Vegetables may also be grown entirely without any form of heat and without the use of a frame though a row of cloches will ensure earlier crops and they may be kept in use the whole year round. Cloches are like small portable greenhouses and are of many types and sizes. The Chase large barn-type is made of glass sheets, held together by galvanised wires. Being in inches high it is suitable for melons and marrows, tomatoes and cucumbers until they reach maturity. It is ideal for strawberries too. Low barn cloches are 12 inches high and are suitable for growing winter lettuce and early crops of turnips, radishes and beetroot. They may also be used to cover rows of early spring-sown seedlings. Later, the plants are hardened by removing the cloches on mild days and then at night, when the plants will be ready to transplant during April.
The Vitrone cloches, glass clear and made of strong Vitrone P.V.C. sheets, held in place by wire hoops which skewer firmly into the ground are unbreakable and light to handle, whilst an inexpensive tunnel cloche 35 feet long may be made from I.C.I. polythene sheeting supported by hoops and securing wires. Vitrone and polythene cloches are shatter-proof and should he used where there are low flying aircraft. Where growing under cloches, cover the ground several days before the seed is sown so that the soil is partially warm at sowing time which will ensure more rapid germination.
Always sow thinly, using pelleted seed where possible for pelleting makes small seeds easier to handle and to sow, whilst correct spacing does away with much labor in thinning and allows the plants space to develop properly. Pelleted seeds are dried to a low moisture level which causes the coating to break down more quickly.
Seeds for transplanting may be sown in drills or broadcast in prepared beds. First make the soil friable by breaking down all lumps and incorporate into the top 3 to 4 inches sonic moist peat or bark fiber and give a sprinkling of superphosphate to encourage root action_ When the soil is in a reasonably dry, friable condition, the drills are made I inch deep with the back of a rake. Use a line to make them straight and if the rows are to be covered with cloches of the correct width. A Chase barn cloche is 23 inches wide which will allow for three rows 6 inches apart. This will permit the hoe to be taken between the rows but where sowing in the open, slightly wider spacing will make for greater case in hoeing.
Where growing crops which are to be grown on to maturity under cloches, the seedlings will need thinning to the correct distances apart and they will require attention as to their watering, though in showery weather, sufficient moisture will percolate under each side of the cloche and it will be necessary to move them only occasionally. If strips of black polythene are placed between the rows, they will attract and retain the warmth of the sun’s rays and this will make for earlier maturity as well as suppressing weeds and reducing moisture evaporation from the soil.
Aiming out Thinning should be done with care, removing any plants where there is overcrowding and any weakly or diseased plants. After thinning, gently make firm those plants remaining. To transplant, lift when the soil is damp and with as much soil attached to the roots as possible. Brassicas should have the roots dipped in Calomel solution before replanting. Do not lift more plants than can be handled in a reasonably short time for if the roots are long exposed to sun and wind, flagging may occur from which they may take sonic time to recover. If possible, plant on a dull day. Plant firmly, using a trowel and insert the roots well into the ground. Make the plants comfortably firm and water in Be certain that they are spaced correctly. Cauliflowers and cabbages may be quite small when planted but will soon grow to 2 feet or more and where there is overcrowding they will not develop as they should, whilst disease may become troublesome through lack of a free circulation of air. This does not however mean that space should be wasted. Between the rows, crops of radish and lettuce may be grown which will have reached maturity long before the cabbages have become fully grown. Keep the plants growing during dry weather by giving the soil around the roots a thorough soaking. This is important for if only surface watering are given, the roots will turn upwards in search of moisture and will not only suffer harm from exposure to the sun and drying winds but the plants will lack the nutrition and moisture essential for their full maturity.
After planting, keep a close look out for pests and diseases and use the spray at the first appearance. For a small garden, the A SL Cadet spray is to be recommended. it has a 4 pint capacity and gives 7 minutes of continuous spraying. It is fitted with a thumb control tap and a long reach extension arm. This model may also be used for spraying roses and fruit trees.
Highly efficient, too, is the Master pneumatic hand sprayer made of brass throughout and holding 2 pints of liquid. The spray is fine and mist-like, with trigger action giving instantaneous control. It is not usually necessary to purchase a dust spray for most powdered fungicides and pesticides are made up into ‘puffer’ packs.
At all times keep the hoe moving between the plants to prevent the appearance of weeds and to keep the surface broken up so that air and moisture may penetrate to the roots. The Mill- spur draw hoe made of high carbon steel is most efficient for this purpose and, among Dutch hoes, that manufactured by Wilkinson Sword has a razor edge of tempered steel.
Hoeing may be eliminated by mulching between the plants but apart from peat, mulching materials are expensive and difficult to obtain, though composted straw will serve the purpose. A mulch will suppress weeds and prevent too rapid moisture evaporation of the soil whilst certain mulches provide valuable plant food. They should be applied when the soil has warmed, about midsummer. If peat is used in quantity, additional liming may be necessary for future crops.
As they come to maturity, plants will benefit from a weekly application of diluted manure water whilst those which are making less growth than expected, possibly because of cold winds and a soil slow to warm, should he stimulated by giving a dressing of nitrate of soda, a quick acting fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. The plants will also benefit from weathered soot which, if applied early in summer, will encourage the soil to warm up and will also provide additional nitrogen.
During dry periods, all plants will appreciate a syringing of the foliage, given in the evening when the sun is going down. French and runner beans especially benefit front this and it helps the flowers to set. Certain plants will also need supporting though the introduction of varieties of more compact habit now make this less troublesome. The taller growing outdoor tomatoes, sweet corn and broad beans will require supporting and a simple method is to place stout stakes or canes at intervals along the rows and to fasten twine front stake to stake, looping it around the plants along the rows.
Earthing up will also help the taller growing plants to resist strong winds whilst leeks and celery will require earthing up at regular intervals for their satisfactory blanching, and potatoes to prevent the haulm being broken away during cultivations.
Vegetables do need some attention to get the best from them and particularly is it important to harvest them whilst still young and full of flavor. Nothing is gained by allowing them to remain too long on the plants so that they run to seed or grow too large with the resultant loss of flavor and quality. In addition, if removed when young, others are able to come to maturity and each plant will yield its maximum crop and cropping will last over a longer period. Peas should be removed as soon as the pods are well filled and runner beans when about 6 inches long, before the beans have begun to swell in the pod. Harvest marrows and cucumbers when quite small and cauliflowers before they begin to seed, whilst the heads are still white and firm. In this way the crops will be most enjoyable. When to sow, Whilst it may not be possible to use all the vegetables as they reach maturity, many can be preserved for using during winter and those crops which mature in autumn may be lifted to protect them from frost damage. Others, such as celery and leeks benefit from frost and are allowed to. Occupy the ground through winter, to be lifted when required, and as the weather permits.
The first vegetables to harvest and store will he French and runner beans and they should be removed before they grow old and stringy. They are placed in large glass or earthenware jars to be salted down, when they will ‘keep’ until the first crops of French beans are ready the following year and for as long as two years if necessary.
The beans are sliced and trimmed and a layer 3 inches deep is placed in the jar. The beans are then given a generous covering with salt; more beans are then added, and another layer of salt and the jar filled in this way as the season advances; the beans should always be young and brittle with no seeds showing through the pods.
When required for use, a quantity of beans are removed, washed free of salt and allowed to soak in cold water for an hour before cooking. The beans will be as fresh and full of flavor as when removed from the plants.
Haricot or butter beans are harvested towards the end of summer when fully ripe for it is the seeds that are stored for winter use, not the pods. The beans are removed from the plants on a dry day and are taken to a dry, airy room where they are spread out on trays or on shelves to complete the drying. The seeds are then removed from the pods and their drying completed before being placed in wooden containers to be used when required. They will store almost indefinitely.
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