Gardening Blog
Allotment Diary
May 12: beans and squash
Work to the calendar when it comes to warmth-loving beans and squashes, advises Terry Walton
As the month of May rolls along, the sun gets higher in the sky and our thoughts stray to sowing those tender, tasty additions to our plot. I am talking about runner beans, French beans and the squashes, courgettes, marrows and pumpkins. But beware - it is still too early to plant this bunch of warmth-loving souls in the great outdoors. Sow the seed in a greenhouse or a windowsill to get them kick started.
Some gardeners are more adventurous and sow their bean seed directly into the ground. Not for me though - on a wild hillside, these would soon become a treat for slugs, birds and even the mice, who love to chew on these big, fleshy seeds. I use my favoured method of germinating these large seeds by mixing them with moist compost in a sealed freezer bag. Put somewhere warm these will 'chit' in a few days and the tell-tale white roots will appear. You can safely transfer these growing seeds to a three-inch pot of compost and they will grow into strong contenders able to cope with feeding pests. They will quickly grow into strong sturdy plants, ready to plant out at the base of their support, aiding their quest for a pathway to the sky.
As a support you can use a bamboo cane or, if you are more energetic, gather some straight willow or hazel from a nearby copse. All that is needed is something for these flailing tendrils to grip tightly to, which will support those heavy crops of beans. Again, never plant out too early, the end of May is the best time as these are plants that don’t like the cold.
The other 'warm weather' crops, squashes, courgettes, pumpkins and marrows are ready to be sown. These seed are also large and easily handled. They are pointed seeds and should be sown with the point downwards. Given the right conditions, after about seven days a large eruption will appear at the surface of your pot as the large seed leaves burst through the surface. The other amazing part of the germination of this type of crop is that often the spent seed case is brought to the surface and discarded on the top of the compost. Again, be cautious before planting out these tender crops!
This waiting time can be turned into a useful time and the area where you are going to plant out this group needs to be prepared. The members of this related family have one thing in common; they all like plenty of rich food at roots and a moist environment in which to grow their prolific crops. I dig a large hole for each one and fill it with a copious amount of well-rotted manure and compost. The soil from the hole is then made into an elevated mound on top of this hole. This allows the rain water to drain from the plant into its roots.
Members of the family of plants will grow very easily given a little care. Never water over the top of these plants only at the roots. Water gathers in the large, yellow, cup-like flowers and causes the fruit to rot at their ends. The leaves will also suffer from mildew if wet and this will quickly spread all over the plant.
Looked after well they are produce very heavy crops and can be harvested over a long period.
As the old saying goes 'never cast a clout before May is out' is very true of all of these fantastic crops. They only flourish in he warm conditions usually found at the end of May. Climate change may be on our doorstep but take no chances with these crops and work to the calendar. Then with a little sunshine, a little water you will have a summer full of cheer, plenty to eat and a good stock for the autumn.
Useful links
- May 5: telling friend from foe
- Terry Walton's weekly allotment blog
- How to grow your own tomatoes
- How to grow strawberries
- Starting a vegetable garden
- How to grow herbs
- Chat to other gardeners at Saga Zone
My Life On A Hillside Allotment
Terry Walton is a regular contributor to The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 and has written a book called, My Life on a Hillside Allotment, published by Bantam Press. The book is available from Amazon
