Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - home page Science and Horticulture Conservation and Wildlife Collections Data and Publications Education
A Year at Kew Link to SeasonsLink to PlacesLink to Plants
link to Plants index
montage of plants

Student Vegetable Plots

• What are the vegetables?

• How are they cultivated?

• companion plants

• digging, a student perspective

• student profiles

Pumpkins and gourds

Harvesting radishes
 

 

Student Vegetable Plots

What are the vegetables?

In their vegetable plots, Kew's diploma students cultivate a range of vegetable crops. Many of the crops are compulsory, but the students can choose two additional vegetables as well as two cut-flowers or companion plants.

The flowers for cutting attract insect pollinators to improve the setting of seed of the peas and beans. Companion plants can help to protect the crops. French Marigolds (Tagetes patula) have a distinctive smell that distracts cabbage white butterflies searching for cabbages as food for their caterpillars. The Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes douglasii) attracts hoverflies which feed on the aphids that attack many vegetable crops.

 

 

Compulsory crops

 

Choice of vegetables
(choice of two)

 

Cut flowers or companion plants (two examples)

 
 
 

Dwarf French Bean,
Beetroot,
Cabbage,
Carrot - 2 varieties,
Courgette,
Radish,
Parsley,
Spring Onion,
Onion,
Lettuce - 3 varieties,
Swiss Chard, Tomato, Spinach.
 

Climbing Bean,
Cucumber,
Pea,
Mangetout Pea,
Celery,
Turnip,
Florence Fennel,
Tomato.

Antirrhinum,
Cosmos,
Chrysanthemum,
Sweet Pea,
Venidium,
French Marigold,
Limnanthes douglasii,
Calendula officinalis,
Phacelia viscida,
Tagetes tenuifolia.

 

Continue the tour

Up arrowBack up to: student vegetable plots

Forwards arrowCarry on to: how are they cultivated?

Home | A Year at Kew | Visiting Kew

Help / Contact