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Medwyn Williams

Hello. I'm Medwyn Williams – eleven times Gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show, Past Chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society Fruit Vegetable and Herb Committee and President of the National Vegetable Society.

A look around some plants for the Tatton Park Show.

My carrots for Tatton Park are really doing well this year and I should be able to build four or five large baskets of the various varieties. Sweet Candle is naturally the main one and I have over a hundred of those grown in 2ft 6ins deep square containers that are around a metre square. The tops are tall and the growth very even. I have a new variety in half a bed called Poseidon which is supposed to be a really nice carrot the other half is taken up with Flyaway. This is still an excellent carrot with a nice shape and a good stump end.

Sweet Candle two Boxes
Sweet Candle two Boxes
Flyaway carrots
Flyaway carrots

Another bed has a new purple carrot called Purple Sun which should be bulkier than Purple Haze as well as being shorter. The difference in the size of the foliage through is very noticeable with a tinge of purple showing in the stalks. The last box has a new yellow carrot called Solar Yellow which is brighter in colour than the older Yellowstone. I have had a look around one carrot in each box and they are now coming up to about an inch across with nearly two months to go yet until Tatton. If they all continue to grow as well as they have done up to now I should have some nice bulky specimens.

Purple Sun Carrot
Solar Yellow carrot
Solar Yellow carrot

The new early Parsnips that were sown on the 16th January have some really powerful tops and as they were starting to lean over I had to put some canes and string around them for support. The long carrots are also doing well having had fresh concreting sand in all the five barrels with my own long black beet still in last year’s salty sand and doing very well on it.

Parsnip New Early variety for Tatton Park
Parsnip New Early variety for Tatton Park
Long Beet in plastic drums for Tatton
Long Beet in plastic drums for Tatton

My Pendle Improved leeks are on their 18 inch collars now and as clean a foliage as I have had for a long time. The Pot leeks had their one and only six inch collar on yesterday.

Pendle Improved for Tatton
Pendle Improved for Tatton
Pot Leeks Cumbrian for Tatton Park.
Pot Leeks Cumbrian for Tatton Park.

Aubergines are doing well with the first grafted six plants already in flower and should produce some nice specimens for Tatton.

Aubergines in Flower
Aubergines in Flower

I also have another six from a later grafting that should produce plenty for Malvern. There’s no doubt about it, this is definitely the best way to grow Aubergines, with their vigour and the amount of fruit you can harvest being unbelievable. The plants are Scorpio F1 and came from Suttons, they are not cheap at £3.99 for one or £9.99 for 3 super plugs but you really can’t fail to get results from these. Check out with Suttons as they might still have some plants.

The potatoes were late leaving the polytunnel with the haulms far too tall on them. However with the protection of the plastic ornage netting they seem to be growing away well.

Potatoes for Tatton.
Potatoes for Tatton.

5 thoughts on “A look around some plants for the Tatton Park Show.”

  1. gary williamson

    dear medwyn
    i like to read your blog and see how your produce is coming along ive been growing show vegetables for 20 years (im 36) and used your seed for a long time im having a few years off as work commitments and family life is to demanding at the moment (but still growing things for the table etc)looking at your pictures the cumbrian pot leek in pots they love water ive grown show leeks for 20 years and shown leeks to 300 cube leeks love 2 gallon of water every other day and aerate the soil /compost around the plant each other day please dont feed the leeks all the feed they need should be in the growing medium before you plant i know your an expert on growing and showing veg but id like to talk to you about the pot leek (ive studied and lernt from the best over the years )

    1. I found your comments very interesting indeed regarding the Pot Leek. I am more than happy to have a chat with you regarding them and I will then pass on your comments or suggestions on to my Blog.

  2. dear medwyn
    with looking at a local show lately im very tempted to get back into the leek growing world (he he)
    if you give me your email address ill write you a email regarding leeks and what ive done in growing them etc ….
    im hoping to get to the causey inn for there giant and n,p,l,s show but that is depending on the wife being off work .
    if i see you there ill be happy to have a chat with you regarding the pot leek
    all the best with your shows
    gary

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