Wealden Times | WT165 | November 2015 | Gift supplement inside
Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
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supposed to leave them lolling about in their holes to stop grit<br />
getting between the layers, though I often back-fill the holes.<br />
This is a form of blanching and will give the leeks a long white<br />
shank, which is the tenderest part.<br />
Kale is the best-behaved of the brassicas and deep dark greenly<br />
good for you; grow some kale and the vitamins burst from each<br />
leaf and march down the path to greet you. For winter harvests,<br />
sow in July or August. You will need to protect against the pesky<br />
cabbage white butterflies for the first few weeks, until they’ve<br />
gone away for the winter, and then against pigeons – although<br />
if you’re a good shot and not squeamish, kale-stuffed pigeon<br />
sounds quite delicious.<br />
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FrogheathLandscapesWT160.indd 1 01/05/<strong>2015</strong> 14:17<br />
Parsnips are easy if you have the right type of soil. They like<br />
free-draining conditions and not too much manure. Too much<br />
causes the roots to fork and fang and they end up looking like<br />
monsters from Dr Who. Parsnips are supposed to taste better<br />
after a frost, as some of the starch in the root turns to sugar, but<br />
you might need a pick axe to dig them up if the ground freezes<br />
solid.<br />
Spinach is much easier to grow in winter than in the warmer<br />
months when it can bolt (run to seed) almost immediately.<br />
Some varieties are hardier than others. Perpetual spinach (often<br />
called spinach beet) is very tough, but other varieties will<br />
appreciate the cover of a cloche. Growth will be slow during<br />
the winter months, so sow plenty in late summer to last you –<br />
remember how the leaves wilt to nothing once they’re cooked.<br />
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Pak Choi and oriental greens are, like spinach, great to grow<br />
in cooler weather; in fact, really don’t bother to grow them at<br />
any other time of the year, if the weather is warm they’ll rush to<br />
make flowers before you get a chance to pick them.<br />
Swiss Chard – I grow this because it looks so beautiful, even<br />
if no one eats it. It is similar to spinach, but the leaves have a<br />
thicker stem. In some varieties the stems are brightly coloured<br />
(‘Bright Lights’ is a good one) which brings a welcome, if<br />
somewhat startling splash of colour in the veg patch. The leaves<br />
may wither in very cold weather but, by early spring, new ones<br />
will grow.<br />
Brassicas<br />
Winters are long, but life is short, and I have made a decision<br />
not to grow too many brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels<br />
<br />
www.wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
SBIWT164.indd 1 23/09/<strong>2015</strong> 14:16<br />
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