The vegetable patch: what now?

There is nothing better than harvesting your own vegetables, bringing them into the kitchen to eat or cook, and getting the full flavour.
By The Newsroom
Published 31st Jul 2015, 07:00 BST
John Shannon. INLT 13-802-CONJohn Shannon. INLT 13-802-CON
John Shannon. INLT 13-802-CON

The first potatoes should be ready, and other salad items and vegetables.

This will create space. Don’t waste it - plant late-maturing vegetables right now.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Before sowing or planting more vegetables, dig over the soil incorporating some more organic matter, such as well rotted manure, well rotted compost or soil conditioner, at the same time removing any perennial weeds. Put in a base dressing of Westland Growmore.

In the garden centre we still have a good range of seeds for planting directly into the soil. There is also a good selection of vegetable plants suitable for planting at this time. Autumn planting onion sets, shallots and garlic can be planted for maturing in early apring. These will mature before spring-planted onion sets and shallots.

Why not grow your own seed potatoes to be ready to eat at Christmas? As the soil is warm, they can be planted now and will get a good start. They can also be grown in raised beds, adding a general fertliser, or plant three seed potatoes into a large container with vegtable compost and move into the glass house to protect from frost, ready to use on your Christmas dinner.