Medwyn Williams on sowing dates for shows
HOW LONG DO DIFFERENT VEG NEED TO MATURE TO REACH SHOW STANDARDS?
Malcolm Bagguley, by email
Medwyn says Most vegetables perform well and on time in all sorts of weather, although extreme heat can affect cauliflowers, celery and peas. The sowing dates below work for me here on Anglesey in Wales (on the Gulf Stream), but you may want to adjust the dates accordingly further north or south.
1
Blanch leeks Remove bulbils from the middle/end of October. Root in small cells and continually pot up until ready for planting out. Collar when around pencil size to get the length on them early.
2
Onions – large exhibition You will need some lights and heat in the glasshouse. Sow end November to mid-December in seed trays and prick out when showing first true leaf. Pot on until ready for planting in beds under cover. Onions need about four weeks after lifting to dry out and gain a nice natural harvest colour.
3
Carrots, other than long Best grown in drums or raised beds filled with concreting sand. ‘Sweet Candle’, the winning variety at the moment, needs at least 22 weeks to develop, particularly the stump end.
4
Carrots, long I generally sow them in early April for early to end of September shows.
5
Tomatoes Sow from midFebruary in some heat to have ripe toms on the third truss from mid-August. If you have no heat, buy in suitable plants for exhibition.
6
Cucumbers Same as tomatoes. If conditions are not right young cucumber plants are prone to collapsing. Try growing ‘Kouper’ (‘Kuper’), as it‘s more resilient.
7
Cauliflowers Do two or three sowings at 10-day intervals to try to catch a show when they're at their peak. Most are ready 80-100 days from planting them in the soil.
8
Celery Mid to late February sowing will give you good heads for mid-late August and end of March sowing for mid-late September.
9
French beans Allow 10 weeks from sowing to harvesting. Multiple sowings give you the best selections. ‘Hawkesbury Wonder’ is the bean to beat at the moment.
10
Parsnips Parsnips need a long season to achieve their optimum, Jack Arrowsmith, a brilliant parsnip grower, sowed his parsnips around mid-February and showed them during September at a huge size. I sow directly into the stations. ■ Follow me growing veg through the seasons on Twitter – @medwynsofangles.