Plot 28 at The Field Allotments in autumn, low sun across the fields beyond: a row of cabbages and other brassicas still standing while the rest of the plot has gone over, blown leaves lying unswept across the rows, and a blank wooden name sign at the front of the plot.

Plot 28

The plot next to Eric and Wally's, on the allotments at Elmsham. Twenty-eight beds, and real growing times.

To the plot

October. Garlic goes in now. It wants a winter in the ground.

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The potting shed

Everything that grows on Plot 28, from seed to supper.

Radishes, picked

Radish

A little red root. The quickest thing in the garden.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 2 days
  3. coming onAfter about 10 days
  4. growingAfter about 3 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 4 weeks

Through the year

Through the year: Radish
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesyesyesyesnonono
Pickednononoyesyesyesyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Radishes go in from March to September.
  • About a month from seed to eating.
  • Hardly any. A radish wants a thumb's width of ground.
  • Ready when the red tops are the size of a marble.
  • Left in the ground too long, radishes go hot and woody.
Pea shoots, picked

Pea shoots

The first green tips of a pea plant. They taste of peas.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 2 days
  3. coming onAfter about 10 days
  4. growingAfter about 3 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 4 weeks

Through the year

Through the year: Pea shoots
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesyesyesyesnonono
Pickednononoyesyesyesyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Pea shoots go in from March to September.
  • About two weeks.
  • Very little. They grow thick and close together.
  • Ready when they're a hand high, with curly tendrils.
  • Pea shoots cut above their lowest leaves often grow back.
Microgreens, picked

Microgreens

Tiny seedlings, eaten as soon as their first leaves open.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upDay one
  3. coming onAfter about 5 days
  4. growingAfter about 9 days
  5. readyAfter about 2 weeks

Through the year

Through the year: Microgreens
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes inyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
Pickedyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes

Growing it

  • Microgreens go in any month. They grow on a windowsill.
  • About two weeks.
  • Hardly any. A tray of them fits on a windowsill.
  • Ready when the first two leaves have opened.
  • Small as they are, they're full of flavour.
Lettuces, picked

Lettuce

Leaves for a salad. This kind grows loose, without a heart.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 5 days
  3. coming onAfter about 3 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 5 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 2 months

Through the year

Through the year: Lettuce
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesyesyesnononono
Pickednonononoyesyesyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Lettuce goes in from March to August.
  • About six weeks.
  • A lettuce wants a whole bed to itself.
  • Ready when the leaves are as long as a finger.
  • Picked from the outside, a lettuce keeps growing in the middle.
Peas, picked

Peas

Peas grow in pods, on a plant that climbs.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 7 days
  3. coming onAfter about 4 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 8 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Peas
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesnononononono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesnonono

Growing it

  • Peas go in from March to June.
  • About two months.
  • Not much. Peas grow close together and climb.
  • Ready when the pods are fat and still bright green.
  • In warm weather, peas go from sweet to tough in two days.
Runner beans, picked

Runner beans

A tall climber with red flowers and long green pods.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 6 days
  3. coming onAfter about 3 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 6 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 2 months

Through the year

Through the year: Runner beans
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonononoyesyesnononononono
Pickednonononononoyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Runner beans go in in May and June.
  • About ten weeks.
  • One bed. They grow up, not out.
  • Ready when the pods are long, before the beans bulge.
  • The more pods are picked, the more the plant makes.
Potatoes, picked

Potatoes

Potatoes grow underground. The plant on top is all leaves.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 7 days
  3. coming onAfter about 4 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 8 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Potatoes
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesnonononononono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Potatoes go in from March to May.
  • About three months.
  • Four beds. A potato plant spreads.
  • Ready when the flowers fade and the leaves start to flop.
  • Potatoes that see daylight turn green, and green ones aren't for eating.
Pumpkins, picked

Pumpkin

A big orange squash on a long, sprawling vine.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 12 days
  3. coming onAfter about 7 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 3 months
  5. readyAfter about 5 months

Through the year

Through the year: Pumpkin
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innononoyesyesnonononononono
Pickednonononononononoyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Pumpkins go in in April and May.
  • All summer. They're ready in the autumn.
  • Nine beds. One pumpkin takes a third of the plot.
  • Ready when the skin is hard and the stalk starts to crack.
  • A pumpkin cut with some stalk left on keeps for months.
Garlic, picked

Garlic

A bulb of cloves. One clove grows into a whole new bulb.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 3 weeks
  3. coming onAfter about 3 months
  4. growingAfter about 5 months
  5. readyAfter about 8 months

Through the year

Through the year: Garlic
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesnonononononoyesyesno
Pickednononononoyesyesyesnononono

Growing it

  • Garlic goes in in October, November, February or March.
  • It's ready in the summer, around June.
  • One bed. Garlic grows straight up.
  • Ready when the bottom leaves go yellow and fall over.
  • Without a winter's cold, garlic makes one big clove instead of many.
Tomatoes, picked

Tomatoes

Red fruit on a tall plant. Warm days make them sweet.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 12 days
  3. coming onAfter about 7 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 3 months
  5. readyAfter about 5 months

Through the year

Through the year: Tomatoes
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesyesnononononononono
Pickednonononononoyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Tomatoes go in from February to April, started indoors.
  • About ten weeks, and ready in the summer.
  • Four beds. A tomato plant grows big.
  • Ready when they're red all over and a little soft.
  • Watered unevenly, tomatoes split.
Sweetcorn, picked

Sweetcorn

A tall grass that grows cobs of sweet yellow kernels.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 10 days
  3. coming onAfter about 6 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 3 months
  5. readyAfter about 4 months

Through the year

Through the year: Sweetcorn
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innononoyesyesnonononononono
Pickednononononononoyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Sweetcorn goes in in April and May.
  • All summer. Ready in August or September.
  • Four beds. It grows in a block, not a line.
  • Ready when the silky tassels on the cobs turn dark brown.
  • Cobs taste sweetest eaten the day they're picked.
Strawberries, picked

Strawberries

Red berries on low plants that send out runners.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 7 days
  3. coming onAfter about 4 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 8 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Strawberries
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesnononoyesyesnonono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesnonono

Growing it

  • Strawberries go in in March, April, August or September.
  • About three months, and ready in the summer.
  • One bed for one plant.
  • Ready when they're red all over and soft.
  • Strawberries don't ripen any more once they're picked.
Courgettes, picked

Courgettes

A big leafy plant with yellow flowers and courgettes.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 7 days
  3. coming onAfter about 4 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 8 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Courgettes
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innononoyesyesnonononononono
Pickednonononononoyesyesyesyesnono

Growing it

  • Courgettes go in in April and May.
  • About seven weeks, and ready from July.
  • Nine beds. Its leaves spread wide.
  • Ready when they're about the length of a pencil.
  • In warm weather, a courgette can triple in size in two days.
Carrots, picked

Carrots

An orange root, with feathery leaves on top.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 7 days
  3. coming onAfter about 4 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 8 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Carrots
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesyesnonononono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesyesyesno

Growing it

  • Carrots go in from March to July.
  • About ten weeks.
  • Very little. Carrots grow down, not out.
  • Ready when the orange tops show at the soil.
  • Stones in the soil make carrots grow forked and twisty.
Beetroot, picked

Beetroot

A round, deep red root. The leaves are good to eat too.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 7 days
  3. coming onAfter about 4 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 8 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Beetroot
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesyesnonononono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesyesyesno

Growing it

  • Beetroot goes in from March to July.
  • About nine weeks.
  • Not much. Each root wants a few fingers' room.
  • Ready when they're the size of a golf ball.
  • Left too long, beetroot goes tough and woody.
Onions, picked

Onions

A bulb that swells at the top of the soil, under green leaves.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 10 days
  3. coming onAfter about 6 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 3 months
  5. readyAfter about 4 months

Through the year

Through the year: Onions
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesnononononononono
Pickednonononononoyesyesyesnonono

Growing it

  • Onions go in in March and April.
  • Ready in the summer, around July.
  • Not much. Onions sit close together.
  • Ready when the leaves turn yellow and flop over.
  • Dried in the sun after picking, onions keep for months.
Turnips, picked

Turnips

A white root with a purple top. Quick to grow.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 5 days
  3. coming onAfter about 3 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 5 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 2 months

Through the year

Through the year: Turnips
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesnoyesyesnononono
Pickednonononoyesyesyesnoyesyesyesno

Growing it

  • Turnips go in from March to May, and in July and August.
  • About six weeks.
  • One bed. A turnip wants a hand's width.
  • Ready when they're between a golf ball and a tennis ball.
  • Big turnips go woody. Small ones are sweeter.
Chard, picked

Chard

Big leaves on stems of red, yellow and pink.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 5 days
  3. coming onAfter about 3 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 5 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 2 months

Through the year

Through the year: Chard
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innononoyesyesyesyesnonononono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesyesyesno

Growing it

  • Chard goes in from April to July.
  • About eight weeks.
  • One bed. Chard grows big leaves.
  • Ready when the outside leaves are a hand long.
  • Picked from the outside, chard keeps growing for months.
Kale, picked

Kale

Frilly leaves that stand up to the winter.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 2 weeks
  3. coming onAfter about 2 months
  4. growingAfter about 4 months
  5. readyAfter about 6 months

Through the year

Through the year: Kale
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesyesyesnonononono
Pickedyesyesnonononononoyesyesyesyes

Growing it

  • Kale goes in from March to July.
  • Ready in the autumn, and it keeps going all winter.
  • Four beds. Kale grows into a big plant.
  • Ready when the outside leaves are a hand long.
  • Cabbage white caterpillars love kale as much as people do.
Cabbages, picked

Cabbage

A tight head of leaves. This kind grows to a point.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 10 days
  3. coming onAfter about 6 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 2 months
  5. readyAfter about 4 months

Through the year

Through the year: Cabbage
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesyesyesnonononononono
Pickednononononoyesyesyesyesyesyesno

Growing it

  • Cabbages go in from February to May.
  • About nine weeks.
  • Four beds. A cabbage spreads its outer leaves wide.
  • Ready when the head feels firm when it's squeezed.
  • Heavy rain can make a ready cabbage split.
Spinach, picked

Spinach

Dark green leaves, quick to grow in cool weather.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 5 days
  3. coming onAfter about 3 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 5 weeks
  5. readyAfter about 2 months

Through the year

Through the year: Spinach
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innonoyesyesyesnonoyesyesnonono
Pickednonononoyesyesyesnonoyesyesno

Growing it

  • Spinach goes in in spring, and again in August and September.
  • About six weeks.
  • Not much. A hand's width each.
  • Ready when the leaves are as long as a finger.
  • In hot weather, spinach rushes to flower and stops making leaves.
Broad beans, picked

Broad beans

Tall plants with black and white flowers, and fat pods.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 8 days
  3. coming onAfter about 5 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 2 months
  5. readyAfter about 3 months

Through the year

Through the year: Broad beans
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesyesnononononoyesyesno
Pickednonononoyesyesyesyesnononono

Growing it

  • Broad beans go in in October and November, or February to April.
  • About fourteen weeks. Autumn ones are ready in May.
  • One bed. They grow tall.
  • Ready when the pods are fat and the beans are thumbnail size.
  • Blackfly love the tips of broad bean plants.
Shallots, picked

Shallots

Like a small onion, but each one grows into a cluster.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 12 days
  3. coming onAfter about 7 weeks
  4. growingAfter about 3 months
  5. readyAfter about 5 months

Through the year

Through the year: Shallots
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesnononononononoyesyes
Pickednonononononoyesyesnononono

Growing it

  • Shallots go in in November, December, February or March.
  • Ready in July.
  • Not much. A hand's width each.
  • Ready when the leaves go yellow and fall over.
  • Birds sometimes pull new shallots out of the ground.
Leeks, picked

Leeks

A long white stem with green leaves. A winter vegetable.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 2 weeks
  3. coming onAfter about 2 months
  4. growingAfter about 4 months
  5. readyAfter about 7 months

Through the year

Through the year: Leeks
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesyesnononononononono
Pickedyesyesyesnononononoyesyesyesyes

Growing it

  • Leeks go in from February to April.
  • Ready in the autumn, and they stand all winter.
  • Not much. Leeks grow tall and thin.
  • Ready from October, and they wait in the ground all winter.
  • Leeks survive frosts that finish almost everything else.
Parsnips, picked

Parsnips

A long pale root, like a cream-coloured carrot.

How it grows

  1. just sownDay one
  2. just upAfter about 3 weeks
  3. coming onAfter about 3 months
  4. growingAfter about 5 months
  5. readyAfter about 8 months

Through the year

Through the year: Parsnips
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Goes innoyesyesyesnononononononono
Pickedyesyesnononononononoyesyesyes

Growing it

  • Parsnips go in from February to April.
  • Months. They're ready in the autumn.
  • Not much. Parsnips grow down, deep.
  • Ready after the first frosts, from late October.
  • A frost turns the starch in parsnips to sugar.

Wally found this information on Smoke & Soil (opens in a new tab). Eric asked if he could share it with you.