Ways to grow and harvest kohlrabi and wild rocket

Compare the fast growth of kohlrabi in 3-4 months, with the slower initial growth of wild rocket. Both come ready in spring, and in autumn too.
In my no dig garden, the feed I use is compost for soil, applied once a year. I use no fertilisers, slug pellets or other inputs: it's a simple and timesaving method..
This is zone 8b with lowest winter temperatures around -8C/18F. These plants can survive that amount of cold.
I show my method of overwintering wild rocket plants under cover, to plant in late winter.
Discover more about sowing dates on this page of my website www.charlesdow...
Learn more about setting up a no dig garden and having few weeds, with my online course www.charlesdow...
Filmed at Homeacres no dig garden on 13th May 2019 by David Adams.

[@ienekevanhouten4559]

When I despair of the state of the world I watch garden videos. Ideally British ones, and for perfection Charles Dowding. Thank you sir.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Many thanks leneke and I relate to what you mean world-wise

[@Gybe1132]

What is invaluable about these videos is that Charles does not take liberties with people time. He has an intelligent scientific approach based on evidence and always based on the natural biology of plants. So many professional experts have people doing daft time consuming task that yield so little. Thanks for sharing a life time of knowledge and preserving peoples time

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Ah I appreciate this and know what you mean! And simplicity is best.

[@raylingomen2562]

My 8 year olds favorite thing to eat is kholrabi, it's like the most special treat to him, he's thrilled we are growing it in our garden. Thanks for the fantastic advice, hopefully we can have a successful kohlrabi harvest soon!

[@MsMariaSierra]

So happy to see a new video. I’ve rewatched every video you’ve made many times over. I’ve learned so much from them and thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for gardening.

[@preciousmetalhead5155]

Woo hoo, a new video by Charles!🌱

[@itsmewende]

We've had so much rain I haven't been able to get the garden together, so wanted to start the no dig, thinking I will with later vegetables, for now I built some raised beds to started. Thanks for sharing all your years of gardening with us, I've learned a lot from you.!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Wende, hope it dries soon

[@simbasbestie]

One of the best channels on youtube.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks

[@GutenGardening]

We love your garden and very informative videos. We recently discovered kohlrabi and love it! We even made ice cream from it, kohlrabi ice cream! Yummy.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and that is amazing!

[@robertcullen8974]

Charles Dowding is the top dog. Can't wait to start my garden this year.

[@mayaali3721]

A friend recommended the no dig gardening and recommended I read/follow/watch you. Thank you Lesley for recommending Charles Dowding .

[@denisebrady6858]

Thank You Charles as I currently have kohlrabi to harvest shortly - 10th February 2021- I must have missed this video, have never grown it before so this has been an adventure & looking forward to eating it for the first time. It is looking fabulous. Cheers Denise- Australia

[@TheGreenThumbGardeningChannel]

Greetings to you Charles from here in Tifton, GA my friend! Your plants are looking fantastic there at this point in the grow season, so healthy and vibrant! Your passion for gardening is quite inspiring, wishing you continued success and abundance in your harvests there in your garden.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks and I am sure you have lovely growth in Georgia, sounds a fine climate for growing

[@cadenmccorvey4153]

I have been watching you for years and its been so nice to see your garden grow, and you have helped me with my very own garden. You even inspired me to grow a lot of my own food, I am always so surprised by what you can teach me. Thank you so much for producing such good content!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Lovely to hear of your success

[@pizzaguy3645]

Just started 72 Kohlrabi today. Thanks for new vid Charles!

[@robertcasellas4751]

You’re my inspiration. I live in a Mediterranean climate, close to Barcelona, in a very cold area in winter (-6 Celsius degrees), and really hot and dry in summer. I’ll try to use some of your techniques in my garden. I hope I can show the results in a future new KZbin channel I want to create. I’m just starting convert my garden in a no dig garden.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sounds a good plan Robert, a good climate for no dig

[@sweetpea6384]

The info about kohlrabi was timely for me! Thanks. Always learning from you! 😁

[@rondacorkhill1654]

Me too! a new veggie for me.

[@GutenGardening]

@@rondacorkhill1654 Very versatile. We make dishes for breakfast , lunch and dinner. Recent favorites - kohlrabi in green morning smoothies and as a flavor for ice cream. Kohlrabi ice cream, so yummy!

[@Proskaters6]

Yes! Another amazing video. I just converted my veggie garden into a fruit garden. Cannot wait. The rest of the veggie I use to have in the ground are now in buckets.

[@stevemunn367]

Hey Charles the wife and I have just applied for an allotment (all your fault) love your videos 👍🏻

[@plant-basedtoday621]

Thanks Charles! Heard about you from a friend here in Victoria, Canada ~ loving your vids and am so *inspired*

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Great thanks

[@zarahsoniel5675]

Wow another video sir. I been watching you for many years and I still love watching you video. Want to do garden as well when I go back home.

[@virginiaho2654]

You are fantastic! I am in Sydney Australia and I have just placed my kohlrabi and wild rocket seedlings down in the soil last week. I can’t wait to taste them and compare my harvest time with yours.

[@karenrouth2056]

Loving this...still taking rocket leaves off plants that were sown/planted pre winter and have been going strong all that time even with snow! I binned a couple yesterday to plant fresh for the summer but kept 3 plants cos they're soooo spicy! Keeping a couple to flower and get seeds, we get yellow and/or pretty white flowers, my plants are really tall not low shrubs! Missed out on planting Kholrabi, so really happy to hear I can still sow in July...! Thank you for this valuable information...

[@FoziaSQazi]

Another very informative video. Thank you. I am growing kohlrabi for the first time this year. It is ready to eat now and I have already had a meal and shared some of the harvest. Over here we eat both the bulb and leaves. Glad to know about the autumn harvest. Will plant again in August as kohlrabi is one of my favorite veggies! Thank you.

[@SaintCoemgen]

I sowed my kohlrabi in late February, transplanted (pricked out) in early March and planted in the garden in early April, and still they are not the size of yours. Yours are lovely. 😀 Am in mid Continental Europe - grow zone 7 (but hover between 7 and 8). Cheers.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

We had a warm spring!

[@lamperdsfield]

Interesting information there about Kohl Rabi, thanks. This is my first year of growing it and I will make a note to sow some more in mid July for an August harvest 👍

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Autumn harvest Christine, plant in August

[@lamperdsfield]

Charles Dowding oh yes of course lol

[@liannevictoria]

Oh nice! you've started labelling the variety - that's super helpful! thank you xx

[@1fanger888]

Great looking spring beds. Thanks

[@rudestboy1]

Hello Charles and greetings from Brittany. How well timed - just lost my early sowing of kohlrabi to cabbage root fly and pulled the last one out today. They had hardly started to form a root swelling but I probably should have covered them as you did! Will resow on 10 July as you suggest - many thanks for that.

[@SteveDavies01]

Beautiful day Charles. Thanks for that.

[@mischieviarose6224]

Great idea about sowing another crop for fall!

[@macbilling6410]

Thank you Charles. I hope you don't mind me keep asking your advice

[@fainitesbarley2245]

My kohlrabi took forever. Sown in March. Might get ha harvest in August.

[@stevendowden2579]

all looking great well done

[@myrustygarden]

Love your videos they are like Liz’s calm, educational and fun. Question is do you heat your greenhouse? Stay safe thanks for being their for us 😷🌶🥕🙏🌻🥬❤️🇨🇦

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Ali and I heat only the propagating seedlings with my hotbed of fresh horse manure, see other videos

[@vinceransome5561]

Thank you Charles. We learned something from that one. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and advice 😁.

[@combitz]

Thanks for the Kohlrabi hint Charles. Wild rocket does work best over wintered as you say, I find it prefers to be cut back hard (2cm from surface) in Oct/Nov if planted around end of June early July so you get a very young small crop but with huge hot flavour in Sept, then you'll get a larger crop early mid April onward. If you cut it back hard again you can keep the process running and every month it will give you another crop getting hotter and hotter until Oct. To avoid flee beetle I grow it in beds 4-500mm off the floor (in builders tonne bags) and my 3rd season in I have had zero flee beetle damage, I do net it 10mm (from Feb to May) to stop birds getting the young shoots and butterflies laying eggs. I don't fleece it at all and it survives the winter as long as it's cut really close to the soil surface. If you have heavy weed pressure let it go to seed one year and it will outgrow all your weeds and help smother them out. You will then have rocket weeds but at least you can eat them :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Impressive! Thanks for sharing

[@combitz]

​@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks for all your videos, they are remarkable. It's not a perfect system, I just spotted a couple of green fly so I've harvested what I can, cut the rest down to about an inch and hope the 4/6 weeks passes without them honing in on it. My system is small and the height works on this scale but I don't think it would really scale because you'd just end up creating a plateau. If you have little space or poor/temporary ground, reclaimed builders bags are very useful though.

[@petermueller7407]

Valuable thoughts, thank you very much!

[@lorraineg8134]

Thanks Charles, nice start to the day. Another informative viddo.

[@un1quemoon]

I leave the rocket in all year round and it surrounds the mint and keeps it from spreading into the garden.

[@ayina114]

Thank you sir for the new video. I learn so much from you

[@suzannewalsh72]

I'm about ready to take a second lot of my Kohlrabi from the garden. I had some Modrava F1 seeds given last year, and they have been better than the white variety that I've previously grown. The leaves were not tough on this purple set, and I used them like I would kale in a stir-fry. The whole lot was very good. I was hoping to experiment with an heirloom giant variety in the Autumn, but they will have to wait for next year now as the seed were soon sold. I did get some Chinese radish though that are supposed to be particularly good for growing through the Autumn, and taking after the frosts, as this makes them sweet. I took a chance with the Chinese Shawo Fruit, and planted it this Spring. I think you may well actually like it for the leaf harvest and your salad bags. They taste similar to Water Cress when young, and get spicier when older, but more like a spinach with a slight prickle along the under spine that disappears when touched. However, for throwing in a pan last off like Spinach, I think they are ideal :) I haven't tasted the actual roots yet. I'm told they are spicy with the heat, but in winter with the cold they get sweet. The other variety I bought are the Luobo, so will be giving those a plant this Autumn :) If you fancy trialing them I'd be happy to share some seed :)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Suzanne these are good thoughts and leaves for salad sound interesting, especially if not attractive to flea beetles, some seed would be great thanks

[@monworldsucre7527]

Very interesting tip the late timing ! Thank you for it! A quick question, or more of a request if I may : Would it be possible to have a video on how to use plants , vegetables, fruit trees and flowers in the garden in order to let them either support one another, either protect one another from pests, being it insects, fungus/virus/bacteria or animals ? Thank you for considering it, Wishing you a lovely week Simona

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks Simona, maybe but it's not my expertise

[@Florestinhadamontanha]

It's always a pleasure to watch your videos.

[@Guernicolatv]

Great! From Buenos Aires , Argentina

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Lovely, I hope to visit S America one day.

[@maggsh4137]

Thank you for the video Charles, will make a note of the information as we love these vegetables. Maggs.h

[@markprobert7177]

seed sown great tips on kohl rabi

[@Martitaroman1]

So wonderful to learn all about different brassicas. Mr Charles, question: Aged Cow manure with top soil was tilled, must I now add more topsoil to my plot? My hubby tilled my plot not understanding I don’t want to till, he was being helpful. 😃 I’ve not begun anything at all due to a fall and hurting my arm but I’m sure going for autumn crops. Hope your well. Let me know what actually happens when soil and manure are tilled what actually does it affect besides killing my worms☹️

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Tilling disturbs fungal networks, kills spiders etc, so much damage. Don't add more soil, just leave alone.

[@Martitaroman1]

Charles Dowding I’ve begun my direct sowing with corn, and sacrificial plants like marigolds, nasturtiums, and added phlox just because. Tomorrow I’ll slowly will begin tomatoes and peppers , pole beans and winter squash for the corn area. I’m not going to give into my injury, just go slow😁

[@DarioCortese89]

We are planning to grow some brassica leaves (mustards, orientals and red russian kale for baby leaf) for a few spring cuts before they bolt. Here in Devon I have noticed that mustards tend to bolt in June, Chard possibly earlier, but I was going to ask about cultivated (salad) Rocket and Kale. Do you reckon we could still get a few cuts? When would you sow them with that in mind? Thanks for all the great work, Charles. Sometimes I just wonder where we would be without you!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Ah nice Dario and yes all that can work, small harvests relatively but good for hungry gap. Sow salad rocket v soon.

[@agrarianarc]

Thank you Charles. Do you put the mesh cover over the plants as soon as they're transplanted into the bed?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes we do, or fleece in a cold spring

[@agrarianarc]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig good to know, thank you. I find if I don't have my beets covered during their entire growth cycle they get decimated by finches. Fun to see the finches so excitedly in action but gotta protect those precious beets!

[@rebeccawilliams2410]

I planted some kohlrabi seeds today as the pack suggested but now im worried about them wanting to go to seed Fast. Wish me luck. Great video as always x

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Fingers crossed! Funny how seed packets give that information, but strange weather may help you 😀

[@thegonepotties]

Nice info as always 🙏🏻

[@kimbennett7318]

I live in a tropical climate, I am hoping your teaching / technique will be of benefits here.

[@fourdayhomestead2839]

Basic info you find works anywhere, also check out Danny & Amanda's channel deep south homestead.

[@kimbennett7318]

@@fourdayhomestead2839 Thank you Annq

[@squeezyjohn1]

You have to try the variety of Kohl Rabi called Gigant. It gets as big as a football in normal time and has very sweet mild flesh which is perfect for using raw or cooked. They are very resistant to bolting to flower and can be overwintered. They also are very reluctant to go woody ... and even when they do ... it's only in the lower half, and these Kohl Rabis are so big that you still get a good eat off them even if you do cut off the woody bits.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks for this lovely tip John

[@squeezyjohn1]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig you're very welcome ... your research has helped my gardening a great deal! I'm not sure such a big kohl rabi as gigant will be any good if you're trying to sell as a market gardener ... but it is so sweet and mild, it is very useful as a salad vegetable especially if grated or cut up finely like a coleslaw. It's crisp like a radish. Lightly salted and then dressed with sesame oil ... it's a dream salad.

[@acamara4071]

Thank you so much.

[@jonathangreen6163]

Love this guy!

[@hallhall4837]

Bravoتحية من الجزائر

[@opencoop4268]

Morning, Charles. If you have a moment, I'm wondering if you twist and pull kohlrabi or cut when harvesting. Thanks mucho :-)

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes I twist and pull, they regrow a little and stems get in the way eg of new salads

[@opencoop4268]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig , thank you. This is my very first successful kohlrabi season in a large part thanks to you!

[@sjoukjeknsm]

love your video’s! Question about the kohlrabi, how do you prevent the bulb form splitting

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

For the harvests of May and June, eat when young! They do tend to split and I lose some. Autumn harvests are less prone to split.

[@ginger_wby]

Hi Charles, I'm growing the last seed I have from a packet of Kohl Rabi I had last year. I'm excited about attempting to seed save from a few of them and sow the seed in July as you mentioned. Curious to know if you seed save some of yours? And also I'm assuming I should be saving the fattest healthiest ones for flower & seed, right?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Best of luck Mark and yes the best plants. See my Seed Saving video :)

[@dawndawn6946]

Thank you for another informative video! I’ve been no dig gardening in raised beds for about 6 years. The last three years my garden has gone neglected (health issues). I’m back at it again this year.😁 Fire ants have moved into the beds. I don’t want to use poison. I’ve read the only way to discourage them is to till all the time-which I don’t want to do either. Do you have any suggestions?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Mix ground chilli in water and keep your beds moist!

[@dawndawn6946]

Thank you!

[@indecisiveofwales]

Great video as always, thanks Charles. I have a big flea beetle problem on my plot. I’ve invested in some mesh now - just wondering if you keep your summer sown kohlrabi etc covered with mesh all the time too?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

No not worth it by then, this is worst time for flea beetle

[@macbilling6410]

Hello Charles. It's me again. I've just started my composting, last week (I've bought one of these plastic one's) Well, I opened it today to top it up and to my shock there were hundred's of ant's running around in side. Does it matter if there are Ant's. Thanks again Charles. Malc

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

They like it warm and dry so once there are moist materials they should diminish, they are not a gardener's best friend

[@Ralph857]

Love you!

[@orionm.2500]

Charles, what is your experience with multisown Kohlrabi? I searched the histories on your forums, and found little. One person said no more than two per module. What are your thoughts? This is my first year trying Kohlrabi and my seeds sprouted no problem, about four per module. I was intending to thin them to singles, but wondered if I could double my production on them. Thanks for all your great information!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Each kohlrabi needs a fair amount of space so two per module does not double production, you just get two medium ones instead of a big one. So it's feasible but that's maximum, in my experience

[@orionm.2500]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks for the response, Charles. I have enough to experiment, so maybe I'll do half thinned to a single plant, half as doubles, and see what happens. Thanks for all your insights.

[@ShowmeMOrocks]

Charles, how do you keep such nice borders from your grass to your garden? Doesn't the grass continually try to creep into your pathways?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

We cut along the edges every 304 weeks with long handled shears

[@tedbastwock3810]

Mr. Dowding, do you use no mechanical equipment? No two-wheel tractors or such? Thanks in advance. -TB

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Ted, I use no mechanical equipment. Hand tools and wheelbarrows. I do not like noisy machines either!

[@tedbastwock3810]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you very much for your reply. And I apologize for not being more informed. I've went back and scanned through some of the articles on your website and watched more of your foundational videos; now I see the 2 Options for starting beds, for example. What about the lawn around your garden beds, I guess you use a lawn mower for that, right? I'm so struck by how neatly you've kept your space. Thank you. P.s. for someone wishing to start a profitable part-time garden on 0.5 acres of space, which of your 7 (is that still the correct number?) books would you suggest as the most relevant? -- EDIT: Ah, this one I'd guess :) "How to create a New Vegetable Garden"

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Ted If no wooden sides (better) use cardboard to make a weed free path on edge of garden. Books, say No Dig Organic Home & Garden. Go well

[@christysirishallotment1269]

Ohh i had loads of tiny pinholes in my rocket last year is that flea beatle

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

yes!

[@splishsplash2579]

When removing brassicas do you lift the roots or leave them in

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Leave most in. Twist out or cut the main stalk.

[@GDKLockout]

I tried growing Kohlrabi last year. I got Giant leaves and very thick skin. any idea why?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Maybe the variety and seed selection, not your fault

[@bbsaid218]

My rocket got flea beetle off the turnips.

[@Hevva67]

Is it too late to sow them in the ground?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Too early, best wait now until July for kohlrabi and August-September for wild rocket

[@dr.leppsbiology1282]

Does anyone else use diatomaceous earth to keep the flea beetles off?

[@hardpad5679]

Hallo charles, Is covering up against fleabeetles the only (organic) option one has, or do you know of any preadators feasting on them? The damage is a common picture i see on my brassicas as well, despite the fact, that i've never been able to surely identify the culprit itself! I had some mitsuna, tatsoi and other asian salads sown in fall of '18 go to flower as soon as they picked up growing again this spring. They've been growing outside, partly under fleece and plastic tunnel cover, -come to think of it, there were some kohlrabis as well, but they stayed small plants into winter, and started flowering come feb./march. I always seem to get my timing wrong, or do you see other factors contributing to bolting?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Check my sowing timeline, link below video. Flea beetles are less in autumn. Many factors lead to bolting but sowing time is main one.

[@agrarianarc]

Hi Charles! I just put in my first no-dig garden bed (5 inches compost), and I want to plant kohlrabi but I’m worried it’s roots won’t be able to go through the cardboard. Your thoughts? If it isn’t wise to plant kohlrabi right now, which plants work best in a brand new no dig bed other than lettuce? 😂

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

That will be fine!! The 5in is enough for lots of growth and then the card will be softened. Plant cabbage and onions too etc

[@agrarianarc]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig ok thank you for your reply! You’ve eased my concerns! Have a wonderful season!

[@julieogorman501]

Charles i have pak choi plants which look like theyre bolting. I was putting them in the polytunnell..is that incorrect?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Hi Julie, and that is totally normal for pak choi which is sown in the spring. All Brassica salads flower by late spring and that's why I don't recommend to sow them between March and July. I find the best sewing dates here are 1st-10th August. Seed packets don't mention this!

[@paddychamp6069]

I would love to have no dig beds like these that are resistant to evaporation from wind and heat. We get summers in the high 40s and water usage goes through the roof without a thick layer of bark chip or similar. Is there a way to do this with no dig? would plastic row covers work?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I imagine they would help Paddy. As would woody mulches, it's still no dig.

[@paddychamp6069]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thanks for your reply Charles! can you just heap a new layer of compost straight over the mulch, or rake it first?

[@davelawson2564]

@@paddychamp6069 straight over the mulch if u insist on doing it the dumb way!

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

I would put compost then woody material on top

[@attermire2109]

I would try coconut coir peat, it is very good at water retention, but leaves the soil breathable

[@yuxiao2341]

Have you ever collected seed from kohlrabi? If you have ever do that, would you mind teaching us how to do it. I'm your fan from Thailand.Hope you understand my English ^_^". Thank you very much.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks and no because brassicas need a long time to flower, and several plants for cross pollination. Sorry I can't teach that. Your English is fine.

[@yuxiao2341]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you for a reply. I love to watch your videos. 😊

[@nenemaria-cornfieldsgarden]

Hi Charles, I've just sown kohlrabi indoors about a week ago, is that too early? Would I be better giving up on those and planting again in a few weeks? Thanks for all the information, it's invaluable. I've just bought your garden journal (and a copy for a friend), will invest in the garden diary too! I've learnt so much about how to get the most out of my tiny garden. Experimenting a bit this year but I'll be using all your advice to plan out proper succession planting next year. Cheers.

[@nenemaria-cornfieldsgarden]

PS. I'm in (a very wet) northeast UK, if that matters.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Thanks, and it could work in your climate, maybe not plant all of them, and I would sow some mid June as well to compare

[@nenemaria-cornfieldsgarden]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Good idea, I'll try that. My Grandfather always grew them on his farm when we were kids but he's not around to ask for tips anymore. Thanks so much for replying.

[@Hayley-sl9lm]

Curious what type of wild rocket you grow! I have been growing arugula now for a couple of years (it was a good plant for a beginner!), both the Eruca and Diplotaxis (wild) types, and saving the seeds because of how much the bees like the flowers, but I'm at the point now where my plants are so spicy that they're almost no longer palatable (even early in the season when the weather is mild). My guess is that plants with the spiciest flavor are the most prolific/pest resistant -- which is great, because then I have zero pest damage -- but then my boyfriend doesn't like the taste. I want to start over with some new seeds, do you have any recommendations?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

You make good points Hayley, that leaves from older plants are hotter and hotter, compared to the juicy freshness of those first harvests. Diplotaxis or wild rocket flowers in July so I concentrate my harvest into the spring period, from just one sowing in September. Then I sow arugula in early August. That gives me some harvests of mild tasting rocket for quite a few months, but not all the time. To achieve the latter you just have to keep sowing every four weeks May to July, and protect against insects.

[@RsStom]

Why is my rucola a stick?

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Because this is its flowering season when it makes a long stem, sow again early August

[@grytmasoo]

If you enjoy eating som tam (papaya salad) you can use kohlrabi instead of expensive imported papaya.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes good point and Steph says that in her Creative Kitchen book

[@tressanallenmartin9336]

The wild rocket looks like arugula

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Yes, for the first harvest or two in spring, the leaves are beautifully large, and also less pungent!

[@plantpotpeople]

Chemtrails

[@robertbidochon4980]

The use of so much compost is a bad thing, both for taste and for the environment. Did you do any analysis of spinash leaves for example to check they don't contain too much nitrate ? A balanced way of feeding plants should be a mix of a nitrogen rich material like compost or grass clippings, and a carbon rich material like wood chips or straw. Yours is only nitrogen, it's quite dangerous. Also, I know an organic potato farmer who used to use compost like you and stopped, because it dilutes the taste. Too much nitrogen makes bigger plants, but also has a drastic impact on taste. That's not me saying that, that's Sepp Holzer. Why do you use only compost ? If you don't have access to wood chips, you should at least plant green manure to suck up the excess nitrogen and create your own hay.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

The opposite actually - compost is much more than nitrogen, furthermore its nutrients are not water soluble. You equate compost with N fertiliser, but it's food store is mostly eaten by soil organisms and stays in soil until fungal networks, in association with roots, can access it. So my spinach is delicious and not nitrate rich, my customers regularly attest to the fine flavours of all produce grown here. I do add some wood to the compost heaps, and to paths for mulch.

[@robertbidochon4980]

@@CharlesDowding1nodig Wrong. From a gardener who uses so much compost, you should know by now that a compost pile actually leaks nitrogen when it rains, what you say is false, its nutrients ARE water soluble, that's why compost feeds plants so quickly. Compost is fleeting humus, it's not true humus, it's unstable. Unlike the humus formed when soil organisms degrade woody mulch. That's why it's better to have only wood chips, than only compost. Water management here in France actually warns farmers from using too much compost like you do, because nitrates end up in the rivers. Those are true measurements done on site. So be careful, you're using too much compost, it's damaging to the environment. I don't know how strict water management is in the UK, but in France we've already been polluting our river so much in the past decades that now it needs to stop. Just coz compost comes from a natural process doesn't mean it's all good. So now it's recommended that after adding a 5-10 cm layer of compost people leave it alone for at least 3 years. But you start with like 20 cm of compost and keep adding 5-10 cm every year according to your books. That is way too much and you are leaking nitrogen like crazy. Stop doing it. You should just put a 5 cm layer of compost, and 10 cm of straw or wood chips, that's a balanced and more efficient way. Not to mention it's better for water retention. Your piles of compost would not work in a Mediterranean climate, you're saved by the fact that you have high rainfall in the UK.

[@CharlesDowding1nodig]

Sorry you are so emphatic. You lecture and don't reply to my points. As another example, if my compost leached it's N as you claim, my second plantings in summer could not grow so abundantly, one year or more after spreading any compost. Large brassicas for example. I add 4-5cm yearly to beds, usually in autumn (yes rain washes through, and nutrients stay there as the videos show), on about two thirds of the total area, and wood chip to the paths. Compost is not slurry which certainly does leach N. And I say again, I receive much appreciation for the flavours of what I grow.