Cucumbers

cucumbers

Last year was the first time I ever grew cucumbers. Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought that they were a difficult crop to grow and not worth the effort. True, if you live in England where they need a barmy summer or protection from a greenhouse. It was only a chance conversation with a neighbour who told me how easily they had grown them that I decided to give them a go. I bought a few plants and within weeks we had more cucumbers than we knew what to do with and that continued right through the summer.

Sowing or planting

When I recommend  whether to sow seeds or buy plants I am looking at it from the perspective of someone who is a novice. Cucumbers are not a staple part of our diet but are more versatile than many people think. If you just want them for salads then two or three should be enough but if you want to experiment with them then you might want a few more. Either way you won’t need loads of plants, and for the novice it is easier to buy the plants ready for planting out. If you are successful with them this year and want to grow more next year from seed they are quite easy. They are a member of the curcubit family that includes courgettes, sow the seed edge on in three inch pots about an inch deep. Keep moist but not overwatered as they are prone to rot. If it’s early in the year and the weather is cold, sow them in a cold frame/greenhouse or sunny windowsill. It’s worth sowing one or two early on but they wont necessarily give you an early crop unless the weather is particularly warm.

Varieties

If you choose to buy plants from the garden centre you will be buying the small knobbly varieties as opposed to the long smooth type that are more common in supermarkets. I was a little wary at first as I had never bought or eaten this variety before. I needn’t have worried they taste better than the shop varieties and there is no wastage as they are just the right size for a family salad. 

Soil

When I bought my first plants I bought a few too many and ended up with an excess, not wanting to throw them away I planted them into a patch of unused soil without any compost or fertilizer added. It was a little experiment that I carry out every now and again to see what will grow in my rather poor soil. To my surprise they did quite well, not as well as those that I planted in the raised beds but nevertheless they gave me a pretty good crop. I would still recommend incorporating compost and digging the soil if you want good crops but it is not quite as important as with some other crops.

Watering

Cucumbers are pretty thirsty plants and keeping them moist is more important than the soil type. Mulching is essential to conserve as much water as possible and it will protect the fruits from touching the ground. If your growing in pots you will probably need to water twice a day during summer.

Aftercare

You can grow cucumbers two ways, you can either grow them up some type of support (it will need to be sturdy) or you can let them trail along the ground. If it’s the latter you will need to put straw or something similar under the fruits to stop them touching the soil. Mice might also be a problem if you leave the fruits on the ground. Cucumbers will benefit from a good feed with an organic fertilizer once the fruits have started to form. Some experts will tell you that you need to pinch out growing tips etc but it isn’t really that necessary if you don’t have the time. Harvest the fruits when they are about five or six inches long. If you have any small shriveled fruits that have withered don’t worry too much. The most probable cause is incorrect watering, possibly waterlogged soil where the plant has been grown in heavy soil.

Aubergines

The aubergine plant would not look out of place in the flower border, with its large unusual leaves and small pretty flowers it is worth growing just for its aesthetic value alone. It forms a tidy, uniform, small to medium sized bush that gives us beautiful shiny looking fruits throughout the summer. Unfortunately those fruits do not lavish us with huge amounts flavour. I’m a huge fan of greek food of which the aubergine is a staple part of but they are not a very versatile vegetable. For me, the longer its cooked for the better.

Sowing seeds or planting

Unless you’re a huge fan of aubergines or vegetarian then don’t bother growing from seed, you will only need a couple of plants anyway. As I have mentioned before most of the inland garden centres sell vegetable plants throughout the year according to season. If you are growing from seed, moisten the compost in a three inch pot and sow on the surface, cover with a fine layer of compost and keep well watered and warm.

Soil

Although it’s a plant that grows well in the Mediterranean it still needs good rich soil. Incorporate compost into your soil for really good crops but I’ve grown it in our own shallow stony soil with reasonable success.

Aftercare

Many books will tell you that you have to pinch out the growing tips when the plant is a foot high and leave only five fruits on the plant by removing any remaining flowers but if you forget don’t worry it’s not the end of the world. Aubergines are not usually considered a staple food and you’re looking for quality not quantity so I would recommend regular picking instead. Feeding is also recommended once the fruits have formed. Some support might be necessary if they are planted in exposed areas.

Watering

Keep the soil or compost moist but not over overwatered. Apply a mulch in summer and water frequently, especially if they are grown in pots.

Growing in pots

I only grow to or three plants at a time so I don’t bother planting aubergines in the ground where they would take up valuable space. Instead I find the biggest pots that I have, fill with a compost/ soil mix (about two thirds compost) and plant out the seedlings when they are big enough to handle. During summer you will need to conserve moisture as much as possible if you are to harvest nice shiny firm fruits. Cover with straw (my preferred mulch of the moment), leaf mould or weed fabric and place the pot on top of a saucer to catch any water that seeps through the bottom.

Harvesting

I don’t always include a section on harvesting your veggies but aubergines are different. You don’t want huge fruits with tough skins and bitter flesh, you should be harvesting when they are smaller than supermarket varieties, about the size of your fist. The skin should also be bright and shiny and the flesh firm.     

Peppers

Peppers

You can treat peppers in the same way as tomatoes, so if you’ve decided to grow a few tomatoes this year then why not grow some peppers too.

Sowing seeds or planting

You can sow some seeds if you want, in the same way as you do tomatoes but personally I don’t bother. I find I never need as many pepper plants as tomatoes and it doesn’t seem to be worth the effort when I can buy a handful of plants for the same price as a packet of seeds.                            

  

Soil

As with tomatoes good rich soil is required so dig before you plant and incorporate some compost. You will often see it written that peppers and many other vegetables need free draining soil, not a problem with our climate. Apply a mulch around the base of the plants once the temperatures start to soar.

                                                                                                                  

Aftercare

Fortunately peppers do not require the same amount of attention as tomatoes, there is no need to pinch out the growing tip or remove unwanted foliage but some support will be necessary especially if you’re growing in pots. You can simply place canes a few inches from each plant and tie up the plants loosely or follow the Spanish method of erecting a hurricane proof structure. Sometimes I think they take more pride in these skeletal structures than they do in the plants themselves. Oh yes and it goes without saying that you’ll need to feed them once a week once the first fruits starts to form. Regular picking will ensure a regular supply through summer and early autumn. I’m not a great fan of raw green peppers but they are excellent roasted whole on the barbeque so the skins just start to blacken. Leave a couple of fruits to ripen, red peppers are great in salads or stuffed and roasted which is my favourite.

Watering

I’m getting a bit bored with saying this but water as for tomatoes, that is keep the compost or soil moist but not waterlogged and never let the soil dry out. Peppers do not suffer many problems but you will definitely get blossom end rot if you don’t follow this rule. If you’re growing in pots then watering little and often twice a day during July and August will be essential.                

Varieties

There aren’t as many varieties to choose from as tomatoes but that is not really a problem. I don’t grow yellow or orange varieties as I think they are slightly gimmicky and the flavour is not that much different or better. It’s a personal choice and entirely up to the grower. The two types I like to grow are the standard bell pepper and what the Spanish call the “italiano”, a long thin pepper with the shape of a large chilli but mild in flavour. Talking of chillis, if you want to grow them follow all the above rules and you won’t go far wrong.

                                                                                                                    

Peas

peas

Peas are not a particularly difficult plant to grow but often the size of crop does not warrant the effort put in to growing it. That does not stop us from growing them every year and every year we grow more and more. It’s like having an organic sweetshop in your garden, and that’s why we grow them. Not many make it to the kitchen, they’re eaten straight from the pod along with the strawberries and the occasional cherry tomato.

Soil

If you want to grow a bumper crop for the kitchen and maybe have some left over for freezing you will need a good deep soil. If you fancy just a few to nibble on while you’re working or just wandering in the garden then any old ordinary soil that has been dug over will be ok. My son has a little patch of his own with a couple of peas growing in it. He hasn’t done anything special to the soil, just a little digging and the occasional watering and he picks the odd pod to eat himself.

Sowing and planting

Peas are easily grown and can be started off in pots and kept in a sheltered spot early in the season. When the seedlings are large enough to handle and have a good rootball they can be planted out and when the temperature starts to warm up sow some seeds directly into the soil. When these seeds start to emerge sow a few more, that way you should have a regular supply of peas throughout the season. Plant the seeds about a centimeter deep and keep moist. If the temperature is cold and the compost/soil too wet the seeds have a tendency to rot so keep pot grown seeds warm and sheltered.

Time to plant

Sow outdoors from March onwards or start them off in pots from February. You can keep on sowing until June. For a second crop sow in September when the temperature drops and hope for some autumn sun and a little rain.

Aftercare

Once the seeds have germinated and have started to grow you will need to give them some support. A wigwam of bamboo or canes can be constructed or place “twiggy pea sticks” next to each plant. We have used olive tree prunings pushed into the soil for the peas to climb up. Doing it this way is easier than a wigwam frame and gives the peas plenty of small branches and twigs to climb up. It’s not the prettiest way of doing it but it works. Peas are fairly easy to look after, just let them do their thing. There is no need to pinch out growing tips or tie up the stems, you don’t need to earth up soil or any thing special. Like I said just let them do their thing.

Watering

Theirs not much too say other than keep the soil moist. Normally I would say put a mulch down to conserve moisture but with peas it isn’t as necessary as some other vegetables that need more attention. Likewise I don’t give my peas any fertilizer.

Harvesting

The time to harvest your peas is when the pods are rounded and the peas have swollen inside the pods. Hold the pods and snap off at the knuckle. To get the peas from inside the pods, snap off the top of the pod and peel down at the same time.

General advice

The great advantage of growing peas is even if you don’t get a bumper crop the plant will put nutrients back into the soil. Leave the plants to die back even if the crop is poor then either cut off the dead foliage or dig it into the soil. The soil will then be enriched with nutrients for different crop.

If you have had the space to grow plenty of peas and you have had a bumper crop you might have more than you can eat. Fortunately peas are the best of all the vegetables for freezing. The sooner you can freeze them the better. Blanch them for thirty seconds in boiling water, rinse in cold water or plunge in a bowl of iced water then pack them into zip lock bags and put in the freezer.

Lettuce and Salad Leaves

There are many varieties of lettuce to choose from nowadays so there is no excuse for growing just boring old “iceberg”. My personal favourites are the red tinged varieties like lollo rosso and other loose leaved varieties. Rocket is also always top of the list of things to grow when I’m planning the plot. It has a nice peppery taste and gives salads a good kick up the bum. There are also some nice oriental leaves that have appeared in seed catalogues over the past few years although they are less common here in Spain. If you want to try these then the internet is the best place to start.  

Sowing seeds

In each packet you are likely to get hundreds of seeds and its unlikely you will be able to use all of them even though they will last for a couple of years. Some seed merchants sell mixed seed packets which allows you to grow three or four varieties from one pack. This is good news in one way but the varieties are not always listed and in some packets the seeds are mixed together, meaning that you are not sure of exactly what you’re growing. However, if you’re not fussy about what lettuce you eat or are a novice and don’t know the different varieties it is a very economical way of growing several types. Lettuce seeds are small so should be grown on top of moist compost and covered with a fine layer of compost or vermiculite. There is nothing to stop you from sowing straight into the soil if your soil is nice and fine. I personally don’t and always start off my plants in pots if I can because I have too many stones that prevent the fragile seedlings from growing.

Soil

Any soil type will give reasonable results but if you can incorporate compost. It will give you bigger lettuce and they will grow much quicker. Having said that, home grown lettuce does not keep in the fridge for as long as shop bought ones, so you might have a certain amount of wastage. Not a major problem if you have a compost heap or chickens and rabbits that you can supplement their diet with.

Aftercare

You must keep the soil moist if you are to stop the lettuce from setting seed (bolting). Apply fertilizer if your soil is poor but it shouldn’t be necessary if you incorporated some compost before planting (a good reason for making the effort with your soil early on). Slugs and snails can be a problem earlier in the year when it’s wet and grasshoppers/ locust are the biggest problem in summer. To combat slugs and snails, sink empty tuna tins into the soil so the top is flush with the soil and fill with beer or sugared water. The slugs find them irresistible and slither their way into the tins/traps where they die from drowning or alcohol poisoning!! Grasshoppers are almost impossible to catch and if you find you have a major problem then your only option is to cover the lettuces with netting. This is easy if your lettuces are grown in nice symmetrical rows, not so easy if like me you grow them in between other plants. A good tip is to buy food protectors from a general houseware shop. They are made of rigid wire mesh and dome shaped and are designed to stop flies from landing on your food. An expensive way of doing it if you grow lots of lettuces, I know. Your alternative is to grow more than you need and be prepared to lose a few along the way.

Harvesting

It is tempting to pull up the lettuce once it has reached a reasonable size but I prefer to harvest in two ways. First is to pick the young outside leaves as the lettuce grows discarding any that have been nibbled or wilted (give them to the chickens instead). Secondly; lettuces are what you call “cut and come again” which means you can cut the lettuce just above the soil leaving the roots in the ground. With a bit of luck those roots will grow a new head of lettuce giving you a second crop.

General tips

The most annoying thing about growing and harvesting lettuces is splashing soil all over the leaves. The best way to prevent this is to lay weed membrane or plastic sheeting with holes punched into it on the soil prior to planting. Make some slits in the membrane and plant your lettuces through the slits, this will stop the soil from splashing on the leaves and conserve moisture too.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are probably the most popular vegetable for both the experienced and amateur to grow. It’s not hard to see why as home grown tomatoes are far superior to anything that you can buy in the shops. They are not the easiest vegetable to grow, not the most difficult either but they do need very specific requirements and need a fair amount of attention while they are growing. This shouldn’t put you off; if you can successfully grow tomatoes then you can grow just about anything.

 

Sowing seeds

Whatever seeds you are sowing moisten the compost first so that you disturb them as little as possible. Sow tomatoes and other small seeds as close to the surface as possible in three inch pots or modules if you want to raise lots of plants. The easiest way is to put two or three seeds on top of the compost and cover with a very thin layer of fine compost or vermiculite. If you have a hose with a gun water on a fine spray or use a household spray mister. When the seedlings are big enough to handle remove the weaker ones and leave the strongest. The seedling will be ready to plant out when it has formed a good root system and you can pull the plant out of the pot without losing any compost. Tomato seeds germinate at about 69 degrees Fahrenheit, this is where a cold frame, conservatory, enclosed patio or sunny window sills come in handy.

Soil

Tomatoes like rich soil so incorporate compost or well rotted manure into your plot prior to planting. If you’re growing in pots use good quality compost. There are some very cheap bags of compost out there but they lack the nutrients of the better stuff and in my opinion is false economy.

 

Aftercare

Aftercare falls into two categories, looking after the plants and looking after the soil. The soil part is easy, pull up any weeds taking care not to disturb the plant and feed with a nitrogen rich, preferably organic, fertilizer once a week.

Looking after the plants is a little trickier. To achieve a bumper crop you will need to remove the side shoots when they are about an inch long that appear in between the leaf stalk and the main stem. Leaving them on the plant to develop will use up valuable energy that the plant would use for flowering and fruit set. If you have no idea of what I am talking about take a tomato plant and follow a leaf stalk from its tip to the point where it meets the stem. That is the point where the side shoots appear. Take care not to remove the fruit stalk which grows quite close to the side shoots.

When the plant has developed small tomatoes on the 4^th truss remove the growing tip 2 leaves above the truss. This encourages fruit to ripen.