Vegetables

Question 1

3 Carrots for successional cropping

Answer 1

Early Nantes - early
Flyaway F1 - Mid
Autumn King - Late

Question 2

Carrot Pest & Disease

Answer 2

Pest - Carrot fly
Stunted growth, reddening leaves. Black areas on root due to cell death.
Control - delay sowing till May, or protect crops with fleece. So thinly to reduce need to thin later. Resistant varieties Flyaway F1.

Disease - motley dwarf virus.
Leaves turn yellow and red, stunted growth. Reduced yield.
Control - is spread by aphids, so use biological control - eg. ladybirds, or wash of with soapy spray.

Question 3

Name 2 varieties of onions

Answer 3

James long keeping

Shakespeare

Question 4

When to sow onion seeds

Answer 4

August or February-April

Question 5

When to plant onion sets

Answer 5

March-April

Question 6

Pest & disease for onions?

Answer 6

Pest - onion fly
Presence of adults (like house flies). Outer leaves yellow and wilt. Larvae maggots feed on the roots making inedible.
Control - grow under fleece. Carefully lift & destroy infected onions.
Disease - Onion white rot
Yellowing/wilting leave. Roots rot, then bulbs rot. White fluffy fungal growth at base.
Control - long survival make crop rotation doesn’t work! Avoid introduction to previously uninfected sites. Avoid cross contamination by good hygiene.

Question 7

Name 2 varieties of leeks

Answer 7

Musselburgh

Nipper

Question 8

When to sow leeks?

Answer 8

Indoor undercover January - March

Outdoor March/April in a prepared seed bed.

Question 9

How to plant leeks out.

Answer 9

Plant out seedlings when pencil thickness.
Jun - July
Trim roots to 2-3cm & tops by 5cm.
Use a dibber to make a hole 15-20cm.
Drop the leek into the hole then pour water to allow soil to settle around the leek and hold it into place.
15-25cm apart in rows 30-40cm apart.

Question 10

Leek Pest & Disease

Answer 10

Pest - Leek moth
Caterpillars tunnel into leaves and stems causing brown patches. Leaves may turn yellow & rot.
Control - remove and destroy infected plants. Cover with horticultural fleece when planting out.
Disease - leek rust
Bright orange spots and smears on the leaves. Leaves can shrivel and yield affected.
No control once present - space plants properly to reduce humidity and allow adequate ventilation. Dispose of badly affected material. Don’t grow alliums in space for 3 years after. Crop rotation!

Question 11

Beetroot 2 varieties

Answer 11

Boltardy

Red ace

Question 12

How to sow beetroot?

Answer 12

Each seed is a fruit, so 3 or 4 seedlings in each.
Station sow or sow in drills thinly. 2.5 cm deep.
Or raise in modules under glass.
March - June

Question 13

When to harvest beetroot?

Answer 13

When golf ball sized May - August, leaving others to cricket ball size!
Store in boxes of dry sand clean off mud and twist off tops, ensuring they don’t touch each other.

Question 14

Beetroot pest and disease?

Answer 14

Pest - Flea beetle. Round holes on upper leaf surfaces. Brown leaves. round holes on upper surface of leaves. Control by covering seedlings or spray with pyrethrum..
Disease - Downy mildew - yellow patches on leaves, and whitish fungal bloom on leaves. Remove and destroy affected leaves. Thin plants to increase ventilation.

Question 15

Two varieties of Runner bean?

Answer 15

Painted lady

Prizewinner

Question 16

When & how to plant Runner beans?

Answer 16

Tender plants so sow in modules/pots two beans per pot in April. Or direct sow in late May/early June at base of support. Transplant in late May when risk of frost has past. Harden off first. Make a teepee with garden canes for them to climb up, and plant one bean to each cane.
Harvest 12-14 weeks after sowing.

Question 17

Runner bean pest and disease?

Answer 17

Pest - Slugs - eaten leaves and stems. Control with beer traps, picking off slugs at night. Nematode.
Disease - bean rust -
Pale raised spots on upper surface. White pustules on lower surface. Heavily infected leaves turn brown and die.
Control by removing dead/damaged leaves and debris and destroying. Thin to increase ventilation.

Question 18

Courgette - 2 varieties

Answer 18

Baseball F1
Gold Rush F1
Genovese

Question 19

Facts about sowing Courgettes?

Answer 19

Tender, sow indoors April outdoors May.
On side 2.5 cm deep.
Station sow 2 per station, 75 - 90 cm apart. Cover with cloche until established.
Plant out in June if sown indoors. Harden off.
Base dressing of compost/manure. Top dress high potash fertilizer every 2 weeks once fruits are forming.

Question 20

How to harvest & store courgettes?

Answer 20

Harvest when 10-15cm long, pick regularly leads to more fruit rather than one big marrow.
Wash and store in a polythene bag in fridge for 4-5 days.

Question 21

Pest & diseases for courgettes?

Answer 21

Pests slugs - beer traps, pick off at night, ferrous phosphate slug pellets.
Disease - Powdery mildew. White powder on leaf surface, and leaves become stunted and shrivel. Keep soil moist and reduce water stress. Grow in cool locations. Choose resistant cultivars. Remove and destroy infected leaves.

Question 22

Name 3 varieties of potatoes for different crop times?

Answer 22

First early - Duke of York
Second early - Charlotte
Maincrop - Pink fir apple

Question 23

Facts about growing Potatoes?

Answer 23

Grown from certified virus free seed potatoes.
Chitt in frost free light airy spot Jan - March.
Plant earlies Mid March -April in trench 12-15cm apart in rows 60cm apart.
Mains April - 40cm apart 70cm between rows.
Base dressing of compost, and liquid general fertiliser every fortnight to improve yield.
Earth up with a draw hoe after top dressing once 15-25 cm tall.

Question 24

When & how to harvest and store potatoes?

Answer 24

Earlies lift as flowers develop Jun/July.
Mains August onward when leaves go brown, remove them then wait 10 days to harvest. Lift with a fork on a dry day. Ensure all are lifted and none left behind for following year - these are called volunteers. Storing potatoes dry/undamaged/disease free in closed hessian or paper sacks or boxes to exclude light in a dry dark frost and vermin free shed.

Question 25

Potato pest & disease?

Answer 25

Pest - Potato cyst eel worm. Plants appear week with withering leaves and wilting foliage. Eelworm feeds on the roots. Crop rotation to prevent build up. Use certified stock. Destroy infected material. Do not replant potatoes on infected land. No chemical control.
Disease - potato blight. More common in main crop. Wet, warm summers. Brown water rot that quickly spreads affecting leaves and stems. Tubers can be affected too, brown decay and then soft rot.
Control by removing & destroying blight affected leaves as soon as you see it. Crop rotation. Correct spacing of plants. Earthing up can provide some protection to tubers.

Question 26

Lettuce varieties

Answer 26

Little Gem

Lollo rossa

Question 27

How to grow lettuces?

Answer 27

Sow thinly outoors from April in 1cm drills Or module sow 2-3 seeds per module Feb-March undercover.
Late crops sow August and cover with cloche for an autumn harvest.
Successional sowing staggers harvest time.

Question 28

How to harvest & store lettuce?

Answer 28

Harvest individual leaves from the outside or whole lettuce when the centre has hardened. Best harvested by cutting rather than pulling. Will store in a polythene bag in the fridge 4-6 days.

Question 29

Lettuce Pest & Disease?

Answer 29

Pest - slugs. Beer traps. Start in modules and plant out so chance to establish. Slug pellets. Ferrous phosphate.
Disease - botrytis
Leaf discolouration which turns brown and soft while grey brown fizzy fungal growth develops. remove dead and dying leaves buds and flowers promptly. reduce humidity by improving ventilation and don’t overcrowd plants.

Question 30

Name 2 varieties of brussel sprouts?

Answer 30

Revenge F1

Trafalgar F1

Question 31

How to grow brussel sprouts?

Answer 31

Sow thinly 10mm deep in a nursery seed bed in rows 15cm apart March -April. Or raise in modules 1-2 seeds per module and thin to the strongest in March/april. Plant out once established strong plants 10-15cm in June. Plant 50-60cm apart and 75cm between rows. Water well after transplanting.
Base dressing of well rotted manure.
Mound soil around plants base in September, or stake for support.

Question 32

When to harvest brussel sprouts and how to store?

Answer 32

Single harvest whole stem. Or continual harvest as sprouts are ready. Harvest early varieties from August. Start from lowest sprouts when they are tightly closed walnut size. Pull downwards.
Store unwashed in an unlidded storage container in the fridge 5 days. Freezer - wash, trim, blanch then plunge into ice water. Dry and pack in air tight container in fridge for 12 months.

Question 33

Brussel sprouts pest & disease?

Answer 33

Pest - pigeons eat the leaves. Cover with fine netting over entire crop.
Disease - club root. Fungal infection of the roots. Plants will start to wilt. Stunted growth. Then when dug up, the roots become swollen and misshapen and eventually rot. Crop rotation, adding lime to the soil raises the PH which helps prevent clubroot. Plant brassicas in containers.

Question 34

Name 2 varieties of cabbage?

Answer 34

January King (winter)
Tundra (winter)

Question 35

When to sow cabbages and how?

Answer 35

Winter cabbage sown in April/May, transplant in late June/July. Grown in seedbed or modules, before planting into final positions. 45cm apart. Heavy feeders. Feed with high nitrogen fertiliser when mid size. Generous watering in dry weather.

Question 36

When to harvest cabbages and how to store?

Answer 36

Harvest when head is firm, whether small or large. Cut through stem just above ground level with sharp knife. Harvest winter cabbages Nov/March. Store in the fridge for 4/5 days. Or wash, blanche and freeze for up to 12 months.

Question 37

Pest and disease for cabbage?

Answer 37

Cabbage white caterpillars. White butterflies lay eggs, and once caterpillars hatch they eat the leaves. Use insect proof mesh or fine netting to prevent egg laying. Inspect plants regularly and remove any eggs or caterpillars when seen. Pathogenic nematode can be watered in.
Disease - powdery mildew. White powdery deposit over the leaf surface and leaves become stunted and shrivel. Control by keep soil moist and reduce water stress. Grow in cool locations. Choose resistant cultivars.

Question 38

Name 2 varieties of Radish?

Answer 38

French breakfast (summer)
Cherry Belle (summer)

Question 39

When to sow and how summer Radish?

Answer 39

Quick crop! Can be used as a catch crop. Sown little and often. Sow summer cultivars March - mid August. Under cloche/pre warmed soil in Feb for earlier crop. Sow in ground, containers or grow bags. Sow seed thinly 1cm deep and aim for 1 seed every 2.5cm. Harvest when ready - don’t leave too big to go woody.

Question 40

When to harvest summer radish and how to store?

Answer 40

Harvest 30-50 days after sowing. Wash roots prior to storing to increase longevity. Storage 10-14 days in fridge in plastic bag. Do not freeze well.

Question 41

Radish pest and disease?

Answer 41

Pest - Flea beetle. Leaves covered in small holes, and damaged areas turn brown. Seedlings particularly susceptible. Adults eat leaves, larvae eat roots. Control by growing under horticultural fleece. Feed high nitrogen fertiliser so crop goes fast and outgrows the pest. Chemical control deltamethrin pyrethrum.
Disease - downy mildew. Yellowish patches on leaf surface, white fluffy growth on underside. Roots may also go brown. Remove all crop debris after harvest. Rotate with non brassicas. remove infected plants as soon as you see them. Use wider spacing to improve ventilation. Remove wild host weeds like shepherds purse.