Crops and harvests
Practise first, or open the explanations as you go. A useful gardening answer includes the conditions in which it applies.
Spinach
Which part of spinach is usually harvested?
Leaves
Spinach is grown for its edible leaves.
What does bolting mean in a leafy crop?
Producing a flowering stem early
Bolting is premature flowering, often reducing the useful leafy harvest.
Why choose a spinach variety suited to the season?
Varieties differ in seasonal suitability
Check the recommended season rather than assuming any spinach variety will suit.
What can help spinach avoid drought stress?
Keeping moisture reasonably consistent
Consistent moisture is helpful, while persistent saturation is not.
Where should spinach spacing guidance come from?
Advice for the chosen variety and harvest stage
Baby-leaf and larger-plant growing methods may use different spacing.
Further reading: RHS guidance. Questions and explanations are original; no RHS endorsement is implied.
Parsley
Parsley is mainly grown for which kitchen use?
Its leaves as a herb
Parsley leaves are used as a culinary herb.
Which pair describes familiar parsley leaf forms?
Flat-leaved and curly
Flat-leaved and curly parsley are familiar cultivated forms.
Is parsley usually described as annual, biennial or perennial?
Biennial
Parsley is a biennial, although commonly grown for leaves and replaced before or after flowering.
Why might an established parsley plant help a first autumn herb corner?
It avoids waiting for seed establishment
A healthy established plant gives a head start, without guaranteeing a harvest.
How should you treat an unfamiliar plant that resembles parsley?
Confirm its identity before eating
Never use resemblance alone to identify an edible plant.
Further reading: RHS guidance. Questions and explanations are original; no RHS endorsement is implied.
Tomatoes
Which climate description suits tomato plants?
Warm-season and frost-tender
Tomatoes need warmth and protection from frost.
What is a tomato truss?
A cluster of flowers or fruits
Tomato flowers and developing fruits are carried in clusters called trusses.
What distinguishes a cordon tomato?
It is trained as a main upright stem
Cordon types are usually trained upright, with sideshoot management appropriate to that type.
Should all bush tomato sideshoots be removed routinely?
No
Bush and cordon types are managed differently; identify the type first.
Why support a tall tomato plant?
To carry and guide its growth
Stakes or other support help manage tall stems and fruit weight.
Further reading: RHS guidance. Questions and explanations are original; no RHS endorsement is implied.
Cucumbers
Which growing feature is typical of cucumber plants?
Climbing or trailing stems
Cucumbers produce long stems that can trail or be trained up support.
What must you check before choosing a cucumber variety?
Whether it suits greenhouse or outdoor growing
Greenhouse and outdoor types have different requirements.
Is a cucumber plant safe from frost just because it is under glass?
No
An unheated greenhouse may still get cold enough to damage tender crops.
What is a tendril used for?
Helping a climbing plant grip support
Tendrils curl around suitable supports.
Why pick suitable cucumbers regularly?
To use fruit at a good stage and encourage further cropping
Harvest timing depends on the variety and desired size.
Further reading: RHS guidance. Questions and explanations are original; no RHS endorsement is implied.
Peppers and chillies
Peppers generally need which conditions?
Warmth and good light
Peppers are warm-season crops that need a suitable protected start.
Are all peppers hot?
No
Sweet peppers are grown for mild fruits; hotness varies among chillies.
Why can pepper sowing require planning ahead?
Plants need a long growing season
Peppers can take time to establish and produce mature fruits.
Does every green pepper fruit stay green at maturity?
No
Many pepper varieties change colour as their fruits ripen.
What should guide pepper feeding?
Crop advice and the fertiliser label
Use a suitable feed at the recommended rate and stage; stronger is not automatically better.
Further reading: RHS guidance. Questions and explanations are original; no RHS endorsement is implied.