Alliums, Umbellifers and Cucurbits

1. Alliums, Umbellifers and Cucurbits Week 4

2. AlliumsAmaryllidaceae • Grown since prehistoric times • Over 400 species, many grown only for flowers • Odor caused by sulfur compounds in the leaves and bulbs

3. Onions Alliumcepa • Originated in Iran or Pakistan • Seeds found in Egyptian tombs dating to 3200BC • Evidence in Greek and Roman literature dating to 4000B.C • Bulb formation categorised by day length • Short-day varieties (12-13 hours) • Long day varieties (14.5-15 hours) • Bulbing is actually a response to length of nights • Aggregatum group divide vegetatively – e.g. Shallots, multiplier onions, potato onions • Biennial Onions • Proliferum Group includes top-setting types (Egyptian & Tree Onions)

4. Bulb Onions • Yellow, brown, white or red • Flavour can be affected by soil and growing conditions • Open site, thoroughly dug, manured several months before planting • Sensitive to acidity • Long-growing season essential • Summer onions: Sow or plant early spring, lift in autumn, keeps until mid-spring the following year • Over-wintering, sow autumn, harvest early-mid summer, use japanese types or overwintering types (sturon)

5. Sets & Seeds • Seeds: suitable for all cultivars, less prone to bolting, flexible sowing times • More labour intensive, longer growing season, susceptible to disease and pests (onion fly) • Sets: easier to grow, less prone to diases, avoid onion fly attacks, headstart, better chance of maturing • Limited availability of cvs, expensive,

6. Cultivation • Plant firm, small sets (up to 2cm circumference), large sets more prone to bolting. Heat-treated sets must not be planted too early. • Push sets into soil so tips are at or just below surface, can be disturbed by birds, replace with trowel (don’t just push them in as it damaged roots) • Space about 15cm apart each way, 18-20cm for over-wintering, or 8-10cm apart in rows 30cm apart • Water at first but do not overwater later • Keep weed-free until established • Surplus sets can be grown for spring onions • Pests & Diseases • Onion fly, small maggots. Grow under fine nets • Mildew: no organic remedies, rotate crops and harvest carefully

7. Harvesting & Storage • Wait until foliage starts to die and tops bend over (don’t bend tops over yourself – increases storage rot) • Can be lifted and dried outside on soil or on boxes if weather suits, or dry indoors or in greenhouses. • Store in well-ventilated frost-free sheds • Suspend bulbs in plaits or on tray

8. ShallotsAlliumcepa • Very sweet flavour, store for up to 9 months • Usually grown from sets (seed produces single bulb), ideal size 1cm circumference • Planted 18cm apart each way, or 15cm in rows 23cm apart • Plant early-mid winter in mild areas, some cvs only suitable for late spring planting • Push set in soil to half its depths or in shallow drill, firm soil around set • Replant carefully if uprooted by birds • Mulch between rows • Lift clumps whole, harvest and store as bulb onions, small ones can be kept for following season

9. GarlicAlliumsativum • Vegetatively propagated from separate cloves, 1cm diameter ideal • Up to 30cm high • Light, well-drained soil, moderate fertility, avoid fresh manure or boggy soil • Responds to potash • Most strains require low temperature to bulb (best planted in autumn) • Plant cloves 2cm deep • Plant 15cm apart for high yields, or 7.5-10cm apart in rows 25-30cm apart

10. Cultivation & Storage • Garlic can be lifted when leaves start to turn yellow • Don’t let bulbs separate or sprout • Handle carefully as bruising will reduce storage ability • Dry outside for 7-10 days in breezy conditions • Store in bunches or plaits as onions • Keep 6-12 months, can be planted following season • Home-saved strains may adapt to local climate • Garlic will keep for 6-8 months when stored in the dark at 35-40C

11. Perennial Alliums Egyptian onion Tree onion Welsh onion Alliumschoenoprasum Rocambole – Serpent Garlic)

12. LeeksAlliumampeloprasum • Includes elephant garlic • Very resistant to freezing temperatures • Resistant to disease • Open site, fertile, well-cultivated. Manured previous autumn • May reduce clubroot infection in brassicas (fibrous, extensive root system)

13. Cultivation • Can be grown in situ, but seed-bed or modules are preferable • Sow 1-2cm deep indoors, above 7C • Plant leeks when 20cm tall, size is influenced by spacing – 23cm apart each way, or 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. • Can be intercropped with lettuce or winter salads • Water gently until plants are established • Leeks normally planted in holes to increase blanched stem • 15 – 20cm deep, drop leek in, water gently, soil falls in naturally • Stems can also be earthed up • Harvest as required, stand over-winter

14. Umbelliferae/Apiaceae • Umbrella-shaped flowers • Over 200 species

15. CarrotsDaucuscarota • First cultivated in Europe around 10th century • High in provitamin A • Anthocyanin pigment in red, purple and black varieties • Range from 2” – 36” length • Earlies (12 – 18 weeks), short/round roots “Paris Market” type, more suitable for heavy or shallow soils • Used fresh, some Nantes also store, Amsterdam • Maincrops (18 – 24 weeks), larger, longer, bulk dries more slowly, suitable for winter storage • Chantennaycvs good flavour, Berlicum later maturing, Autumn King, tapered, high yield, needs light soil and long season

16. Cultivation • Sheltered for earlies, open site for maincrop • Light, fertile, deep, stone-free, well-drained • Cannot penetrate in heavy clay/compacted soil • Needs fine seedbed, not in weedy ground • Dig in compost several months before, not freshly manured (caused forking) • Earlies: • Round, Amsterdam or Nantes, minimum 5C, seeds germinate 3X faster at 10C • Can be sown early under plastic or fleece • Only round cvs can be sown in modules

17. Cultivation of maincrops • Any maincrop CVs, mid-spring to mid-summer • Drills 15cm apart • Susceptible to weed competition • Mulch between rows • Water very little, reduces root size. Dry periods can cause roots to split

21. Pests & Diseases • Carrot Fly • Fly lays eggs at base of plants, tiny maggots tunnel into roots • Foliage fades, roots don’t store well • Low-flying flies, grow carrots within 60cm – 2’ high barriers, in boxes raised off the ground, or underneath fleeces • Caution when cow parsley is in flower • Sow early and late in season to avoid worst attacks • Sow thinly as thinning plants attracts flies • Thin in evening or still conditions, • Cut thinnings with scissors, bury in compost heap • Water and firm after thinning • Aim to lift early carrots by early autumn and maincrops by mid-Autumn

22. Harvesting & Storage • Pull roots out carefully (check diameter • Water soil beforehand if dry • Some can be stored in ground, some varieties frost sensitive • Clamps: • Make a clamp against an outside wall, • 5-7cm layer of straw, coarse sand or ashes, pile carrots ontop to height of 2’, cover with 20cm of straw and 15cm of soil

23. ParsnipsPastinacasativa • Very hardy • Bulbous, wedge-shaped types and long bayonet types • Deep, light, stone-free, well drained soil • Preferably manured for previous crop • Experiments have shown that growing on freshly manured soil does not necessarily cause fanged roots

24. Cultivation • Long growing season • Use fresh seed (1 year viability) • Sow in situ, theoretically from late winter to late spring, usually better to wait till March/April, can be sown under cloches • Prepare fine-tilth seedbed, germination is sown • Can be inter-sown with radish to mark rows • Small types in rows 20cm apart, thin to 5 – 10cm apart • Large types in rows 30cm apart, thin to 13 – 20cm apart • Mulch between rows • Can be sown with annual flowers • No need to water unless very dry

25. Canker: crowns crack and invaded by fungi,. • Most likely in highly fertile soil • Sow late and use resistant varieties • Celery fly: blistered leaves, pick off and destroy leaves • Carrot fly: Not as damaging as with carrots • Harvesting & Use • Best left in soil during winter, frost improves flavour. • Foliage dies down completely so should be marked • Can be covered with straw to make for easier lifting • Can be lifted and heeled in like leeks • Leaving plants to grow to seed can be very beneficial to biodiversity

26. Chervil Skirret Peruvian Carrot Celery Celeriac Hamburg Parsley

27. ParsleyPetroselinumcrispum • Biennial • Up to 2’, any moist soil • Partial to full shade • Harvest regularly to encourage fresh growth • Very rich in iron, iodine and magnesium • itamins A, B and C • Detoxifying effect, used for rheumatism • Mild painkiller • Insect repellant P. crispumcrispum - curly P. crispumneapolitanumDanert – Flat/Italian

28. LovageLevisticumofficinale • Semi-shade to full sun, any soil • Grows up to 6’ X 3’ • Edible leaves, stems and roots • Useful for digestive and respiratory problems • Mild painkiller (menstrual cramps) • Good companion plant, improving flavour and health of nearby plants

29. CorianderCoriandrumsativum • Annual 1’X1’ • Can be grown through winter, needs moist soil (but not continually moist) • Easily runs to seed • Beneficial for digestive problems and nervous tension • Seeds can be narcotic • Essential oil is antiseptic and fungicidal • Helps repel aphids and carrot root fly • Grows well with dill and chervil, not with fennel

30. DillAnethumgraveolens • Compact annual • Moderately rich soil, full sun • Extensive culinary use • Medicinal use dates back 2000 years • Digestive problems • Good for cough, cold & flu • Insecticide • Good companion for corn and cabbages • Inhibits the growth of carrots • Bee attractant

31. FennelFoeniculumvulgare • Perennial, up to 1.5m • Most soils, sunny dry position • Extensive culinary use • Seeds are most medicinally active • Digestive complaints • Mouthwash • Allelopathic – inhibits the growth of nearby plants • Attracts beneficial insects

32. Florence FennelFoeniculumvulgareazoricum • Perennial, up to 1.5m • Any moist, well drained soil • Strong aniseed flavour

33. SweetcornZeamays • 6’ tall • Normal “sugary”: traditional sweetcorn, sugars convert to starch very quickly once harvested. Easy to grow • Sugary-enhanced: Selected for extra sweetness, sugar converts more slowlty, does not need to be isolated from other varieties • Super-sweet/shrunken gene: Very sweet types, should be isolated from other corn types • Tendersweet: Combined type, no need to isolate • Baby-corn/mini-corn: miniature immature cobs, eat 10cm long, raw/stir fried • Popcorn: small cobs/kernals, easily grown

34. Cultivation • Long frost-free conditions. • About 90 days growing tyime • Delay sowing until soil is 18C, or raise in modules • Grow in groups/blocks at least 4 rows deep to assist pollination • Use fresh seed • Isolate from bi-coloured/polenta types • 2.5-4cm deep in modules/3” pot, 1 seed per module • Don’t let plants get stunted • Can be sown outside once soil is not soggy • Coverwith jam jars or under polythene film or fleece • Space 36cm apart in rows 60cm apart, can be intercropped with plants

35. Harvesting • Kernals ripe when pale yellow • Silks turn dark brown • Pull back sheath, burst kernal with fingernail • Watery – unripe, milky – ripe, doughy – overripe • Eat as soon as possible

36. Squashes & Pumpkins

37. Courgettes & Marrows

39. Cucumbers

40. Permaculture Ethics • Earth care, People Care, Fair share • “ Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. “ • “Let me give you a definition of ethics: It is good to maintain and further life, it is bad to damage and destroy life. • ~ Albert Schweitzer