Vegetable Plants

Vegetable plants – more info

Vegetable plants are a great way of making sure you have just the right number of plants to avoid gluts. It also saves the time and effort of raising from seed, particularly with tricky to germinate things such as celeriac.

Which vegetables can be planted together?

One of the best-known vegetable combinations is the ‘three sisters’ where climbing beans are grown with sweetcorn, which acts as a support, while squash are grown underneath to help suppress weeds. It’s a really good way of maximising space.

Quick to crop vegetables, such as radish and lettuce, can also be grown between slower growing things such as parsnips or sprouts.

Planting a vegetable with a strong scent, such as garlic or leeks, with carrots can help to deter carrot root fly.

Which vegetables grow well in shade?

Sunshine is best for vegetables but there are some that will cope with light shade. The brassica family – sprouts, broccoli and spring greens – salad leaves, beetroot, Swiss chard, radish, broad beans, leeks, spinach, kale and carrots will all tolerate a bit of shade. Growth will generally be a little slower compared to plants grown in full sun, and some gardeners may see this as a slight advantage!

Which veg can I plant in a raised bed?

Depending on the size, most vegetables can be grown in a raised bed. With root crops, just make sure it is deep enough or choose shorter, or round varieties. Raised beds tend to have looser soil, which can be particularly good for carrots and parsnips as it helps encourage straight roots.

The soil temperature in raised beds is also higher, allowing you to sow seeds or plant out seedlings a bit earlier and encourage early growth.