The crops just keep coming for Kitchen Gardener Rob Smith
Grow long-season fruit and vegetables to extend your harvest
As August begins, it’s surprising how quickly this year seems to be flying by! It doesn't seem like two minutes since I was sowing my ‘Super Aquadulce’ broad beans in autumn, then only a matter of weeks ago I was harvesting the delicious beans.
You may be forgiven for thinking that the broad bean season is behind us, but this couldn't be further from the truth. ‘Luz de Otono’ is a variety that can be sown directly into the garden this month and it should germinate quickly, getting off to a speedy start. I’ve grown it for the last couple of years to supplement my broad bean harvest and because of the time it’s sown, you shouldn't have too many problems with blackfly.
It’s best to sow two beans per station as they help hold each
other up as they grow; nip the tops out when they’re 15cm (6in) tall to encourage them to bush out and produce more beans, or you may find you get one really tall stalk which doesn't produce much.
Another veg that I’m making space for is tree spinach (Chenopodium giganteum), this pretty annual veg can grow to a massive 2m (6½ft) ) tall, yet it’s best planted and grown as a cut-and-comeagain leaf to add to salads and stir fry. The green and magenta leaves are certainly a talking point as the plants get larger, in fact, they’re that pretty I’d say they could be grown at the back of a border, but I prefer to plant them 30cm (1ft) apart in blocks for ease of harvest. You’d be forgiven for thinking this plant was difficult to grow, but the eagle eyed among you may have recognised the leaf shape as a relative to fat hen (Chenopodium album), a ‘weed’ which grows almost anywhere on an allotment. You can buy the seeds online, alternatively you can buy potted plants from good garden centres and have a go at growing this unusual salad leaf.
With advances in strawberry breeding in the last few years, us gardeners aren’t just limited to June-bearing strawberries or ever-bearing varieties that crop in June and September with a few fruit produced in between. Day-neutral strawberries are the new kid on the block, producing fruit from late May to the first frost continuously. Now, if you’re wanting to grow for gluts and jamming, it’s best to still grow June-bearing
plants like ‘Cambridge Favourite’, but if you want enough fruit for snacking and adding to your breakfast cereal it’s worth trying a day-neutral one like ‘Delizz’.
As my plants have been cropping for two months already, it’s time to feed them with tomato food every couple of weeks from now until the frosts. I had to buy new plants and use new compost due to last year’s plants succumbing to the ravages of the dreaded vine weevil, and the compost I used will shortly be running low on feed, hence I’m starting with a high potash liquid feed now.