Rocket Gardens’ Year Round Family Favourites Veg Patch makes growing through the seasons really easy. They’ll send you three separate deliveries of organic plug plants to pop in your garden – these will arrive in May, June/July and September. The plug plants are suitable for most garden plots, as long as you have a couple of raised beds or a medley of pots and containers that you can use. All you need to do is open up each delivery when it arrives, unpack the plug plants and soak the roots in water for a few minutes before planting them. A full growing guide comes with each delivery, and the packaging is fully compostable.
Growing with plug plants can help to make growing your own vegetables simpler and quicker – if you don’t have time and space to raise your own plants from seed, or if you’re new to growing vegetables and would like to dip your toe in gently, then they are a really good way to grow.
Spring Planting (using plug plants)
(Late April to Early June)
This is the time to get the majority of your veg plants in the ground. Most will be harvested later in the summer or early autumn, others (like parsnips, celeriac and leeks) will keep growing into the following winter, but are best planted now.
- Summer Salads & Leaves– eg Lettuce, Spinach, Chard, Wild Rocket
- Courgette, Squash & Pumpkins
- Tomatoes, Aubergine, Peppers & Chillies
- Leeks, Onions, Fennel
- Roots: Potatoes, Parsnips, Celeriac, Beetroot, Carrot
- Peas, Beans, Sweetcorn
- Brassicas: Cabbages, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale
Summer Planting (using plug plants)
(Late June to Early August)
At this time of year, there is an opportunity to plant many veggies as a second crop that will harvest a little later than those that were planted in spring. For example, you could plant more carrots and beetroots that will be harvested in late autumn, a second helping of lettuces or some extra leeks or kale to be harvested early next spring. It’s a great way of making sure you still have plenty to harvest during the colder months.
- Salads & Lettuces
- Beetroot, Carrot, Turnips, Swede
- Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale
- Leeks, Spring Onions
Autumn Planting (using plug plants)
(September to Mid October)
Planting up some autumn veg is a great idea to give you a more-or-less continual supply of healthy greens over the winter months and on into early spring. Remember, you will also have plenty of other things from spring and summer plantings, like parsnips, celeriac, sprouts, cabbages and leeks to harvest in winter as well, so following this planting plan will work well to keep your plot productive.
- Winter Lettuces & Salad Leaves– Land Cress, Wild Rocket, Purslane, Lamb’s Lettuce
- Oriental Leaves– Tatsoi, Pak Choi, Mustard Leaves
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, Chard, Kale (these will follow on from those planted earlier)
- Cabbage Greens: Winter Green Cabbage, Spring Green Cabbage
- Spring Onions
- Brassicas: Broccoli, Turnip & Swede
