Kohl rabi
Kohl rabi, (Brassica oleracea,
variety gongylodes) the turnip-
rooted cabbage, is easy to grow.
It has a flavor of both cabbage,
and turnip, and is high in vitamin
C. The " root " is really a swollen long period and have a high food
stem formed well above the
ground and it is cooked and served
like a turnip. Kohl rabi may be
raised in seed beds and trans-
planted like cabbage. However,
it is usual to sow seed and thin
out the seedlings later.
The soil requirements and
fertilisers are similar to cabbage
although kohl rabi requires less
attention. It can be grown in a
bed which has been well manured
for the previous crop. Other-
wise, prepare soil and fertilise as by earthing up soil around the
for cabbage (page 77).
Spring and autumn sowings can
be made in the south of Victoria
but, in the north, only autumn
sowings are made. Drill seeds in
rows 400 mm apart and 10 mm
deep. When the plants are 50 mm
high, thin to 200 mm. Plants
should be well watered to make
good growth and, like radish, they
become tough if growth is restrict-
ed by limited moisture in the soil.
Side-dress with 30 g of sulphate
of ammonia or equivalent nitrogen
fertiliser to the metre, or make
regular applications of liquid
manure. The plants are not hilled
in any way.
Kohl rabi may be raised in seed beds to open up a trench about 200 mm
and transplanted like cabbage.
92
Leeks
The leek (Allium porrum) is a
member of the onion family and,
although not a common vegetable
in the home garden, it is a valuable
one. Leeks can be used over a
value.
They are very adaptable to any
soil type but they do need heavy
fertilising to grow a quality vege-
table. Without adequate nutri-
tion their texture becomes coarse
and the flavor does not develop.
The edible portion is the long
white stem with the slightly bulb-
ous base, together with a small
portion of the green leaf. To
ensure the greatest amount of
white stem, the leek is blanched
plant or planting it deeply in
trenches.
Small leeks, just a little further
advanced than the seedling stage,
can be used in salads and are
usable for cooking when they are
10 to 20 mm in diameter and until
they are from 50 to 75 mm.
Large leeks are just as succulent
as small ones if they are grown
Leeks car1 be used over a period of
without a check. The period of three months.
use can therefore extend over
three months. bottom. The soil can then be
Leeks are raised in seed beds filled in around the plant as it
and transplanted. Sow seed beds grows. This is a convenient
from September to November in method for early summer plant-
the same way as onions. January i n g ~as the leeks can be watered
and February are the main plant- by flooding the trench. The
ing months. Leeks will reach plants need a lot of water during
maturity about 25 weeks after hot weather.
planting and can be used from the In the home garden it is easiest
13th week onwards. to make a hole at least 150 mm
Soil preparation and planting deep and 25 mm wide with a
Leeks need a rich soil. Dig large dibber and drop the plant in the
amounts of stable manure or hole together with enough soil to
compost into lower layers of soil cover the roots, and then' water.
along the rows and work in about Space plants about 125 to 150 mm
100 g of NPK 5 : 8 : 4 complete apart, further if larger plants are
fertiliser to the square metre. required. Leeks can also be
Transplant seedlings when they planted on the flat. It is then
are about as thick as a pencil and necessary to allow ample room
200 mm high. There are several between rows to provide soil to
methods of transplanting. One is hill up around the plants.
Apply nitrogen side-dressings,
deep, and plant the leeks along the 15 g sulphate of ammonia or 7 g
of urea to the metre after the
plants have been in the ground for
two months. Repeat applications
every two weeks. Ensure that the
plants have enough water.
Harvesting
Lift leeks as required from the
time the plants reach usable size.
They will not retain their succul-
ence after being lifted. Trim off
the coarse outside leaves, but
retain as much of the young tender
inside leaves as possible. The
green leaves of leeks have much
the same food value as leaf
vegetables, and the white portion
has a similar value to onions.
Endive-all thc leaves are usrable
Lettuce and
endive
Lettuce (Lmtuca sativa) can be
grown the year round. It is an
integral part of our summer salads
and it is frequently served with
grills throughout the year. The
green crisp leaves are appealing
not only to the palate but also to
the eye, and its importance as a
garnish is not to be overlooked.
Endive and cos lettuce are two
close relatives of the head lettuce
and they add variety to salads.
Endive (Cichorium endivia)
sometimes called curly lettuce.
It does not heart and is
generally less affected by disease
than heading lettuce. All the
leaves of the endive are usable,
and they can be picked without
pulling up the whole plant. The
leaves of endive are slightly bitter.
This bitterness can be removed by
blanching the plant.
Cos lettuce has a different
flavor from head lettuce and
endive. It forms upright leaves
which make a tall conical heart.
This lettuce grows well during the
winter months.
I
Varieties
The secret of successful lettuce
growing is selecting the correct
variety for the of the year
and the district. Lettuce planted
out of season will go to seed with-
out hearting
Late spring and summer : Great
Lakes.
Late summer and autumn :
Imperial D, Imperial Triumph,
Cos.
Winter and early spring : Penn-
lake, Sunny-lake, Yatesdale.
Lettuce may be harvested over
a period of about two weeks,
fortnightly sowings are necessary
to ensure a continuous supply.
Three to five metres of each sow-
ing should be enough for a family
of four during the warmer months.
Seedbed and fertiliser
Lettuce will grow on a wide
range of soil types, as long as the
soil is well drained. A heavy
dressing of animal manure o r com-
post should be dug under a month
before sowing. Lime can also be
applied, if necessary, at the rate
of 150 g per square metre. Broad-
cast NPK 5 : 8 : 4 complete com-
mercial fertiliser at the rate of 75
to 150 g per square metre; the
amount depending upon the quan-
tity of organic manure already
applied.
The fertiliser should be incor-
porated into the top 50 mm with
a rake and form a firm seed-bed
with a fine tilth.

watered before thinning to reduce
root damage and again, lightly
after thinning to firm the soil
around the roots.
Thinnings of lettuce may be
used for transplanting alongside
the direct sown plants. The
heads from these transplants will
mature two to three weeks later
than th: direct sown plants, thus
spreading the cutting period.
i
beds to control slugs and snails. ,
Fortunately, Australian-grown
lettuce seed is free of one of the
most serious virus diseases, lettuce
mosaic. The incidence of lettuce
necrotic yellows disease, also
caused by a virus, can be reduced
considerably by eliminating the
alternate host plant-the common
milk thistle from the garden.

Side dressings
Lettuce must be kept growing
vigorously with adequate supplies
of water and nitrogen. Nitrogen
fertiliser should be applied first
after thinning, then as the plants
begin to heart. Sulphate of am-
monia or nitrate of soda should
be applied at the rate of 15 g per
metre of drill row, or urea at 15 g
to 2 metres of drill row.
The fertiliser should be kept off
the leaves to prevent fertiliser
bum. Alternatively, liquid fer-
tiliser in lower concentration can
be applied each week.
of lctllrce abo~ct
Make regrrlor ,so~t,il~gs
every two weeks to make sure of a Watering and cultivation
continuous supply, especially over the
Lettuce plants have shallow roots,
summer months.
and weeds should be controlled
with a light surface cultivation
Sowing and thinning only.
Lettuce and endive are bcst sown The root zone should be kept
direct and thinned out, although moist by regular and thorough
they will transplant. However, in watering-this is essential to
the warmer weather, transplants maintain continuous growth
are apt to spiral and run to seed. Lettuce must be kept going with-
Seed should be treated with a out a check or it will become
protectant dust to reduce losses tough and bitter. It is prefer-
caused by the damping off organ- able to water in the evening, rather
isms. Make drill rows 300 :nm than in the heat of the day.
apart and 10 mm deep. Watering by furrows, rather than
The seed should be sown overhead, reduces sliming and
thinly along the length of the mildew.
drill and covered with a light Regular spraying with a 0 . 1 %
sandy soil. A mulch of lawn clip- solution of maldison at 10-day
pings or compost will keep the intervals controls aphids and
surface soil moist and prevent other insect pests. Control of
crusting. aphids and thrips also checks the
When the plants are 50 mm spread of virus diseases.
high, they can be thinned to 300 Zineb sprays control mildew.
mm between plants. Lettuce Spraying should be discontinued
will not heart if the plants are one week before harvest. Baits
too close. Leave one plant at of mesurol or metaldehyde and
each site. The bed should be bran should be placed around the