Muintir na Tire School Garden Competition

  Kohlrabi Kohlrabi is gaining in popularity and little wonder – it’s quick-growing, relatively easy to grow and tastes great (like a very mild turnip), cooked or raw. Not to mention they are beautiful looking plants. Available as green, white or purple varieties, kohlrabi stems grow above the ground. It’s a brassica, so include it in your crop rotation. SOWING Kohlrabi will grow in most reasonably fertile soil, but grows best in a fertile soil with compost and a general fertiliser added. Try adding some a week or two before sowing/transplanting. Do not grow kohlrabi anywhere that you have grown any member of the cabbage family the previous year (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. Find out how to create your own plan here. Kohlrabi can be sown in modules at 1cm depth for later transplanting. But the easiest way to grow them is directly into the soi...

  Peas Peas produce a small yield from the space they occupy – so why grow them? Well, they are almost never available in the shops fresh, always frozen. As soon as a pea is picked from the plant the sugars inside it start to turn to starch, which means the flavour starts to deteriorate immediately. So, peas that are cooked immediately after picking will always taste nicer than the frozen alternative. Peas are also a fantastic veg to grow with kids, as it gives them the chance to eat peas raw – which, in our experience, they absolutely love. SOWING Peas will grow in most reasonable soil. They don’t require any nitrogen fertiliser, as they take in nitrogen from the air via bacteria in their roots. If adding a general fertiliser use one that is low in nitrogen. Peas are usually sown direct into the soil, but can be transplanted from modules. If sowing in modules sow 1-3 seeds per module. Seeds can be sown from March and can continue until mid-June. Earlier sowings usually give the be...

  Chard Incredibly useful in the winter veg patch, when its wonderful colours are most welcome, chard is incredibly good for you and is cooked like spinach. It is in effect two vegetables in one – you can enjoy both the leaves and the coloured stems. It is also easy to grow. SOWING Chard will grow in most reasonable soil, but will grow better and produce more in soil that has had some compost and general fertiliser added. Try adding a general fertiliser 1-2 weeks before sowing/transplanting. Chard and perpetual spinach are both types of beetroot grown for their leaves. There are two options when growing chard: growing for baby leaf ‘cut-and-come-again’ crops or growing for large plants. Sowings can be made from April to July. Baby leaf crops should be sown direct, thinly, at 2-3cm deep in rows 20cm apart. If you’re after large plants, then you should sow in module trays for later transplanting. Sow one seed per module. Transplant when 10-15cm tall, 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Al...