As the weather warms up we can begin to sow them outside now
As the weather is getting warmer and the final frosts begin to vanish, it’s time to start sowing fast-growing, heat-loving crops if you haven’t already.
I haven’t had space in the heated greenhouse, or indeed in the house, to start any of my winter squash, but they can be started now in an unheated greenhouse or directly outside if your soil has warmed up and isn’t waterlogged. I’m growing my all-time favourite squash, ‘Honeyboat’, as it’s a great one to train up an obelisk or support; the fruits aren’t too heavy so there’s no risk of it pulling the structure down.
By growing like this I can use a small footprint of soil but get a large crop. To save even more space you can grow them over an arch which spans a pathway, with the added bonus that you’ll be using space that would otherwise be empty.
I’m also growing anew pink kabocha type called ‘Rosie’, which stores extremely well into the following year. For pots, sow one seed on its edge per 9cm pot and keep them in the greenhouse until they are large enough to plant out. For those growing directly outside, it’s best to plant two seeds per station and remove the weakest seedling after germination.
If you have a small cloche, place it over the area to protect the patch from the elements and help speed up sprouting. My sweetcorn plants are another fast-growing crop. This year I’m trying a different-coloured variety called ‘Double Red’, with red and white kernels and dark purple husks. Unlike most other coloured cobs, this one is for eating fresh and has a sweet taste – it’s not a popcorn or flour type, so I should have the best of both worlds with colour and flavour. In fact, you can tell how sweet they will be by the seed – the more dried and wrinkled it is, the sweeter the flavour, whereas if they are round and solid they’ll be more savoury and better for popping.
