Vegetables

As promised last month, I found the time to catch up with the organic grower Minas Petraki at his holding in Gournes.

Since Minas is recuperating after an operation and under "doctor’s orders" to rest for a couple of months, he hasn’t got any crops in the ground…but he is happy that, just like him, the land is resting and recovering, ready for more productive times ahead.

However, since he's only resting physically, not mentally, I was  able to pick his brain. He said he isn’t going to start working his land in earnest again until May, but, if he could, he would be planting/sowing potatoes, broccoli and cabbage, leeks, onions and garlic, peas, lettuce, spinach and celery as the ground conditions permit.

Of course, as I write this column it is heaving down outside and the garden is far too waterlogged to get onto. This being the case, I think that many of Minas' suggestions for January will, out of necessity, have to go into the ground in February, and this shouldn’t be too much of a problem if we are not too late. Many crops, such as garlic and potatoes, ripen as the summer gets really underway in May, so try to get them in before the middle of the month.

In addition to Minas’ suggestions, I am also going to try rocket, snowball turnip and radish. I will also start some pepper, tomato and aubergine seeds under glass for planting out later.

Seed potatoes: This is the name used to describe the potatoes that are sold for planting. Of course, you can grow old, sprouting potatoes from out of the kitchen, but far better results can be obtained by planting the specially grown seeds. Of the varieties available, Minas recommends "Spanda" as being very tasty and particularly suitable for the local conditions.

The ideal size for a seed potato is slightly bigger than a large chicken egg. Many of the potatoes you buy will be bigger than this. Do not despair; simply cut the potato up into suitably sized pieces. The buds are called eyes; just make sure that each section has two eyes.

Before planting, it is a good idea to "chit" the potatoes. Chitting involves setting the potatoes out in a light place until the eyes start to sprout. This gives the potato a start and ensures that you don’t plant any that won’t grow.

Most people plant potatoes into pre-formed ridges nowadays (this probably has something to do with the fact that most rotavators come with a ridging attachment). I, however, prefer to plant them into level ground. I plant them about 30cm apart in rows about 60cm apart and only about 10-15cm deep.

Once the potato shoots have grown about 15cm out of the ground, I bank (make ridges) the potatoes up by drawing soil up the stems with a hoe until just the tips are showing. This does three things: it ensures that the potatoes are kept under the soil and don’t go green, it encourages the plant to grow new potatoes in the ridge (easier to harvest) and it weeds the ground.

Flowering now:

Osteospurmum spp is a good groundcover plant with daisy like flower originating from South Africa. The commonly seen purple and pink shades are particularly easy to grow and practically grow wild where they have been planted by the roadside. Look out though for some of the more select forms that are now available. They are not so robust but come in a variety of colours.