TopVeg - growing veg,fruit&herbs

How to Grow Carrots

TopVeg — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:17:10 +0000

How to grow carrots in the vegetable garden:

fresh-carrots

carrots like a sunny spot
dig soil in autumn & break soil down to fine, crumbly seedbed before sowing

carrot-bed

sow outdoors from March to August – if in March cover with cloche
sow every 3 weeks for a continuous suppy
sow thinly – mix seed with sand to make it easier
sow in rows 1.5cm deep with 30cm between rows

thinning-carrot-row

thin seedlings, when large enough to handle, so 6 cm apart

pulling-carrot-seedlings-out

keep well watered
pull weeds as they appear
pull carrots when they are large enough, as required

nandor-carrot

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Check planted shallots

TopVeg — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:57:48 +0000

Checking the planted shallots revealed that some had jumped out of their bed.

shallots-feb2010

This often happens, particularly just after planting the shallots, before they have had time to push out some roots which will anchor them down.

shallot-out-of-bed

Shallots tend to jump out of bed because either:

worms in the soil push them out from below
or, birds pull them out.

We always blamed the sparrows who investigate anything new in the vegetable garden. But these shallots have been covered with a cloche to protect them from the frost, so birds would not get to the shallots easily. So fingers seem to be pointing at the worms for displacing the shallots.

pushing-shallot-in-ground

We just push the shallots back into the bed, and will continue checking them until they are rooted firmly into the ground.

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How to Harvest Leeks

TopVeg — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:05:32 +0000

How to harvest leeks depends on which end of the season they are at.

Early season leeks are lifted by placing a fork under the roots. The roots hold
on tightly and the stem easily snaps off, if a fork is not used to loosen the roots.

Late leeks have a stronger stem and can be pulled, giving a slight twist to break the roots, so most of the root clump & soil stay in the ground.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-04

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:04:00 +0000

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 http://ff.im/-gxwce #
Comment on Hessian Sacks for Potato Storage by Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 « TopVeg – growing veg,fruit&herbs http://ff.im/-gxwch #
Jobs in the vegetable garden in March http://ff.im/-gPEHw #
February Rainfall http://ff.im/-gR9uk #
Comment on Jobs in the vegetable garden in March by TopVeg http://ff.im/-gRdA5 #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-04 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 http://ff.im/-gxwce # Comment on...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-04 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-28 http://ff.im/-eZaqq # RT @...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 Vote for this recipe in The Foodista Best of...

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-04

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:04:00 +0000

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 http://ff.im/-gxwce #
Comment on Hessian Sacks for Potato Storage by Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 « TopVeg – growing veg,fruit&herbs http://ff.im/-gxwch #
Jobs in the vegetable garden in March http://ff.im/-gPEHw #
February Rainfall http://ff.im/-gR9uk #
Comment on Jobs in the vegetable garden in March by TopVeg http://ff.im/-gRdA5 #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-04 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 http://ff.im/-gxwce # Comment on...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-04 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-28 http://ff.im/-eZaqq # RT @...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 Vote for this recipe in The Foodista Best of...

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February Rainfall

TopVeg — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:15:49 +0000

Rainfall in the TopVeg garden in February 2010 was 59.5ml

January 2010 was 57 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
206	631
207	795
208	571
209	519

The rainfall in Febuary 2010 in the TopVeg garden (59.5) was higher than last year (45.5), what was yours?

Rainfall in the TopVeg garden January 2010 Rainfall in the TopVeg garden in January 2010 was 57...
Annual Rainfall 2009 in TopVeg Garden Rainfall in the TopVeg garden in 2009 was 518.75 January ...
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Jobs in the vegetable garden in March

TopVeg — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:51:20 +0000

Everyone wants to crack on in the vegetable garden in March, as the birds begin to sing and the days get longer – but the ground is still cold, and will be until it dries up. So don’t go mad and sow all your seeds – just put a few in and leave the rest until the soil has dried out.

Sow:

early beetroot, carrots, lettuce, radish,spring onions, perpetual spinach directly into the ground
peas & broad beans in pots
celery in trays on warm window sill & keep moist
leeks in a tray to thin later and leave under glass
plant onion sets, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes & shallots if not already in
plant early potatoes as soon as the ground is dry enough

Crop: Finish harvesting cabbages, leeks, parsnips, kale and sprouting broccoli.

Other jobs:

mulch soft fruits with organic matter
lift mint every 2 years & divide
hoe weeds regularly before they get too big
be on constant alert for slugs

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:04:00 +0000

Vote for this recipe in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest http://www.foodista.com/6JM8Z2FS #
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-18 http://ff.im/-g8OsI #
using up the leeks – everyone likes the leek soup!http://topveg.com/2010/02/leek-soup-recipe/ #
RT @yorkslavender Job Vacancies at Yorkshire Lavender for the 2010 season – http://www.yorkshirelavender.com/news – tempting! #
Anyone know what has sparked a sudden interest in pea shoots?? http://topveg.com/2009/03/how-to-grow-pea-shoots/ #
posted some Hessian sacks to Cambridge Uni today….http://topveg.com/2009/08/hessian-bags-or-sacks-for-potatoes/ #
Comment on Butternut Squash Seeds. by TopVeg http://ff.im/-gerEi #
Comment on How to Grow Vegetables Cards: by TopVeg http://ff.im/-gfJwO #
Potato Growing Project for Schools http://ff.im/-ghtot #
The Moruno Tomato http://ff.im/-giCmt #
Time to Plant Fruit Trees http://ff.im/-giOeT #
@plantmad let me know which veg or herb grow cards you are after in reply to plantmad #
Vegetable Planting dates http://ff.im/-glpkm #
RT@plantmad @TopVeg its a pity you didn't include ideal soil temp. Very helpful PDF otherwise- temps coming soon! #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-04 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 http://ff.im/-gxwce # Comment on...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-04 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-25 http://ff.im/-gxwce # Comment on...
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-18 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-11 http://ff.im/-fLBr7 # RT @yorkslavender...

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Vegetable Planting dates

TopVeg — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 06:31:26 +0000

Each vegetable has an ideal time for planting .

It’s biological clock will encourage it to germinate at this time.
The temperature of the soil will also have an affect. If it is an early spring, and the soil has warmed up, planting can be earlier than normal.

The dampness of the soil is important. If it is very wet, the soil will tend to glue together when the seeds are planted. The air will be squeezed out of the soil & the seed will be unhappy. Wet soil is also colder.

The planting location should be considered. A windy spot will be colder, and therefore later. A protected walled garden will be warmer, so sowing can be earlier.

Frost pockets should be considered.

Click the image below to see a chart of vegetable planting dates, which shows planting dates
& weeks between sowing & harvest.

veg-planting-dates

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Time to Plant Fruit Trees

TopVeg — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:08:22 +0000

There is still time to plant fruit trees.

pears-to-pick

The planting season is in their dormant season, any time during the winter and early Spring months.

Bare root fruit trees should be planted out when they are dormant – from late October until February or early March. November & December are the best months as it gives the fruit trees time to settle in before the growing season.
Pot grown fruit trees can be planted out almost anytime, as long as they are watered well & looked after for a good couple of years after planting

Victoria-plum-tree

Growing fresh fruit gives lasting rewards! Fruit trees yield fruit year after year! Fruit is easy to store and contributes to a healthy diet

Fruit trees can be grown in a variety of places, and there are varieties for small spaces. Places to grow fruit trees include:

vegetable garden
flower garden
allotment
patio
decking
balcony

medlar

Click this link to buy some fruit trees whilst there is still time to plant them.

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