Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
untouched so that the lettuce can grow again. The first time you do this the
leaves may look a little sad, but the plant will respond by accelerating its growth,
producing lots of tender adolescent leaves. If you get the number of plants right
(this depends on the amount of lettuce that you eat, and the time of year) they
will be just perfect the next time you pick, and you will be able to harvest from
each one time and time again over a long period. The only thing that brings the
harvest to an end is when the plant finally decides to bolt. This can happen if the
bed dries out too much or if the plants are allowed to keep a little too much leaf,
but eventually it happens anyway. Once the flower stem begins to form and the
centre of the lettuce stretches upwards, cut the plant at ground level and inspect
the cut surface as part of your regular slug patrols - they love to graze on the
stumps.
Lettuce leaves deteriorate quickly once picked unless they are kept cool and
moist. Rinse and put them in a sealed plastic bag and store in the salad compart-
ment of the fridge, where they will keep crisp for three or four days. For whole
heads of lettuce, resist the urge to break them up for washing; store them whole,
as above, and break them up and wash just before eating. Breaking or tearing the
leaves is better than cutting them as contact with a metal knife can cause browning.
Problems
Slugs
,
moulds
and
lettuce root aphids
. Keep some open space between plants
and make sure all debris is removed regularly.
Melon and watermelon
&
Varieties:
'Collective Farm Woman', 'Minnesota Midget'
Melons have to be the number-one boasting crop for greenhouse and polytunnel
growers alike, all the more so because they have a reputation for being difficult
to grow. This is largely unjustified, since varieties have come a long way since
the days of heated Victorian glasshouses. However, you still can't really grow
melons outdoors in the UK. Even very experienced gardeners will get only a few
fruit, and only then in the longest and driest of British summers. Happily, it's a
different story under cover. The scent of a ripening melon on the vine is one of
the gardener's best-kept secrets, and the fruit one of the best rewards. A single
melon can perfume the entire tunnel, reminding you of the pleasure to come.
