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...
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Category Archives: Vegetables
Vegetables at Downside – tomatoes, sticcoli, squash, kale and lovage
Tomatoes There really is nothing like the taste of home-grown tomatoes. Part of the reason for this is that, unlike other fruits, say apples or bananas, they stop producing the volatile flavour-giving molecules once they have been chilled. The reddening and softening process continues but the flavour does not develop...
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Summer colour and vegetable plants
If you are an expert garden designer y our garden will be carefully planned to have colour and interest all year round. Most of us are not, however. The easiest way is to take a look at your garden and, as the colour fades, come and buy a...
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Brassicas, Kale and Sticcoli
Vegetable notes from Downside We know a lot of you like to plant your winter brassicas in the space left by the early potatoes. This is really a little late for most things but if you are pressed for space it is a reasonable compromise. We will keep the plants...
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Tomatoes with several Cordon varietiesat Downside
The first tomato plants are ready now for those of you with some heat. Leave the plants in their pots until you can see a little yellow on the first flowers. This will encourage an earlier, lower first truss. It is worthwhile starting the season with a pot of determinate...
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