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Grow-your-own vegetable advice

Here at Keengardener, we love the satisfaction you get from growing your our own vegetables and experimenting with different varieties each year, and we are approached daily for advice by our customers. Below is a collection of common questions and answers about growing some of your favourite vegetables:

How do I go about growing sweet potatoes?
Bury the mature sweet potato halfway into moist potting soil and keep the soil moist. Or put enough toothpicks in the midsection of the sweet potatoes to hold the potato up in a jar of water. Cut the slips off the mother sweet potato when they are six to eight inches long. Remember to handle the slips gently at this point because they are easy to damage. Transplant the slips in the garden when there is no danger of frost. Lay the slips on their sides with most of the slip buried a half inch under the soil. Plant the slips 12 to 18 inches apart in rows that are three to four feet apart. Sweet potato vines will cover the ground; therefore, they need a lot of space in the garden. Place black mulch around the young sweet potato slips to help retain moisture. Black mulch will also draw heat from the sun. Harvest sweet potatoes before the first frost. Sweet potatoes are ready to be harvested after four months in the ground, no later than five months. Dry the sweet potatoes on the ground two or three hours after harvesting. Then allow them another 10 to 14 days of curing in a warm room with moderate humidity. Afterwards, they should be placed in a cool room for storage until ready to be cooked.
Recommended product: Potato Patio Planters

Is it possible to grow peppers in the UK?
Hot climates are favorable for growing peppers and chilli peppers but many households around the world grow peppers successfully each year in less than ideal temperatures. Hot Peppers are best started indoors, eight to ten weeks or more before the last frost date for your area. They are a somewhat difficult seed germinate, seedlings grow slowly at first. Many growers simply visit their local garden store for seedling to transplant. Avid garden hobbyists will find pleasure and satisfaction in starting their own pepper plants indoors. Provide bottom heat or heat lamps to raise the soil temperature to 80 degrees. This will promote better and quicker germination.
Recommended product: Bio Green Artificial Growing Light

When is the best time to harvest garlic?
You need to check both the leaves and the bulbs to see if it's time to harvest, usually around mid-August. When the leaves are yellowing and dying off, check the bulb to see if it is swollen. You also need to count the sheaths by carefully peeling back the paper-thin layers from around the bulb - it's time to harvest if there are 3 or less, but wait for a couple more weeks if you count 4 or more.
Recommended product: Garland Super 7 Windowsill Propagator

What is the Cucumber growing calendar?
Sow indoors in April, and if you're planting out do so in early June. You could be cutting cucumber through to late September or even October.
Recommended product: Slug X

Why am I not having success with growing squash?
It could be something called blossom end rot. It happens if the plant isn't getting enough feed and water. Squash plants are greedy feeders and need lots of water. Also each plant should ideally support no more than 6 squash, although if plenty appear the plant can't possibly sustain them all. To get more, pick off any fruit that appear to be not growing or shriveling up. Once a fruit starts growing it'll grab all the goodness anyway. If you water daily when there is no rain and feed at least twice weekly once the first fruit has appeared you'll get a good harvest.
Recommended product: Capillary Mat Plant Watering System