This month you will enjoy a wonderful pumpkin variety, a stunning beetroot and a gorgeous nasturtium. As well as this, you will either receive radish or rocket seeds, too!
Pumpkin‘Rouge vif d’Etampes’
A truly wonderful pumpkin for gardeners who enjoy turning their produce into something delicious in the kitchen, this variety has thick, tasty flesh which is naturally sweet and works brilliantly in a range of different dishes. As well as this, the stunning fruits make quite the focal point on the plot!
Sow indoors to get your plants off to the best possible start. Seeds can be started April-June, sowed 1.5cm deep, on their edge, in small pots of good-quality compost. Water the pots well and place them in a warm spot. A temperature of 15-20°C will be best – this is easy to achieve if you have a heated propagator.
Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Seedlings will usually appear in seven-21 days. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions before planting outside – this is known as ‘hardening off’ and can be done by gradually increasing the amount of time the plant is outside each day over a period of a couple of weeks. Plant your young pumpkins 1.2m apart, into fertile, well-drained soil, after the final risk of frosts have passed (usually in May). You can also sow outdoors, May-June for ease, where they are to crop, 1.5cm deep, directly into finely-prepared, fertile, well-drained soil, which has already been watered. Allow 1.2m between positions. Sow two seeds on edge per position. Early sowings benefit from cloche protection. Thin to leave the stronger plant. Water well until plants are established. Pumpkins will be ready to harvest between August and November depending on when you made your sowings. Cut the pumpkin from the plant using a sharp knife and leaving some stem in tact – especially if you will be drying and storing the fruits for use at a later point.
Beetroot‘Chioggia’
Amazing flavour, good texture and stunning striped flesh. If you only grow one beetroot this year, make it ‘Chioggia’. Cut through the root to find concentric circles in red and white.
Sow beetroot ‘Chioggia’ in situ from mid-spring onwards. Prepare the soil a few months in advance by digging it over and adding organic matter, such as well-rotted garden compost. A couple of weeks before sowing, rake the surface to a fine tilth, adding a general purpose fertiliser. If you live in a chilly area or want to warm the bed ahead of tim
