Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
prone to pest and weather damage. Plants sown in succession from mid-August
to the end of September should ensure a hungry-gap harvest.
Cabbage
Sown around the middle of September, an early sweetheart variety such as
'Précoce de Louviers' will give you a hungry-gap harvest without the long grow-
ing time of outdoor crops. Sow in succession to be sure of having plants ready
when you need them.
Carrot
If you make a new sowing every time the last sowing develops its first true leaves,
your tunnel should never be without a row of baby carrots. For the hungry gap,
an August sowing should give you mature carrots by the beginning of April,
although a few may become woody and bolt.
Cauliflower
As with cabbage, with the right varieties and enough bed space you can grow
cauliflower outside for any time of year. Plants grown in the tunnel tend to do
better because of the extra protection, and a fast-maturing variety such as Igloo
will do all year round. Sowings made in succession from August to mid-September
should provide large, flawless curds without the risk of damage from birds.
Celery
Although overwintered celery looks pretty sorry for itself in the depths of winter,
provided you protect it with fleece it will begin to grow again by the end of
February. By April some plants may have begun to bolt, but by picking regularly
to stop too much leaf developing you can turn celery into a delicious and unex-
pected part of your spring diet.
Celeriac
Celeriac takes up bed space for quite a long time, but the bigger roots you get in
the tunnel and the ease with which they overwinter make them worth it. Pick
some leaves in spring to delay bolting, and use them in soups and stews for a rich
celery-like flavour.
Chard
Chard will overwinter even in an outside bed, but needs protection to live
through severe frosts. It's a great vegetable to give some overwintering tunnel
room to, as it will still provide a harvest when the outside plants have completely
stopped growing. For best results, sow any time from February to April. It will
bolt in April or May of the following year, but the leaves remain sweet and tasty.
Small leaves can be eaten raw in salads and sandwiches, but larger ones are best
treated as a cooked vegetable.
 
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