On 11 March, the Grayshott Gardeners attended a very informative presentation by Barry Newman who gave lots of advice on how to grow great vegetables.
Barry is a highly accomplished horticulturist, RHS judge and lecturer specialising in growing vegetables for exhibiting. He was Chairman of the National Vegetable Society and renowned for his expertise in producing high-quality potatoes, carrots and onions. In 2022, he was awarded the Kew Guild Medal for distinguished service to horticulture.
He told the audience that the secret to successful vegetables was choosing the right seeds, compost and time. Large seeds (such as runner beans, broad beans and squash seeds) should be sown on their edge (so as to stop rot) in root trainers as the roots are longer and better to put in the ground. He uses polystyrene boxes in the winter months as they are clean and can be put in the airing cupboard! He likes raised beds as they bring the garden up to you instead of your having to bend or kneel,
Seed strips (carrots, parsnips etc) are becoming popular as they are in a straight line. Leeks can be bought in strips and when ready to plant out he cuts the roots and leaves and puts them into the ground. This ensures they are lovely and white. Another tip was to cut the tops off or pinch out seedlings instead of pulling so as not to disturb the plant you want to keep.
Ground preparation and a good, timely start will always pay dividends. He suggests that manure is put on top of the soil, gently raked over and then covered for the winter. The worms and soil will work for you, but an additive will be needed. He uses woodchips/bark as this keeps the moisture in and the slugs at bay.
Good plants will provide good crops. He recommended Sungold tomatoes, Perpetual Beet instead of Spinach and reminded the audience that beetroot was a swollen stem and needed to be earthed up to keep its lovely colour. He recommended Venus and Ambassador courgettes which he grows vertically which stops mildew. He pushes one potato right to the bottom of a polypot and covers with multipurpose compost. This way you can have a good yield, no pests and your crop is in one place.
He stressed that good support for crops was essential. Road pins were good stakes. Pea sticks and runner bean poles should be fixed slanted not straight. He said that runner beans like wet feet and should run North to South to get good sun all day.
The video of his talk (which should not be missed) will be available to watch soon. Detailed notes on the above have been circulated and are also available at the links below:
And finally some photos from Barry’s very tidy allotment:
