New potato shoots are popping up in unexpected places in the vegetable garden. These are known as groundkeepers or rogue potatoes & some gardeners may think they are a bonus.
rogue-potatoes-in-bed
Little potatoes (disguised as pebbles), which were missed during last year’s harvest and left in the ground, are sprouting and producing new potato plants.
Some people who add potato peelings to the compost, are discovering the miracle of regrowth from the eyes on the peelings. If the compost is well rotted, the peelings should disintegrate so that they will not regrow.
When unplanned/unplanted potato leaves appear in the vegetable bed, just pull up the shoots as they appear….they won’t have the stored energy to re-sprout. It is easier to pull them up when they have just appeared and are small.
emerging-groundkeeper
If the rogue potatoes are left, they will grow larger and take more getting rid of.
big-potato-groundkeeper
If these groundkeepers, rogue potatoes, are left uncared for, to get on with their own devices, the danger is that they harbour blight, and provide a host for the fungus of potato blight to multiply on. So from a hygiene point of view, it is important to remove rogue potatoes and not consider them as a bonus!
Growing peas just for shoots is a quick way to grow fresh veg.
Pea shoots are the leaves & stem from the top 2 to 6 inches of a younger pea plant, & include two to four pairs of leaves and immature tendrils. They sometimes have small flower buds amongst them.
Two or three cuts of shoots are taken from each batch of seeds.
pea shoots
How To Grow Pea Shoots:
1. plant in early spring or late summer as peas grow best in cool weather. Young pea plants can withstand a little frost, though frost may damage the flowers and pods. As a winter crop, peas tolerate temperatures down to 28°F (-2°C) in the seedling stage, but top growth may be damaged when the temperature falls below freezing.
2. choose varieties suited for this such as:
3. plant:
- 1 inch deep
- 2 – 4 inches between peas (much closer than if growing for actual peas)
- in compost or crumbly soil
- water to dampen soil
- leave in warm spot – windowsill, or outside under cloche
4. clip off the growing points plus one pair of leaves to encourage branching, when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. These clippings are the first pea shoot harvest.
5. every three to four weeks – clip the top 2 to 6 inches of each plant.
6. keep harvesting until shoots taste bitter, late in the growing season. Three cuts per batch of seed is average.
7. wash and spin dry harvested pea shoots as you would lettuce.
Use pea shoots:
- in salads
- as a garnish
- lightly steamed and eat as a hot vegetable
Pea-shoots are a good source of vitamin K, C and are especially high in vitamin A.
Growing pea shoots is an easy way to produce fresh vegetables full of vitamins.
Comments Off
Growing peas just for shoots is a novel idea.
Pea shoots are the leaves & stem from the top 2 to 6 inches of a younger pea plant, & include two
to four pairs of leaves and immature tendrils. They sometimes have small flower buds amongst them.
Two or three cuts of shoots are taken from each batch of seeds.
pea shoots
How To Grow Pea Shoots:
1. plant in early spring or late summer as peas grow best in cool weather. Young pea plants can withstand a little frost, though frost may damage the flowers and pods. As a winter crop, peas tolerate temperatures down to 28°F (-2°C) in the seedling stage, but top growth may be damaged when the temperature falls below freezing.
2. choose varieties suited for this such as:
3. plant:
- 1 inch deep
- 2 – 4 inches between peas (much closer than if growing for actual peas)
4. clip off the growing points plus one pair of leaves to encourage branching, when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. These clippings are the first pea shoot harvest.
5. every three to four weeks – clip the top 2 to 6 inches of each plant.
6. keep harvesting until shoots taste bitter, late in the growing season. Three cuts per batch of seed is average.
7. wash and spin dry harvested pea shoots as you would lettuce.
Use pea shoots:
- in salads
- as a garnish
- lightly steamed and eat as a hot vegetable
Pea-shoots are a good source of vitamin K, C and are especially high in vitamin A.
Growing pea shoots is an easy way to produce fresh vegetables full of vitamins.
4 Comments »
Boy we are going to have the best vegetables ever with all of your helpful
hints. Our peas, sugar snaps, are about one inch out of the ground outside.
There is netting for them to attach to, is that right? I can’t wait to taste
the tips and have bushier plants as well. Great!
Frances at Faire Garden
Comment by Frances – March 10, 2008 11:39 am
Hi Frances
I am not sure if you will do your sugar snaps much good by taking off the tips
if you are wanting them to climb up the netting and produce mange tout. I
think you have to go for one or the other – pea shoots or mangetout.
You could try taking the shoots off one plant – and see how it does, or
alternatively- plant a few more specially for pea shoots!
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg – March 10, 2008 11:54 am
Can you do this with pole beans ? I just finished with my last harvest off of
my beans, but getting ready to plant again. They grow sooo fast down here.
Comment by Deb – March 11, 2008 4:25 pm
Hi Deb
Not sure how tender and sweet they would taste. Sugar snap & mangetout peas
are particularly well suite for shoot harvest.
Why not try a few pole beans and let us know how you get on? It is worth a go!
TopVeg
