Vegetables

Lettuces are thought of as a summer vegetable, but the seed of some hardy types, such as the old French variety Merveille des Quatre Saisons, can be sown under cloches or under glass to make slow growth until longer days and more sunshine return. The soil must be well drained and supplied with plenty of organic material, because lettuces are gross feeders.

Jerusalem artichoke tubers are now ready to harvest. A new crop can be planted at any time from now until early spring. If you want to try them, look in the supermarket or farmers market for large, lightcoloured ones without deep eyes in the tubers. Artichokes respond well to liberal manuring and their top growth, which can reach 3m, provides a useful shelter for tender crops. The drawback with this member of the sunflower family is it can spread rapidly and become invasive, but growing it in a stack of old tyres can overcome the problem. For the best tubers, grow it in rich, cool soil. One plant should yield about 1.5kg of tubers.