Muintir na Tire School Garden Competition

  Broccoli, Sprouting Sprouting broccoli is a different vegetable to the standard broccoli that we get in the shops, which is actually called calabrese. Sprouting broccoli produces small florets in purple or white varieties and is traditionally harvested in winter and spring. It is a fantastic vegetable to grow as it will provide plenty of food at a time when there’s very little else available in the veg patch (from February to April). SOWING Sprouting broccoli should be planted in a soil that has been well-manured the previous autumn. Alternatively, you can add compost or manure and/or a general fertiliser one week before sowing/planting. Do not grow sprouting broccoli anywhere that you have grown any member of the cabbage family the last three years (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, collards and kale). The best way to manage all these veg is to create a crop rotation scheme prior to growing. Sprouting broccoli should be sown in May. It can be sown outsi...

  Beans, Runner Runner beans are incredibly prolific, incredibly attractive looking, and easy to grow. Runner beans plants will grow up to 10ft tall and a row of them growing up a cane wigwam will make a great feature in the summer vegetable patch. The beans themselves are tasty and freeze well. In fact, the only downside to runner beans is that you will have to pick them every other day in the summer months – so don’t be tempted to sow too many of them. A single plant will produce up to a kilo of beans. SOWING Runner beans like a fertile soil, so ideally add compost and a general fertiliser a week or two before sowing/transplanting. Seeds can be sown direct in the soil or in module trays ready for transplanting. Runner beans are frost sensitive and grow poorly in cold weather, so don’t sow indoors until early May. You can sow/tranplant outdoors in late May or early June. Sow 5cm deep in pots or direct – they are big seeds that grow quickly. If sowing direct space plants 30cm apart...

  Swede & Turnip Swedes (or yellow turnips) grow well in Ireland. They are not particularly fussy about the soil they grow in, though they will fare better if the soil is manured. White turnips are a quick growing crop – in contrast with the swede turnip, which is a long season crop. Turnips can be sown from March until August. The early sown crop is susceptible to bolting and they are more commonly sown in July and August for an autumn crop. Sow direct, thinly at 1cm deep in rows 25cm apart. SOWING Swedes and turnips will grow in most reasonably fertile soil, but best results will be obtained from soil that has had compost and general fertiliser added a week or two before. Swedes can be sown direct or in modules for later transplanting. If sowing direct, sow in late May or June, very thinly 1- 2cm deep in rows 40cm apart. If sowing in modules sow 1 seed per module in May. Turnips usually grow better when sown direct, but they can also be sown in module trays. Sow one or two se...

  Lettuce There are four main types of lettuce. The first three (butterhead, cos and crisphead) form hearts at their centre and are usually grown as proper heads of lettuce. They take longer to mature. The fourth type (loose-leaf/’cut-and-come-again’) doesn’t form a heart and is therefore generally grown as a ‘cut-and-come-again’ crop, where leaves are cut as required. SOWING Lettuce will do well in any reasonable soil, as long as it’s moisture retentive – add well-rotted manure or compost the previous winter. When growing heads of lettuce, sow one seed per module in a module tray. Lettuce needs light to germinate, so don’t cover the seeds with compost. Lettuce will not germinate in temperatures above 25°C, so if the weather is warm you may need to move the trays into a cool shed for a few days until they germinate. Seedlings are ready to plant out when they have 4 or 5 leaves. Harden off well before transplanting. Use fleece or cloches to protect early sowings from frost. GROWING ...

  Parsley One of the most popular herbs in the world, parsley is the classic “stock-pot” herb and a quintessential part of any herb garden. This herb can also successfully grow inside, so it is perfect for any Urban GIYer – or just someone who wants to brighten up their kitchen. SOWING Parsley can be sown direct or sown in modules and transplanted. Outdoor sowings can be made from April to June. Indoor sowings can be made from from March to June. If sowing direct, sow curly parsley thinly in rows 15cm apart and large-leafed parsley in 30cm rows, at 0.5cm deep. If sowing in modules, sow a small pinch of seeds in each module and thin to one plant when seedlings emerge. Keep in mind parsley seed is slow to germinate, so be patient – this is dependent on temperature, but usually germination takes three weeks. GROWING When seedlings emerge, the plants can be thinned to 15cm apart. This is not essential but usually gives better results. If you have sown direct make sure to regularly chec...