Food Production - Veg Flashcards
Cabbage
Cultivar January King (winter variety)
Sowing when Apr/May how in seed bed in drills depth 0.5 - 1.5cm spacing drills 15cm
Thin to approx 10cm (8cm)
Transplant (if necessary) in June/July when have 6 leaves
Ground occupancy 5/6 months
Feed etc nitrogen fertiliser eg fish blood and bone
Special requirements
Pest cabbage white butterfly larvae symptom eats leaves leaving skeleton and control pick off larvae and crush eggs. Physical barrier such as fleece or fine mesh to prevent butterfly reaching plants and laying eggs.
Disease Clubroot symptom Swollen and distorted roots and wilting leaves maybe red/purple tint. control - none - prevent disease getting in. Keep soil neutral to alkaline as disease likes acid soil. Crop rotation
Brussels Sprouts
Cultivar Revenge
Sowing March/April in drills 15cm apart
Thin to 8cm
Transplant when 15-20 cm high May/June
Ground occupancy 30-35 weeks
Feed etc nitrogen
Special requirements stake tall varieties and draw up earth around stalk to keep secure.
Harvest - size of a walnut downward action from base of plant up.
Pest cabbage white larvae symptom eating leaves and control fleece and hand picking
Disease clubroot symptom and control
Brassica particulars
Rotation to avoid clubroot
Maintain pH 6.5-7 as clubroot likes acidic - done by liming.
Do not manure before planting but autumn before.
Like firm soil
Benefit from nitrogen
Root crop particulars
Grown in situ as don't transplant easily Grow best in deep fertile sandy soil PH 6.5-7 Do not manure before planting Don't allow soul to completely dry out as heavy rain or watering after dryness can split the roots.
Carrots
Cultivar ‘FlyAway’
Sowing April/May in drills 1 cm deep 15cm apart
Thin to 5cm apart carefully! Carrot root fly attracted by smell of foliage
Transplant N/A plant in March for early and cover with cloche
Ground occupancy 12-15 weeks
Special requirements
Harvest July-October - fork up gently can leave in soil but lift for storage in October. Check for damaged roots and discard. Remove foliage and shake off loose soil. Store in boxes of moist sand in frost free dark place. Make a clamp. Look out for rodents.
Pest Carrot Root Fly leaves have reddish tinge and wilt and roots eaten and rot. control - sow in June after first generation of larvae. Sow under cover. do not leave in ground once mature
Disease powdery Mildew symptom and control water well. Improve water holding capacity of soil
Beetroot
Cultivar red ace or boltardy Sowing April may or undercover March 1cm deep in drills 30 cm apart Thin to 10-20cm Ground occupancy 12 - 15 weeks Harvest - fork up gentlemen when young Feed etc Special requirements Pest aphids symptom and control Disease violet root rot or powdery mildew symptom and control
Runner bean
Cultivar Enorma
Sowing in May June 2 beans per space to depth of 5 cm 20cm apart. Sow in rows 50cm apart
Ground occupancy 12-15 weeks
Harvest when pods are young and tender. Keep picking. Freeze
Feed - not needed (nitrogen as roots are nitrogen fixing)
Special requirements - cut down and leave roots in soil to provide nitrogen for next crop. Need supports two rows of canes 2.5m high. Keep well watered. Pinch out growing tip when plant reaches top of support.
Pest Mice eat newly planted bean. Set traps
Disease powdery mildew symptom and control
Onions
Cultivar Red Baron
Sowing seeds Feb march in drills 1-2cm deep 30cm apart.
Planting sets Feb - Apr
Thin to 10 cm in stages
Transplant April from January sowing under glass
Ground occupancy 25 weeks
Feed etc
Harvest any time during growing period July - Oct. w en bulbs are mature foliage falls over
Special requirements. Weed well as they don’t suppress weeds due to foliage
Pest onion fly symptom wilt and turn yellow roots. And stems tunnelled by larvae and control - cove with fin netting. Sow in a stale seed bed as flies are attracted to newly disturbed earth.
Disease white rot symptom white mould at base of bulb. Foliage turns yellow and wilts and control dig up and burn and rotate crops
Leeks
Cultivar Apollo
Sowing in seed bed in March April 2cm deep
Thin to 3cm apart
Transplant when 20cm high. Make a hole 15 cm deep and drop leek into it. Plant 15cm apart and rows 30cm apart
Ground occupancy 35-45 weeks
Feed etc
Special requirements as they grow keep drawing up soil around them to keep blanched or place tube over
Harvest - start when young but can stay in ground
Pest onion fly symptom and control
Disease Rust symptom reddy brown rust pustules on leaves - plants wilt and control by variety resistance and good hygiene slash and burn
Potatoes
Cultivar early red duke of York maincrop Maris Piper
Plant tubers 10-15cm deep 30-40 cm apart in March April (earlies) April (maincrop) rows at least 50cm apart to allow for earthing up later
Ground occupancy15+20
Feed with nitrogen - liquid seaweed foliage or chicken pellets
Special requirements when stems are 30 cm start drawing up earth up to 10-15cm around plants (preventing green) water well
Harvest - fork up earlier don’t store maincrop dry thoroughly and check for holes. Store in trays or bags in dry dark frost free place
Pest slugs potato cyst eelworm symptom poor growth yellow to brown from bottom up and control resistant varieties and crop rotation
Disease scab symptom brown spots all over and control certified and don’t leave in ground. Water well
Lettuce
Cultivar Little Gem or French Mix
Sowning April /May for summer crop Aug/Sep for a spring crop 1cm deep in rows 30cm apart
Transplant 15-20cm apart when have 5-6 leaves
Ground occupancy 6-12 weeks for summer
Feed etc
Special requirements
Harvest early to avoid bolting - cut whole thing or individual leaves. Don’t store well just few days in fridge
Pest slugs control beer organic slug pellets
Disease Grey Mould fluffy grey mould that then turns brown and rots control with good hygiene and air flow. Thin well
Radishes
Cultivar scarlet Globe
Sowing march to August 1cm deep rows 15cm apart thinly
Thin to not necessary if sown thinly
Ground occupancy 3 -5 weeks
Special requirements water well and keep soil moist to prevent splitting
Harvest as require but don’t leave in long as become woody
Pest slugs symptom and control
Disease downy mildew symptom yellowish patches on leaves and white under flesh of radish brownish control increase air flow burn infected.
Courgette
Cultivar El Greco
2 weeks before sowing or planting make planting poa keys by digging a spade depth and width 90 cm apart and filling with compost or matured and covering with a general fertiliser leaving a low mound. Can put black polythene over.
Sow seeds 2.5 cm deep in late May/June or transplant (having hardened off your seeds grown indoors from April spacing in planting holes.
Transplant June
Feed high potash (tomorite) once first fruits start to swell
Special requirements - keep soil really moist . Embed a pot in soil so can water roots really well not from top. Pinch out ends of trailing plants when 60cm long
Harvest when young to keep crop coming. Remove all before first frost
Pest whitefly symptom and control
Disease powdery mildew water well and in cooler place symptom and control
Benefits and limitations of crop rotation
Benefits
Stops soil becoming exhausted/depleted of nutrients
Reduces risk of pests and disease build up in soil
One crop can benefit from another eg brassicas after legumes as nitrogen is fixed
And alliums after potatoes as weed suppressant for non
Limitations
In small gardens
Personal preference may mean not growing all different types
Also space limitation
Also benefit argument about preventing build up of pests and disease may not apply in small space and only to soil born not non specific
Explain how successional sowing can be achieved.
Carrots
