows.
shallot-out-of-bed
Check daily to make sure birds have not pulled them out. Push them back in if necessary. May be worth covering with a net if birds a problem.
hoe-shallots
Keep weeds down.
flopping&ready-to-harvest shallots
Lift or harvest shallots when leaves start to flop over & yellow, traditionally on the longest day. Leave them on the top of the soil to dry out, if it is dry & rain is not forecast, otherwise dry them under cover. There is no need to separate the clumps, they will fall apart naturally.
Storage: When dry, and the skins are shiny, store in trays, nets or tights in a cool, dry, well ventilated place. They should keep for 9 or 12 months.
Use shallots in cooking because they have a milder flavour than onions. They are good added whole to stews and casseroles.
Farming Friends & TopVeg have collaborated to create some FREE How To Grow Vegetables Cards, including this How to Grow Parsnips card.
how-to-grow-parsnips
If you would like a pdf of this parsnip card or any of the How to Grow cards, please complete the contact form asking for the grow card you would like and we will email it to you.
Winter Carrots are filling the ‘hungry gap’ we have in May, when the winter veg have finished and the new plantings are still immature. The carrots we planted in early winter are just coming into their own.
winter-carrots
The winter carrots taste delicious. The foliage is still very healthy.
WinterCarrotFoilage
The problem is they are in the way. The bed is needed to plant some veg for late summer – so we are giving some away.
springcabbage-Gwen's
Our neighbour has an oversupply of spring cabbage, hence we are doing a swap! Not only are the winter carrots filling the May gap, they are also fostering neighbourly relations!
In the last few years it has been shown that Beetroot juice effects blood pressure & stamina.
beetroot
In 1998 Two Swedish scientists (Weitzberg and Lundberg) found that natural nitrates (NO3) in the diet (such as those found in beetroot, spinach and lettuce) are broken down during digestion to produce nitric oxide in the blood stream.
Nitric Oxide is important because it:
- regulates blood pressure;
- controls blood flow to certain organs;
- enhances stamina by improving oxygen use;
- fights infection;
- is a signal molecule in the nervous system.
Beetroot juice is particularly high in natural dietary nitrates
Professor Amrita Ahluwalia of the William Harvey Research Institute, published a paper in March 2008 in the American Heart Association’s journal showing that oral nitrate (taken through drinking beetroot juice) reduces high blood pressure.
Professor Andrew Jones, of Exeter University, published a paper in August 2009 explaining that dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high intensity exercise in humans (Journal of Applied Physiology).
beetroot-growing
Dietary nitrate has such a beneficiary impact on sporting stamina that Beet It are supplying beetroot juice for trials with UK Athletics, swimming, rowing, cycling teams and even the entire England rugby union team.
Leeks are a superb food. Leeks are high in:
Leeks contain sulphur-rich compounds which have been shown to thin the blood, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Click this link to find the nutritional value/100 grams raw leek.
leek-dug-Pandora
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