By Hank
Cheshire, United Kingdom
Sorry guys. 2 veg questions
1. Both my cucumber plants are 4 ft tall, with lots of cu's on, all about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. Should I take some off ?
2. My spinach now has leaves on the size of frying pans. Is it time to chuck it away ?
Thanks
- 22 Jun, 2013
Answers
Thanks Pam, they've got 2 ft more to grow. But should I remove some of these small cues to give the others chance to grow ? Or leave them all on?
And should I be feeding them yet ? With tomorite or comfrey juice ?
22 Jun, 2013
Leave them on or pick them when they are small and sweet and yes you should be feeding them with either or both and giving them masses of water daily.
22 Jun, 2013
Those huge spinach leaves may be getting kind of tough. If the weather is still cool at night, and the plants haven't started to go to seed, try cutting off half the leaves and giving it a light feed to encourage new growth, which will be more tender.
22 Jun, 2013
Thanks for the assistance. I'm still eating the spinach in sandwiches with salami and beetroot but will do as you suggest.
And I'm just off into the greenhouse to attend to the cucumbers.
22 Jun, 2013
Do you cook the spinach Hank?
It can be a bit stong on its own but there are lots of recipes, if you like spicy food saag aloo spiced ....potato and spinach is a favorite...try googling it
23 Jun, 2013
Pamg, No, never cooked it. I remember eating it that way as a lad and it was dreadful. " you'll eat it and like it, it will do you good " was what I was often told. same with tripe and onions - ugh !.
But maybe my taste has changed and I'll look up saag aloo, I hope there's garlic in the recipe.
23 Jun, 2013
Lots Hank, basically you wilt the spinach in very little water ( take the tough ribs out and a saucepanful goes down to nothing hardly)
Then you need some left over boiled new potato cut in chunks
Fry off the garlic and spices, add the potato and gently stir into the spices, then drain tne spinach well and stir that in too......thats it!
A recipe will give the details......
23 Jun, 2013
Looks interesting, Madhur Jaffrey has recipes which appear more complicated but I can't do complicated.
And does one eat it on it's own, or with other stuff ?
23 Jun, 2013
You will need to "stop" the cues before they reach the top of the support, then it gets interesting as side shoots will grow......And more baby cues.... :0)
22 Jun, 2013