David Lifton

Beginning to reap the rewards of a good summer on the allotment - now’s the time to get cooking

Despite the grass looking a little worse for wear this summer, everything else has come along better than expected. And this is particularly true with the root crops. i’ve had little luck with beetroot, carrots and parsnips in previous years. Although i’ve scattered a multitude of seeds, ensured that the soil is light (choosing often to grow in raised beds over open allotment soil and watered well) the slugs beat me to it. Fortunately, over June and July the slugs and snails were banished to the shadier parts of the allotment, meaning that all the germinated seedlings have survived and are now growing well. Carrots and parsnips are notorious for their sluggish germination times. Yet, once you pluck a carrot from the soil, brush the earth away and take a bite – it makes the whole thing worthwhile. the carrots are slower than i had expected this year, maybe this was due to the hot conditions. i look over at next door’s crops and much of the alliums and root crops are leaving mine in the dust. perhaps there is a hard lesson to be learnt about watering plants here. i think my heavy watering once a week has prevented my tender seedlings from having a good start. Going forward, a bigger focus on keeping the soil moist during this most crucial time in my crops’ development is a definite must. Although the carrot and beetroot crops are slow to start, the parsnips never looked better. i may only have around 12 roots in my vegetable bed, however they are already showing signs of being a great size. earlier in the summer, i took out some of the weakest roots to allow the others space to grow. With root crops, of course, it’s difficult to know how large they might be, even when the leaves are about the right size. Yet, by thinning out – you can gage roughly just how big the stronger roots might be. i’m assured that the roots that survived the cull are reaching deep into the soil. it’s been a while since i was able to taste a homegrown parsnip – and the anticipation is building. i’m also eager to tuck into my first beetroot harvest in several years. the first three medium-sized, ruby roots are now ready.