Vegetables
We will try and keep lettuce plants in stock until the autumn. Even ‘cut-and-come-again’ types will run to seed eventually and need replacing.
Runner beans are reaching the tops of their canes now. Keep pinching the tops out as this will encourage new growth from the base and avoid that nasty end of season tangle with all the beans knotted up together almost out of reach. When you start picking, pic regularly and make sure not to leave any old beans on the plant as these quickly turn the rest stringy.
There is still time (just) to plant winter cabbages, sprouts and purple sprouting broccoli.
The kale plants are ready and now is the ideal time to plant them. We have the traditional ‘hungry gap’ curly Kale Winterbor F₁ and its red counterpart Redbor F₁. Also the very trendy Black Magic, an improved Cavalo Nero (Black Tuscany) type.
There are a few Sticcoli – a hybrid long-stem Calabrese aimed to head up in October after the runner beans have finished.
