Looking for advice on how to plan your veg plot? In this series of blogs we’ll be writing about how you can organise your sowing and growing schedule.
In Part 1 we will be looking at the different plant types, and describe the influence of the UK’s climate on your planting plan. In Part 2 we’ll go on to discuss soil quality.
Types of Plants
Plants are divided into 4 general types, according to their growth patterns and hardiness:
1. Hardy Annuals
Hardy annuals, form roots and leaves – and flower and die within one season. They will grow from seed as soon as the soil is warm enough and survive the wet, cold and frosts of late spring and autumn and winter. Examples are broad beans, peas, spinach, lettuce, coriander, rocket and the onion family.
2. Half-hardy Annuals
Half-hardy annuals come from other warmer climates, like South America, and will struggle when temperatures drop
too low and will be killed by frost. Some of these grow well outside, for example sweet corn, french and runner beans, cucumbers, courgettes and squash. Others will grow well in a good summer but may not reach maturity in time if the summer is cold and wet. Examples include outdoor varieties of tomatoes, chillies and peppers.
3. Biennials
Biennials have a two-year cycle from seed to flower, but are often treated as an annual because we harvest the first year’s growth, roots and leaves, rather than the flowers, seeds and fruits. Examples would be many root vegetables e.g. parsnips, beetroot, carrots, celeriac etc. leeks, parsley and brassicas.
4. Perennials
Perennials will grow on from year to year e.g. rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, currants, asparagus, artichokes etc. and many herbs e.g. thyme, sage, mint, rosemary and bay. Perennials need to be considered first in your plan, as once planted you won’t want to move them. They are often best planted together, especially if they need protection, for example in a fruit
cage.
LHS image shows hardy vegetables – an October harvest of chard and pak choi sown in early Aug and carrots, leeks and beetroots sown in April. The RHS image shows fennel and spinach in early Sep, sown late July to be harvested in October.
Planting Periods:
There are three broad planting periods which reflect the type of plant:
Spring
March to May for plants that can cope with frost, that is hardy-annuals, biennials and perennials. Perennials are often introduced as established plants, e.g. fruit bushes and asparagus crowns, so are best planted when dormant in February or March.
Late Spring/Early Summer
May or June for plants that will die if exposed to frosts, that is half-hardy annuals.
Summer
July and August for crops that are hardy and will provide vegetables throughout the autumn winter period.
Half-hardy annuals – Courgettes and sweetcorn, sown indoors in late April and planted out in late May.
Spring and Early Summer Planting
Broad beans are very hardy, and if you get winter varieties they can be planted from November for an early crop or directly in the ground as sowings or seedlings from February. Tip – The earlier you can raise your broad beans the better to avoid the blackfly later in the season.
Peas are also very hardy and can be sown in the ground or planted out from seedlings from early March. Tip – Because of the rampant pea moth on the Howe, mangetout and sugar snap peas tend to be more successful than ordinary peas.
Root vegetables are best grown from seed directly into the soil, as transplanting often causes distortion of the roots. Their small seeds can be affected by cold and wet soil conditions, so you need to wait for the soil to warm up before planting
(March/April depending on the weather). Tip – You can tell when it is warm enough because the weeds start to grow, but I also check out what the experienced gardeners on the Howe are doing!
Potatoes are perennials but are usually treated as half-hardy annuals in our climate as they can get cut back by frost, however you can still plant early potatoes from March as they will take a while to get to the surface. If a late frost is threatened, you can usually cover them effectively. Tip – But best wait to plant your main crop in April/May so that they will not emerge at a risky time.
Another job for this time of year is to sow half-hardy annual seedlings indoors or in a greenhouse reading for planting out – see below.
Half-hardy annuals – Courgettes and sweetcorn, sown indoors in late April and planted out in late May.
Summer Planting in July / August
Late planting provides crops in autumn, winter and early spring before the new season’s crops are ready to eat, filling what is often called the hunger gap.
These crops can go into ground after you have picked other crops such as the onion family, peas and broad beans. Fennel, pakchoi, spinach, chard and a range of salad leaves will grow well planted in the summer period, as they mature quickly and are less likely to go to seed when planted later in the year. Spinach, chard, salad leaves and pak choi can be sown as late as the end of August filling gaps in your ground.
Perpetual spinach and chard will provide leaves until December and then resprout in the early spring. Brassicas will grow to maturity all through the year but are especially valuable in the winter. Different varieties mature at different times but with good selection you can have a constant source of vegetables throughout the winter season and into the spring. For example, planting out young plants in August of cavolo nero and sprouts will provide greens for December and January and young plants of cabbage and broccoli will follow them maturing in February or March. These young plants will need to be sown in May or June, but if you have not done so, they can be purchased from local nurseries in July and August.
Successional planting
For the hardy annuals, second or third sowings of plants several weeks apart will provide a longer period to harvest. This is especially valuable for quick growing salad vegetables, radishes, lettuces, rocket and herbs such as basil and dill.
Hope you’ve found this blog post useful. For more detailed information about growing individual vegetables and their varieties take a look at the RHS website at https://www.rhs.org.uk/
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