Vegetable Plant Growing Advice at Marshalls Seeds

Vegetable Plant Growing Advice

Artichokes - Chinese

Chinese artichokes do best in a sunny position on most reasonably fertile, free-draining soils, although they do best of all on lighter, sandy soils. Plant the tubers 2-3in deep and 12in apart in spring as the soil begins to warm up. If growing more than one row, allow 18in between rows.

Keep the soil well watered in dry spells. The plants will make top growth of around 18in as the summer progresses. Do not harvest the strings of 2in long tubers until the foliage has died down in the autumn and then only harvest them as required, as they do not store for long once lifted from the soil. They are perfectly hardy and can be lifted through the winter. If the ground is required for another crop, lift the tubers and store them in boxes of sand in a cool place.

The tubers can be eaten raw in salads or stir fried or steamed – they are quite versatile, have a crunchy texture and a nutty flavour. After steaming, they are delicious tossed in butter and finely chopped parsley.

Artichokes - Jerusalem

Plant the tubers as early in spring as possible, as later plantings reduce yields and tuber size. Plant the tubers about 4in deep and about 12in apart. If growing more than one row, allow 3ft between rows. They do well on most moderately fertile, free draining soils and enjoy a sunny position, ideally sheltered from strong winds. They are, however, completely hardy, and are fairly unfussy as to their growing conditions.

Water the plants well in dry spells. Keep the crop free from weeds with occasional hoeing. As the plants begin to grow taller, draw up a little soil round the stems to prevent wind-rock. The tubers generally start to form around August. The plants will reach a height of 6ft or more.

Allow all the foliage to die away completely in the autumn before cutting it down to within 6in of soil level. If the foliage is removed earlier the tubers will stop growing and so yields become diminished. The tubers can be stored in the ground until required for the kitchen, as they will not be harmed by freezing conditions. Alternatively, lift them towards the end of November and store them in boxes of dry sand in a cool environment. Jerusalem artichokes can be heavy croppers, often yielding 3-4lb of tasty tubers per root. A word of warning – ensure you lift all the tubers if you are intending to plant a different crop the following year, as Jerusalem artichokes can produce “volunteer” (self-set) plants.

The tubers can be eaten raw, cooked like potatoes or even pickled! When they were first brought over from America, the tubers were generally boiled, peeled, sliced and then stewed with spices wine and butter. They were also baked in pies with dates, raisins and root ginger. Try boiling them in milk as an accompaniment to roast beef or pork.

Traditional knobbly Jerusalem artichokes are not particularly east to scrub or peel, but Marshalls Fuseau has much smoother skin and is much easier to prepare. For general use, boil them like potatoes, but for no more than 10 minutes. Jerusalem artichokes have a unique, rather smoky, earthy flavour. They are low in starch and very nutritious.

Asparagus

Asparagus will flourish in almost all deep, reasonably fertile, free-draining soils and a raised bed is only required on really heavy soils. An asparagus bed can remain productive for 20 years or more, so is a wonderful investment for any household. Once planted, the crop requires only minimum attention, but will reward you with delicious spears from April to June – and believe us when we say that no asparagus matches that which you will cut from your own garden and eat within an hour or two.

Spring is the best time to plant an asparagus bed, the quantity of crowns you can grow depends on the space you have available, but we do recommend a minimum of 30 to ensure a worthwhile bundle at each picking.

Preparation and Planting

Eliminate all perennial weeds. Dig the plot to a good depth and incorporate plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure, home-made compost or leafmould. Just prior to planting, apply a dressing of a well-balanced, compound fertiliser.

Unpack the crowns carefully and trim off any broken or damaged roots. For best results soak the crowns in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting.

Plant as soon as possible after receipt. Use a spade to make to make a shallow trench, slightly raised in the centre, and wide enough to take the crowns with their roots spread out. Space the crowns 12-16 in apart with their roots spread out. Take care not to damage the “breaking” buds, which should be 4in below the surface of he soil when planting is complete. This planting depth is important. Deeper than 4in and the crowns may rot, shallower than 4in and there are the risks of frost damage and excessive moisture loss in dry spells.

Cover the crowns with fine topsoil, then refill the rest of the trench and firm, leaving a slight central ridge running down the centre of the row. If planting more than one row, allow 3ft between rows. Water well, and continue to do so in dry spells until the plants are well established.

Harvesting

No spears should be cut in the same year as planting, and it is highly likely that not many will appear anyway. A light crop can be taken in the following year, as soon as the spears reach 4-5in high. Asparagus often grows overnight, and you may be surprised how many appear in the morning after mild late spring nights.

Sever the spears 3in below soil level, ideally using a special asparagus knife (available from our catalogue and a good investment for the serious grower) or other sharp knife. Cut frequently, and do not the spears grow more than 6in above soil level before harvesting them. The first harvest should stop in late May, irrespective of how many spears remain uncut. In subsequent years, when the plants are fully established, harvesting can continue until mid June.

After harvest

Allow the fern emerging from the remaining spears to grow unchecked until the autumn. Strong, healthy fern growth is essential to the long term welfare of the plants. Do not be tempted to cut it for household display with cut flowers! A light dressing of a high nitrogen fertiliser is beneficial in June or July.

In early autumn, as the fern yellows and dies back, the bed can be cleaned up ready for the onset of winter. Cut the dead fern back to within 3in of soil level, and destroy it. Never leave it on the bed itself. Remove any weeds, taking care to avoid deep cultivation, which may damage the roots or crowns. The following spring before growth restarts, mulch the bed if possible with well-rotted organic matter and a further dressing of a well-balanced compound fertiliser.

In the Kitchen

Asparagus has so many uses, but many people eat it in its simplest form – lightly steamed or boiled and served dripping in butter. Hollandaise sauce is a classic accompaniment, and asparagus also makes a superb soup which can be served hot or cold. Or serve the spears warm and wrapped in slices of smoked salmon. They are also wonderful chopped in an omelette or in a soufflé.

Aubergines

(Coming Soon)

Broccoli

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Brussels Sprouts

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Cabbages

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Cauliflowers

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Celeric

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Celery

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Chilli's

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French Beans

(Coming Soon)

Horseradish

Horseradish does best in deep, well-drained soil into which plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure or other organic matter has been incorporated.

Plant the horseradish “thongs” as soon as possible after receipt. Plant them at a slight angle with the sloping cut at the bottom and the flat cut at the top, about 2in below soil level. Allow 2ft between thongs. Top dress the planting with a well-balanced compound fertiliser and water well. Continue to keep the plants well watered in dry spells.

In the autumn, cut down the foliage and lift the roots. Horseradish can be treated as either an annual or perennial. If you wish to treat it as an annual and grow another crop on the same site the following year, ensure you remove all roots to avoid further regeneration. If, however, you wish to treat it as a perennial, some roots can be left to grow again in future years. Store the roots in cool, dark conditions, as they tend to turn green when exposed to the light.

As its oils are volatile and so easily lost, it is best to prepare horseradish for the table as required. It is usually grated or minced and then mixed with vinegar, salt and other flavourings to make a sauce or relish. It can also be mixed with cream to provide creamed horseradish.

Horseradish sauce has long been the traditional accompaniment to roast beef, but it is also good with other food. Try it with smoked mackerel, where its pungency cuts through and complements the oily texture of the fish. In parts of central Europe, freshly grated horseradish is mixed with grated cooking apples (the sourer the better!) to make a relish to accompany a variety of cooked meats.
Grated horseradish mixed with soured cream and lemon juice makes a superb accompaniment to hot beetroot, which has a lovely sweet flavour.

Leeks

We recommend you unpack and examine them upon receipt. If they have dried out during transit they will benefit from a gentle watering. Plant out as soon as possible when conditions allow in a sunny spot where available.

Prepare the soil well before planting, incorporate a good quality compost and water well. Prepare holes 4-6in (10-15cm) deep with a dibber and set the plants gently with out firming them in. Fill the hole with water, this will consolidate the plants sufficiently. Ensure the soil bed is well watered throughout the season and weed well.

Parsley

(Coming Soon)

Peppers

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Runner Beans

(Coming Soon)

Seakale Thongs

We recommend you unpack and plant your thongs as soon as possible after receipt. If they are dry we recommend you soak them in water for a couple of hours. Plant in a fertile, moist, well prepared soil in a sunny spot. Plant bud end uppermost 2in (5cm) deep and 12in (30cm) apart. Keep the thongs well watered. Your seakale will be ready to harvest in it’s second season. Harvest from March when shoots are 5-7in (12-18cm ) long.

Sea kale

Planting and Aftercare

Unpack the budded thongs as soon as possible after receipt. Plant them 2ft apart, ensuring the end with the bud is uppermost. Cover the tip with just 1in of soil. Sea kale, not surprisingly, does best in sandy, free-draining soils and the best feed for it is a liquid seaweed fertiliser, both of which it encounters in its natural habitat. Having said that, it will do well in most moderately fertile or even poor soils with good drainage in a position in full sun.

Now comes the patient bit, but we assure you it is well worth the wait! During the first summer the plants should put out a few leaves as they begin to establish themselves. Do nothing except keep the area free of weeds. Victorian gardeners referred to their permanent beds of this vegetable as a “seakale plantation”. Top growth will die back in autumn and winter and virtually nothing will be seen above soil level until the following spring.

Ideally the plants should be left untouched for another year, but if you are desperate for a taste of your new vegetable, you can begin forcing it in January by placing a 10in or 12in black plastic pot over each plant. Place a piece of black polythene over the drainage holes to exclude all light and then place a heavy object such as a house brick over each pot.

You should then be able to cut a little sea kale in March or April. Cut the blanched shoots cleanly at soil level when they are 10-12in high. Stop cutting by the beginning of May, after which time the pot should be removed and the plants left to grow naturally for the rest of the year. In this second season, just cut a few shoots rather than strip the plants. Remember they are still building up their strength to provide you with a delicious spring crop for many years to come, so treat them with a little respect!

The following January, the blanching process with the pots can be repeated, and so on for many years, as seakale is normally very long-lived. When the blanching pots are removed in May, the plants grow on during the summer to resemble loose-leaved, blue-green cabbages.
Forcing Indoors

Some gardeners like to force their sea kale indoors, like the Victorians did, but this should not be attempted until the plants are at least three years old. To do this, wait until after the first autumn frosts when the foliage will have died away. Carefully lift a crown and plunge into a large pot of peat, with another pot of equal side inverted over it to act as the forcing chamber. Bring the pot into a temperature of 60-70°F and after a few weeks you should be able to make a cutting of tender, blanched shoots. After forcing in this manner, the crown is usually spent and is best discarded.

In the Kitchen

The small young leaves of sea kale are edible, but it is almost always grown for its succulent, white, forced shoots. These can be eaten raw, but are usually steamed and boiled. Boiling takes only about 4 minutes – do not overcook the shoots and they will retain a certain crispness. There is no need to peel the shoots prior to cooking. Sea kale makes a delightful accompaniment to a wide range of meat and fish dishes. It has its own distinctive flavour but is similar to that of globe artichoke in being slightly buttery and smoky.

Sweetcorn

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Tomatoes

(Coming Soon)