Muintir na Tire School Garden Competition

  Salad Leaves - Oriental Greens Salad leaves are one of the most popular veg to grow in your garden. Leaf greens are always at their tastiest when just harvested from the ground, so you can enjoy salad leaves at their peak if you grow at home rather than buying from a local supermarket. Salad leaves come in a huge variety, from classic rocket to oriental greens, such as mizuna and oriental mustard. They are also some of the easiest veg to grow, so are an ideal veg for children to grow. SOWING Salad leaves can be sown outside from April to August and in a polytunnel or glasshouse from January to October. For best results we recommend sowing direct into the soil – they can be sown in modules and transplanted, but this often results in them flowering (bolting). Sow the seed thinly 1cm deep in rows 15cm apart. You will need to sow regularly if you want a continuous supply of salad – every 2 or 3 weeks – as they often bolt after 2 or 3 harvests. If you have decided to transplant, plant...

  Radish Try eating a raw radish with a bit of butter and some seasoning and you have all the reasons you need to grow them. Crunchy, peppery and delicious. They are tremendously easy to grow and mature quickly, so there’s a quick return – ideal if you are just starting out. Don’t dismiss them as a one-trick veg though – there are dozens of varieties, including turnip-sized winter radishes that can be stored over the winter. SOWING Radishes should be sown directly into soil, beds or containers from March to August. Sow thinly 1cm deep in rows 15cm apart. Thin to 3cm apart after emergence/germination. GROWING Radish will grow in any reasonable soil. Water if soil dries out, but do not over water as this will encourage too much leafy growth. HARVESTING Radish plants will be ready to eat within a month, which is one of the fastest growing times of all vegetables. To test if your radish is ready pull one out and test it before harvesting the rest. Don’t let them get too big as they bec...

  Courgette It would be more difficult to think of reasons why not to grow courgettes. They are easy to grow, incredibly prolific and grow freakishly fast in the summer. Two or three plants will be more than enough. In fact, your only problem will be working out what to do with a glut of courgettes. Courgette bread anyone? SOWING Courgettes like a fertile soil. Add compost and a general fertiliser a week or two before sowing/transplanting. Sow seeds indoors (in a tunnel, glasshouse or a sunny windowsill) in 10cm pots at a depth of 2cm in late April or May. The seeds are large and germinate and grow quickly, so don’t put them in modules or very small pots. Also, don’t sow too early as courgettes are frost sensitive and hate cold weather, so you don’t want them ready for transplanting before May. Seeds can be sown direct into the soil in May, but this tends to be less successful than transplanting. GROWING Courgettes should be ready for transplanting in May. Space plants at least 60-...

  Carrots No veg seems more classic than the carrot. And growing your own means you will be rewarded with a crunchy, sweet and flavoursome crop. Not only are carrots a delicious veg to grow, they also store incredibly well, are highly nutritious, and if you time your sowings right you could be self-sufficient through most of the year with this classic ‘stockpot’ vegetable. The GIYer can also try out lots of different varieties of carrots, which, generally speaking, are not on offer in supermarkets. We generally associate carrots with the colour orange, when in fact you can grow carrots of other colours too, such as purple, yellow and even white. SOWING When it comes to successfully growing carrots good soil is key. Fresh manure is not very suitable for carrots – the high nitrogen content encourages excess leaf growth, and manure can also cause the roots to fork. However, well-rotted compost is fine. Apply a general purpose organic fertiliser (such as chicken manure pellets) about t...

  Beetroot Many people have an aversion to beetroot because the only way they have ever tasted it is boiled and drowned in vinegar. If this is your experience, we recommend giving it a second chance. Beetroot is a fine root crop that is easy to grow, is incredibly good for you, and stores well, therefore can usually be eaten all year round. On top of all these benefits, when it comes to cooking it has multiple uses – boil it, bake it, grate it into salads, make chutneys, wine and even cakes (beetroot brownies anyone?). Try baking young, small (golf-ball sized) beets in the oven wrapped in tinfoil – they are a revelation. SOWING Beetroot likes a fertile soil with good levels of soil nutrient. Ideally it should be planted in a soil that has been manured the previous winter. Don’t worry if you have not prepared any beds prior to sowing – you can still successfully grow beets so long as the soil is healthy. Appy an organic fertiliser about a week before sowing/planting out. Beetroot ca...