Gardeners World 2020 June Episode 14

How to Plant Gardeners Delight tomatoes ?

Monty is taking his tomato growing to the next stage. He sewed these seeds seven weeks ago and is now moving them on to a raised bed. You can put them in a grow bag, pot or in the greenhouse if you have one.

Growing Tomatoes in Grow Bags

He has a tip for growing tomatoes in grow bags as they can be quite shallow. Cut a hole in the bottom of an old pot and sink it into the grow bag and put extra compost into the pot. That way there will be extra space for the roots to develop and will make for a more sturdy base. Your stake/cane can then be pushed into the pot for when the tomatoes need support which they will as they grow upright and will he holding up tomatoes later on.

Its also a good idea to only plant two tomato plants per grow bag even though there are normally 3 space allocated. That way you will get larger tomatoes.

In the raised bed he plants his tomatoes at least 18 aches apart from each other. Another tip is to plant from the pot quite deep into the soil to ensure that they develop sturdy stems. Cordon tomatoes grow vertically in one long main shoot and you pinch out the side shoots which make them bushy.

Dwarf Bush tomatoes

Did you know you can but dwarf bush tomatoes which can be planted into handging baskets and these will trail down. Ideal for gardeners with limited space.

How do you water Tomato plants ?

Water your tomato plants in well but you also need to feed them. Once established you may have to water your tomato plants every other day particularly when it is very hot. If they are in a grow bag put drainage holes in the bottom otherwise it will turn into a bag of water !

Just need a hot summer now to bring them on.

How to grow squashes and pumpkins ?

• What month do you plant squash ?

• Do squash plants climb ?

• What is the best way to grow squash ?

• Do squash plants need a lot of water ?

• Is squash easy to grow ?

Monty has a variety of squashes and pumpkins to put into the garden. Grow out from the middle of June to October. He has planted from seed 6 weeks ago but you can plant directly into the soil now and they should be OK. If seeding directly into the soil put 2 seeds together and then remove the weaker of the two later.

• Blue Hubbard – skin is blue but the flesh is orange
• Musquee de Provence squash – green skin
• Blue Kuri squash – smaller, much better for storing and delicious

Waltham butternut squash – grow against a fence, against a wall or in a container as long as it is big enough.

Ensure the soil is heavily manured with lots of compost. He is placing two or three per row. If you grow them up a support you’ll be able to grow several varieties together. Otherwise you need to leave 2 or 3 metres per plant to let them develop properly. Once planted give them a good soaking.

Interesting fact: According to CountrysideOnline the UK consumes 15 million pumpkins per year from 3523 acres !

Favourite pumpkin recipe: Pumpkin soup

How to grow Mushrooms in your garden ?

Two boys and their Dad talk us through how they are growing shiitake and oyster mushrooms. You need freshly cut logs and a drill. Oyster mushrooms prefer to be standing up. You buy them as mycellium dowels and these should be pushed into the holes you drill into in each log. To seal them just need a bit of wax. Leave for 6 months  and a crop of mushrooms should ensue . Should be Ok for 6 years of harvest . Easy !

Jobs for the weekend

• Sew lettuce seeds for harvesting in early Autumn
• Protect soft fruit from birds by putting up netting try to make the net taught so that the birds don’t get tangled in it