Roll on Spring - Advice need on first growing season

If bought the following seeds with a view to sowing in early march.

Carrot Nantes 2
Cabbage Savoy - Winter King 3-4 Gram
Mr Fothergills - Parsnip White Gem Seed Tape
Turnip - Purple TOP White Globe

Will all these be happy growing in the one bed? I'm thinking of sowing some and then waiting a few weeks and sowing more and maybe a month or so later sow more so I have a spread out harvest. Once the seed packets can I just store them in the house, in a dark place?

 

Hi @Eden1 - sorry no-one has replied. I'm not much for growing mainstream crops these days, but I'd have thought adjacent rows of each would be fine as long as you don't let the cabbages shade the root crops. Maybe the presence of the other crops will put off carrot fly. If you are intending to grow the turnips as mini ones (ie picking early) then don't grow adjacent to the carrots, as you are more likely to disturb them and cause the carrot scent to attract the fly. Just a suggestion... others more knowledgeable may have different opinions.

 

Hi, cant see the point in sowing Savoy and the parsnip in batches.
As I remember , Savoy and Parsnip will not be ready until very late, after first frost, parsnip needs a long growing season.
Late March early April I would say for most, a bit later for the savoy, perhaps.
A lot depends on your growing conditions.

 

I've done a bit of research and have came up with this sowing plan. I've tried to look at companion planting as well, so I have an idea of what is happy going beside each other. In a 4x3 pollytunnel is there any point worrying about compannion planting?


Parsnips (White Gem) Feb-May beside onion. Not beside carrot

Turnip (Purple top white globe) – Mid March beside peas and cabbage.

Peas (ambassador) – Mid March – June carrots and cabbage

Cabbage (Savoy Winter King) – Late March Beside Onion. Not near tomato

Tomatoes (Adam F1) – Start in Window Propagator in late March or Mid April in Tunnel. Near Onion, not near carrot

Onions (Golden Bear) - Tunnel in April or in Window in March. Beside Carrot

Carrots (Nantes 2) – Late March. Beside Onion

Sweetcorn – Late April

 

Hi,

Would suggest you also buy some Onion Sets as seeds take a long season to get to a reasonable size.

For Carrots and Parsnips, do you have the soil for them ?
Forked or split roots can result from stoney, heavy or compacted soil, you really need a light sandy soil or go for the round/stumpy types of Carrot.

What about Leeks ? started mine off already.

Also place the carrots so you can easily protect then against Carrot root fly with a cover of fleece.

Sweetcorn can be a fickle crop at the best of times unless we have a very long hot summer.

No mention of any salad crops, lettuce, radish, spring onion, beetroot etc all easy quicky growing crops ?

 

I would always start tomato seeds in a heated propagator, not move them into a polytunnel until May, and even then be prepared to cocoon in fleece or even bring back indoors on cold nights.