Spring recipe growing tips
Seasonal growing tips from Le Manoir's head gardener, Jonathan Keyte
Asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable. It can live for up to 20 years, rewarding the gardener with produce of at least 10 spears per plant each season. It is a precious addition to the kitchen garden and therefore positioning it requires some deliberation.
Asparagus benefits from a location, which offers some shelter from frost and wind. Tender, fern-like shoots will benefit from being supported to prevent damage from wind rock Traditionally, asparagus is grow on raised beds (or ridges), which allow free water drainage away from the roots – it will not stand wet conditions. On sandy, light soils, it can be grown on a flat surface.
Buy a male plant only, as the female asparagus are less vigorous and self- seed all over the vegetable garden.
Plant the Asparagus crowns some 30cm apart in a row and 60cm between rows. Allow the plants to establish for at least 2 years before you start harvesting. This will allow the Asparagus crown to build up its strength and result in better cropping in the future.
Start harvesting spears in mid spring for about 6 weeks. Cut the spears with a knife, 3 cm below the soil level – this will give you a long and blanched spear. If the spring is warm, you could harvest every 2-3 days, but if it turns cold, the cropping will slow down.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
This brassica is a very valuable addition to the kitchen garden. It is hardy and therefore will survive the winter and start cropping when other vegetables are in short supply. Picked regularly, it will ensure a steady harvest of edible shoots.
Purple sprouting broccoli needs a good site, well drained and sheltered. It can get very top heavy and prone to wind damage.
Sow in modules in the spring for transplanting a month later and cropping in winter months. Water only at transplanting. Growing purple sprouting broccoli hard will ensure the plants are strong enough to survive winter conditions.
Protect from birds with nets through the winter as they can damage the crop.
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