June gardening
ADVICE
ADV ICE
Late spring and a busier time in the garden hasn’t done anything to slow down the number of questions from Country Gardener readers on a variety of gardening problems
I have less space in my garden this summer to grow vegetables. Can I plant vegetables closer together to increase the yields I get?
I’d like to be able to grow sweet corn successfully. I’ve tried two or three times sowing seeds in blocks of roughly six metres square but the results have always been disappointing. Is there a secret to this I’m not aware of?
Andy, Barnstaple
Alan Wilson, Devon
There are vegetables which will thrive from being closely planted
You can - with some caveats. Vegetable spacing on seed packs is a useful guide but you can certainly adapt the distances to fit your garden depending on soil type, amount of sunlight and obviously the amount of space you have to grow in. Spacing also varies from crop to crop. Lettuces can be evenly planted over the whole bed while onions and beans are best grown in rows. Rows make it easier to sow and harvest crops. Growing plants close together can increase yields and for instance planting cabbages closer together increases yields but will reduce individual cabbage size. An ideal spacing of 30cms x 30cms gives a maximum return of yield and size. Carrots continue to produce a good crop of smaller vegetables as the number of plants increases but with beetroot quality declines with overcrowding. Growing a quick crop such as radishes between slower parsnips and sprouts can maximise space provided the main crop doesn’t suffer from competition.
Sweet corn is a great crop to grow and, with new varieties available, not difficult. There is a set routine which if you follow should work. The first half of May is an Wind pollination is important for sweet corn ideal time for sowing in threeinch pots. Use a good-quality multipurpose compost and push the seed down about an inch. Germination takes about 10 days. Seedlings grow rapidly, so a liquid feed with a general-purpose fertiliser after three weeks will maintain strong growth. Sow seed directly into the soil later in May. As sweet corn is a warm-climate plant, there is little to be gained by sowing into cold soils or planting seedlings too early. Choose a sheltered, sunny position. Space plants 18in apart in a block to aid wind pollination and this is important in fertile soil improved with some compost or manure. Sweet corn is a hungry crop, so apply a general fertiliser. Don’t grow Supersweet types with other types as they cross-pollinate, resulting in chewy cobs. Sweet corn is fairly drought resistant but watering in dry spells every 14 days will improve cob quality. Cobs are nearly ripeness when the tassels turn brown. Carefully separate the green sheaves covering the cob and use a fingernail to pierce a kernel. If the juice runs milky, harvest immediately.
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