Medwyn Williams advises on how to grow huge marrows and flea beetles on turnips
John Pendleton, by email
Medwyn says: Start preparing your bed, an extensive area of your garden, during late October to November. When I say an extensive area I mean it as the marrow will take up a large chunk of your vegetable plot if you're really keen on a huge marrow. For example, an area of 6x3m (20x10ft) would allow you to grow only two plants. If you're going to prepare the ground for the first time, double dig the plot and incorporate lots of well-rotted farmyard manure.
During hard frost in early winter, walk over the bed and scatter some ground limestone on top to sweeten the soil, when it’s frozen hard you prevent the soil structure from compacting. The choice of seed is important so you must buy seeds or plants that have the genetics to grow to a huge size, often over 45kg (100lb) in weight. Giant marrow seed has a very thick coating and will easily rot before the radicle emerges. Use a bit of sandpaper along the pointed edge to allow the ingress of water to get in to swell and crack the seed case.
Sow the seed from early May in some sandy seed compost and they should take no more than 10 days to germinate. Plant out in the prepared bed from late May in the south and mid-June up north. Rotavate the bed during early May incorporating 160g (6oz) of Medwyn’s Complete Base Dressing to the square yard. Leave the leading shoot to grow to about 3.6m (12ft) in length, with the fruit allowed to set on the main vine at about 2.4-3m (8-10ft).
The sideshoots are stopped at about 1.2m (4ft) in length. It’s important to bury the main vine and side vines at every leaf joint to generate a powerful root system to increase growth and the ultimate size of your fruit. Plants are available from Medwyns of Anglesey.
■ Follow me on Twitter as I grow vegetables for my display at Malvern – @medwynsofangles.