Grow It! June 2011 (E102)

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•Raspberries •Growing kale •Courgette tips

Grow it! June 2011 3

In this issue...

Published by: Kelsey Publishing Group,Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill,Cudham, Kent TN16 3AGTelephone: 01959 541444

Editorial [email protected] Benedict VanheemsSub editor Martin OldakerDesigner Kate Holtwww.atgraphicsuk.comPublisher Stephen Curtis

Friends and contributorsRebecca Wells, Caroline Mills, AnneSwithinbank, Martyn Cox, Paul Wagland,Steve Bradley, Charles Dowding, AnnSomerset Miles, John Harrison, ValHarrison, Jeannine McAndrew, TerryBeebe, Lucy Halliday, Dave Hamilton,Mike Woolnough, Andy Cawthray,Victoria Poolman, Andrew Haynes

AdvertisingAdvertisement Manager Simone DawsTelephone 01733 353386Email [email protected] Director DavidLerpiniereTelephone 01959 543507Email [email protected] Manager Natasha AustinTelephone 01733 353386Email [email protected]

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Copyright Kelsey Publishing Group 2011

www.kelsey.co.uk Summertime and the living is easy– or it would be were it not for theconstant rounds of watering, weeding

and tending of our precious crops. Yetthere’s something wonderfully rechargingabout pottering about in the fruit and vegpatch while attending to its needs. Tenminutes in the kitchen garden is as goodas any therapy session, with stresses andstrains rapidly ebbing away. For many of usthe daily visit is a chance to escape; there’sno better place to be than lost in one’s ownslice of horticultural heaven.

June is a real turning point in thegardener’s calendar. Summer is here andthe day length we have to work with hasreached its climax. Long, calm eveningsoften see the keenest (or perhaps justthe busiest!) growers outside at 10pm,savouring the final scraps of daylight among

the plants. It’s also a time of plenty, whenthe sowings of earlier months are bearingfruit and abundant crops such as runnerbeans are finally gearing into action.

The trouble is that any abundance isonly a pick or a pluck away from a glut. Nomatter how diligently I plan there’s alwayssomething that comes all at once. It’s a joyto have a rush of some crops – last year’sbeetroot haul, for example, was deliciousroasted (with sea salt and oregano) andserved up with just about every meal.

Other produce is less easy to tolerate.Take the courgette: it is a versatile fruit butcoming up with constantly new ideas tomake the most of this rambunctious fellow

tests the creativity ofthe most ingeniouscook. After steaming,frying and chopping itinto just about anything,I suppose there’s alwaysthe fritter path to godown, plus they’vebeen known to make anappearance in cakes.But sometimes enough is enough!

We’ll always be faced with gluts, but wecan at least try to avoid that helpless feelingof being overwhelmed. Dave Hamiltontouches on this in his article on successionalsowing on page 85. It’s a technique worthgetting to grips with to ensure a constantsupply of favourites. By working out whatwe want in advance, how often we’ll eat it,then working back from the date of harvestwe can sow just what’s required as andwhen it’s needed. Dave explains how to sowin succession like this and how we can planfor season-long salads, carrots and peas.

Of course, no amount of planning willcoax climbing beans and other prolificcroppers to mature in an orderly fashion.For these there’s always the freezer – apiece of equipment that’s transformed theprospects of those working towards self-sufficiency. Almost any crop can be frozenafter processing, but getting this right makesthe difference between a slushy mush ondefrosting and tasty, nutrient-laden delights.John and Val Harrison will help you put yourharvests on ice from page 57.

So let’s make the most of what we’regrowing this summer and celebrate thewonder that is grow-it-yourself.

Editor's welcome

Ten minutes in the kitchengarden is as good as anytherapy session

Caroline MillsSaving our seeds, p16

Martyn CoxVertical gardening, p29

Victoria PoolmanGauging the rain, p88

Andrew HaynesSlug sapping, p98

Benedict Vanheems, Editor

4 June 2011 Grow it!

ContentsJune 2011

REGULARS6 WHAT’S NEWAll the latest from the world of kitchengardening, including news on why us Brits aremore green-fingered than ever

8 READER OFFERGet hold of your free copy of JoyLarkcom’s iconic book Grow YourOwn Vegetables and take advantage of offerson two incredible plant health supplements

10 YOUR SAYShare your top tips, growing successesand horticultural conundrums through ourreaders’ letters page

12 GROWER’S DIARYA return to the allotment plot after a weekaway is a nervous moment for Rebecca Wells.Find out how her young crops fared

20 ASK ANNETrouble on your plot? Put your horticulturalqueries to Gardeners’ Question Time’s AnneSwithinbank. This month she’s advising onpotato black leg, holiday watering solutions,growing cauliflowers and follow-on crops

28 COMPETITIONWe've teamed up with Polanter to bringyou the chance to win one of 12 fantasticvertical planters

39 READER OFFERSummer pests plaguing your crops? Get themcovered with our fantastic offers on insectmesh, bird netting and fleece

46 YOUR PLOT 2011Don’t delay – enter our Your Plot competitionand your kitchen garden, no matter how bigor small, could be featured in the magazine!

84 SUBSCRIBE!Subscribe to Grow it! and never miss anissue of your favourite magazine

88 YOUNG GROWERHow much rain does your garden receive?Find out with Victoria Poolman’s home-maderain gauge project

94 IN THE KITCHENWe’ve two tempting dessert ideas to helpyou make the most of early summer berries,plus a mouth-watering pea risotto recipe

98 NOTES FROM THEPOTTING SHEDSlugs are the gardener’s most persistentpest. Andrew Haynes considers these slimymolluscs and what can be done about them

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91FEATURES16 SAVE OUR SEEDSThe Heritage Seed Library carries outinvaluable work preserving vegetable varietiesfor future generations. Caroline Mills wentalong to find out how they do it

40 WATER RIGHTDon’t waste water – or your time.Water correctly and your plants willthrive in even the hottest of summers. CharlesDowding goes back to basics

44 SUPERMARKET SWEEPCreate a beautiful salad garden for less than £5using commonly available supermarket plants

48 POTS OF PLEASUREAnn Somerset Miles discusses the optionsfor growing herbs in containers

52 KING KALENever suffer a harvest-less winteragain. Benedict Vanheems showshow to grow a fine crop of kale tokeep you in healthy leaves during thecoldest months

57 FROSTY RECEPTIONFreeze your summer gluts andspread the enjoyment of home-grown goodies. John and Val Harrisonexplain how to put your pickings on ice

62 EGGS GALORE!Knowing what makes your chickens happyand healthy will ultimately boost your take ofeggs, as Terry Beebe reveals

66 ADD SOME CRUNCHCarrots are a staple root vegetable.

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Raspberries are a delicious, aromatic fruit thatwill keep going well into autumn. BenedictVanheems tells us how to grow them

Run out of space? Then start expandingyour garden upwards. Martyn Cox exploresthe phenomenon of vertical growing

Brew up your own liquid feed – Paul Waglandweaves his magic down on the allotment.Plus it’s not too late to start courgettes

Steve Bradley explains how to keepgreenhouse crops cool this summer and howto prevent an infestation of insect pests

Every issue our team of regular experts revealsthe main jobs for the month along with bags of ideas

JunePracticalTheteam

The fruit grower p25 The city grower p29

The organic allotmenteer p33 The under cover grower p36

Lucy Halliday reviews how to grow thisversatile crop – and how to avoid the dreadedcarrot root fly

70 PRACTICAL PROJECTRecycle an old read into a fine crop of oystermushrooms. Andy Cawthray shows how in hisfascinating step-by-step

72 POTS OF DISTINCTIONMore of us are growing crops inpots to save space and maximiseproductivity. Lucy Halliday offers sometips for those with a potted plot

76 ORGANIC CRUMBLELooking to start a compost heap?Then you’ll love our back-to-basics guideto making your own nutrient-rich,friable compost

79 TOOLS OF THE TRADEExplore some of the not-so-commontools lurking towards the back of the shed.Mike Woolnough looks at what’s available

82 AN EXOTIC MEDLEYForget apples, pears and plums – getstuck into some exotic alternatives

85 STEADY DOES ITSuccessional sowing is a powerful techniqueto keep crops coming. Dave Hamilton offerssome suggestions of what to grow this way

91 WASTE NOT, WANT NOTHow much of your harvest do you wastewithout realising it? Jeannine McAndrewinvestigates some less-than-obvious uses tomake crops go further

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14 PAGESOF SEASONAL

ADVICE, TOP TIPSAND EXPERTKNOW-HOW

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A nationwide survey by the RoyalHorticultural Society to understand under16’s knowledge of plants has found that twothirds of children think pumpkins grow ontrees or in the ground, over half don’t knowhow broccoli grows and almost 80% can’tidentify foxgloves. Results also showed 29%believe cucumbers grow in the ground andeven more are unable to identify commongarden flowers.

Speaking about the results AlanTitchmarsh, RHS vice president,says: “Some of the survey results werereally positive, with around 90% of childrenknowing where onions, strawberries,potatoes and bananas grow and almost100% recognising a rose, but the resultsalso show that more work needs to be

done to help children discover and learnabout plants. Initiatives like the RHSLearning Centres at its gardens and itsCampaign for School Gardening areimportant to make sure the youngergeneration doesn’t miss out on thehealth, fun and educational benefitsgardening brings.”

The RHS has just opened a new learningcentre at its Rosemoor Garden in Devon.The centre is named in memory of the lateRHS president Peter Buckley and includestwo large classrooms, a teaching terracegarden, raised vegetable beds, a sensorygarden and dipping ponds. The centreshould allow the garden to attract up to7,000 children from across the region tolearn and garden.

Melon marvelsWatermelons are more often associated with the plantations of the deep south ofAmerica but seed supplier DT Brown is now offering plants of a new variety whichshould fruit well here too. ‘Red Star F1’ has the traditional dark green skin andscarlet flesh of watermelons and has proved itself a reliable outdoor cropper atthe company’s trial grounds.

‘Red Star F1’ is capable of producing three large watermelons per plant fromJuly to early autumn. For best results the company recommends planting througha sheet of black polythene, which helps to absorb warmth. It can also be grown ina polytunnel or large greenhouse. The flowers may need to be hand-pollinatedfor best results. Five plants cost £5.95, plus postage and packing. DT Brown is alsooffering a trial-size packet of the watermelon’s seeds for £1.99. Call 0845 3710532or visit www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk for more details.

Right: David Blairfrom Trees for Cities,

and Afric Crossanfrom Forests Schools

Birmingham, planttrees with children at

Witton Lakes Park

Fruitful afternoonResidents of Stockland Green,Birmingham have spent an afternoonturning an area of their local park intoa new community orchard. The site –a walled compound on the edge ofWitton Lakes Park – was chosen asthe winner of a national competitionby toilet tissue brand Velvet as partof their Campaign for Trees. Thesite has been transformed with theaddition of 28 fruit trees made upof apple, plum, cherry, green gage,damson, crab apple and medlar,as well as perry pears, which haveleft their mark on local place nameslike Perry Common and Perry Barr.Strawberries, raspberries and shrubswere also planted.

The Campaign for Trees invitedpeople to vote for the area theyfelt could benefit most from moretrees. Birmingham received the mostvotes with Velvet donating a total of£20,000 to the charity Trees for Citiesto fund the greening.

Alan with children at theopening of the new PeterBuckley Learning Centre

Survey surprises

NEWSSend your news stories to [email protected]


With hedgerows and meadows in decline and native speciesunder constant threat, what better way of giving nature a helping handthan by providing homes for some of our favourite garden visitors? A new rangeof wildlife homes from Burgon & Ball offers a practical yet attractive housingsolution for many of our natural pest controllers. Developed by celebrateddesigner Sophie Conran, the range includes bird feeding, bird nesting and insecthouses, all made from FSC wood and costing £13.95 (for the bird feeding house)or £14.95. The Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball Collection is available fromgarden centres, high street gift shops and online at www.burgonandball.com

VEGETABLES1 Potatoes (65%)2 Courgettes (59%)3 Runner beans (58%)4 Carrots (57%)5 French beans (55%)

FRUIT1 Tomatoes (79%)2 Apples (65%)3 Strawberries (62%)4 Rhubarb (58%)=5 Raspberries (57%)=5 Blackberries (57%)

GIY revolution picks up paceA survey commissioned by BBC Magazines andconducted in April found a record number ofBrits planning to grow fruit and veg this year, withenjoyment, better flavour and health the mainmotivators. The survey of nearly 3,000 discoveredthat almost 60% of us were planning to get planting,with potatoes the most popular vegetable andtomatoes the most popular fruit, followed bycourgettes and runner beans.

The survey shows the numbers practising GIY(grow it yourself) rising, up four per cent year onyear. It also seems that growing food is seen as away to ‘grow yourself wealthy’ with 40% taking tothe garden to save money. Lack of a large outdoorspace is no barrier for urban Britons as 55% of usare now growing in pots and containers, while 12%improvise by using a windowsill.

BEHIND THE WALLSLondoners can take a peek behind thewalls of many of the capital’sgardens over Open Garden SquaresWeekend, which takes place on 11-12June. The annual event includesapproximately 200 gardens, offeringa rare opportunity to gain inspirationfrom London’s private communitygardens and squares. The majority ofthe gardens are not normally opento the public; rich in variety and oftenhidden from view they range from thehistorically memorable to the smalland quirky.

One weekend ticket allows accessto all gardens. First time gardens openover the weekend include a gardenon top of a supermarket (pictured),plus a garden with a building with afizzy bottle roof. There will be plentyof edible gardens on display, includingSt Quintin Avenue CommunityGarden in Highgate, a disused tenniscourt transformed into a communitykitchen garden and used by over 100people; the flower and vegetablewalled garden at Winterton House,Whitechapel; the Alara PermacultureForest Garden in Kings Cross (featuredin the January issue); and FARM:shopin Dalston, the world’s first farm in aninner-city shop which aims to see justhow much food can be grown in acondensed urban setting.

Details of all the new gardens canbe found at www.opensquares.org/newgardens, with tickets costing £7.50if bought in advance or £10 over theweekend. Order from the ticket hotlineon 020 8347 3230 or online atwww.capitalgardens.co.uk

Crouch End’s Food fromthe Sky garden sits atop aBudgens supermarket, wheremuch of the food is sold

Garden refuges

Cash in the garden?Money may not grow on trees but there’s a chance itcould be growing in the flower border or vegetable patch.Enterprising gardeners could be hundreds of pounds betteroff just by looking around their garden, thanks to a schemefrom Thompson & Morgan. The seed company is offering a£500 reward to anyone who discovers or creates a new plantthat goes on to make it into their range.

Every year, Thompson & Morgan introduces new varietiesthrough its breeding programme. But with so many green-

fingered customers the company is extending its search and has produced a new leafletdetailing just how to discover or create new plants. The very heavy cropping tomato‘Sungella’ is just one example of a variety discovered in a back garden; it has gone on tobecome a best seller. Perhaps there really are riches at the bottom of the garden!

Top crops for 2011

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Write to us, with a picture if possible, at Grow it!,Kelsey Publishing, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham,Kent TN16 3AG. Alternatively email: [email protected]

Your say ✪Here’s a little rhyme to make you smile.

I wear my gloves when gardening,To stop my hands from hardening.But has it yet occurred to youA pack of two is one too few?

For whilst the right is thin and torn,The left looks new and scarcely worn.So can’t they sell spare left or rightTo overcome this gardeners’ plight?

C Gasan, Gloucestershire

Editor replies: I know exactlywhat you mean. And how manygloves have you lost somewhereon the plot never to be seen again?!

Gardeners’ plight

This month’s star letterwins a strawberry tub fromTwo Wests and Elliott.

STARLETTER

✪

I read with interest Andrew Haynes’piece in the April issue on the use ofcharcoal (see ‘Notes from the pottingshed’, page 98).

I’m an allotment holder who hasventured into this area with a friend toset up the Carbon Compost Company.We market a charcoal-based compostfor use primarily as a soil improver.Our product consists of 33% charcoalfines obtained from local producersand 67% composted equine manurethrough which we run a nutrient-rich

transfer liquid to ensure the charcoal isfully ‘charged’ prior to use. The Mayansappear to have mixed charcoal withanimal waste, plant waste, human wasteand pottery. If it worked for them it struckus it should work for us, although we’veleft a couple of their ingredients out!

It does not seem to matter what sizethe charcoal is. We use nothing biggerthan 4cm (1.5in) or so but the averagesize varies from producer to producer,and it all works well. Andrew doesn’tmention that adding just charcoal toyour garden will cause an initial drop inmoisture and nutrient content because,being so hygroscopic, the charcoalwill just suck out the water. This is whyit’s important to treat charcoal prior toadding it to your garden. Biochar (thecorrect term for any charcoal intendedfor adding to soil) will help all soil types.

My fellow allotmenteers haveproven the product for me with somespectacular results. Our biochar mixresults in very healthy growth, exceptingtomatoes because of the manureelement. The big surprise is that usersreported that the broad bean controlbeds had died after snow sat on them for

ew?

and torn,rcely worn.or rightplight?

lyyregain?!

LETTER

Char very much

ten days, while the Carbon Compostbeds had all survived (as pictured). Thesame applied to some cabbages on myown plot. We were aware of how biochar,along with the soil life it provides a safehaven for, encourages healthy growth butwe didn’t expect it to help plants surviveextreme weather.

Biochar really does work remarkably welland it offers gardeners a real opportunityto make an even more positive differenceto this world of ours. Our website iswww.carboncompost.co.uk

R Rawle, Essex

Raise the roofThe article on green roofs in lastmonth’s issue (see ‘High profile’ pages89-91) has set me thinking. In my gardenI have a chicken run and shed whichare suitable candidates for a living roof.To keep things simple I’m planning tosow a lush green sward of grass for thechicken run roof and a cap of sedum forthe less accessible shed roof.

Many gardeners don’t have thespace to offer a dedicated space forwildlife. Green roofs seem like a sensiblecompromise – imagine if we all grewbee-friendly plants on our shed roofs. Itwould help to make a small contributionto the stressed bee population. Let’ssee more of these types of roofs!

F Marvin, North Yorkshire

Drop us a line and share your growingstories, advice, questions and opinions


Grower's diary

Returning after a week’sabsence from the allotmentis a nervous moment forRebecca Wells. But herseedlings have more thancoped – in fact they’ve puton tremendous growth

They say a week’s a long time inpolitics and this is also true in thegarden at this time of year. You

may remember last month I mentionedthat Andrew and I were heading offto Yorkshire to build a garden for (andwith) our daughter Kate and her partnerChris. We’d allowed only a week to dothis but it was a week taken at a peaktime in the greenhouse and cold frame.I quailed to think of the unwateredseedlings if we had a hot spell butcomforted myself with the fact I hadsown early and, if disaster struck, couldalways sow again.

Nevertheless, it was with my heart inmy mouth that I went straight away tothe bottom of the garden on our returnto Exeter to check. Thankfully all waswell with both the younger seedlingsin the greenhouse and with thosemoved outside into the fleece clocheon the raised bed. More than well, infact, because everything seemed tohave doubled in size in a week! Whilewe had been toiling (and I have neverlaboured so hard for so long in my life)the young plants had been growingsturdy and strong. The garden plants,too, had grown enormously so thatnow my morning walk to check on thegreenhouse, water the seedlings andperhaps open the window and door alittle is now a slower one as I linger toadmire something I hadn’t noticed theprevious day. What a dynamic time of theyear – I’m in a fever of excitement and joy!

Grower's diary

Rapidresults

I’m delighted with mysturdy tomato plants

Right: Stout asparagusshoots pushing through


year’s liquid just in case. The rotted leafyremains are added to the compost heap.Usually comfrey feed is made by addinga bagful of leaves to a barrel of water andusing the resulting liquid without dilutingit, but this concoction absolutely stinks! Iprefer my more convenient and fragrantmethod. Comfrey is a fantastic plant togrow and gives so much to the gardenerand to the bees. However, make sureyou get roots of the ‘Bocking 14’ varietyrather than the invasive native one.

Floral feastThe tulips grown for cutting had openedon our return and I was greeted with awonderful display of orange and brightpink. The fashionistas among you willknow that Prada has decreed neonpink and orange to be ‘of the moment’colours, and the Milan catwalks wereablaze with these. I may not have thewardrobe of a catwalk model (hardlysuitable allotment-wear!) but it feltsatisfying to bring home a huge bunchof tulips in this year’s colours.

I also pulled some rhubarb, collectedthe eggs and brought home some spareroot-trainers, filling my bike basket tothe brim. The root-trainers are alreadysown with a climbing French bean and amangetout pea in each cell. In order toscreen the wheelie bins and shed, as wellas give a sense of enclosure and privacy

in Kate and Chris’ new back garden,Andrew made a close wooden trelliswhich will be planted with an evergreenhoneysuckle. In order to have a greenscreen while the honeysuckle establishes,I suggested they use the trellis to growclimbing plants which will give thempretty flowers but also a crop. The seedsI sowed on my return will be ready to take

up to Yorkshire at the beginning of Junewhen we will celebrate Kate’s birthdayby planting up the new garden. Fast-growing annual climbing plants such asbeans and mangetout are useful screensin new gardens and I’ve often used themin this way. I sowed some runner beans aswell as some climbing gold and Frenchbeans for us. I normally sow runner beanson March 23, the date recommendedby Geoff Hamilton, but I find that a latersowing soon catches up.

Racing aheadOn the allotments the scene was thesame. I had left the young tomato plants inthe greenhouse uncovered by protectivefleece because they had grown up totouch it and I felt they would come tomore harm if I left it on. Now the onesto be kept under glass are ready to gointo their permanent positions. The onesdestined for outside may well be pottedon again before they too go into their finalpositions in the beds after any danger offrost has passed. They look much sturdierthan those for sale in my local gardencentre for all the light they have had. I’mreally pleased with them and look forwardto another bumper crop. I was also thrilledto see that the first asparagus shoots werepushing through the top layer of compostand manure we added last winter.Expensive to buy, this crop needs a littlepatience but the three-year wait is worth it.

The ‘Bocking 14’ comfrey I have toadd to the compost heap and to makea high-potash plant food had grown tooand greeted me with a sea of deep-blueflowers when there had been little to

show before we went to Yorkshire. I wasable to make the first cutting, packingthe leaves into a container. I can barelyget the lid on to keep the rain out atthis stage but the leaves soon rot downand, as they do, exude a black, tarryliquid. I have made a hole in the bottomof the pot so that this liquid can dripinto another container beneath it. Istore this treacle-like liquid until I needit when I dilute it 1:10 in water to feedmy tomatoes, peppers, chillies andaubergines, plus any other fruiting orflowering plants I think could do with it.

This year the first cutting will producefood just at the time when the tomatoeswill need it, as their first flowers aresetting. This felicitous timing doesn’talways happen so I keep some of last S

Far left: The seaof blue-floweringcomfrey

A blaze ofriotous colourfrom the tulips

A bike basketfulof promise

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Turnip ‘Milan Purple Top’This exceptional turnip forms fl atter, globe-shaped roots with purple crowns and white bases. They are ideal eaten as ‘baby turnips’ when the taste is sweet and succulent. The dark green, erect leaves are exceptional when steamed as greens, giving you two crops in one! ‘Milan Purple Top’ is also perfect for growing in containers.

Sowing instructions: Turnips prefer a rich, well-manured soil. Sow thinly from March to August directly outside or into containers, setting seed 1cm (0.5in) deep. Sow regularly for fresh roots throughout spring, summer and autumn.

Growing instructions: When large enough to handle thin seedlings to 10cm (4in) apart. Keep well watered during dry weather. Harvest from May to November. Harvested while young, ‘baby turnips’ can be used raw to make a sweet addition to salads or steamed for a tasty vegetable.

Seeds supplied by

Turnip ‘Milan Purple Top’

Quick-growing and delicious

Packed for year end August 2011 Sow by 2013

Average content: 300 seeds. Origin UK. Seeds supplied by Thompson & Morgan (UK) Ltd. For customer care tel: 01473 688821 or email: www.thompson-morgan.com Standard seeds – complies with EC rules and standards

Growit! Seed Packet 132 x 95 july11.indd 1 20/06/2011 11:35

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Grower's diary

While I was in the greenhouse I sowedsome sweetcorn and all our squashesand pumpkins. Although Andrew acts asthe master of ceremonies at a pumpkinfestival later in the year, I know I can’tpossibly compete with the monsterfruits exhibited there. We grow them toeat and find them delicious through thewinter. This year we not only have spaceon the main allotments but we have alsogot the pumpkin patch in the centre ofthe orchard, so I sowed a few more seedsthan usual. Our favourites are the onionsquash ‘Uchiki Kuri’, but we also like‘Potimarron’, ‘Marina di Chioggia’, ‘BlueBallet’, ‘Crown Prince’ and ‘QueenslandBlue’. All last well through the winter. Ihave had less success with butternut

squash but am trying again because theyare so delicious and am trying ‘BlackFutsu’ for the first time. All will appreciatethe rich fertile, well-rotted manure wehave waiting in a covered pile and it willbe good to be able to allow the plants toscramble on the orchard.

Gardening gurusI quite often go to talk to garden clubsand horticultural societies on a varietyof subjects. I love meeting othergardeners and enjoyhearing about theirgardens. While I am theso-called expert, I’mkeenly aware that the sumof experience collected inthe audience is more thanI will have in my lifetime so Ialways learn something. RecentlyI went to Frome in Somerset to talkabout how I grow vegetables onmy allotments and was approachedby a man who produced fantasticcompost in his garden. He wasinterested to hear that I turn mine atleast once because he never does– he simply adds material until theheap’s full, covers it and leaves it. Hiscompost doesn’t take any longer thannormal to make

and he doesn’t add any accelerator.Does this mean one less job to do?

The potatoes in containers at thebottom of the garden have alreadysprouted through the first layer ofcompost and so I topped them upwith another layer. At the same time Iplanted out the salad crops grown inmodules and hardening off outside.My rather random moon gardeningtrial has not yet got underwaybecause I sow everything in modulesand the effect of the moon doesnot apply here. I was fascinatedto read of Carol Shaw’s painstakingand completely scientific trial and herinteresting and encouraging results (see‘Logic or lunacy?’ pages 84-87, Spring2011). I deliberately waited until a ‘leafday’ to plant out lettuces, mixed saladleaves and spinach, but also put in halfof the baby beetroot as well. I shall plantout the rest on the next ‘root day’ a few

days later and compare results. I shall sowmy parsnips then as well and hope thatthese notoriously reluctant-to-germinatevegetables will benefit from the benignheavenly influence. After that, I can seethat events may overtake me!

Each year I try to grow at least onecrop I haven’t tried before. Althoughwe eat a great many onions, I find thatthey do not grow well on our heavysoil and their keeping properties are

All will appreciate the richfertile, well-rotted manurewe have waiting in a pile

✓The pots of herbscheaply sold insupermarkets oftencontain up to 20plants. Water themwell then carefullytease them apart andplant out individually.Pinch out the tipsand any floweringstems to make bushy

plants at little cost and effort.This works well with basil andparsley, though less so withcoriander.✓Sow a few lettuces regularly inpots to plant out when they arebig enough. If you sow about 10plants and then pick the leavesup the stem rather than cuttingoff the whole head, the plantswill crop for longer.✓Rather than buy a piece ofexpensive kit which won’t beused all that often, see if youcan get together with friends toeither buy or hire it as a group.✓Builders’ merchants are oftendesperate to give woodenpallets away. Wired togetherthey make a perfect compostcontainer.✓ Sand down and treat gardenfurniture. After all this hardwork, you’ll need somewhereto sit and relax!

✓

chsucoplwete

Rebecca's tips

disappointing. Given that Sainsbury’ssell excellent organic onions, it hardlyseems worthwhile for us to bother.

Shallots are another matterand I am always impressed bythose grown by our friends inDorset. Admittedly, their soil

is altogether different but I wasinspired to try them on our plot

this year. I have planted out ‘RedSun’, which I started in modules in

the greenhouse earlier in the year, andsome ‘Banana’ shallots which I bought inour local farm shop. The other thing whichis completely new to me is ‘Kailaan’, akind of Chinese broccoli that came highlyrecommended by Mark Diacono, writerand head gardener at River Cottage, justdown the road from us. It is, apparently,very quick to produce delicious shootsand will crop for a long period. Having hada complete failure on the purple sproutingbroccoli front last winter I look forward totrying this new broccoli.

The potatoesneed topping up

Chinese broccoli‘Kailaan’ comesrecommendedby River Cottagehead gardenerMark Diacono

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Real growers

W hen the major seed suppliersdevelop a new variety ofvegetable they must register itand its name under the National

Seed List to gain a licence to sell the seed. TheNational Seed List is a directive introducedby the EU in the 1970s to protect consumers;it is illegal to sell any seeds not on the list.Registering and licensing, however, is extremelycostly for seed suppliers, which means that manyvarieties simply get dropped over the years.

All of this means that since the 1970s hundredsof vegetable varieties have been lost. Forexample, there were 140 varieties of cauliflowerseed available in 1972 – today there are onlyaround 20 for sale. This is where the Heritage SeedLibrary, run by charity Garden Organic, comes in.

History and heritageFar from being a behind-closed-doors scientificgene bank, the Heritage Seed Library works

as a living collection of seed that is open to all.Amassing a total of 800 different accessions, itsaim is to conserve all those varieties that havebecome lost over time. Of particular interest tothe library are ‘heirloom’ varieties from the 19thcentury kitchen gardens and those from the1940s and 1950s, where seed was handeddown through the generations and fromgardener to gardener – varieties that were oftenvery local or regional. In addition they maintainthose varieties of vegetable that were oncevery popular in the seed catalogues but now nolonger officially exist.

I met up with Neil Munro, manager of theHeritage Seed Library, who showed me aroundthe grounds of the library at Garden Organic’sheadquarters near Coventry. He explained allthe work that goes on behind the scenes. “We’renot collecting seed just for the sake of it,” Neilexplained. “Most types and varieties of vegetablehave a history and it’s very important that we

Many heirloom vegetable varieties face extinction. Caroline Millswent along to the Heritage Seed Library to find out about its invaluablework collecting and saving our oldest and most precious varieties

SAVEOURSEEDS


I was surprised to see vegetableslooking quite different in appearanceto how they would in most gardens

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Stories of yesteryearGardening and the things we grow provide afascinating insight into our social history. TheHeritage Seed Library (HSL) is making sure thatthese stories are not forgotten. Some of thevegetables in their collection include:

Onion ‘Rousham Park Hero’ (pictured): Bredand grown in the 19th century by the headgardener of beautiful Rousham Parkin Oxfordshire.

Pea ‘Carlin’: Given to the great-greatgrandfather of an HSL donor as a weddingpresent, this pea dates back to Elizabethan times.A regional variety from the Northeast of England,Carlin Sunday is still practised, when the peas arecooked and salted.

vegetables looking quite different in appearanceto how they would in most gardens. Used toseeing vegetables grown for harvest and eating,the row upon row of flowering vegetablesseemed like the antithesis of normal kitchengardening. But while gardeners seek out varietiesthat are slow to bolt so that they have time toeat the fruits of their labours, the Heritage SeedLibrary wants anything but. Neil explained: “Weare growing for the seed rather than to harvestthe vegetables, so we want the plants to bolt.To do this we cheat, in particular with brassicaslike kale, cauliflower and cabbages. We sow theseed late in the season so that the plants staysmall. They are then lifted and kept indoors overwinter before planting out after the worst of thefrosts. The plants need to get cold to trigger theflowering process but they will then bolt muchsooner than if we were to employ conventionalmethods of growing. We don’t want a large headto develop, so by keeping the plants small, theywill bolt sooner. With the cabbages we cut offany heads that form, which helps the flowers thatwe need to develop.

preserve the gardening knowledge that comeswith these varieties. It’s all about a cultural andsocial history that would otherwise be forgotten.

“There are so many fascinating stories as tohow certain varieties were introduced, or indeedhow the seed found its way to Britain or into thelibrary’s collection. Plus, of course, gardenerswish to grow vegetables in order to eat them –many of the varieties here continue to be firmfavourites for taste or quality.”

A living libraryYes, the library is ‘preserved’ on rows of shelving,but it also lives and breathes in the grounds atGarden Organic and, perhaps more importantly,in people’s gardens throughout the UK.“We cannot possibly grow all the varieties ofvegetable here to maintain sufficient stocks ofseed for the collection, so we rely on enthusiasticvolunteer gardeners. These are our ‘SeedGuardians’ who grow the varieties for us andthen send the resulting seed back,” said Neil.“We can then swap our seed with gene banks toensure that, should anything go horribly wrong,someone somewhere has back-up stock.”

On visiting the library’s seedbeds andpolytunnels where much of the hard work goeson throughout the year, I was surprised to see

Far left: Carrotseed heads awaitprocessing. TheHeritage SeedLibrary securesolder varieties forfuture posterity

Left: All crops,such as this lettuce,are left to produceseed for collectionand preservation

Right: Onions towerup into flower withinone of the seedlibrary’s polytunnels

Broad bean ‘Mr Jones’: The seeds were passedto a donor of the HSL by a neighbour whose fatherwas sent them during the Second World War aspart of the Dig for Victory campaign.

Pea ‘Gravedigger’: Given to an HSL donor by aretired farmer, who in turn had received them fromthe local gravedigger.

Tomato ‘Broad Ripple Yellow Currant’(pictured): Originally found growing in apavement crack in Indianapolis, this varietyproduces masses of sweet-tasting, tiny yellow fruitright up to mid-November.

Tomato ‘Mortgage Lifter’: If only it would liveup to its name! A large, deep red and disease-resistant tomato originally developed in the USAduring the 1930s.


Real growers

“Likewise beetroot and leeks,” continuedNeil. “We start them off late in the summerthen lift and over-winter them in dry compostbefore planting out in March. It’s the flowersthat we want, not the roots. So when mostpeople have pulled their carrots for eating withinweeks of planting, we leave ours to grow on tomaturity. The most viable seed comes from theprimary flower or main shoot, but early carrot seedis immature and so it needs time to ripen.”

Sometimes the library still needs to growa crop conventionally to check that thecharacteristics of a particular variety are beingmaintained and that the taste remains good.These are then sold in the shop or used in therestaurant at Garden Organic.

“For our seed producers around the country weoffer a set of guidelines on growing for seed. Weneed to ensure the integrity of the seed and thatvegetables such as broad or runner beans thatcross pollinate easily are grown on ‘isolated sites’where they are unlikely to become contaminated.”

Cleaning upOnce the seed is produced on site or sent inby the Seed Guardians, the process of cleaningbegins. Different-sized sieves are used toaccommodate the various sizes of seed. Thesieves remove the chaff. For seeds coated in jellyor with a fleshy surround a wet cleaning methodis used. Before the cleaned seed is stored it hasto be dried: “We don’t want the seed to remainwarm and wet or it would soon rot,” explainedNeil, “so we begin the process of removing themoisture content in our drying room. The seed

can then be stored foranything between eightand 30 years.”

Entering the seedstore is like going backin time to the dayswhen offices had cardfiling systems ratherthan computers. Keptat an ambient 10˚C to12˚C, racks of labelled

boxes bursting with envelopes fill the room. “Wekeep the seed in paper envelopes so that it cancontinue to dry out.”

Every consignment of seed that arrives at thelibrary is given a batch number so that it can betraced back to who grew it and where. Then,if there are any problems or if, as in the past, itturns out that a particular variety doesn’t matchup to the characteristics, all can be solved. “Wehandle 50,000 packets of seed a year and everyseed is hand counted. It’s very labour intensive,so we rely on our band of volunteers who comeand help with all the various jobs involved inrunning the library. We keep historical recordstoo on every type and variety of vegetable, withbotanical photographs illustrating, for example,the colour of the flower, the number of peasor beans in a pod or the shape of a vegetable.Seeds are distributed from December to the endof February and then we’re outside growing the

next lot of plants.”Clearly the work going on

at the Heritage Seed Library isinvaluable. The harvesting ofseeds and the processing andcataloguing that follows is helpingto preserve varieties of vegetablefor future generations. It’s a servicethat kitchen gardeners – andeveryone – should be grateful for.One day we may need to draw onthis library and the effort investednow will all pay off.

Saving your own seedNeil Munro recommends that all gardenersgrow plants for seed saving alongsidethose being grown for food. Space is aconsideration as it’s necessary to plant areasonable quantity (20 cabbage plants forexample) to maintain the genetic diversityof a variety. The spacing between plants willalso need to be greater – up to 45cm (18in)rather than the usual 30cm (12in) in the caseof cabbages. You can, of course, intercropyour future seed-bearers with quick-growingvegetables that will be harvested before thisadditional space is needed.

Further information0 Heritage Seed Library, Garden Organic, Ryton Organic Gardens, Coventry,CV8 3BR. Contact: 024 7630 8210, www.gardenorganic.org.uk

0 The library is always on the lookout for volunteers between March andSeptember at the Garden Organic headquarters, providing the perfectopportunity to learn how to save seed.

0 If you would like to become a Seed Guardian for the Heritage Seed Library,or have a go at planting some of the heirloom varieties to eat, you need tobecome a member. As a member, you receive your choice of free seed andcan help to preserve the heritage of gardening. Contact details as above.

SAVEOURSEEDS

Above: The familiarcrinkled seedcaseof beetroot

Below left: Collectingtomato seed. Aftersieving, the seed willneed to be cleanedand dried

Volunteers help topack the seeds. Paperenvelopes allow seedsto breathe


Anne Swithinbank, one of Britain’s favourite gardenersand a member of Radio Four’s Gardeners’ Question Timepanel, answers your growing questions.

AskAnneYOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Summer shakeupJuly is also a crucial sowing month

for Swiss chard and perpetual spinach,to crop through to the following spring.By August it’s time to sow winter-hardysalad crops like rocket, land cress, lamb’slettuce, mustards, mizuna (pictured) andso forth, though in colder areas they’lldo better under cloches or glass and, ofcourse, spring cabbage. Make sowings,too, of winter radish and turnip. Byautumn, you’ll be thinking about onionsets and in late autumn, sowing hardybroad beans. The excellent new bookHow to Grow Winter Vegetables byCharles Dowding (£14.95, Green Books:01803 863260, www.greenbooks.co.uk)will prove an inspirational read.

My plot’s beginning to look impressive but always hits abit of a lull in July once all the potatoes and other cropsare finished. How can I keep myself busy into the secondhalf of the year? K Watkins, Suffolk

There is a wholerange of plants thatprefer to grow afterthe longest day

There’s no doubt that April and Mayare the busiest months on a veg plot,especially if you are used to concentratingmainly on the summer growing season.Yet there is a whole range of plants thatprefer to grow from sowings made afterthe longest day, prior to which theyare prone to bolting or running up toseed. Among these are endive, Chinesecabbage and radicchio. July and Augustare prime months for planting out awide range of winter brassicas includingsprouts, cabbage, sprouting broccoli,kales and late winter/spring cauliflowers.If you didn’t raise these from seed earlieron, plants should be available in shopsand by mail order. Leeks, too, are plantedin summer for winter crops.

Summer cauliflowers are not easy at all,especially those that head up in the earlypart of summer. So often they don’t getwhat they need, suffer stress of some kindand end up just as you describe. My adviceis to forget about them altogether. Instead,plant out spring heading cauliflowers now,cover with mesh to keep the caterpillars,birds and root fly off and let them grow onthrough winter.

You’ll be spacing them a good 60cm(24in) apart and they usually do reallywell, effortlessly producing massive

heads in spring. I’m growing ‘Winter 3Armado April’ (available from DT Brown:0845 3710532, www.dbrownseeds.co.uk).I keep the mesh on all winter, partlybecause cauliflower seems to be thepigeons favourite and partly for extracold protection. Another success I’ve hadhas been with the amazing Romanescotypes, whose lime green heads are finelystructured like castle turrets. Sown in earlyMay and planted out when they have threeor four leaves, they’ve delivered deliciousheads in autumn.

Cauli goodHow can I grow cauliflowers with good, solid curds? My pastattempts have given lacklustre results with small curds andsickly-looking plants. W Darley, Cornwall

202020 JuJuJune 22010111 GrGrow it!


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I’ll start by apologising for a dearth ofrecommendations. This is because the lastgreenhouse I installed was our second-handwooden one which cost me next to nothing tobuy 12 years ago, but there was a fair bill from thelocal builders who took it down, moved it andput it up again. Before that, some 22 years ago, Ihad a good aluminium greenhouse supplied anderected successfully and efficiently by Robinsons(01295 770717, www.robinsonsgreenhouses.co.uk). We wanted a sturdy, long-lasting 3x6m(10x20ft) greenhouse, enjoyed it for 10 years andit was still in very good order when we sold ourSurrey house and garden.

There are plenty of small greenhouses onthe market at a range of prices. If your gardenis windy, I would opt for glass rather thanpolycarbonate. If you are tall, it’s often possibleto raise a cheap, low greenhouse by fixing thebase onto a brick plinth. I also think this gives

Glass actI want to construct a couple of smallgreenhouses. What considerationsshould I bear in mind whenchoosing them and are there anycompanies you can recommendto come and install them?S Taylorson, Cumbria

greater insulation at ground level.Adequate ventilation is absolutely vital,so make sure there is plenty availablepreferably in the sides and roof. Lookfor options of adding extra ventsor having louvres fitted to replace acouple of side panes. A greenhousebed is always useful, so plan to leave soilinside rather than having a solid concretebase. Staging often costs extra,so think about making or having somemade to suit your height and specifications.

Write in with yourquestions for Anne to:Ask Anne, Grow it!, KelseyPublishing, CudhamTithe Barn, Berry’s Hill,Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG.Alternatively email:[email protected]

Black leg is a nasty bacterial disease ofpotatoes encouraged by wet soil conditions.You’d have noticed leaves on the upperparts of the plants curling inwards, withthe colour fading from green to yellow.Further down, the stem base (the ‘leg’ belowground) would have turned black and slimy,with some tubers rotting too. On one plantsome stems might have been affected, whileothers weren’t. With other potato diseasesaround, such as blight, symptoms can beconfusing. But if you cut a stem across, youcan see black spots showing where vascularstrands are affected. The disease is usuallyintroduced on infected seed potatoes whichlook deceptively healthy when planted. Infact, they are the survivors from an infectedcrop and are harbouring the bacteria. Good-quality, specially prepared seed potatoes are

very unlikely to carry blackleg, but bewareof garden-grown or vegetable rack tubers.

The disease is not long-lived in the soil(80-110 days at 2°C and a shorter time athigher temperatures) but can persist inforgotten ‘volunteer’ tubers, so I wouldmaybe give potatoes a complete miss for ayear, rogueing out all the volunteers. Growthem again in a different bed the year after,making sure the soil is well-drained and notprone to water-logging. The infection ismore common on early varieties, so perhapsstick to later-planted second earlies. Wherethere is some infection running through acrop, you have to lift the mature tubers verycarefully, as damage will expose them to thebacterium and they may rot in store. Choosea dry day to lift and use a potato fork withwider, flatter tines

Leg upLast year my potatoes were almost decimated by black leg –a disease hardly heard of in my part of the world. How canI prevent this happening again and what can I do with theplot that was affected? S McAuley, Co. Antrim

AskAnneYOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED


What are you thinking of, goingon a three week holiday in July?I’m away for one week andthought that was pushing it!Seriously, though, we gardenersmust sometimes bow to familypressures, so we’ll let you off. Ithink your neighbour will haveto go in every day. Even if youinstalled an automatic irrigationsystem for your tomatoes,somebody still needs to look inand check that it is working andnot blocked. Yet this might wellturn out to be a sound investment,especially if this July break turnsinto a fixture. Plus the neighbourwill be encouraged to see thatyou’ve made an effort to makehis life easier. If you haven’talready put up some shading forgreenhouse plants, make sure thisis in place on the sunniest side(either shading paint to the outside

or horticultural fleece clipped orpinned under the glass).

The outdoor parts of theveg patch (especially runnerbeans, courgettes etc) may needwatering. Fix good hosepipes totaps and knock in short posts atthe corners of beds and rows tomake unravelling and using thepipes easier. If it has to be by canfrom butts, then supply severalcans and stand one already full byeach butt to start him off. Makesure the butts are full (top up withtap water if necessary) and as analternative to cans, consider fillinga length of hosepipe with water,putting one end in a butt uphill ofthe plants and a tap mechanism onthe other end, to act as a siphon.Then he can simply turn the tap onand let it trickle onto the courgetteroots (or whatever) whilst checkingtomatoes or watering pots.

Holiday worryI’m heading off on a three-week holiday in Julyand am concerned about my veg patch andparticularly the greenhouse tomatoes in myabsence. My neighbour will help but I don’t wanthim to have to water every day. What can I do tokeep plants safe with minimal attention?M Porter, Powys

I think these are just harmless ground beetlesor carabids. They are about the size you say, orperhaps a bit bigger, and a shiny black, brownor bronze. In fact, most of them are positivelybeneficial and eat soil pests like slugs or they’llclimb plants and take greenfly and caterpillars.A few types may cause a little damage to seedsbut I think the good they do outweighs any bad.

I love to see them scampering around andoften find myself apologising to them if I makethem tumble when I’m weeding or planting.They are the reason we’re told to set margarinetub beer traps for slugs, so the rims are proudof the soil. The slugs slime their way in to thebeer and drown, but the ground beetles arediverted by the rim and veer off.

Beetle bankWhile digging I keep on coming across black beetlesabout 5-10mm (0.25in) in length. I’m not sure whetherthey’re beneficial or whether they’re lurking to eat mynext sowing. Is there a way of telling?B Emmerson, Leicestershire

forsure this

est sideto the outside

puttthe plthe otheThen he canand let it trickleroots (or whatevertomatoes or watering

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Most beetlesare positivelybeneficial andeat soil pests

Grow it! January 2011 1

PracticalTheteam Benedict Vanheems Steve BradleyMartyn Cox Paul Wagland

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29Take your kitchen gardening to newheights. Martyn Cox demonstrates theversatility of vertical growing systems

It’s teatime down on the allotment asPaul Wagland puts together a potentbrew made from nettles and comfrey

Greenhouse and polytunnel expertSteve Bradley’s keeping an eager eyeout for the first signs of insect pests

One of the most prolific months of the year is also one of the most active as weplay catch-up to keep plots productive. This month the Practical Team has plentyof ideas to maintain momentum. Benedict’s in the fruit garden thinning treefruits and feeding plants gearing up to harvest, Martyn’s trying out somelemongrass and planting cucumbers, Paul’s setting out his courgettes, andSteve’s seeing to the greenhouse crops. It’s a busy one, so let’s step to it!

14 PAGESOF SEASONAL

ADVICE, TOP TIPSAND EXPERTKNOW-HOW

June

Allow yourself tobe seduced by thesweet temptationof raspberries.Benedict Vanheems reveals howto grow them, page 25

THE FRUITGROWER

Benedict Vanheemsis editor of Grow it!and is a passionatehome-grower.


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STEP-BY-STEP

This month First harvests Thinning tree fruit Pruning redcurrants

This is a busy time in the fruit garden and you may already havesuch bumper crops that you can start to make your own preserves,says Benedict Vanheems

If you carefully select the types of strawberrythat you grow, you can enjoy fresh fruitfor months on end. However, June is the

time when you will probably get your mostabundant, not to mention delicious crops. Somake up a batch of jam if you do find you’regrowing more than you can eat fresh.

Strawberry plants crop heavily and you canget around 450g (1lb) of fruit per plant, so theytend to wear themselves out quite quickly. Thismeans that they need to be replaced every threeyears. If you want to create a new strawberrybed, June is the perfect time for planting cold-stored runners. Ensure the area has been verythoroughly dug over to remove any perennialweeds and add plenty of compost or well-rottedmanure, as these plants are heavy feeders. It iswell worth investing in a sheet of good-qualityweed-suppressing membrane, and plantingthrough holes cut into it at regular intervals. Aswell as helping to minimise the chore of weeding,

the membrane helps to conserve vitalmoisture in the soil.

Your existing plants are probably sendingout their own runners this month. These canbe used to grow new plants for free. Simplyuse thick garden wire bent into an invertedU-shape to peg the runners down so that theyare in contact with the soil. In a few weeks theyshould be forming roots and after six weeksthey should be established as individual plants,ready to be moved to a new bed.

Another fruit that will be cropping heavily thismonth is rhubarb and again you may have morethan you can eat. As it’s usually enjoyed cooked,

rhubarb is an ideal candidatefor freezing. Simply wash thestems and chop them into3cm (1in) chunks. Blanch byplacing them in boiling waterfor 90 seconds and then drainthem in a colander until cool.Simply place the fruit in freezerbags (ideally put enough ineach individual bag to makeup your favourite recipe suchas crumble) and you’ll have aconvenient supplyfor the rest ofthe year.

June is when you will probably get your mostabundant, not to mention delicious crop

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1This is your last chance toharvest rhubarb to give

plants a chance to build upenergy for next year’s crop.Give stems a sharp tug sothey come away cleanly fromthe base.

2Keep an eye out for anyflowering stems, which

are easily identified havinga white or pink bud at thetip. These grow quicklyand waste your plant'svaluable energy.

3Remove all floweringstems and put them on the

compost heap with the leavesof your freshly-harvestedstems. Leaves contain toxicoxalic acid and should not befed to pets.

Harvesting rhubarb

Now’s a good timeto set up a newstrawberry bed

Propagate newstrawberries from

their runners

Turn excess fruitinto delicious jam







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Helpful Hints


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Seeds supplied by









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5 OF THE BEST RASPBERRIES

1 CASCADE DELIGHT:These very large, firmberries have an attractive,glossy appearance andexcellent flavour. Plantsare resistant to root rot,making them ideal forgrowing in wetter areas.

2 POLKA: As well asbeing virtually spine-free,this primocane raspberryis very heavy-croppingand each plant producesup to 2.5kg (5lbs) of largeberries with a deliciousflavour.

3 JOAN J: Anotherabundant cropper, thisvariety has deliciousfruits from July throughto October, making it anideal choice if you onlyhave room to grow onetype of raspberry.

4 OCTAVIA: Thisnew variety has anexceptionally sweetflavour and offersabundant crops of hugeberries from mid Julythrough to early August,so it’s well worth a try.

5 ALLGOLD: Manygrowers think the large,yellow fruits have thebest flavour of all. Theycan be harvested fromlate August until midOctober and are perfectfor smaller gardens.

Although we’ve had one of thedriest springs for many years,most raspberry plants will be

putting on abundant new growth thismonth. It is these vigorously growingcanes that will bear next season’s fruit,so take a few minutes to ensure theyare all developing properly. Chancesare that you won’t want all of the canesthat are popping up – around seven perplant is ideal but any more than thatmay make harvesting the fruits trickyand can put stress on the plant, therebyreducing the overall crop.

Aim for around 10 canes in total per1m (3.3ft) length along the row. Targetthe weaker-looking stems and any thatare emerging in awkward places. Don’tsnip them off with your secateurs or youwill simply encourage new shoots toappear. The best option is to pull themup (put gloves on first and give a sharptug!). Alternatively dig them out carefullywith a hand trowel.

To tie in the canes you do want tokeep, use soft garden twine and gentlybend the canes so they are evenlyspaced out and held in place at intervals

by horizontal wires strung along therow. This makes it easier for pollinatinginsects to get to the flowers and easierfor you to harvest your fruit.

Another advantage to having neatrows of raspberries is that it makesprotecting your crop much morestraightforward. Once you see the firstfruits starting to develop, often at theend of June, it may be necessary to netyour raspberry plants to prevent birdsfrom eating all the fruit. You can createa temporary cage with bamboo and‘Build-a-balls’ or other similar designsbefore draping netting over the top.Keep the bottom of the net securelypegged down to prevent birds gettingin underneath.

Once the net is in place be extra-vigilant with your watering and weedingroutine. The plants will be putting alltheir energy into producing fruit and willneed a regular supply of moisture andas little competition from other plantsas possible. Summer-fruiting raspberrieswill need to be pruned in late July orAugust when they have finished fruiting.Autumn-fruiting raspberries won’t needto be cut back until early next spring.

Hurrah for raspberries!

RASPBERRY SUPPLIERS✦ DT Brown: 0845 3710532,www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk✦ Ken Muir: 01255 830181,www.kenmuir.co.uk✦ Mr Fothergill’s: 0845 3710518,www.mr-fothergills.co.uk✦ Thompson & Morgan: 0844 485383,www.thompson-morgan.com

Aim for around 10canes in total permetre length of row

Raspberries will begrowing rapidly now


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1Plums and other tree fruit may begrowing so abundantly that they

actually break the branches of youngtrees. There is often a natural ‘Junedrop’ when some fall off.

3The remaining fruits will now haveenough light and air to swell to their

full, juicy potential. Succulent ripe plumswill be ready for harvesting from lateJuly or early August.

2Collect any fallen fruits and destroythem (rather than adding to the

compost heap) as they can harbourpests. Then, if necessary, thin fruitfurther by hand to avoid overcrowding.

Thinning plumsSTEP-BY-STEP

Apply a dilute spray of organic liquidseaweed to the leaves of hungryfeeders such as raspberries, melonsand grapes. We tend to think ofplants as taking all their nutrients inthorough their roots, but plants canabsorb essential elements throughtheir leaves very quickly to give aninstant boost. This can be especiallybeneficial when plants are settingand developing fruit and it worksextremely well on fruiting ‘veg’such as tomatoes, peppers,

chillies , cucumbers and auberginestoo. Organic kelp-based foods suchas Maxicrop are ideal because theycontain up to 50 vital trace elements.Add enough liquid seaweed togently colour the water and ideallyspray first thing in the morning or inthe early evening. Apply once a weekfor best results.

Pep up your plants

Glossy redcurrants should beripening now. The sprigs of fruitmake a wonderful garnish for allsorts of desserts and you can alsouse them to make delicious jamsand jellies. Harvest whole sprigs atonce rather than fiddling aroundwith individual berries, and use thefruit quickly as it doesn’t store well.Closely-related white currants arejust as tasty and good for you butare less likely to be eaten by birds,so grow these if you don’t want tobother with netting or fruit cages.

By late June your redcurrant,white currant and indeedgooseberry bushes will all requirepruning. They fruit on last year’swood, so you will need to get

this season’s growth under control unless you want huge bushes. Usingsharp secateurs, trim back to around five leaves per stem on this season’sgrowth (which will look younger and greener than old wood). Alsoremove any stems from around the base of the bush and any suckerscoming up from the ground. Blackcurrants have different requirementsand will need to be pruned later in the year.

Tidy grapevinesUnless you’re growing vines for shade to cover an arbour orpergola, you will need to prune them regularly or you will endup with leaves at the expense of fruit. Aim to have one flowercluster per side branch and pinch out the growing tip after thatcluster. The shoots will also need to be trained to grow alongtheir intended framework. They can be quite brittle, so workon them first thing in the morning when they are most moistand pliable. The bunches themselves can benefit from a littleextra help too. Hold each bunch at the top of the stem and usescissors to snip out the tiny developing fruits at regular intervalsso that the remaining grapes can swell to dessert size. Repeatlater in the season.

PRUNE CURRANTS

A re you ready to takevertical growing to a newlevel? The Polanter is a

modular planting system with anintegral watering facility. Suitablefor gardeners of all abilities, thePolanter is easy to assemble andplant up. It’s also incredibly lowmaintenance and easy to water.

Gardeners who love colourfuldisplays from hanging baskets willfind that the Polanter is an evenmore straight-forward solution.And while it’s the perfect floralsolution to any garden area, patioor balcony, the Polanter is also idealfor those who loveto grow their ownfood. Try filling thePolanter’s plantingholes with succulentstrawberries, juicycherry tomatoes,herbs or salad leavesfor an unusual andspace-saving way togrow and display yourfavourite edibles.

The Polanter’seasy-care designis ideal for the most novice ofgardeners. Simply connect yourgarden hose to the base for just afew minutes each day and watchplants flourish. You can say goodbye

to slugs, while the compact plantingholes mean weeding becomes athing of the past. Try one and see foryourself how the Polanter deliverslow-maintenance, year-round colourand crops.

Polanters are available in a choiceof eight colours, as one to five-sectionkits, all with integral watering system,brackets and instruction manual. Wehave 12 two-section kits, worth £29.99each, up for grabs! This Polantercomes in two sections with a totalheight of 98cm (39in) and 24 plantingholes, giving plenty of space to showoff your crops.

HOW TO ENTERTo enter the competitionsimply fill in the coupon,left, answering the question,and post back to us at theaddress shown. The first12 entries pulled from theGrow it! hat after the closingdate will win a two-sectionPolanter! The closing datefor entries is July 7th 2011.

COMPETITION

Grow it! Polanter CompetitionKelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn,

Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG

Q. How tall is the Polanter two-section kit?.............................................................................

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offers, please include your email address here..................................................................................................

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Occasionally we may pass your details to carefully selected third parties whose products we think will be of interest to you.Tick here if you would prefer not to receive these offers

Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition

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❖ For more information onthe Polanter and its many usesvisit the Polanter website atwww.polanter.com or call0845 6197266.

WINa vertical planting system!

Simply click your hose into the base of the Polanter to water!

THE CITYGROWER

Martyn Cox writes agardening column forThe Mail on Sundayand Saga Magazine. Heis the author of sevenbooks and has a small,plant-packed garden inEast London


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This month Planting lemongrass Vertical growing Cucumbers

For many city gardeners the only way to expand is up.Martyn Cox looks at the rise and rise of vertical growing.Plus starting off a lemongrass plant

Lemongrass adds a distinctively citruskick to Thai cuisine and other orientaldishes, but it’s not just a tasty herb –

these perennial grasses make a fountain ofgently arching, strappy foliage, so are perfectfor adding an exotic look to patios. Sadly, thisplant’s tropical origins mean it is incrediblytender and will turn up its toes at the first sniffof frost, but it is perfect in a pot placed in awarm, sunny place over summer (just don’tforget to put it somewhere snug over winter).

Plants can be started from seeds sownindoors in late winter, though it’s easier to buya ready-grown plant or even start one from apacket of stems bought in a supermarket. To dothis, place a length of stem in a jar of water ona sunny windowsill to root. This will take a weekor two to root and the water should be changeda few times to keep it fresh. Once roots havedeveloped trim the top of the stalk and plantinto a small pot of soil-based compost. Waterand stand back on the same windowsill. Whenthe roots poke through the drainage holes at thebottom of pots it’s time to move your plant on toa slightly larger container.

Plants can be moved outdoors in earlysummer. Make sure you give them the sunniestspot possible and water regularly, especiallyduring dry spells. Plants in pots can dry outquickly and lemongrass will quickly flag whenthirsty, resulting in a check to growth. To ensureplants put on lots of growth, feed every fortnightwith a balanced fertiliser.

Lemongrass will grow quickly with the rightcare and attention, so expect to have to repotyour plant several times during the growingseason. A 20cm (8in)-pot filled with a soil-basedcompost, such as John Innes Number 3, isa suitable-sized container for a decent sizedclump. They can be grown in plastic pots butfor a showier specimen go for a metal or glazedceramic container.

You can harvest lemongrass at any time. Allyou need to do is cut a stem flush to the ground,

Lemongrass can be grown in plasticpots but for a showier specimen go fora metal or glazed ceramic container S

GGGGGGGGGGGGrow it! June 2011 29

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the rightto repotowingoil-based3, issized

pots butor glazed

time. Alle ground,

or

using the swollen base in the kitchen. Inlate summer, move plants to a brightarea indoors (such as a conservatory)and reduce watering, allowingthe compost to almost dry outbetween applications. Nextspring, either move intoa slightly larger pot ordivide the clumpand repot.

Lemon grass issurprisingly easyto grow given awarm and sunnyaspect. Harveststalks wheneverthey are ready

STEPHEN

SHIRLEY


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STEP-BY-STEP Planting up a Vertigro

1Begin by ‘massaging’ agrow bag to break up

any large lumps of compost.Clamp the grow bag into thesheet metal carriers. Score aV-shape into each plantingposition using a Stanley knife.

2Fold back the flaps of thescored grow bag plastic

and plant plugs of yourfavourite crop – here a Frenchbean. Try to ensure that eachplant will face upwards whenthe Vertigro is hung up.

3Continue planting at eachposition, gently firming

each plant, plug or seedlinginto place. Water while thecarrier is horizontal. Allowto soak in then hang up soit is vertical.

P ick up an old gardening manual andyou’ll only ever find information aboutgrowing edibles in the ground. Then

someone discovered many plants would thrivein pots and we couldn’t move for the glut ofaccompanying books on growing all sorts ofcrops in containers! Well, now there’s anotherrevolution – growing all sorts of vegetables,fruits and herbs in vertical spaces.

You can’t visit a gardening show these dayswithout seeing a new contraption that’s beeninvented for allowing those who are strapped forspace to grow edibles. Some of these devices arefree standing, while others have been developedfor attaching to walls and fences. The first pieceof kit I became aware of in this country wasVertiGarden. It consists of a steel wall frame thatcan be attached to a wall with a hook. This holdsa polystyrene modular tray, which is first plantedup horizontally with herbs or vegetables and theninserted in place. A wire mesh grid on the front ofthe system prevents plants from falling out.

The MiniGarden is similar. This product is

a 62x58cm (25x23in) plastic panel that needsscrewing to a vertical surface. It contains nineplanting pockets that can be filled with compostand planted up. As it’s a modular system, severalpanels can be joined together to increase theamount of plants grown.

Arguably the most attractive of the lot – and

Growing up

ideally suited to urban plots – is the VerticalAllotment. The wall-mounted frame holds fiverectangular planting troughs, giving plants agreater amount of room to grow than many othersystems. The kit’s built-in reservoir can be topped

up with water when required.If your DIY skills don’t run to being

able to drill holes in a wall or if you don’thave any vertical surfaces that can takethe weight of these pieces of kit, thenconsider the Vertigro. The system is

composed of a free-standing wooden frame(a bit like an easel used by an artist) fitted withhorizontal bars holding three pillow-shaped,sheet metal carriers designed to conceal atraditional growing bag. Vegetables can beplanted directly into the growing bag throughcircular holes punched in the metal.

VERTICALPLANTERSUPPLIERS0 MiniGarden:01903 774774,www.gardenhousedesign.co.uk/shop

0 Vertical Allotment:01923 853813,www.treebox.co.uk

0 VertiGarden:01406 370239,www.vertigarden.com

0 Vertigro:07717 585585,www.vertigro.co.uk

4 This shows a fully setupVertigro garden. The grow

bag plastic will be hidden asthe crops grow, or includea layer of black weed fabricbetween the grow bag andcarrier before planting.

Now there's another revolution -growing all sorts of vegetables,fruits and herbs in vertical spaces

A handsomeVertical Allotment inChelsea, London


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✦ Harvest early varieties of potatoes.If you have a glut, place the excess inpaper sacks and store in a cool, darkplace. Early varieties won’t keep aslong as maincrop types, however.

✦ Keep a close eye out forcaterpillar-like sawfly larvae ongooseberries and currants. Causingrapid and severe defoliation of plants,they can be controlled by sprayingwith pesticides containing pyrethrum,such as PY Insect Killer.

✦ Feed tomato plants weekly witha fertiliser high in potash to help thefruits swell. Tie in stems and removeside-shoots as necessary.

✦ Control woolly aphid on appletrees. This pest, which looks likeblobs of cotton wool, will quicklycover branches if left unchecked.Spray with Bug Clear Concentrate. Iftrees are infested you may need torepeat the application several times.

✦ Cover carrots with sheets of ultra-fine netting to protect them from theroot eating maggots of carrot fly. Apack of EcoGreen Micromesh costs£19.99 and is available from Haxnicks(0845 2411555, www.haxnicks.co.uk).

✦ Keep all currant bushes wellwatered, especially during dryspells, to ensure a great crop ofsummer berries.

Quick jobs for JuneThe taste of a fresh cucumber, eaten withinminutes of being picked is far superior thanthe taste of those bland, bloated fruits thatare encased in plastic and sold in shops. Ifyou have space indoors or a greenhouse,you can start cucumbers off from seed sownanytime from late winter to mid spring.

Those without any protected growingfacilities can try raising plants from seedssown outdoors now. To do this, fill 7cm(3in) pots with multipurpose compost andsow two seeds on their side, 1.5cm (0.5in)deep. Water and cover with a sheet of clearplastic or a glass jar. When seeds germinate,remove the weakest of the pair. Plants willgrow quickly and can be potted into largercontainers or a growing bag. Alternatively,you can get a head start and buy ready-grown plants from a garden centre.

Train plants up a cane, mesh or anetwork of trellis. Nip out the tip of themain stem when it reaches the top ofits support then pinch out the tips ofsideshoots two leaves beyond a femaleflower – you can recognise these as theyhave a distinctive swelling beneath them.Pinch out the tips of flowerless sideshootsonce they reach 60cm (24in) long.

Cucumbers are a thirsty and greedy crop.Water frugally until established, keeping thecompost just dry, then increase watering

when plants startto romp away.However, it is stillbest to water little

and often rather than soaking the compost.Ensure excess moisture can drain away asplants will sulk if the roots are saturated. Toreally boost your plants, feed every 10-14days once they have been planted out witha balanced liquid fertiliser. Change to a high-potash feed once the first fruits start to set.

Some varieties have both female andmale flowers on the same plant. To avoidproducing bitter fruit, check plants on adaily basis and remove the male flowers toprevent them pollinating the females. Themale flowers are recognised by no swellingbeneath the bloom.

Cucumbers are ready to harvest whenthey have reached the desired size. Fora continuous supply and to preventfruit growing too large, pick regularly byremoving with a sharp knife.

FIVE OF THE BEST CUCUMBERS...

1 BUSH CHAMPION: Good in pots and resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, this compact plant forms long, crispcucumbers of fine, fresh flavour. Johnsons 2 CARMEN: Dark-ribbed, well-shaped fruits for growing indoors. The fruitsare borne in abundance and are bitter free. Very disease resistant. Thompson & Morgan 3 CRYSTAL LEMON: Thelemon-shaped, yellow fruits can be grown outdoors. Despite its unusual appearance, this cucumber is very juicy, with a mild,sweet flavour. Victoriana Nursery 4 GREEN FINGERS: Masses of lunchbox-sized fruits are the reward for growing thisminiature variety. The plants are resistant to powdery mildew. Dobies 5 IZNIK: Pick this variety if space is really tight –it can grow in pots as small as 20cm (8in) in diameter! The cucumbers have a lovely nutty flavour. Plants of Distinction

ON CUE

STEPHEN

SHIRLE

Y)

CUCUMBER SEED SUPPLIERS0 Dobies: 0844 7017625, www.dobies.co.uk0 Johnsons: 0845 6589147, www.johnsons-seeds.com0 Plants of Distinction: 01449 721720, www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk0 Thompson & Morgan: 0844 2485383, www.thompson-morgan.com0 Victoriana Nursery: 01233 740529, www.victoriananursery.co.uk

g pes.

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Cucumbers needproper supports

Feed and water plantsgenerously as they

pick up growth

5

THE ORGANICALLOTMENTEER

Paul Wagland isan RHS-qualifiedgardener and keenallotmenteer, withthree thriving plots indeepest Essex.


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This month Nettle tea Growing courgettes Fruit cages

Producing barrow-loads of fresh fruit and veg is pretty hard on yoursoil, says Paul Wagland, so why not give your ground a tea break?

Recycling green waste to make compostis an important part of running anallotment, but you can go a stage further

and grow nutrient-rich plants specifically tofeed to your crops. One of the most efficientways to do this is to make a sort of ‘nutrient tea’by soaking the leaves in a bucket of water. Asthe leaves rot down they release their goodnessinto the water, which can then be applieddiluted (it’s powerful stuff) via the watering can

every few weeks.Another approach,shown here, is tosoak a few leavesin your water buttand use the wateras normal. The keything is to use thewater regularly as theleaves break down,so the resulting liquidis not too strong.

In April I talkedabout growingcomfrey and if you

planted some then you should by now be ableto pick a few leaves. This is the plant most oftenused for making liquid feeds and it is becomingmore widely available through garden centres.The species form will spread like wildfire, so lookfor the sterile strain ‘Bocking 14’. You could alsouse nettles, which are much easier to come byand are very high in beneficial nitrogen. As withmost plants the baby leaves contain the highestlevels of nutrients, but don’t pick a whole patch

bare as several butterflies lay their eggs onthe young shoots. As a third option, rhubarbleaves are poisonous to humans though aneighbouring plot-holder told me recently theyalso deter slugs. He and I are now wateringaround vulnerable plants with ‘rhubarb water’in a bid to invent a miracle slug barrier! It is tooearly to say whether this is effective but it has tobe worth a try.

Your ‘teabag’ will release nutrients for manyweeks, although its most nutritious time isbetween one and four weeks. After this, adda fresh bag to the water butt, leaving the oldone in place for a further week to even-out thestrength of the brew.

Your 'teabag' will release nutrientsfor many weeks. After this, add afresh bag to the water butt

S1Spread an old net curtain or sheet of

muslin on the ground and cut out asquare 50cm (20in) on each side. Don’tworry about being too neat – you won’toften see the finished bag!

2Pick a few handfuls of young leavesfrom your chosen plant (or a mixture

of plants if you prefer) and pile themonto the netting. Gloves will preventnettle stings and skin irritation.

3Draw the edges of the net over theleaves and twist to form a ‘neck’. Tie

the bag closed, leaving plenty of extrastring to allow you to dangle the baginside the water butt.

Making nettle and comfrey teaSTEP-BY-STEP

Hang a nettle teabagin your water butt toboost nutrient levels


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If you sowed courgette seeds earlierin spring, they should be ready forplanting now. If you didn’t, just buy

a few young plants from a gardencentre – or better yet a car boot sale orlocal plant fair. Other than tomatoes,courgettes are probably the easiest ofveg to pick up from fellow gardenerswho were a little too enthusiastic withtheir seed orders. You could also try alate seed-sowing now in order to raise adelayed harvest. While courgettes cancrop very heavily, they don’t always doso for very long. Stagger your plantingand you will extend the season.

Courgettes are greedy plants,requiring plenty of water and a nutrient-rich soil (they’ll love your nettle andcomfrey tea). They are also space-hoggers which, if given the chance, will

romp across the plotwith their long vine-likehabit. A good tip forallotmenteers with spaceto play with is to plant oneor two courgettes (or anyother squash) straight into thetop of the compost heap.

A more traditional way to plant themis to mound-up soil, mixed with goodmanure or compost, and plant into a holein the top of the mound. Trailing varietiesin particular do well when raised this way.While they are at their most productivein open ground, courgettes can also begrown as single plants in grow bags orlarge containers. Although this will resultin a slightly smaller crop, you are still likelyto have a glut when the season is in fullswing. As the fruit begins to swell, the

plants will needto be watered everyday. Don’t be bashful – give the baseof the plant a good drenching to ensurethat the roots are soaked. After the firstfew fruits have been cut, give a regulardose of liquid feed.

As they are so easy to grow,courgettes are an ideal way to getchildren involved in gardening. Afterflowering they begin to produce fruit

which swells so rapidly you can almostsee it growing! The plants will developa somewhat spiny texture and whilst thespikes aren’t too vicious, little hands arebest protected with gloves.

Courgettes can be harvested whenthey reach around 10cm (4in); if leftlonger, the flavour will have begun tofade. Cut the thick stem with a knife.There is nothing quite like the tasteof fresh courgettes, sliced and fried inbutter. As a bonus, the flowers are alsoedible and are a real delicacy.

Courgettes love arich soil and plenty

of moisture

1Dig over the planting spot, removingweeds, roots and stones while

working-in plenty of well-rotted manureor garden compost. Time spent at thisstage is crucial to a healthy crop.

2 Rake the soil and organic matter intoa low mound, roughly 50cm (20in)

in diameter and 25cm (10in) high in thecentre. Firm the sides gently with yourhands or the head of your rake.

3 Using a trowel, plant your courgetteseedling into the top of the mound

and water well. The height of the moundoffers improved light levels and ventilation,reducing the chance of mildew.

Planting courgettesSTEP-BY-STEP

As the fruit begins toswell, plants will needto be watered every day


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Protect your investment from birdsWhile few of us can boast of agarden large enough to grow fruiton any decent scale, an allotmentpresents the perfect opportunity.A decent-sized plot will give youplenty of space to grow all the vegyou could eat and still leave youroom for several fruit bushes andeven trees if they’re allowed onyour site. Unfortunately, like all thetastiest plants, we’re not the onlyones waiting for the crop. Birdswill strip currants and berries evenbefore they have ripened. Fruitcages are becoming increasinglypopular and are much easier to build than you might think.

Get the biggest cage you can afford; you’ll be glad of the room when you areshopping for plants. Harrod Horticultural (0845 4025300, www.harrodhorticultural.com)has a good range, including the corridor design pictured here. Quality is also an issue.Aluminium is cheap but steel will last longer, and timber frames can be beautiful but aremore difficult to construct. Most cages come with a heavy-duty net for the sides and alighter grade for the roof. Once that’s in place, all that’s left to do is to plant your fruit.

Thin seedlingsIt can be tricky to sow seeds at exactlythe right spacings so that plants comeup just where you want them. Besideswhich you never know if all of your seedswill germinate, so it’s wise to sow a fewmore than you need. I for one can’t standto see gaps in my rows of veg! Avoid thetemptation to let all of your seedlings growon freely though – overcrowded plantswill be more prone to pests and diseases,are harder to maintain and won’t crop asheavily as they should (possibly even not atall). The answer is to pull out the weakestplants before they affect the growth ofthe others. Depending on what it is youare thinning, if you lift seedlings carefully(without disturbing their neighbours) youmay be able to replant elsewhere.

Try kohlrabiThis fast-growing brassica is anodd but rather beautiful plantthat deserves more attentionthan it gets. It has a sweet,turnipy flavour and toleratesdrier, hotter conditions thanother brassicas. The purplecultivars tend to be the hardiestand are the ones to sow now fora winter harvest. Either station-sow direct or sow into modulesand then plant out at 10cm(4in) spacings with 30cm (12in)between rows. A fertile, lightersoil is ideal, but a heavier groundwill also give a crop. Pick whenthe bulbs swell to around 5-10cm(2-4in) in diameter, or leave in theground and cut the leaves as youneed them. Plants will often re-sprout after a first cutting, whileeven the young flowering shootsare tasty raw or cooked.

DEFENDER: A realbenchmark. Veryheavy and early cropsof solid, mid-greencourgettes. It justkeeps on producing.

DE NICE A FRUITROND: I grow thisone every year for itscurious round fruitswhich have a flavourall of their own.

SOLEIL: Resistantto mildew and veryprolific, the deliciousyellow fruits are worthyof a place in anyornamental border.

ALL GREEN BUSH:One for the gourmet,these tiny Frenchdelicacies are ahighlight of the veg-growing year.

SAFARI: A personalfavourite for its openhabit, spine-freestems and numerous,cheerful fruits stripedgreen and white.

FIVE COURGETTES TO TRYTH

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Even the floweringshoots are tasty rawor cooked







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Steve Bradley hasan RHS Master ofHorticulture diplomaand lectures widelyon gardening. He haswritten over 30 bookson the subject and isgardening editor ofThe Sun.

This month Damping down Biological controls Crop preferences

The brightest time of year brings the first taste of under coverpickings. Steve Bradley advises how to keep things cool as ourcrops begin to hot up

Early to mid-summer brings long, warmdays (hopefully) and plants growing at aphenomenal rate. Indeed, some of the

early-sown plants should be ready for harvestor at least very close to it. The temperatureoutdoors tends to vary between the lowtwenties (20-23°C on warmer days) and theaverage, which is around 17-18°C. Underprotection there can be some quite dramaticfluctuations, especially if there is some patchycloud on an otherwise clear sky. If a powerfulsun is masked by cloud even for a few minutes,

temperatures start falling and then climbagain quickly as the cloud passes.

On days when the weather is particularly hotit is worth remembering two major problems:tomatoes will ripen unevenly in temperaturesover about 27°C, while red spider mite breed andcause considerable damage when the air is hotand dry (particularly in polythene tunnels, whereair flow may be more restricted). One of thebest ways to protect the plants from scorchingtemperatures is to keep on damping down.Soaking the whole floor area will provide plentyof water to evaporate and cool the air naturally.This might make uncomfortably humid workingconditions for us, but rest assured the plantswill love it.

Unless your greenhouse or polythene tunnelis well ventilated, avoid watering after about fiveo’clock in the afternoon, as water sitting aroundovernight can lead to a much higher incidence

of fungal rots and it also encourages slug activity(they are at their most active at night). Ventilationis an obvious way of regulating the temperaturein most protected structures but there can beproblems if the conditions are breezy. Evena light breeze can draw the moisture out ofyour plants and those closest to the doors andventilators will soon show signs of flagging.

The good thing about the highertemperatures is that as well as warmer air, thesoil is warmer too. Plants that need a warmersoil (above the critical level of 12-15°C) can betransplanted outdoors now to grow awayrapidly, rather than just sit in cold soil.

Some of the early-sown plantsshould be ready for harvest orat least close to it

✓ Celery✓ Courgette✓ French beans✓ Marrow✓ Squash✓ Sweetcorn

PLANTS THAT NEEDWARM SOIL

Temperatures canfluctuate on warm

days, though a well-ventilated structurewill keep plants cool


TH

EPR

ACTICAL

TEAM

–the

undercover

grower

TOP TIPFor high pest populationsa spray of insecticidal soapseveral days before thebiological control is introducedwill help the control insects tomake an impact quite quicklyafter they have beenapplied.

1Simple adhesive traps canbe used to help assess the

population of a pest to decidethe ideal time to introduce thebiological control.

2Apply the pest controlas soon as it arrives

from the supplier, either asone application or severalapplications at two to three-day intervals.

3Always try to apply thecontrol agent as close as

possible to the breeding andfeeding sites of the pest. Thiswill reduce the time spentforaging to discover their prey.

STEP-BY-STEP Using biological controls

S

Protected cropping is a relatively controllableenvironment, so using natural predators –parasites and other biological agents – tocontrol pests and diseases is becomingincreasingly common. This is partly downto more controls being available but alsobecause they can be extremely effective.

For these controls to work well, they requirea shift of attitude from those who try them.You have to accept that some pests will alwaysbe present and you will need to perform amuch more frequent (and closer) examinationof the crops being grown.

Perhaps the hardest of these is theacceptance that some of the pest must alwaysbe present on the cropping plants. It goesagainst the grain to allow a pest or disease tosurvive on the crop, but here the pest is part ofthe food supply and lifecycle of the predator.If the pest is controlled so effectively that theentire population dies out, the control meansis also lost so that should a new infestationoccur the control will need to be re-introduced.However, if a few of the pests are always presentand, for some reason, the population increases,then the population of the predator will increaseaccordingly to provide a balanced control.

BIOLOGICAL WARFARE

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL SUPPLIERS✦ Agralan: 01285 860015, www.agralan.co.uk✦ Buzz Organics: 0845 0509409, www.buzzorganics.co.uk✦ Defenders: 01233 813121, www.defenders.co.uk✦ Green Gardener: 01493 750061, www.greengardener.co.uk✦ Just Green: 01621 785088, www.just-green.com✦ Gardening Naturally: 01285 654241, www.gardening-naturally.com

RED SPIDER MITE: Pictureclose-up above, thiscommon greenhousepest is predated on byPhytoseilus persimilis. Itrequires a temperatureconsistently higher than16°C.

APHIDS: Controlledby either the insectpredator Aphidoletesaphidimyza, which needsa temperature above18°C to work, or theinsect parasite Aphidiuscolemani, which can workfrom 10°C.

CATERPILLARS:Steinernema carpocapse isthe control for caterpillars.It’s a pathogenic eelwormthat works at temperatureshigher than 14°C.

LEAF MINER: Steinernemacarpocapse is also thecontrol for leaf miners.

SCIARID FLY: Picturedabove, the compost fliesand fungus gnats are keptin check by Steinernemafeltiae, a pathogeniceelworm that needs atemperature above 14°Cto succeed.

WHITEFLY: Encarsiaformosa parasitises thewhitefly by laying itseggs inside the whiteflypupae. The wasp worksabove 10°C.

BIOLOGICALCONTROL AGENTS

GILLES

SAN

MA

RTIN

Regularly examine plants closely to assess the amount of damagebeing done by insect pests and to estimate their population


TH

EPR

ACT

ICAL

TEA

M–

the

unde

rco

ver

grow

er

One of the majorchallenges when you aregrowing plants under

protection is that very few of ushave the space or funds to haveenough separate structures tohouse a single crop in each one.So, trying to provide the rightenvironment for each of thedifferent crops you have packedinto a single structure will alwaysbe a compromise.

Aubergines prefer slightlycooler temperatures tocucumbers, peppers or tomatoes

and if the temperature is too high,the aubergines will flower but thefruit set will be poor. Cucumbersprefer high humidity and, if theconditions are too dry and hot,red spider mite will soon becomea major pest. However, highhumidity raises the risk of tomatoblight fungus infecting tomatoplants and causes uneven ripeningof the tomatoes and much smallerfruits, especially if the plants arenot getting enough water.

When the plants are

overcrowded, pruning and trainingregularly can go a long way towardshelping. Tangled, congestedgrowth not only reduces plantperformance, but also encouragespests and diseases to thrive.Cucumbers and tomatoes canbe trained on wires (or nets forcucumbers) as cordons to makepicking much easier and makemaximum use of the availablespace within the structure.

Peppers and aubergines usuallygrow better when supported bycanes, but only allow about four

stems to develop on each plantor the result will be lots of smallfruits. Allocate a cane to eachstem as a support, particularly atthe angles where these stems jointhe main trunk, as this is often aweak spot and may give way andsnap when the stem is loaded withfruit. Limiting the number of fruitsto each stem can help to reducethis risk, as well as having a screencovering the lower half of eachdoorway to reduce air turbulenceinside the structure.

Aubergines prefer lowertemperatures to allow the flowersto pollinate and the fruits to set.

Tomato fruits ripenunevenly with temperaturesover about 27°C.

Peppers and auberginesneed support for each stem tocompensate for weak branch unions.

Greenhouse crop needs...

Trying to provide the right environmentfor each of the different crop you havewill always be a compromise

Summer cropping

Overcrowdingand mixedpopulations ofplants presentproblems formost gardenersduring the season

AUBERGINEPreferred

temperature18-20°C

TOMATOPreferred

temperature22-24°C

PEPPERPreferred

temperature20-22°C

Some types of tomato oftenproduce excessively long trussesof fruit, so the end one-third ofthe truss can be removed toprevent any trusses getting tooheavy and to reduce the strainon the stem and truss union.

HOW TO ORDERTo order call 0845 4025300 withyour credit or debit card, quotingoffer code ‘ELRDRGRO’ and therelevant order codes. Alternatively,please fill in the order form andpost with payment to: HarrodHorticultural, Pinbush Road,Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 7NL.Offer closes on 30/06/2011. Offeris available to UK mainland only.Delivery will be within 28 days.Please add £4.95 postage andpacking per order.

Safe and sound

Reader offer ✦ Reader offer ✦ Reader offer ✦ Reader offer ✦ Reader offer

Keep crops safe through summer and beyond withthis range of protective covers and plant ties

Summer’s the best time of yearto be out in the garden but formany of our crops it’s a period

of potential threat. Insect pests andbirds can take their toll, so this monthwe’ve brought you some of the veryhighest quality protective covers. Withmany second-wind crops now beingsown, we’ve also included an offer onhorticultural fleece to extend the seasonof plenty that little bit longer intoautumn. Don’t forget wayward shootsand stems – keep them in check withour offer on plant ties. And with 50%off all of these horticultural aids you’llbe keeping your budget in check too!

Heavy-Duty Anti-Bird NettingThis sturdy netting is perfect to protectagainst pigeons and the smallest of birdswithout trapping them. The 18x18mm

diamond mesh net ismanufactured from highdensity polyethylene– not to be confusedwith cheap imitations!Available as a 4x5msection at the bargainhalf-price of £7.50 (ordercode GNE-001).

Fine Insect MeshIf your patch is prone to being invadedby pests both large and small, then laythis heavy-duty 100% polyethyleneUV- stabilised fine mesh directly overcrops, protection frames or hoops. The

fleece is available in a 2x10m size for just£3 – that’s half the usual price (ordercode GNE-063).

Flexible Soft-TieKeep plants neatly tied in withthis ingenious plant tie solution.The multipurpose Soft-Tie ismade from a unique flexibleplastic compound with agalvanised steel wire core. It’seasy to bend, retains its shapeand can easily be re-shaped and usedtime and again. We’re offering an 8mroll of highly dextrous 3.5mm-thick SlimSoft-Tie for the unbeatable price of £3.48,which is half the normal price (order codeGDN-911).

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my Visa/Mastercard/Maestro/Solo card for £......................................................................................

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Valid from ......................................................... Expiry date ..................................................................

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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION PRICE QUANTITY SUB-TOTAL

Heavy-Duty Anti-Bird Netting 4x5m (GNE-001) £7.50

Fine Insect Mesh 2x5m (GNE-036) £6.25

Insulating Fleece 2x10m (GNE-063) £3

Flexible Soft-Tie 8m roll (GDN-911) £3.48

Postage and packing £4.95

TOTAL PAYMENT £

Save50%!mesh protects against common pests

suchas carrot fly, cabbage root fly andbutterflies, while allowing air and waterto circulate. The fine 1.35mm squaremesh is long lasting and is available in a2x5m size at 50% off for just £6.25 (ordercode GNE-036).

Insulating FleeceMake sure you’re ready for autumn withthis frost-busting insulating fleece. Idealfor extending the season well into winter,the permeable, UV-stabilised, spun-

bonded 2mm squaremesh insulates whileprotecting against frost,wind, hail, birds andinsects. Lay it directlyover plants to warmup the soil and achieveearlier harvesting ofhealthy crops. The 17g


Know-how

Watering is a key summer activity that makes all thedifference between success and failure, yet many ofus get this basic technique wrong. Charles Dowdingexplores how to water effectively and grow better

WATER

Some of the skills neededfor successful kitchengardening are seldommentioned. Watering is

an example and I see enoughbad watering to make me wantto explain more about doing itwell. Knowing how and when towater your crops will reduce yourplot’s need for water, encouragehealthier growth, reduce weedsand save time.

The most common mistake Isee is over watering. This includesgiving water too often or applyingtoo much to small, slower-growingplants. It also occurs when sprinklersare left on or if they are poorlydirected. Drip lines are probablythe only efficient aid to wateringoutdoors, but I find that the bestresults come from hand watering.

Plants can survive a fair timein partially dry soil, by rootingmore deeply and by searchingout moisture held in organicmatter. They are often healthierfor growing in dry conditions,with less slugs and incidence offungal infections. Then a tippingpoint is reached when too littlemoisture is available, leading to theappearance of pests such as redspider mite and aphids, along withdiseases such as powdery mildew.

So how do you recognise thedifference between soil that looksdry but contains sufficient moisture,and soil that is too dry to supporthealthy growth? Years of experiencehelp, but until then I offer manyclues in the rest of this piece.

Hand wateringI grow a lot of vegetables and amoften asked why there is no meansof automatic watering, even in oneof my polytunnels. The reason isthat hand watering, with a hoseor can, gives you the chance todirect different amounts of water todifferent plants, according to theirsize, rate of growth and rootinghabit. All the water can go to the soilclose to plants and little of it goeson pathways or plot edges. Muchless water is therefore needed.

Another thing which alwaysimpresses me with hand wateringis how much I learn about myplants and their needs while I

right

Watering by handis always the

preferred option

Know-how


am doing it. Watering is a greatopportunity to have a goodlook at recent growth, spot anyproblems arising and weeds thatneed pulling, and to work outwhere new sowings and plantingscan happen.

Sprinklers and drip linesMost watering devices arewasteful and difficult to controlprecisely. They cost money, needstoring when not in use, eventuallybreak or perish and are mostlymade of plastic, which ends up inlandfill. And all to ‘save time’.

Sometimes I wonder how muchtime is actually saved. I have seenfields laid out with drip lines ina hot June, followed by a wetsummer when they were neverused. Last summer on a privateestate I heard of a sprinkler lefton all night, by mistake, which ranthe estate’s supply dry. In a largekitchen garden I saw sprinklersbeing moved around and creatingideal conditions for plentiful weedgrowth, as they watered largeareas of bare soil next to rowsof vegetables.

Unless you are growing inone of the driest parts of Britainon a sandy soil, I would stick towatering by hand. Before investingin any watering system, look atother options such as increasingthe organic matter content of

your soil and careful selection ofvegetables you grow.

Which plants to waterSome vegetables such as celery,celeriac and salads have manyshallow roots which fuel growthwhen moisture is generallyavailable. They also have somedeeper roots that aid survivalin dry soil, although growth is

then slower. I find lettuce to besurprisingly drought resistant, butit is prone to more damage fromroot aphids in dry soil, so is worthwatering every four or five days indry weather.

Other plants needing moist soilare fruiting vegetables in flower,such as beans, peas, cucurbits,sweetcorn and tomatoes. Thebigger the plant, the more water itneeds. Tall rows of peas or runnerbeans have hundreds of leaves,pulling huge amounts of water outevery day and benefit from beingwatered when many other plantsare fine for moisture. S

Key points

Handwater: This allowscrops to be inspected asyou water and enablesbetter targeting of thewater delivered.

Consider the crop:Different crops needdifferent amounts of water.Leafy and fruiting veg willneed more water thancrops with a deep tap root.

Early to rise:Wateringin the morning is usuallypreferable to watering inthe evening. It allows plantsto dry off before night.

Seedlings: Water seedlingswith care – they’ll needmuch less water than olderplants but will need to bechecked more often.

Setting out: It’s importantto water in transplants togive them a boost and tohelp settle soil aroundthe roots.

Easy does it: Go easy onunder cover winter crops.They need less soil moistureto see them through thecoldest months.

Dig less: Considerinstigating a no-digapproach to soil cultivation.It will save time whileimproving soil structureand water-retention.

Leafy plants close to maturityneed more water, such ascalabrese and cauliflower whentheir heads are developing,lettuce when its heart is firmingup and herbs such as parsleyand dill when well developed.Most alliums are also thirstyplants, especially in the final halfof their lives. Garlic is often myfirst watering of the season whengrowing strongly in April and May,when it is a dry spring. Leeks needwater in a dry summer to helpthem avoid orange rust on theirleaves. Only onions do better indrier conditions.

One vegetable I don’t wateris parsnip, whose long roots canpull moisture from considerable

Left: Dibbing holesfor transplantinto wetted soil.Wetting the soilbefore plantingis essential in dryconditions

Young plants will needmore water than newlyemerged seedlings

Unless you are growing in one of thedriest parts of Britain on a sandy soil,I would stick to watering by hand


Know-how

STEP-BY-STEP

1After removing a summer crop, suchas peppers or tomatoes, I tread

down the soil to break up lumps andconserve valuable soil moisture.

2The ground is often dust dry, so it’sessential to thoroughly re-wet the

soil. Go over the ground several timesand check it is moist through by diggingdown with a trowel.

3Module-raised salads suitable forgrowing through the darker winter

months can then be set into place.Watering usually grinds to a halt by earlywinter to resume again in February.

Preparing for winter polytunnel salads

depth. Also, they can survive adry summer and then grow awayin a wet autumn, so it is partly aquestion of patience. Likewisefor winter and spring brassicas,such as kale and purple sprouting,when sown in June they do mostgrowing in autumn when moistureis more available.

When to waterAlthough it is often advised towater late in the day, I do that onlyin the heat of midsummer, whendays are long enough for plants touse the moisture in both eveningand early morning. Otherwise Ifind it best to water in the earlymorning, because I am wary ofboth slugs and fungal diseaseson wet leaves. Both are lessenedwhen surface moisture has driedup before night falls.

Another advantage of morningwatering is that cold water passesinto cold soil, so there is no lossof heat, compared to eveningwatering which sees cold water onwarm soil before night, which thentends to reduce the rate of growth.

Shady areas need less wateringand more care with it to avoidlingering moisture allowing a buildup of moisture-loving pests anddisease. This is where watering inthe morning to allow surfaces todry out before night-time arrives,is of particular importance.

Watering young plantsIt pays to keep a close eye onseedlings and plants, preferablychecking them every day and withan awareness of the weather tocome. I give a little extra water

before a day of bright sun anddrying winds, and almost no waterbefore a day of dull gloom.

Newly sown seeds and smallseedlings need little watercompared to plants which arenearly ready to go out, so I alwayswater in different amounts,according to the needs of eachseed and module tray anddifferent pots. Some gardenerssave time with capillary mattingunder pots and trays but theirdownside is an inability to respondto plants’ special needs. Theyalso bring about a loss of contactbetween gardener and plant.

A most important moment forgiving water is after setting plantsout into a new location. As wellas giving moisture, water helpssoil to settle around roots of newplants and ensures better contactswith their roots. Just give a smallamount for small plants, andrepeat once or twice at intervalsof a day or two, depending onthe weather. Larger plants withmany roots need three or fourrepeat waterings if the soil isdry, so that the existing rootballdoesn’t dry out before sufficientcontact is made with soil around it,allowing roots to travel outwards

Right: Wateringcan help tosettle soil aroundthe roots oftransplants suchas these brassicas

A thoroughwater early in thewinter seasonshould carrymost polytunnelcrops throughuntil things beginto warm up


and bring moisture in from thesurrounding soil.

Planting into really dry soil ismade easier by pre-watering thearea so that holes can be madein moist soil, then water plants inas usual.

Under cover winter vegProtected salads in winter needless water than is often given, onceestablished in damp soil. Make surethat soil is thoroughly moist beforesowing and planting in autumn. Ittakes a while for water to penetratedry soil so it is worth checking with atrowel after watering to see if thereare still dry pockets.

Soil with plenty of organicmatter takes the longest to re-water from a dry state, then onceit is at maximum capacity, there isenough water for long periods ofwinter growth without watering.For example last year I wateredall the salad in my polytunnels inlate November, just before thecold weather. Then I did not water

again for two and a half monthsuntil a fine day in early February.The soil had dried on top but stillcontained sufficient moisture forthe small amount of growth at thattime of year and we had picked asurprising number of leaves. Then Iwatered at fortnightly intervals untilthe middle of March and thereafterweekly when salad was growingstrongly and higher temperaturesled to more evaporation.

Watering lessSurface mulches help reducemoisture loss but they are nota panacea because if plants aregrowing strongly in dry weather,they pump soil dry almost as fastas plants growing in un-mulchedsoil, although they should growbigger and healthier from findingextra moisture. Heavier soils withplenty of organic matter addedover the years have greaterability to hold moisture than wesometimes imagine, even if theylook dry on top.

Avoiding digging is also a greathelp. This was emphasised tome last year when a large bed ofceleriac was too far from my hoseand I had insufficient time to waterit by hand. The un-dug, clay soilhad received two inches of well-rotted cow manure the previousautumn and some of this was stillon the surface. Celeriac roots grewsteadily, less than usual but in greathealth. They simply kept tickingover until rain in autumn allowedthem to swell nicely. A nearby bedof peas was also not watered andagain surprised me with its growthand yield, affirming the valueof paying attention to our mostfundamental asset, the soil.

This leads nicely to anevaluation of products you can

buy to retain moisture. I wouldnever use them in beds of gardensoil and compost, where organicmatter is healthier, cheaper, justas effective and confers manyother benefits as well as holdingmoisture. Maybe proprietary aidssuch as water-retaining gel havea role in containers, but havingsucceeded with a bountiful cropof leeks from a relatively smallpot in a hot summer, grown inmultipurpose compost withno additions, I feel they arean unnecessary expense andcomplication to the great task ofgrowing naturally.

Careful and targeted watershould see your crops thrive,saving you time and effort andultimately leading to a moresatisfying harvest.

Below left: AnOctober haulof leek ‘KingRichard’, allgrown in this potwithin regularmultipurposecompost

Below: Theseceleriac andchard lastedthrough thesummer withno additionalwatering

Parsnips growing on dug (below) and un-dug soil.The dug soil is cracking in a dry July

Soils with plenty of organic matteradded over the years have greaterability to hold moisture


The price of supermarket herbsnever ceases to come assomething of a shock, particularly

when you consider how easy they are togrow. At least those small square potsof live herbs found in the fresh produceaisle extend the useable life of theplants. Nevertheless, you’re still payinga premium for your herbal kick.

But look closely at any supermarketpot of herbs and you will notice it doesn’tcontain one plant but lots of tightlypacked plantlets. In these crampedconditions plants can’t be expected tolast all that long; one or two vigorouspicks and they’re likely to be exhaustedand ready for the compost bin. Separatethe plantlets, however, and you’ll getmuch more from them – and saveyourself a few bob in the process.

This very simple project shows youhow easy it is to turn a typical 9cm potof herbs into a planter of plenty that

will crop for much longer. In this wayyou will enjoy a far greater yield ofleaves. This example has been fleshedout with another increasingly commonsupermarket staple – the ‘living salad’tray. Living salads are clusters of cut-and-come-again salad plants that can bekept on the windowsill and harvested asneeded. By separating out the individualplantlets and re-planting with the herbsyou’ll have a container of flavoursomeleaves to pick and enjoy as and when.

You can plant your separated plantletsindividually or plant them in small clusters.Either way they will appreciate the extraspace available to them and soon expandto fill out the planter. Basil has been usedin this project – it’s deliciously aromaticleaves will make for an intensely flavouredsalad. You could also use parsley (flat-leafed will be nicer in salad) or coriander.

Any old container will do but to keepto the supermarket theme I’ve selected

Create an instant salad garden using readily available plants from the supermarket.Benedict Vanheems shows how a few pounds can go a long way in this easy project

Less than£5 to put this

together!

✔ Washing up bowl or similar✔ Drill and drill bit✔ Pebbles or gravel✔ Multipurpose compost✔ Small pot of herbs (eg.basil, parsley)✔ Living salad tray✔ Liquid feed

What you will need

a cheap-and-cheerful washing up bowl.This bowl is an old one I had lying aroundfor storing odds and ends, but you canpick one up at the supermarket for acouple of pounds. A sweep around thesupermarket for herbs, living salad and awashing up bowl comes in at well under£5 – not bad for a salad garden thatshould last a couple of months!

PRACTICAL PROJECT: JUNE

Supermarket sweep







www.growitmag.com


FREE!SEEDS

SUPERB VALUE!


JULY

2011

£3.6

0



Practical know-how:

Problems?



COMMONMISTAKES

Sorted!


Hands-on advice

Helpful Hints


seasonal fayre

info@dem

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Seeds supplied by









Planting up a bowl of saladSTEP-BY-STEP

1Assemble your materials. In thispicture you can see the close-

packed nature of the plantlets. Unwrapthe herb pot and living salad tray andsoak the pots in water.

2 Prepare the washing up bowl bydrilling drainage holes into the

bottom. Place the bowl on a flat,secure surface and drill the holes,leaving a few inches between them.

3To further improve the drainageof the bowl add a layer of

pebbles or gravel to the base. Fillthis drainage layer to an even depthof around 2-3cm (1in).

4Now fill the bowl up with compost,stopping just shy of the rim. You

can use multipurpose compost orhome-made garden compost that’sproperly rotted down, as here.

5 It’s time to plant! Start by verygently easing your herbs from their

pot. Use your fingers to carefully teaseapart small groups of plantlets, takingcare not to damage them.

6Here you can see the contents ofjust one pot, giving several sturdy

little plugs. Each cluster has three orfour plantlets. These can be furtherdivided if you wish, or planted like this.

7Separate the living salad tray in asimilar way to create lots of little

clusters. Plant these into your bowl,spacing them 5-10cm (2-4in) apart.You may only need to use half the tray.

8Now fill in some of the gaps withyour basil plugs. Use your fingers

to excavate holes in the compost andfirm back gently. There were enoughplants here to plant up another bowl!

9Water your bowl of salad tosettle the compost. Keep out of

direct sunlight to recover and waterfortnightly with liquid feed. Within afew days the plants will have perkedup.


HOW TO ENTERTo enter the Your Plot 2011 competitionsend us no more than five pictures of yourkitchen garden plot and a maximum of 250words to describe how you got it underway, its layout, what you grow and whyyou are proud of your plot. If you are usinga digital camera take your pictures at thehighest quality setting (5+ megapixels)so we can use them to a good size in themagazine. We will feature the best entriesin an autumn issue.

Post your entries to: Grow it! Your PlotCompetition, Kelsey Publishing Group,Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham,Kent TN16 3AG. Alternatively email themto: [email protected] Don’t forget toinclude your name and contact details. Theclosing date for entries is 31st July 2011.

Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition

We want to know all aboutyour productive plots! The‘Your Plot 2011’ competition

promises to showcase the very best ofthese, offering you the chance to showus why you’re proud of your kitchengarden, patio plot or allotment.

We love reading about your successes,challenges and achievements, so we’rehoping to make this year’s competitionthe biggest yet. Your Plot 2011 hasthree categories: best overall plot, bestcontainer/raised bed plot and bestallotment plot, with prizes to be won foreach. So whether you’ve a few pots or asprawling allotment we want to see whatyou’re up to!

Inspiration is what the competition isall about. Write in and tell us how you gotyour plot started, a little about its layout,what you’re growing and your proudestachievements. We’ll be reviewing thebest entries in an autumn issue, so this isyour chance to share your green-fingeredexploits with other readers. Good luck!

Write in and tell us all about your plot and youcould win a horticultural spending spree!

Last year’swinner BarbaraJannsen’spolytunnel

Young hands help on MaxineLawrence’s Devon plot

Prizes to be won...This year’s overall winner can look forwardto a £500 spending spree at horticulturalsundries supplier Harrod Horticultural.They stock a wide range of kit for thegrowing enthusiast so the only problemour winner will have is deciding what tospend their prize fund on! To see what youcould be winning visit Harrod Horticulturalat www.harrodhorticultural.com

The winner of the best container/raised bed plot will win a £250 shoppingexperience courtesy of gardening toolsand growing solutions provider Burgon &Ball. For details of the Burgon & Ball rangevisit www.burgonball.com

For the best allotment plot winnerwe’ve teamed up with garden toolsmanufacturer Bulldog Tools to stock upthe tool shed. The winner will receive£250-worth of quality tools. Click on www.bulldogtools.co.uk to see the BulldogTools range.

ENTER NOW!PRIZES WORTH

£1,000TO BE WON

Vee Wilkinson’s produce-packed balcony


Herb grow guide

Create a little world of escape with a container herb garden. Ann SomersetMiles discusses planter options and some suitable herbal candidates

POTS OF PLEASURE

I t doesn’t matter how small a garden you have,if you love herbs then space can always befound for them. Herbs thrive in containers andcan be tucked into odd corners or lined along

paths or patios in rows in a deliberate configuration,or dotted temporarily here and there in bare spotswithin borders. They are so easy to grow, arereadily available in almost every garden centre andhave so many uses. Herbs are some of the oldestplants to be cultivated and, long before that, werefor centuries gathered from the wild. Whether youuse them or not, they are invariably decorative andengender such joy as you brush your fingertipsacross their scented leaves.

Perennial or annual, hardy or tender, long orshort-lived, or sun or shade-loving – none of theseattributes matter when herbs are grown in a pot

as they can alwaysbe moved about orprotected. Rampantspreaders such asmint can also be keptunder control whengrown in pots, whilemany herbs are easyto propagate so theinitial outlay needn’tbe considerable.

Every gardener probably immediately recognisesparsley, sage, rosemary and thyme as herbs parexcellence. Many more fall into the ‘cook’s herbgarden’ classification, though there are additionallyherbs that serve medicinal purposes, herbs useful inthe household and herbs such as dye plants for craftactivities. Many of the traditionally-grown herbsthat would have been necessities to our forbearshave fallen out of favour; ones which, for me at anyrate, still tug at the heart. Determine why you wantto grow herbs – for their culinary, physic, craft orhousehold properties, or perhaps just because theirfolklore and past uses are so fascinating.

Where to beginDeciding on the category of herb you wish to growis less important than understanding their naturalhabitat. Do they require poor, dry, sandy soil in full sun,such as those that hail from the wild gravel screes ofsouthern Europe? Or do they, like the marginal bogplants, require damp, shady conditions? Or will theythrive in rich soil in dappled shade? Containers canprovide all these soil conditions and aspects, witheach tailored to suit its particular occupant. So start bylisting the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ – what you want to growand for what purpose – then check the requirementsof the herbs you have listed and set about finding andpreparing containers.

Dedicate a corner ofyour garden to a clusterof potted herbs

Culinary and physic herbsawait a new home


It’s a moot point as to whether use or beauty ofherbs comes first. Should you select for their looksto create a pretty mixture that sets the heart racingwhen you see certain plants grouped together:bright white feverfew, with orange calendula andthe heavenly blue of borage or hyssop, for example?Or is the use to which each herb will be put of moreimportance to you: comfrey, say, because you wantto make your own liquid plant food and compostaccelerator. Everyone has their own preferences.

Pots of plentyYou may already have aselection of containers,in which case their sizeand shape can be addedto the equation of ‘what’,‘why’ and ‘where’. Pots orboxes, large or small, allof a kind or a completemixture are useful. Youcan buy new or recycle

the weird and the whacky to create a very personalcontainer. The permutations are endless but beforeassembling too many, take into account the cost ofthe compost and how much is likely to be needed tofill a large tub. Make sure you move large pots intoposition before filling them to avoid back injuries.

Consider the proximity of water – small pots dryout quickly and even those preferring dry conditionswill need watering during long, hot spells or periodsof drying winds. You will need pots to be clear of icywinter blasts which will cause more damage thanfrost or ice alone. Undoubtedly you’ll prefer yourcontainerised herb garden to be a pleasure ratherthan an endless chore of keeping the plants alive.However, they are truly worth the effort.

Tempted? If you don’t grow herbs already thendo give them a go. They will assuredly bring joyto your garden. Think foliage, think flowers, thinktaste, thinks scents – what could be more lovely ona summer’s evening that to sit outside, sipping yourown herbal tea (served in a china cup), or a glassof home-made dandelion wine, perhaps nibblingcheese-straws that you made earlier in the day,flavoured with a hint of herbs. A well-designed herbgarden can become a place to sit and read, or paintor write. Breathe deeply and, at the end of the day,enjoy your own herbal heaven.

S

You can buy new or recyclethe weird and whacky to createa very personal container

Ideas for containersNew or old terracotta pots always look lovely, asdo glazed pots within a modern garden. Newermaterials such as aluminium will also help tocreate a clean, contemporary atmosphere. Amixture of material types, shapes and sizes willsuit most gardeners, though others may preferidentical pots. Small pots of individual herbs canlook lovely clustered around a large planter, whilegrouped together they look more luxurious.

Recycling containers or converting old junkinto new planters needn’t mean an unsightlydisplay, particularly if the containers are all ofa kind. Galvanised buckets, wheelbarrows,watering cans, cauldrons and other old kitchenreceptacles look superb. It’s still possible to buy

these ‘antiques’ and half the fun is sourcing themand adding to a collection. Glazed sinks can beused – and still bought new – though they areprobably best hidden behind a low box hedge orother pots (unless, of course, the idea of takingthe kitchen sink into the garden appeals!).

Other weird and whacky ideas will spring tomind. Car tyres (you now have to pay to disposeof them) can be piled two or three high, butclean and thoroughly de-grease them first.Children love the unusual so might like theirown tyre garden. Take a look at farm stores forlow-standing feed troughs to edge a terrace; drillholes for drainage first. Or why not make yourown containers from those tough but inexpensivesupermarket bags? You’ll need two for eachplanter. Add gravel to the bottom of one bagthen punch drainage holes into the second andplace it inside the first bag, on top of the gravel.Fold the sides down to whatever height you likeand fill with compost.

Galvanised containers and kitchenaliamake handsome planters to reallyshow off your herbs

Wooden planterscan make a

stunning feature

Provide heightby standing one

pot on top ofanother. These

pots comefrom Whichford

Pottery


Veg grow guide

STEP-BY-STEP

Preparing and plantingEnsure that any pot or receptacle you intend to pressinto service is clean and has drainage holes to preventwater-logging of the compost, particularly in winter.This isn’t so critical with damp-loving herbs but canbe fatal to those that prefer dry conditions. It’s bestto stand pots on a shallow or deep saucer, which willhelp to conserve water. If you like, add gravel to thesaucer. If the pot is small enough you can tip excesswater away during periods of very wet weather.

For mostcontainer herbs Iadvise a mixture ofmultipurpose compostto which John Innessoil-based compost(Number 3) has beenadded. Vary theproportions according

to the amount of moisture required by individualspecies. For those that prefer damp conditionsinclude more multipurpose, while for herbs that likeit on the dry side add more soil-based compost, withhorticultural gravel mixed in or applied as a mulch.For large pots housing plants requiring rich soil I adda quantity of my own homemade compost. Don’tforget to add crocks to the bottom of containers toassist with drainage. These can be broken flowerpots, crushed or crumbled brick, or stones removedfrom the garden when digging. Fill containers to justbelow the brim with your chosen compost mixture.

When planting a container it’s always best touse small plants so you can control their growthconditions. Not many garden centres (if any) will allowyou to remove plants from the pots to check rootgrowth; young and healthy roots are preferable topot-bound with no new rootlets. Top growth can bea good indicator, so look for fresh, vibrant growthrather than shoots arising from old stock that’s beenpruned to encourage re-growth.

Culinary cauldronThis old iron cauldron has been lying around inthe garden for years so I decided to turn it intothe perfect vessel for culinary herbs. The cauldronnow houses fennel in the middle to add height,sorrel for making soups, hyssop for herbal tea,plus parsley, chives, golden marjoram and lemonthyme, which are continually used in my cooking.

The iron pot was heavy so it had to be putinto position first before filling with compost. Thechosen herbs were positioned until they lookedright and then planted, carefully teasing out theroots and watering them into their allotted space.The homemade iron tripod was added over thecauldron and ‘Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco’ climbingFrench beans were sown to twine up the bars;their striped pods will look wonderful later in thesummer. The pot faces south, which is perfect forthis sun-loving selection. I won’t water them unlessthey start to look a little limp; otherwise they canbe left to do their own thing.

Planting up a herb display

When planting a container it's alwaysbest to use small plants so you cancontrol their growth conditions

1Gather together yourselection of herbs and

thoroughly moisten thecompost of each herbby sitting them in waterso the plants can draw inwater from below.

2Place some crocksinto the bottom

of the planter then fillwith compost. I’ve useda mix of homemade,multipurpose andJohn Innes Number 3composts for this display.

3Slip the herbs fromtheir pots then

plant them, feeding incompost and firmingas you go. This planterlends itself to a sowing ofclimbing beans to twinearound the iron tripod.

4Water the herbs intoplace and top up

with more compost if itsinks down considerably.Water when necessaryand use the herbsregularly.

Make your ownplanting medium

using a combinationof multipurpose andsoil-based composts

Plants shouldbe healthywith fresh,

young rootsthat aren’tpot-bound


This alphabetical list contains just a selection of mainly culinary herbs.Soil conditions and aspect are given, together with suggested usage.Many fit more than one category and are very much must-have all-rounders.

Herb for teasLemon balm, calamint, feverfew, mints,rosemary and lemon verbena

Other useful herbsBlack cumin (Nigella damascena): Lovelyblue flowers and pungent seed – sprinkle overhome-made bread. Needs dry conditionsComfrey: Line raised beds with it, use forliquid feed, or add to compost heap. Growin shade or partial shade. I TCostemary/alecost (Tanacetum balsamita):With its balsamic flavour and scent, it onceflavoured ale, was used as a pot-herb, or to sweetenlinen. Good in shade or partial shade. I TFeverfew: Medicinal, but beautiful brightwhite flower clusters. Requires dry conditionsEchinacea/coneflower: Daisy-like flowerheads, medicinal herbal teas. Grow inthe shade or partial shade TLavender: Sparingly in cakes; butterflyand bee flower. For well-drained soils. ISoapwort: Flowers shaken in warm waterproduce a soapy substance for washing delicateand antique textiles. Needs dry conditions. ISouthernwood (Artemisia abrotanum): Clothes-moth deterrent for dry spots of the garden. IViolet: Crystalise the flowers. For shade orpartial shade

KEY:I Invasive or

woody, so bestgrown on its own

T Tall herb

WHAT TO GROW

Culinary herbs

Moist or damp soil, in shade or partial shadeAngelica: Leaf, seed and stalk (crystalised). I TBergamot: Herbal tea (flowers)Lemon balm: Herbal tea, salads. Good in poor soilChervil: Mild sweet aniseed flavour, used incontinental cooking with fishFrench tarragon: Use sparingly, good in vinegars,the main ingredient of Sauce BéarnaiseGood King Henry: Substitute for spinach orfeeding hensLovage: Substitute for celery. TMint: Many ‘flavours’, repot frequently; mintsauce, teas and cooling drinks. IParsley: The most useful of all; allow toself-sow for earlier cropsSorrel (broad-leaved): Sharp lemony tang,use sparingly in salads; hens love it

Dry soil (sandy, mixed or mulched withf ine grit in a wet climate), in sunBay: Essential for stews; needs shelter fromharsh winds. I TBorage: Cucumber-flavoured leaf (iced drinks),flowers in salads. TChives: Chop over saladsFennel: Salads or fish (not to be confusedwith the bulbous vegetable). TRosemary: Flavouring for stews or lamb. ISage: Stuffings, or sparingly with pork. ISalad burnet: Lovely lacy leaves, snip into saladsSummer savory: Annual, serve with broad beansSweet-leaved pelargonium (P. fragrans): Impartsa rose flavour to cakesThyme: Stuffing, and lovely with chickenWinter savory: Perennial evergreen,adds a tang to many a dish

Suitable herbs for saladsUse these sparingly as they can be quite strong:lemon balm, basil, burnet, calendula (petals),caraway, chervil, chives, dill and fennel (leavesand flower umbels), lovage, marjoram, nasturtium(leaves and flowers), rose (petals) and sorrel

A mixedterracottapot of herbs

eansImparts

ong:s),

avesurtium

CAUTION!Never grow culinary

herbs close to those thatare poisonous or else asimple mistake could

lead to disaster. This isespecially important

if children useyour garden.

Veg grow guide

NKINGKALEN�

‘Dwarf Green Curled’is an easy-to-growvariety that won’t

need staking



S

K itchen gardenerslooking for a hardycrop that gives plentywhile asking for little in

return should look no further thanthe ever-obliging kale. This tough-as-old-boots leafy vegetablecopes with just about anythingthrown at it, suffers few of thepests that afflict other membersof the brassica family, and canbe grown in most soils. Kale'sreal party piece, however, is itsability to withstand near-Siberiantemperatures only to spring backinto life and offer a succession oftasty leaves when we need themmost – throughout the ‘hungrygap’ of February to April.

Kale has seen a renaissancein recent years as more andmore of us fall back in love withthis incredibly accommodatingvegetable. Today’s varieties offer amix of curly-leaved or handsomelywavy-leaved types, all full ofvitamins and a rich source of iron.Picked young the leaves are everybit as tasty and versatile as spinachand can be used in stir-fries, stews,steamed as a healthy side dish orserved raw in salads. Harvestedcorrectly kale will stand for a longtime, yielding its succulent leavesfrom October right through to thefollowing spring.

Down to earthUnlike other brassicas such asBrussels sprouts, kale thrives inmost soils, so long as it is free-draining and not acidic (applylime if your soil is much below 6.5pH). Where some plants mightstruggle, kale will thrive, growingwell in soils ranging from thoseof a sandy texture to those thatare decidedly clayey. Of course,the more prepared and enrichedthe soil, the better your plants willgrow, so it is worth taking the timeto incorporate plenty of organicmatter in anticipation of theharvests to follow.

Kale will give its best in asunny spot but will grow quite

satisfactorily in a part-shadedposition. Most kales are started offin modules or a separate nurserybed, either being planted outor transplanted into their finalgrowing positions from June toAugust. This makes them excellentfollow-on crops, slotting neatly intoplace after earlier vegetables suchas peas or salad potatoes havebeen lifted.

Prepare the ground the autumnbefore planting by digging it overand incorporating ample organicmatter such as well-rotted manureor compost. About a week beforeplanting out a final top-up of soilnutrients can be supplied courtesyof a general-purpose organicfertiliser such as blood, fish andbonemeal. Kale plants followingon from an early-season crop willcertainly appreciate this boost ofnutrients to get them underway.

Sowed upStart kale off in a separate nurserybed or in module trays. The latterwill allow you to make the most useof outdoor growing space whileseedlings establish. To sow in theground, mark 1cm (0.5in)-deepdrills into soil that’s been raked to

Baby leavesKale can also be grown as a young, cut-and-come-again leaf – a real treat and a great way oflivening up otherwise average salads. Simply sowseeds of a variety such as ‘Red Russian’ (pictured)thinly in rows spaced 10-15cm (4-6in) apart. Youcan do this at any point from April until August.Cut the leaves when they reach about 7cm (3in)tall, making each cut just above soil level andtaking care not to damage the central growingpoint from where more leaves will sprout. Allowthe leaves to grow to 15cm (6in) for stir-fry use.

a fine tilth. Space rows 15cm (6in)apart. Sow the seeds very thinly,dropping individual seeds everycouple of centimetres, then coverback over. Keep the seedbedmoist to encourage a speedyappearance of your seedlings.Once they have germinated andgrown on a little, pull out excessseedlings to leave 7cm (3in)between each plant. The plantsremaining can now grow on untilit’s time to transplant them to theirfinal positions.

To begin seedlings in modulesuse trays with generouslyproportioned cells. Alternativelysow seeds into seed trays for laterpricking out into these modules.Sow the seed 1cm (0.5in) deep,setting two or three seeds into eachmodule. When the seedlings haveappeared, thin out the weakestseedlings to leave one plant percell. Grow on in a bright position,clear of extremes in temperature.

Most kale varieties are sownin April or May. If you’ve missed

MA

RSH

ALL

S

Span the infamous ‘hungry gap’ in style withthis handsome member of the brassicafamily. Benedict Vanheems explains howto grow the perfect cut of kale

Plant kale up toits first leaves

when it comes toplanting out time

Kale ‘Redbor’makes an eye-catching additionto the veg plot

Veg grow guide

the boat this spring then youngplugs of kale are usually availablein garden centres. The exceptionto sowing in spring is the rapekales, which need to be sownin July or August. Rape kalessuch as ‘Ragged Jack’ offer thelatest pickings of all, gearing upfrom February and continuing toMay. Rape kales can’t abide rootdisturbance so you will need tosow them in their final positions,setting seed widely apart in rowsspaced 45cm (18in) distant andthinning in stages until plants are45cm (18in) apart within their rows.Quick-growers such as any of thesalads can be sown in-betweenthe rows while the plants establish,thereby making the most efficientuse of growing space.

Setting outPlants will be ready for their finalhome in about June or early July.This will be around six weeks fromsowing when plants are about15cm (6in) tall and have four tosix adult leaves. Leave plants togrow on much bigger than thisand they will become crampedin their nursery bed or modules,exhausting available nutrients andtaking on a drawn appearance –timing is of the essence!

To transplant kale from thenursery bed thoroughly wetthe ground the day before thencarefully lift the plants up using ahand fork or trowel. Try to keep asmuch of the original soil aroundthe roots as possible so the plantshardly notice they’ve moved.Replant into ground that’s beendressed with organic fertiliser. Thesoil should be relatively compactto keep plants from rocking about,so firm it back smartly with theback of a rake beforehand. Set thetransplants 45cm (18in) apart ineach direction, pressing them firmlyinto place and puddling in withplenty of water to settle the soil

around the roots. Module-raisedplantlets can be slipped from theircells with minimal root disturbance.If the roots are tightly curledaround the cell gently tease themaway so they are ready to grow intothe fresh soil.

When planting out ortransplanting kale it’s important tofirm plants in properly. Kale dislikesloose soil, which will see themrock back and forth in the wind. Tofurther secure plants into positionset them a little deeper than they

were before, so that the bottomleaves sit just above the soil surface.

Easy does itKale is an incredibly relaxedfellow, showing none of the dramaqueen-tendencies that some othermembers of the brassica familydisplay. So long as plants are keptweed-free and the roots are keptmoist they should grow through towinter with little fuss. Use a sharphoe every week or two to severweeds before they have a chance

3Once the seedlings have germinatedbegin thinning in stages until there

is at least 7cm (3in) between each plant.Allow the plants to grow on to about15cm (6in) high before transplanting.

5Plant out kale once the plants have fourto six adult leaves (approximately six

weeks after sowing). Set the plants 45cm(18in) apart in each direction and firm theplants in well to settle.

2Space the seeds evenly, a fewcentimetres apart, within the nursery

bed. Most seeds will germinate sothere’s no need to sow thickly; this willonly mean more thinning out later on.

STEP-BY-STEP Growing kale

4Alternatively start your kale off inmodules. This will allow outdoor space

to be made better use of. The youngplants can also be kept safe from pestswithin a cold frame this way.

6Keep the ground moist as plantsestablish. Remove any weeds before

they have a chance to properly establishand consider applying a mulch in hot,dry summer weather.

1Prepare the ground the autumn beforegrowing kale by digging in plenty of

well-rotted organic matter. Add a furtherboost of general-purpose organic fertiliserjust before planting time.

Kale leaves areimpressivelyversatile inthe kitchen








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to become established. Waterduring dry spells to encourage evengrowth and in very hot weatherconsider surrounding plants with amulch of organic matter to keep theroots cool and slow evaporation ofvaluable soil moisture.

Pests should be few and farbetween and in many cases youmay get away without nettingplants or covering them infleece. That said, they’re notinvincible, so it may still bea wise precaution to growplants under a protective layerof netting, at least until theybecome established. Cabbagewhite fly can sometimes strikebut the first severe frost will knockback any infestation.

As summer turns to autumnand winds pick up some of thetaller varieties may need to bestaked to stop them rockingabout. Soil can also be bankedup against the base of stems tooffer further support. Keep plantsneat by picking away any dying oryellowing leaves.

A cut aboveCareful harvesting of kale willensure plants crop for longer.Picking the leaves in a gung-hofashion will quickly decimate yourhard-earned rewards. The mantrahere is little and often – take a fewleaves at a time from each plantto spread the load. Pick leaves

WHAT TO GROW

from the crown of the plant fromabout November, taking leaveswhile they are still quite young andtender. Cut away, or harvest witha sharp downward tug to detachthe leaf from the stem. Harvestingfrom the crown will encourageside-shoots to develop for pickingfrom February onwards. Take

these shoots when they’reabout 15cm (6in) long and

give plants a regular liquidfeed as soon as they puton new growth towardsthe end of winter toencourage that final flush

of leafy growth.Kale tastes best when

young and fresh. Old oryellowed leaves are tough andsomewhat bitter. Pick your leaveswith care and you’ll really relishthis hardy crop. Once the plantsbegin to rise to flower simply hoikthem out and relocate them tothe compost heap. With judiciouspicking you’ll have enjoyed analmost continuous supply ofleaves for close to half a year.

DWARF GREEN CURLED:A great starting point for thosenew to kale. ‘Dwarf GreenCurled’ reaches no taller than60cm (2ft), which means nostaking. The leaves are tightlycurled and best eaten young.Kings Seeds

RAGGED JACK: Sow in summerfor a spring crop of tender, tastyleaves at the time you most needthem. The handsome blue-green, broad leaves have a frillededge to them. Edwin Tucker

NERO DI TOSCANA: Alsoknown as ‘Black Tuscan’, this kaleforms long, elegant leaves witha dark, feather-like appearance.Argued by many to be the finestkale of all. Seeds of Italy

RED RUSSIAN: One of themost attractive kales availablefor eating as young, spinach-like leaves or left to grow on tofull splendour. The grey-green,lightly crinkled leaves havea deep purple venation thatintensifies with frost. Marshalls

HUNGRY GAP: A late-croppingrape kale that forms very hardyleaves of fine flavour. This isa robust and reliable varietythat’s unlikely to disappoint.Chiltern Seeds

REDBOR F1: Contrast green-leaved kale with this deep redalternative. The dense, curledleaves are ready for picking fromautumn and right through winter.Kings Seeds

KALE SEED SUPPLIERS✦ Chiltern Seeds: 01229 581137, www.chilternseeds.co.uk✦ Edwin Tucker: 01364 652233, www.edwintucker.com✦ Kings Seeds: 01376 570000, www.kingsseeds.com✦ Marshalls: 01480 443390, www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk✦ Seeds of Italy: 020 8427 5020, www.seedsofitaly.com

TOP TIPChop up the old, tough

stems of spent kale withsecateurs before adding to

the compost heap. Thiswill speed up theirdecomposition.

Right: Kale maybe grown in

suitable-sizedcontainers. Herethe hardy ‘Nero

di Toscana’makes an impact

Kale isn’t difficultto grow but it’sworth knowinghow to properlyharvest the leaves


S

Know-how

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Frosty✱ Gluts of produce seem to come from all directions at this time

of year. Don’t waste a bean – freeze excess produce and carry ataste of summer into winter, as John and Val Harrison explain

receptionFreezing has to be the oldest

method for preserving foodknown to man; archaeologicalevidence shows that

Neanderthals dug pits in the ice tokeep their mammoth meat fresh! Sixthousand years later the great housesof the aristocracy filled special icehouses with winter ice cut from thelakes in their grounds. By the mid 1800sships were sailing from the Arctic withcargoes of ice for selling in blocks to usein domestic ice boxes, the precursor ofthe electric refrigerators, which didn’tbecome widespread until the 1930s.Around this time Clarence Birdseye (ofBirds Eye Fish Fingers fame) inventeda flash freezing process that madecommercial frozen foods possible. Theuse of domestic freezers, however, didn’tbecome commonplace until the 1970s.

Frozen assetsToday’s freezers offer a safeway of keeping food nutritiousindefinitely. The reason isthat freezing down to -18°Cor lower stops bacteria frommultiplying. The microbespresent in the food remaindormant, suspending itsdeterioration. But whilemicrobes are stopped,enzymes are not – they arejust slowed down by the cold.Although this doesn’t makefrozen food unsafe, it can causeits flavour to decline. Luckilyfor the grower blanching freshproduce before freezing willdestroy the enzymes and lockin flavour for longer.

While frozen food remainssafe to eat indefinitely, itmakes sense to use theoldest frozen produce first,so labelling is important.This will also help you todetermine exactly what’swhat when ice has cloudedthe freezer bag or container.Freezer manufacturers oftengive guidance as to howlong various foods will keep.This tends to err on the side of caution.We’ve not noticed any deteriorationof properly blanched vegetables aftertwo years.

Lock-in tasteIt may seem obvious but the fresherthe produce you freeze, the better theflavour will be when you come to defrostand eat it. With some vegetable crops,most notably peas and sweetcorn,

the sugars will start to turn tostarch the moment they

are harvested. It’s best toplan ahead rather thanharvest everything inone go and freeze the

next day. Instead harvest

smaller amounts and freezeimmediately. If you reallycan’t freeze on the sameday then put the crop intothe fridge to slow down theconversion of sugarsto starch.

For long-term storageblanching is a must. Aswell as locking in flavourblanching helps to retainvitamin C. Before youstart, get everything

ready. Turn the freezerto its coldest setting andcheck there is enoughroom inside, rearrangingthe contents if necessary.Some freezers have aspecial tray or section that isrecommended for freezingdown and you will want tomake sure this is ready.

Next clear a space in thefridge to enable you to pre-chill before freezing. If youcan, adjust the thermostatto lower the temperaturein the fridge too. You willneed a lot of ice to chilldown blanched produce,so empty ice cube trays into

a bag (kept in the freezer) and set moreon for freezing. Make sure the kitchen’scleared for action. The last thing you wantis clutter getting in the way when you aremoving pans of boiling water about.

BlanchingBlanching is the rapid boiling of freshproduce to kill off the enzymes withinit before freezing. Use as large a pan asyou have got for the blanching vessel,preferably with a lid. A large lidded panwill come back to the boil faster and useless energy to maintain a fast boil. Youwill also need a blanching basket. Thisis simply a metal wire basket, rather likean old-fashioned chip fryer basket orlarge sieve. It will allow you to easily add

Freezing is anexcellent way of

preserving gluts whilemaintaining taste

Process crops such assweetcorn immediatelybefore the sugars turnto starch

Prepared produce canbe kept fresh in waterin the fridge until readyto process for freezing


Know-how

and remove your produce fromthe boiling water.

Now set up a further two large pans,which will hold the cooling water toarrest the cooking process initiated by theblanching. The first pan is used to take offthe heat and the second to chill it downwith the help of added ice cubes. The onlyother equipment needed is a colanderor two. A sieve with a handle is useful fortransferring the blanched vegetablesbetween the two cooling pans.

Start the blanching process by fillingthe large pan with water and bringing itto a rolling boil. While you wait, preparethe produce for blanching. Once the

water’s boiling add a portion of theproduce into the blanching basket andplace into the water. Ideally you want thewater to come back to a fast boil within aminute. This will depend on the volume ofwater and the power of the ring under the

pan. Placing a lid over the pan will hold theheat and speed up the time to re-boiling.Small batches of produce will also helpwith this. We find we need about six pintsof water per pound of produce (or fourlitres for 500g).

Freezing your produce fast is importantto ensure only small ice crystals form

STEP-BY-STEP Freezing fresh produce

1Prepare your crop for freezing. Runnerbeans are exceptionally prolific, making

them a good candidate for freezing. Slicethem into long, thin ribbons.

2For best results and to ensurefreshness aim to process crops in small

batches. Portion-sized bags will avoid thedifficulty of separating frozen vegetables.

3Bring a large pan of water to a rollingboil then add your prepared vegetables.

Keep the lid on the pan to return the waterto a boil. Blanch for the specified time.

4Plunge the blanched produce into thefirst cooling pan to arrest the cooking

process then transfer to the second panof iced water to cool right down.

5Ensure the produce is completelydry before cooling off in the fridge.

If necessary pat it dry with a clean, fluffytea-towel.

6After chilling, pack away into freezerbags, sucking out excess air with a straw.

Make sure bags are labelled and have thedate of freezing. Pop into the freezer.

Cooling offAfter blanching for the recommendedtime, which varies according to thetype of produce, remove from theblanching water and tip into the first panof cooling water. Count the blanchingtime from the time the water starts toboil vigorously again after the producehas been added. A timer is invaluable toget timings correct – you don’t want toovercook things.

While the produce is coolingin the first pan, set the second lotto blanching and then transfer thepartially cooled produce from the first

pan to the second with its iced water.The first cooling pan may need to berefreshed with cold tap water. Usuallyby the time the next batch is ready forthe second pan, the produce in therewill have cooled down and can go into

Berries and currantsmay be frozen withoutblanching – just spreadthem out on a tray tofreeze then bag them up


the colander to drain off. Once drainedtransfer to the fridge to keep cool untilyou’re ready to bag up for the freezer.

Into the freezerFreezing your prepared produce fast isimportant to ensure that only small icecrystals form. This means it is essential notto overload your freezer – put too muchin at once and it will take much longerto freeze down and will cause larger icecrystals to form (these can burst cellsand ruin the texture of your food). As ageneral rule, never try to freeze downmore than 10 per cent of a freezer’scapacity in a day.

The warmer the food you put into thefreezer, the harder it has to work and thelonger it will take to cool down. This iswhy pre-chilling in the fridge is necessary.Ideally the fridge will bring things down to

Asparagus: Grade into thickand thin stems. Wash in cold waterand blanch thick stems for aboutfour minutes and thin stems fortwo. Cool and drain then tie intosmall bundles, packed tips to stalks,separated by non-stick paper.

Broad beans: Mature beansseem to benefit from freezing,which softens them if they havebecome a little tough. Shell andblanch for three minutes beforecooling and freezing.

French beans: Most varietiesfreeze well but some of the waxiertypes are much better cookedfrom fresh. Wash, top and tail, thenblanch for two minutes beforechilling and freezing.

Runner beans: Prepare asyou normally would and blanchfor three minutes before coolingand freezing.

Beetroot: Wash well and rubthe skin off after blanching. Smallbeets up to 7cm (3in) in diameterneed blanching for 10 minuteswhile larger beets should be boileduntil tender. Freeze the smallerbeets whole but slice or dice largerbeets or they will take too long tofreeze. If you blanch for too shorta time they can be rubbery oncedefrosted.

Broccoli and calabrese:Trim off any woody parts and largeleaves. Wash in salted water thencut into small sprigs. Blanch thinstems for three minutes, mediumstems for four minutes and thick

stems for five. Cool and drainwell. The thick woody

stems and leaves willwork well in a soup,

which can thenbe frozen.

Brusselssprouts:

Prepare as youwould normally. Wash

thoroughly and blanchfor three minutes, chill

and freeze.

Cabbage: Wash and shredthe leaves then blanch for just aminute before chilling, drainingand freezing.

Carrots: Early carrots can beprepared ready to serve, eithercut up into strips or diced beforeblanching for three minutes andthen chilling and freezing.

Cauliflower: Wash and breakinto small florets about 5cm (2in)in diameter. Add lemon juice tothe blanching water to keep themwhite; blanch for three minutes,cool, drain and pack.

Courgettes andmarrows: Choose youngones. Wash and cut into 1cm(0.5in) slices. Either blanch for oneminute or sauté in a little butter.

Fennel: Trim and cut into shortlengths. Blanch for three minutes,cool, drain and pack.

Kohlrabi: Use small roots,5-7cm (2-3in) in diameter. Cut offtops, peel and dice. Blanch for 1.5minutes, cool, drain and pack. �

✱ ✱ ✱ QUICK-CHECK GUIDE TO FREEZING ✱ ✱ ✱

Prepare small batches for blanchingto ensure rapid re-boiling

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Leeks: Prepare as normal andthen slice fairly thinly. Blanch fortwo minutes or sauté. Cooland freeze.

Onions: Can be peeled, finelychopped and packed in smallplastic containers for cookinglater. Packages should be over-wrapped to prevent the smellfiltering out.

Peas: Shell and put into apan of cold water. Blanch for aminute or two at most; shake thebasket to ensure heat is evenlydistributed. Peas freeze reallywell. For mangetout types, trimthe ends before blanching fortwo minutes, cooling, drainingand packing.

Peppers: Wash well, removestems and all traces of seeds andmembranes before blanching forthree minutes as halves for stuffed

peppers, or in thin slices forstews and casseroles.

Spinach: Select young leavesand wash very thoroughly underrunning water, then drain. Blanchfor two minutes in small quantities,cool quickly and press out excessmoisture. Pack in rigid containersor polythene bags leaving 1cm(0.5in) airspace.

Sweetcorn: Remove husksand ‘silks’. Blanch small cobs forthree minutes, medium ones forfour minutes and large cobs forfive minutes in plenty of water.Cool and dry. Freeze whole onthe cob or cut off the kernelswith a sharp knife after blanchingand just freeze the kernels inportion bags.

Tomatoes: Skin and corethe tomatoes then simmer intheir own juice for five minutesuntil soft. The easy way to skintomatoes is to drop them intoboiling or very hot water for aminute. After this the skin is easyto peel away. Pass the tomatoesthrough a nylon sieve or liquidiseand pack into small containerswhen cool. Rather than just freezethis puree you may find it moreefficient to freeze a tomatosauce base.

Turnips: Use small, youngwhite summer turnips. Trim andpeel then cut into small dice.Blanch for two minutes, cool,drain and freeze. Turnips may befully cooked and mashed beforefreezing like carrots.

✱ ✱ ✱ QUICK-CHECK GUIDE TO FREEZING ✱ ✱ ✱ 5°C so the freezer only has to reduce it bya further 23°C.

There are a number of ways to packyour freezer. The method we favour is topack into cheap, small bags a sufficientamount for one meal. You can freeze ontotrays and then transfer into a larger bagif you prefer, so you can remove as muchas you want each time. The trouble withlarger bags, however, is that after a whileice forms within and you’ll have a solidblock to contend with.

However you choose to pack yourproduce it is important that it’s dry.Hopefully the produce will have drainedproperly but, if it is still damp, empty ontoa clean fluffy tea-towel and pat dry beforefreezing. Frozen foods must be bagged

to exclude air or ice will form around theproduce. If you are packing large irregularshapes, like sweetcorn on the cob orchunks of parsnip for example, you caninsert a straw into the mouth of the bag.Hold the bag tightly around the straw andsuck out the air before tying the bag orsealing with a wire twist tie. Some itemsare more convenient to pack into plastictubs. You can pick up freezer containerscheaply or if you want to be really frugaluse old ice cream and margarine tubs.

Finally, either label or write on thebag or box what the contents are andthe date. You can buy freezer labels ona roll; ordinary sticky labels will fall offat low temperatures. For marking usean indelible felt-tip pen, as ordinaryfelt-tip markers will smudge. Your wellstocked freezer will be a treasure troveof home-grown delights to enjoy lateron in the winter!

Your well-stocked freezer will bea treasure trove of home-growndelights to enjoy later on

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Poultry

Apart from the sheer pleasureinvolved in keeping a few hensin your back garden, the most

common reason people have them isto provide a supply of delicious, fresheggs. However, different breeds ofchicken lay different numbers of eggs;some are significantly better than othersand modern hybrids are the best of all.

Hens only produce eggs duringtheir laying season and, once again, thisvaries in length from breed to breed. Butthe laying performance of all breeds is

limited by the annual moult – the typicallylater-summer process that sees chickensshed their tired, season-old feathers toreplace them with a fresh, new set readyfor winter. While this is happening, eggproduction ceases as it’s impossible forthe bird to grow eggs and feathers at thesame time as both are rich in protein andnew feathers take priority.

In terms of maximising egg production,the time taken by a bird to get through themoult is key. As you might imagine, thebest layers are the quickest moulters and

vice versa, though the moulting processbecomes longer with age.

Good layer?There are a number of other importantvariables which can have a directinfluence on how well your hens laygenerally. Factors such as environment,daily diet, age, time of year, body weightand general health all have the potentialto impact laying performance.

While birds that enjoy a free-rangelifestyle benefit from more natural feed

Free-range chickensstay fit but still require a

quality feed to lay well

EggsGALORE!Terry Beebe explains how to get thebest from your laying hens, and whyproduction sometimes falters

Poultry


poultry and without them health andlaying performance suffer.

Ready to lay?Hens first start to lay when they reachmaturity, at a time handily referred toas point-of-lay (POL). The arrival of POLvaries from breed to breed but typicallyoccurs at 22-24 weeks old. Unfortunatelyso-called POL pullets can start appearingfor sale as young as 12 weeks old,meaning that there’s a significant waituntil the first eggs are produced.

All new keepers are understandablyimpatient for their first eggs and manyassume, quite logically, that the ‘POLhens’ they’ve just bought will be on thepoint of laying their first eggs. So it canbe both disappointing and frustrating tohave to wait a further two months or sofor those elusive first eggs.

A young hen’s first eggs will alsobe smaller than expected, though thisis perfectly normal. These so-called‘pullet eggs’ will continue being laid fora short period before the hen gets intoher full stride and begins producing thefull-sized article. Egg size shouldn’t varytoo much thereafter if you’re keepingmodern, hybrid layers, although it cando with traditional pure breeds. There’salso a size variation among eggs frombantam and large fowl versions.

opinion it’s best to avoid feeding bread,cake, biscuits, chocolate and whateverelse people mistakenly assume that henswill benefit from eating.

Ideal environmentThe birds we keep are entirely dependenton us for their wellbeing. We controltheir environment and, therefore, musttake responsibility for the conditions inwhich they are kept. Ideally, laying hensrequire a day length of 14-16 hours, asteady ambient temperature of around20°C, a plentiful supply of fresh water andfeed, plus a space allowance of about 1.8

square metres per bird. Of course, thedaylight and temperature aspects canbe hard to achieve in Britain where theseasonal variation upsets the continuityfor birds. Most keepers end up with acompromise with regard to environment.

However, there’s no excuse forkeeping birds in dirty, wet andovercrowded conditions, or for failing toprovide a constant supply of fresh, cleandrinking water and regular feed. Theseare the welfare basics demanded by all SA healthy young layer with alert

expression and bright-red headgear

and increased levels of exercise, they’llstill need a correctly-balanced pellet ormash ration to produce good numbers ofeggs. A properly formulated layers feedwill contain all the important ingredientsneeded by the hen to promote the bestpossible laying performance.

There are potential pitfalls and thisoften involves diet. Most commonly,underperforming birds are being feeda mixture of corn, pellets, householdscraps and treats, which is far from ideal.Although chickens will enthusiasticallygobble-up all sorts of ‘unusual’ foodgiven to them by doting keepers,it’s rarely in their best interests to doso. In the same way that a diet rich insausages, cream cakes and pizza maybe appealing to humans, we know thattoo much of them is a bad thing.

Controlled feedingHens need a controlled diet to ensuregood health and productivity. Kitchenscraps and wheat tend not to contain therequired vitamins, protein and calciumessential for good egg production.Feeding your birds too much of thewrong things is likely to promote obesityand slow down the moult too.

A quality layers pellet or mash willhave been carefully formulated toinclude precisely the right amounts ofoil, protein, vitamins, minerals and fibreto ensure optimum vitality. Keepers cansupplement this with additional vitamintonics (administered in the drinkingwater) at times of particular need,should they wish. These include theannual moult, recovery from illness orwhen a deterioration in eggshell quality(thin or uneven) has been noticed.

If you’re determined to feed a treatthen restrict this to a small amount ofcut maize or corn (mixed with a littlecod liver oil) in the late afternoon. In my

Feeding theright diet is vitalif you want tomaximise eggproduction

Hens need a controlleddiet to ensure goodhealth and productivity


Poultry

Age concernEvery hen has the capacity to lay a finitenumber of eggs, sometimes more,sometimes less, and the rate at whichthese eggs are produced varies too.The finely-tuned ‘laying machine’ that isthe commercial hybrid has been bred toproduce the greatest number of eggsduring the first 18 months or so of itslaying life, after which time numbersstart to fall away. The traditional purebreeds, especially those with recognisedutility credentials, tend to lay for longer,although never in such high numbers;there’s a bit of a tortoise-and-harescenario here! Pure breeds will layacceptable numbers of good-sized eggsfor perhaps four years, while their hybridrelations fall away quite dramatically afteran initial sprint.

The time of year has a significant effecton the laying pattern of all hens that arekept in a normal, garden environment.Spring and summer represent the mostproductive time for domestic hens andthere will be a noticeable downturn duringautumn and winter. The combination ofthe annual moult and the reduced daylighthours of winter can bring a complete haltin production for most hens.

So, the warmer months representthe time of greatest egg production butcan also present some of the greatestthreats to general health and layingperformance. External parasites, suchas the dreaded red mite and lice, thrivewhen temperatures are higher andinfestations have the potential to hit eggnumbers hard. So it’s vital that birds andtheir housing are regularly checked andtreated to combat this serious threat. Nestboxes must always be kept clean and freshbedding should be ever-present.

Weighty mattersThe weight of a bird can make asignificant difference to its performance.If it’s thin and undernourished then eggproduction will be poor, likewise if it’stoo fat; there’s a happy medium to bestruck. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to bespecific about exact weights for birds asthey have to be assessed on an individualbasis. One of the simplest ways to checkoverall condition is to hold the bird andfeel the condition of the breast. If this

feels generally solid andthere’s no obvious sign

of squidgy fat then allshould be well.

Much depends onthe keeping environment.

Birds that are correctly fedand housed – especially if theyenjoy a free-range lifestyle

Further informationFor more in-depth information on poultrykeeping subscribe to Practical Poultry. Takeadvantage of an introductory offer and receiveyour first three issues for just £3 when you takeout a subscription by direct debit! Call 01959541444 and quote ‘GI edit’. Practical Poultryincludes down-to-earth, practical articlescovering all aspects of this fantastic hobby; everything from healthand welfare, housing, sourcing and buying birds to owners’ stories,Q&As and reports from the active Practical Poultry forum.

Breeders directory: even bigger!➜ Poultry Q&As➜ Utility hens➜ Show news

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– will almost certainly regulatetheir own weight well. But thosenot able to get outside much orthat are over-fed with unsuitable‘treats’, will run the risk ofbecoming overweight.

Illness is another commoncause of an egg-laying shortfall.Quite simply, birds that aresuffering won’t lay eggs.Consequently, a reduction inproduction can be a usefulindicator that all is not well. Ifthis is combined with a generallylistless appearance, loss ofappetite and apparent weightloss, then you can be sure thatthere’s a problem. Respiratory

conditions are one of the most commontriggers of an illness-related reduction inegg laying. Be alert for signs of wheezing,gurgling, swollen eyes and, in some cases,yellowish droppings.

Prolapse is when the hen has pushedthe oviduct inside out; this can easily beseen as the internal egg oviduct hangsoutside the vent. There are a number ofcauses of this condition and these includepoor nutrition, infection, an overweighthen or an unusually large egg. This is also aproblem that needs to be dealt with quickly.The internal part of the oviduct needs tobe clean and then this can be pushed backinside the hen. You may have to repeatthis several times but it will eventuallystay back in position. Many keepers use ahaemorrhoidal cream while pushing it backinside and this does work well as it helps todisinfect and shrink the egg sack.

The time of year has a significant effect on thelaying pattern of hens kept in a garden environment

A goodpure-breed layer, likethis Light Sussex is likelyto continue laying foraround four years

There are many factorsthat affect the numberand quality of eggs laid


numbers hard. So it’s vital that birds andtheir housing are regularly checked andtreated to combat this serious threat. Nestboxes must always be kept clean and freshbedding should be ever-present.

overall condition isfeel the condition o

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A goodpure-breed layer, likethis Light Sussex is likelyto continue laying foraround four years


Veg grow guide

Carrots are versatile vegetables, providing a root forall occasions. Lucy Halliday champions this reliablestalwart and offers some tips to achieve a fine crop

There’s no doubt that carrots make akitchen garden. They are a traditionalfavourite available nowadays in a rangeof rainbow colours. Carrots are an

easy, reliable crop that’s undemanding of spaceand exceptionally versatile in the kitchen. Thesweet, juicy roots store well and can be pressedinto service on your dinner plate in a startlingvariety of ways. Steamed or boiled they are aclassic with a little butter; grated into salads theyadd colour and crunch; and as a soup ingredientthey promise the ultimate comfort food.

Or why not push the boundaries with yourcarrots? Thinly sliced they will add a dash ofcolour to stir-fries, or simply roast the roots inolive oil for a divinely sweet treat. Pair up thecrunchy winners with orange to make a vibrantlynutritious smoothie or pickle them to elevateyour roots to new heights. So whether you have awindowsill or the most spacious of plots, there’s avariety of carrot for you. Select the right varietiesand you could also be enjoying your own carrotsfor most of the year.

Find your rootsDomesticated from our native carrot Daucuscarota, the carrot is a biennial plant that spendsits first year building up a substantial taproot fullof sugars to enable it to flower the following year.Wild carrot can be found growing all over Europebut the sweeter subspecies from which our familiargarden carrot was developed most likely hails fromIran or Afghanistan. Thanks to careful breedingthere is now a carrot for every occasion.

Carrots can broadly be divided into quick-growing summer types and longer maturingmaincrop varieties. Summer types include manystump-rooted or spherical varieties that aresuitable for container growers. These carrots canbe sown from February (under cover) through tomid July, taking around nine weeks to mature.Early varieties include those with ‘Chantenay’ or‘Nantes’ in their names. Maincrop varieties aresown in summer, from May to July for croppingfrom early autumn and on into winter. The roots ofmaincrops are generally larger and hardier, taking20 weeks to reach maturity. ‘Autumn King’ is a

CRUNCHAdd some

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Veg grow guide

Carrots come in asurprising rangeof colours – not

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classic maincrop, while ‘Long Red Surrey’, bred in1834, is alleged to be the tastiest carrot and has adistinctive yellow core.

You don’t have to stick to the common orange-coloured roots either. Carrots come in everycolour from white to purple to red, livening upplates and creating a great sense of fun, althoughmany compromise on taste. I can, however, heartilyrecommend the delicate sweetness of ‘Yellowstone’,a bright-yellow maincrop carrot that I’ve found to be,somewhat surprisingly, the best container carrot yet.For a very shallow container you might want to try aspherical variety such as ‘Rondo’, which doesn’t havethe traditional long taproot.

Just soPerhaps the main challenge in growing carrots isthat they aren’t suited to just any old soil. Like manyof their relatives in the Apiaceae family they need amedium to light, stone-free soil in a sunny and opensite. Prepare the ground by digging it over well,removing all stones larger than about 1cm (0.5in)in size. Rake the surface to a fine tilth just beforesowing. If you have a heavy soil you can try shorter-rooted varieties such as ‘Paris Market Parabell’.

If your soil is largely clay then you can enrich itwith organic matter and add sand to your carrotpatch the season before planting to improveconditions. This is, however, a lot of effort and youmight find it easier to grow carrots in containerswhere you’ll be able to guarantee just what theyneed. Quality multipurpose compost with a fewadded handfuls of sand and a little vermiculitemakes an ideal container mix. Add gravel to the

base of containersfor extra drainage. Adepth of 30-40cm (12-16in) will give you prize-worthy carrots, despitethem not growing inopen ground.

Carrots generallyrequire no feeding onfertile soil or groundthat was manuredfor a previous crop.

Mulching the previouswinter with leaf mould

or homemade compost can help to boost your soilfertility. The roots prefer a pH in the range of 6.5-7.5, so they don’t appreciate very alkaline soils.

Sowing and growingCarrots are best sown direct as this gives plantsthe best chance of developing those longtaproots. The only exception to this is the round-rooted types, which can be started off in modulesif so desired. Carrot seeds can be slow and S

WHATTO GROWFLYAWAY: The oneto pick for goodresistance to carrotroot fly. The sweet-tasting, medium-sized roots have arounded end to them.Victoriana Nursery

MIGNON: Thefinger-sized roots ofthis quick-grower areperfect for containerkitchen gardeners.Matures in as little as12 weeks. Thompson& Morgan

MAESTRO:Resistance to root flyand an exceptionalflavour have wonthis intermediatemaincrop carrot anRHS Award of GardenMerit. Dobies

AUTUMN KING 2:A traditional favouritemaincrop variety withlong storing ability foreating through winter.The roots can growquite long. Thompson& Morgan

EARLY NANTES5: An early varietythat can be sownunder cloches thenthroughout theseason for tender,crunchy roots ofexcellent flavour.Dobies

YELLOWSTONE:Smooth, yellow skinand a fine texture fullof crunch make thisa popular choice. Itsbright colour addsmuch to the plate. TheOrganic GardeningCatalogue

uneven to germinate as they prefer steady levelsof temperature and moisture. You can aid thisby using a cover of fleece to keep soil conditionsmore consistent until your seedlings are up.

Carrot seeds are very small and light, so sowingthinly can be tricky. That said, it’s worth takingthe time to sow as thinly as possible if you canmanage it – this will save a great deal of timethinning out later on and will reduce opportunitiesfor the persistently prevalent carrot root fly. Sow inshallow drills, 1cm (0.5in) deep or station sow threeseeds per station and thin later. Sowing carrots insuccession every few weeks will ensure you won’thave a sudden glut and can harvest at your leisure.

Once the seedlings are up the most vulnerablestage of carrot growing is over and maintenancefrom now on is simple. A little thinning is almostalways needed to achieve the ideal spacing

Carrots need a medium tolight, stone-free soil in asunny and open site

Right: Maincrop‘Yellowstone’ has a

cheery, bright colourand delicate sweetness

Grow carrots in pots ifyour soil is very heavy


Veg grow guide

between developing roots. Carrots can be grownquite compactly to save space, so leave as little as4cm (2in) between small to medium root varietiesand 7cm (3in) between larger maincrops. Allow15-25cm (6-10in) between rows, although forminiature veg you can block plant toleave as little as 2cm (1in) in eitherdirection. This is best done incontainers of rich compost.

Keep carrots weed freewhen they are young so theydon’t get overwhelmed.Water them well in dryweather to stop a lack of watercausing cracks in the swellingroots and a bitter flavour. If yoursite is very dry then a mulch of grassclippings can help to keep moisturein while preventing the tops of the roots turninggreen in the light.

Carrots have few pests and most problems arelikely to be cultural, so make sure you create the rightconditions for your carrots and there’s no reasonthey shouldn’t grow strongly. Carrot root fly is themain enemy (see box opposite) but you may find the

When to sowShort and round-rooted:February (with protection);

March-JulyIntermediate and

long-rooted (maincrops):April-July

1Sow carrots into soil that’s been rakedto a fine tilth. Mark out drills about 1cm

(0.5in) deep into the soil, spacing rowsabout 15cm (6in) to 25cm (10in) apart.

2 Carrot seed can take a little whileto germinate. Keep the ground

moist and protected in cooler weatherto encourage even germination.

3Once all of the seedlings are upthin in stages to leave about 4-7cm

(2-3in) between each plant. Do this ona still evening to minimise the risk ofdetection by root flies.

4Carrots can be grown quite closetogether for highly prized ‘mini

veg’ roots. Lift them as soon as youcansee that the shoulders of the rootsare big enough.

STEP-BY-STEP How to grow carrots

5Carrot root fly can be a nuisance. Aswell as growing resistant varieties,

thwart them by covering crops with alayer of fleece or Enviromesh.

6Lift carrots when they are ready bycarefully pulling the roots out of the

ground by the base of the foliage. Youmay need to loosen the soil with afork beforehand.

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Pull carrots as they reach the desired size.Maincrops can be stored in boxes of dry sand


The younger the carrot the sweeter it is,so pull carrots as soon as you like afteryou can see orange shoulders developing

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What aboutcarrot root f ly?

CARROT SEED SUPPLIERS✦ Dobies: 0844 7017623, www.dobies.co.uk✦ The Organic Gardening Catalogue: 01932 253666,www.organiccatalogue.com✦ Thompson & Morgan: 0844 2485383,www.thompson-morgan.com✦ Victoriana Nursery: 01233 740529,www.victoriananursery.co.uk

The main enemy of carrots and one which canbe devastating is the tiny carrot root fly. It is thelarvae of the fly that inflict the damage, hatchingat the base of the plant and burrowing into theroot. As well as causing damage they createa bitter taste and pave the way for secondary

infections. There is notmuch you can do to savealready infected carrots– remove and destroythem to prevent the fly’sspread. Try the followingdefences if carrot fly is aproblem in your area.

The first line ofdefence is to grow

carrots less susceptible to the roving fly.Resistant carrot varieties include ‘Flyaway’,‘Resistafly’, ‘Maestro’ (pictured) and ‘Sytan’, allof which, though not impervious, put up somedefence. Next consider your timing. There areoften two generations of carrot fly each year ,the first looking for an egg-laying spot in lateApril, the second in late July to early August.Planting quick-maturing varieties between midMay and mid June will give you a chance tododge the fly.

Barriers come next, as keeping the carrot rootfly away from your roots is essential. Horticulturalfleece or Enviromesh is ideal but must be inplace at the earliest available opportunity andburied in the soil around the edge of the patch.Finally, don’t do anything that will attract the fliesto your patch. Carrot root flies find your cropthrough a mix of scent and visual cues. Minimisedisturbance to foliage and only thin carrots onstill, dry evenings. Planting something with verydifferent foliage in amongst your carrots will alsoconfuse the fly; fat hen, Chenopodium album(also edible) and Pelargonium × hortorum werefound to be the most distracting in a scientificstudy. Yellow sticky traps will alsoprove irresistible.

odd attack to the leaves from aphids, flea beetle orleaf hopper. Spray with insecticidal soap or a plant/fish oil organic insecticide (such as Vitex Organic 2 in1) if this starts to become a serious problem.

Root of the matterTo lift the carrots up at harvest time grasp the baseof the foliage as close to the root as you can andgently pull. If the soil is dry it can help to water thecarrots half an hour before harvest to ease themout. Generally the younger the carrot the sweeterit is, so pull carrots as soon as you like after youcan see orange shoulders developing just beneaththe soil. The taproots are designed to be storageorgans and carrots can sit in the ground for a longtime, gradually getting bigger, with no ill effects.

In fact, many maincrop roots can be left in theground over winter to be dug up as required. Invery cold, northerly areas a mulch of straw will helpto protect in-ground roots from frost damage.If your soil is prone to becoming waterloggedin winter it is best to lift carrots in October orNovember. These can then be stored in cool, dryboxes of sliver sand. Carrots can also be blanchedthen frozen (see page 57). Needless to say, freshgarden carrots are the tastiest and will transformthe way you look at this humble root vegetable.

Below: Keepcarrot beds free ofweeds to reducecompetition fornutrients and soilmoisture

Right: Telltaledamage caused bythe larvae of carrot

root fly

Inset right: ‘Maestro’shows good

resistance to thiscommon pest


PRACTICAL PROJECT: JUNE

Page turner

Ever since I visited some Japanesefriends who are avid growersof specialist mushrooms I’ve

fancied having a go myself. They werevery helpful in explaining to me justhow to go about it, but aside fromthe apparent dark art, there alsoappeared to be significant portions ofpatience required. I found this a littlebit off-putting – while I’m not short ofpatience and can fully appreciate thatthe end result is worth the wait, I washoping that for my first venture intomushroom growing I could attemptsomething that would give me anindication of success relatively early on.

Recently I stumbled upon whatappears to be the answer: oystermushrooms. These mushrooms growrelatively quickly and because, unlikemany varieties, they require light to

grow, their progress is much morevisible. What’s more it’s possible togrow them using little more than anold paperback book, some string and aplastic bag, so long as you observe thegrowing requirements during each stageof their development.

Once fully set up and having beenchilled in the fridge for two days(see step six opposite) your oystermushroom-inoculated book will needto be misted on a daily basis. Within aweek of doing this small clusters of whitepinheads will appear. Continued daily

It's possible to grow themusing little more than anold paperback, some stringand a plastic bag

Turn an old read into a crop of gourmet oystermushrooms. Sounds like fiction? Read on, asAndy Cawthray shows how to go about it

✔ Oyster mushroom spawn✔ An old paperback book(around 300 pages)✔ String for binding the book✔ A large clear plastic bag✔ Sticky tape

What you will need

misting will result in fully grown oystermushrooms after a further week. Whenthe largest is about 10cm (4in) acrossthe cluster can be harvested by simplypulling it away from the book

Common oyster mushroom spawncan be bought from a number ofoutlets (I got mine from GourmetWoodland Mushrooms: 01964 631868,www.gourmetmushrooms.co.uk) and inthe right conditions will produce morethan one harvest. Granted it may becheaper to forage for wild mushroomsor buy them from a local market, butthere’s something fascinating aboutgrowing your own. Eating the endproduce is equally satisfying and areal gourmet treat.

Oyster mushroomsare simply delicious –and quick to grow!


How to grow mushrooms from a bookSTEP-BY-STEP

1Soak the paperback book in warm water. Hold it underthe water and squeeze it to remove the air bubbles then

weigh it down for around 20 minutes until the bubbles stop.Use a medium-sized book, about 300 pages thick.

2Squeeze out excess water until the book is wet but notsaturated. Open the book 20 to 30 pages in and spread

out the mushroom spawn, pressing it into place. Turn over50 more pages and add more spawn.

3Continue adding the spawn every 50 pages or so untilall the spawn is used up. Close the book and bind it up

using the string. Tie it tight to hold the spawn (and pages)closely in position.

4 Place the book spine-down into a large clear plastic bag.Roll the top over to seal the bag and secure in place with

sticky tape. Put the book and bag in a warm place (about20°C) away from strong drafts and direct sunlight.

5Within 24 hours the spawn will become active. Youshould be able to see white fuzz appearing on the spine

of the book. This is the root-like mycelium of the mushroom.After 5-12 days all the book edges will be covered.

6Once this occurs put the bagged book in the fridge fortwo days. Then open the bag, fold it down to 8cm (3in)

from the top edge of the book and place in a light, humidplace such as a bathroom. Mist the book daily until yourmushrooms are ready.

Container growing

Potted plots are a practicaland often stunning solutionwhere space is limited


Grab your pots and let’s get planting! Lucy Halliday shares the secrets of successto achieving a thriving container kitchen garden, plus a few ideas to get you started

distinctionPots of


S

Using containers to producehome-grown fruits andvegetables has rocketedin popularity over recent

years. In fact, as a previous allotmentdevotee I should really consider myselfa convert as container crops have savedme from having to give up my veg-growing passions in the face of endlessallotment waiting lists and little space.Containers provide a solution for anygardener, however experienced andambitious; from a few strawberries tomoney-saving bucket loads of produce,the choice is yours.

Although we are already halfwaythrough the growing season it isn’t toolate to start off a kitchen garden in pots.So why not try growing something a littledifferent? Purple or yellow carrots dosurprisingly well in a deep container andFrench beans in green, purple or yellowwill manage in little more than a two-litreplastic pot. Containers provide easilymanaged conditions for plants and allowyou to try out things that might seem alittle too risky in open ground.

June has the perfect warm climateto suit most crops. Seeds will pop up inno time and many vegetables are now

Lettuce varieties and spinach willhappily grow in a shady spot in anyshallow container of 15cm (6in) depth ormore. For a leaf that loves the sun andsomething a little different, give strawberryspinach (Chenopodium capitatum) ago. This hardy plant produces smallstrawberry-like edible fruits and spinach-like leaves on the same plant. A deepercontainer, at least 30cm (12in), is neededfor its taproot and 60cm (2ft) height butstrawberry spinach will happily grow ina sunny container. As a perennial it willsurvive less severe winters unscathed.

Rainbow chard also provides adecorative and edible leaf with its shadesof crimson red to startling yellow. Itthrives in a deep container such as anold broccoli box for a continual harvestof baby leaves. Sow now, spacing outindividual seeds, or buy as small plantsand transplant. ‘Bright Lights’ will giveyou a splash of the rainbow and looksstunning on a patio if you let the plantsget to a fair size.

Radishes can be sown throughoutthe growing season and pack a pepperypunch to liven up your salad bowl. Butdon’t just opt for the usual suspectswhen there are so many exciting varietiesavailable. Try ‘Mantanghong’, a Japaneseradish with a white skin and striking pinkinterior; ‘Zlata’ a stunning golden yellow

available to buy as seedlings or youngplants in garden centres. The mild weatherwill help you to cheat the shops and growsome of the more tender and expensivecrops yourself. If you want to have themost productive, most ambitious or mostcolourful container crops to liven upyour summer garden give some of thesuggestions that follow a try. With minimaleffort you will be in for a very tasty reward!

Salad choicesSalad crops are a must for containergrowers as they are uncomplicated togrow. Although many of them prefercooler weather, there are still plentyof leafy crops to try this month. All thesalad crops mentioned below willgrow well given straightforwardmultipurpose compost.

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Salads such as theseoak-leaf lettuces are a

container crop must-have

Above left: The arrowhead-like leaves of strawberry spinach will also yield abonus crop of strawberry-like fruits Above right: Vibrant ‘Purple Plum’ radish

Container successSoil: Your containerised crop willrely on you for everything, so giveit the best start by considering itssoil requirements. Buy good-qualitymultipurpose compost as the basisfor your growing medium. This caneasily be adjusted to suit specificcrops. Add sand or grit for extradrainage – ideal for root crops suchas carrots. Combine the compostwith topsoil or soil from your gardenfor extra clay or loam, or homemadecompost and manure for reallyhungry plants such as courgettes.

Food: Container plants, especiallynutrient-loving vegetables, run outof food pretty quickly during thegrowing season. Bear in mind thatmost multipurpose composts onlyhave enough food for around sixweeks. Using a slow-release foodsuch as Growmore or blood, fish andbone will work for longer term pottedinvestments, such as fruit bushes, butmost annual crops will need moreof a quick fix. Pick a feed that’s highin potassium for fruiting plants, ornitrogen for leafy plants. Try Tomorite

or the Maxicrop range of seaweed-based liquid feeds for a qualityinjection of nutrients.

Cost: Containers can be veryexpensive so unless you are lookingto invest in something reallyornamental, you can try all mannerof free and budget containers if theywill only be used during the growingseason. Old plastic flower buckets andpolystyrene broccoli boxes are someof the most versatile growing placesand can be found for nothing at yourlocal supermarket or greengrocers(just ask nicely). The bags yourcompost comes in can be rolleddown and planted into or large plasticplanters can be picked up dead cheapat pound stores.

Size: Containers for productivecrops need to allow enough space forfast and vigorous root development– always go as large as your growingspace and budget allows. Having saidthat there are crops you can plant inJune that will be happy squished intoa window box as long as they receiveplenty of water.

Container growing

garden to suit everyone. For a quick,fruity container fix that will need littleassistance try strawberry plants. Later-fruiting varieties such as ‘Flamenco’,‘Florence’, ‘Sophie’ or Judibell’ are bestfor June planting and will have youpicking just a couple of months later. Asimple plant pot, hanging basket, windowbox or larger planter will suit strawberriesbut they will need plenty of directsunshine to help ripen those fruits alongwith a regular liquid feed.

For an easy container fruit with adifference try Cape gooseberries,otherwise known as physalis. Thesesurprisingly easy-to-grow plants formexotic-looking orange berries with delicatepaper coatings. They cost a pretty pennyin the supermarket but can be boughtrelatively cheaply as plants online or verycheaply as root cuttings in many poundstores. Pot on into two or three-litreplastic pots and feed occasionally. Thesestunning perennial plants will provide awelcome display with their flowers andfruits – as well as their edible treats.

You can be as ambitious as you like withbush fruits in containers. Some fruits suchas blueberries often have to be grown in

colourful basil such as ‘Siam Queen’,which has purple stems and green leaves,or the black-leaved ‘Purple Ruffles’ withits hints of cinnamon and aniseed.

Something fruityFruit is often neglected by containergrowers as it’s mistakenly deemed tobe high maintenance and demandingof space. This is a real shame becausethere’s always something in the kitchen

radish; or ‘Purple Plum’, a round, purplegem. Radishes will grow in anything froma window box to an old wine crate, justsow thinly and keep well watered to avoida woody texture developing. Springonions will also grow just about anywhereand come as a gorgeous deep purple in‘Apache’ or as the delicate pink globes of‘Purplette’, both perfect for containers.Purple pak choi will also catch the eye– try ‘Rubi F1’. Alternatively sow some

Left: Grow more than one blueberry to give the best pollinationsuccess. Right: Wicker troughs make attractive strawberry planters


STEP-BY-STEP

1Choose a deep container that’s about 30-40cm (12-16in) deep. Place a little gravel into

the bottom then fill with a mix of multipurposecompost and sieved, homemade compost.

2 If sowing from seed sow one seed per station,leaving a minimum of 10-15cm (4-6in) between

plants for baby leaves. After germination removeany excess seedlings that appear.

3Seedlings are commonly available to buyin modules. Each seed is multi-germ, which

means it will produce a few plants per seed,giving a cluster of seedlings to each module.

4Gently separate plants by loosening thecompost and teasing each individual

seedling apart. Hold them by the seed leavesto avoid damaging the delicate stems.

5Plant each seedling into a small hole.Leaving 10cm (4in) between plants for

baby leaves or grow one plant to a 30cm(12in)-diameter pot for a real specimen.

6Once they’re planted, water in the seedlingswell. Keep the compost moist at all time

and regularly feed your plants to encourage thebest results and hearty crops of leaves.

Growing container chard


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space; look out for orange ‘Cheyenne’or bright scarlet ‘Demon Red’. Thesame goes for peppers – check out thecolourful dwarf ‘Redskin F1’ or ‘SweetMohawk F1’, which can even trail out of alarge hanging basket.

Clamour for cucurbitsGreat crops for the more ambitiouscontainer gardener are those of thecucurbit family. Like cucumbers andsquash they can be very ornamental aswell as productive. Sow inside now forquickest germination or buy in babyplants. These hungry plants generallyneed a large container with a minimumvolume of 50-60 litres. Large plastic trugs,dustbins, large buckets or even an oldbath are just the ticket.

There are, however, bush varieties like‘Honey Bear F1’, quick-maturing ‘SummerBall’ and specially-bred dwarf containercroppers like ‘Balmoral F1’ that willmanage with even less space. I use a 50:50mix of manure and quality compost for

containers anyhow as they need a muchmore acidic soil than most allotments canprovide. If you buy a blueberry bush makesure you plant it in a large plastic or glazedpot; terracotta dries out too quickly for thismoisture lover. Use ericaceous compostto pot up the blueberry. A single, self-fertile variety will produce fruit but two orthree plants make for better pollinationand much heavier cropping, so it’s worthplanting a small group if you can. Bygetting more fruit per bush you’ll also besaving big at the tills.

If you’d like to go for the berry lessordinary, try out a goji berry bush. Veryhardy, vigorous and tolerant of mostsoils – and a fair amount of neglect – gojiberries are extremely pricy to buy butsimple enough to grow yourself (turn topage 82 to find out more).

Tender subjectsFor tender fruiting plants such as chillies,peppers and aubergines, June heraldsthe start of the perfect growing period.These plants like it hot and with onlysmall root systems are perfect for potsto pop into any sunny corner. A rich,multipurpose compost and regular liquidfeed and water will see them through toproducing a pleasing crop, even in ourcooler climes. As these crops need to besown earlier in the year you will need toseek out young plants at this stage of theyear – any garden centre should have areasonable selection.

For aubergines the stripy dwarf‘Pinstripe F1’ or the compact ‘OpheliaF1’ are both good choices. Chillies comein every colour of the rainbow but manydwarf container types are now availableto pack that punch into an even smaller

container squash. Once they’re potted intoposition they get a weekly feed of high-potassium liquid fertiliser to encouragemaximum cropping. Cucumbers getthe same treatment. Try hardier outdoorvarieties of cucumber such as ‘CrystalLemon’ for its yellow globes, ‘Parisian’for little gherkins or the comically named‘Burpless Tasty Green’ for juicy green fruits.

Aubergine ‘Pinstripe’ has prettystripes, giving it decorative appeal

Dwarf varietiesof squash such aspumpkin ‘Windsor F1’will do well in pots

2Tease and fan out the rootsfrom around pot-grown

plants to help them take off intotheir new surroundings.

3Use a quality soil-basedcompost such as John

Innes Number 3 to plant yourgoji berry to its original depth.Water in well to settle.

1Choose a good-sizedcontainer and add some

crocks and/or gravel into thebottom for extra drainage (gojiberries resent soggy roots).

Planting a goji berrySTEP-BY-STEP







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Organic growing

Organic crumbleunshredded ones. You can chop most stemsand leaves up with a spade, but it may be worthhiring a shredder in autumn to break downheavier woody material and leaves. It is bestto store your compost in a bin; either buy oneor make your own using mesh or wood. A pitis another possibility, though it will be hard toempty and may become waterlogged in winter.Whichever type of bin or heap you use, it willneed a lid to keep out rain.

In theory you should fill your compost binwith a good blend of materials in as short aperiod as possible. In practice, it is likely that thebin will take time to fill up. Therefore it probablywon’t generate enough warmth for thoroughcomposting; weed seeds and roots maysurvive, as may organisms in diseased material.Large-scale municipal composting reachestemperatures that eliminate these problems,but small volumes of home-made compostcannot match this, so be careful what youadd to your heap.

If you cannot achieve the ideal blend ofingredients, you could try using ‘activators’.These nitrogen-rich materials help to breakdown woody materials and can be usefulwhen you have too little soft green material.Alternatively, add a thin layer of farmyardor stable manure, mushroom compost, or asprinkling of nitrogen-rich fertiliser to every15cm (6in) of woody material. Adding limeis sometimes recommended but is usuallyunnecessary, unless you are composting lots ofshredded conifer prunings or waste fruits whichcan be very acidic.

Ready to use?Turning the compost can speed up thedecomposition process. Empty the binand mix the contents, adding water todry material before returning it to the bin.To check the progress of your heap, pullback the upper layers to see if the fibrousmaterial is breaking down. If not, it mayeither be too dry or may need more soft greenmaterial, such as lawn clippings, to add nitrogen.

Making compost is rewarding for both you and your plants.Get your compost heap off to the best possible start withthis refresher guide to the gardener’s good stuff

Garden compost is a crumbly, dark,organic material processed fromwaste materials from the kitchen and

garden. It is made by soil bacteria and othermicroorganisms, which break down and rot theraw materials. A good soil improver, compost iseasy to add to the soil or to use as mulch. Grassclippings can be used ‘raw’ as a mulch but arefar more effective once composted.

Building the heapYour role in making compost is to provide soilorganisms with warmth, moisture and a goodmix of materials. Placing bins on bare soil allowsthese organisms to get inside. Alternatively, add aspadeful of compost from an old heap, or soil, forevery 30cm (12in) of material.

Shredded materials will rot down faster than

of the compost heapshould be green,leafy material

20-50%

Your role in making compost is toprovide soil organisms warmth,moisture and a good mix of materials

Plastic bins areinexpensive, rot-proof,and the most commonmaterial for bins

Wire-mesh enclosures need to be large for goodresults. Insulate with straw or cardboard betweenthe mesh to maintain the temperature

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If you have a small household or modestgarden, your compost may not turn out to bethe ideal uniformly crumbly, brown materialyou had hoped for. Instead it will probablyhave twiggy and semi-rotted parts mixed inwith a dark brown mass that smells like dampwoodland. Pick or sieve out the unrottedcomponents and add them to your nextcompost batch; they will rot down eventually.

Of course, a successful compost heap is verysatisfying indeed. After all, there aren’t manythings that convert waste material into fresh,nutrient-rich soil improver. Added at plantingtime, as a top-up mulch around plants, or tobare soil over winter, your home-made compostwill prove a boon in the garden and a boost foryour crops.

Put it in✓ Vegetable kitchen waste

✓ Weeds that haven’t gone to seed

✓ Grass clippings

These provide nitrogen and othernutrients for the microorganisms. Theyare wet and soft, so must be mixed withfibrous material.

✓ Shredded paper or cardboard

✓ Eggshells and carrot peelings

✓ Spent bedding plants

✓ Decaying stems of perennials

✓ Twiggy perennials

✓ Fallen leaves

These provide tougher, carbon-richmaterial with less nitrogen. If you don’thave time or space for leafmould,fallen leaves can be included within thecompost heap.

0 Further practical adviceon gardening techniques isavailable in the new book RHSHow to Garden (published byDK, priced £14.99), available inbookshops and at www.dk.com

INS AND OUTSGetting the balance of your compostheap right is important. Ideally between20-50% of the heap should consist ofgreen, leafy material, with the rest madeup of more fibrous, woody material. Inpractice you will have different materialsat different times of the year. Do whatyou can with what is available and thematerials will balance out over time. Themain point is to try to prevent the binbeing dominated by one ingredient.

Leave it out✗ Material that is diseased, damagedor contaminated with weedkiller

✗ Weeds carrying seeds or with rootsthat might survive composting, suchas dandelions or bindweed

✗ Cat and dog mess, which mayharbour harmful organisms

✗ Kitchen waste containing animalmaterials, such as scraps of meat,which can attract rats.

compost heap.

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I’m a big fan of car boot sales and loverummaging through the boxes of old junk. Inthem I often find obsolete tools and gadgets

from days gone by. Cleared from sheds andbarns, many of these won’t have seen the light ofday for umpteen years and it will have been sometime since they were last used. It’s often hard toeven guess at their original purpose, such is theevolution of today’s tools.

Most gardeners have a spade, fork, rake, hoe,wheelbarrow and probably a few other accessories ofvarious description. But aside from the common toolshed staples lies a plethora of unusual and special-purpose tools. If you can think of a specific job thenthere is almost certainly a specialist tool to do it.

Specialist tools will come into their own whenit’s time to carry out the particular task they weredesigned for. For example, the rounded, widely-spaced tines of the potato fork will allow you tounearth your tubers without ever spearing one todestruction again. Or take the arrow-like head ofthe compost aerator which will stab into the heart ofyour compost heap like no other tool, introducingoxygen to speed up the composting process indouble-quick time.

Together these tools make life in the gardenor on the allotment that little bit easier. If you findyourself growing a lot of a particular crop or carryingout a specific task regularly then it’s well worthinvestigating to see if there’s a tool for the job inhand. So join me on a trip through the weird andwonderful world of the well-equipped garden shed.

Ever wondered what some of those more specialistgardening tools were for? Mike Woolnoughrummages around the shed and shares someideas for adding to our own gardening toolkit

Product review

Tools of the trade

S

FEATURES✓ Ideal for hard or root-bound soil✓ Long-life carbon steel blade✓ Compact 40cm (16in) length

Price: £11.95 Supplier: Burgon& Ball (0114 2338262,www.burgonandball.com)

FEATUR✓ Ideal fo✓ Long-l✓ Comp

Price: £1& Ball (01www.burg

Carbon Steel Mighty PickNot the sort of pick that you see workmenusing on the roads, but a shorter handledversion with a sharp, weighted carbon steelhead that will make light work of breaking uphard-packed areas where you are preparinga new vegetable bed.

Specialist tools canlook odd but areoften worth theirweight in gold astime-savers

80 May 2011 Grow it!

Product review

Potato Harvesting ScoopNo matter how carefully you dig, and no matterwhich pronged fork you use, you will always end upwith some potatoes harpooned on the tines of yourfork when you harvest them. This potato scoop doesaway with this problem and is designed to sift yourspuds from the soil without causing any damage

FEATURES✓ Sturdy stainless steel construction✓ Hardwood handle✓ Protective end bar over tines

Joseph BentleyCompost AeratorThis tool is designed to lift and mix thecontents of your compost heap in orderto create the air pockets essential forgood compost production. The carbonsteel blades fold flat against the shaftwhen inserted into the compost, thenflip out when the handle is drawn backto pull up layers of compost.

FEATURES✓ Hinged blades for easy entry✓ Extra-long 85cm (34in) handle✓ Reduces back strain

Price: £19.99 Supplier: Green fingers(0845 3450728, www.greenfingers.com)

Berry PickerStripping blackcurrants or other berries from your bushescan be a tiresome (and messy) job, especially if you have lotsof bushes to work your way through. This clever little gadgetscoops the berries from the stem so you can work really fast.

Price: £14.95 Supplier: Burgon & Ball(0114 2338262, www.burgonandball.com)

FEATURES✓ Comb to separate berries✓ Harvest up to 10x quicker✓ Also for deadheading

Price: £12.95Supplier: Mr Fothergill’s(www.mr-fothergills.co.uk0845 3710518)

ting Scoopdig, and no matteryou will always end uped on the tines of your

is potato scoop doessigned to sift your

g any damage

n

JCThiscontento cregood csteel blwhen insflip out wto pull up

FEATURES✓ Hinged bla✓ Extra-long✓ Reduces ba

Price: £19.99 Su(0845 3450728, w

m your bushesif you have lots

ver little gadgetwork really fast.

om)

Garden RidgerThis tool looks like a ploughshare on a stick,and it effectively serves the same purpose. Asyou draw the head through the soil it ploughsa furrow and turns the soil over to form a ridge.Great for making furrows for sowing, earthing upor aerating the soil, this is a handy tool rarely seenin British tool sheds but popular on the continent.

FEATURES✓ Powder-coated steel head✓ Long handle – 163cm (65in)✓ Comfortable grip

Price: £26.95 Supplier: Ferndale Lodge(0844 3140043, www.ferndale-lodge.co.uk)

The Ibis CultivatorHold this tool in your hand and you can immediately seehow this tool got its name – the shape strongly resemblesthe ibis bird’s head. The design of this oriental tool ishundreds of years old and is very useful for drawing seeddrills and covering them, weeding, transplanting andmany more day-to-day gardening jobs.

FEATURES✓ Hand-forged steel head✓ Ergonomically balanced✓ Wooden handle

Price: £16.95Supplier: The OrganicGardening Catalogue(01932 253666,www.organiccatalogue.com)

Aside from the common tool shedstaples lie a plethora of unusualand special-purpose tools


Sneeboer Long HandledFork and MattockThere are times when some heavy-dutyground breaking is needed and at such timesyou should reach for one of these. The mattockside can break up hard soil, chop out weedsand dig trenches. Flip the tool overto use the fork side to create aworkable tilth for planting.

FEATURES✓ 10cm (4in) fork/mattock heads✓ Handsome, hand-forged design✓ Long handle for added clout

Price: £59.95Supplier: HarrodHorticultural (0845 4025300,www.harrodhorticultural.com)

Darlac Multi TrowelNow here’s a really versatile tool. The pronged end removesweeds, the honed edge eases plants from pots, there’s aplanting depth-gauge marked on the head, a serrated edge forsawing through small roots – and even a string-cutting notch!

FEATURES✓ Truly versatile tool✓ Stainless steel head✓ Easy-grip rubber handle

Price: £4.95 Supplier: Two Wests & Elliott(01246 451077, www.twowests.co.uk)

The ThingamadigThe Thingamadig looks a bit like a baby’sspoon but its sharp point, serrated edgeand deep scoop make it ideal for digging,weeding, cutting and generally pokingaround in the garden. Like many of theitems in the Lakeland catalogue, this isone of those tools that you never realisedyou needed until you spotted it.

FEATURES✓ Multipurpose hand tool✓ Polished stainless steel scoop✓ Comfortable rubber handle

Price: £6.49 Supplier: Lakeland(01539 488100, www.lakeland.co.uk)

Tyzack BillhookFifty years ago virtually every home in thecountry would have had something like thisfor chopping up kindling to get a fire goingin the fireplace. There is still a need for thistype of tool, particularly when clearing awaystubborn woody growth or laying hedges.

FEATURES✓ 25cm (10in) steel blade✓ Strong ash handle✓ Invaluable traditional tool

Draper LongHandled Bulb PlanterThis bulb planter is also brilliant forplanting potatoes! Quickly and easilyremove a plug of soil, drop in your potato,replace the soil then earth up. No bendingrequired – and if your soil is heavy thespade-type treads mean that you canuse one or both feet to apply pressure.

FEATURES✓ Creates 6cm (2.5in)-diameter holes✓ Lightweight construction✓ Chrome-plated carbon steel

Price: £8.95 Supplier: Just Green(01621 785088, www.just-green.com)

Price: £23.25 Supplier: The OrganicGardening Catalogue (01932 253666,www.organiccatalogue.com)

Bulldog Premier Potato ForkThis fork is the exception to the unwritten rule mentionedabove. The tines on this fork are rounded at the ends toprevent crop damage. The traditional ash shaft and forgedhead will last you a lifetime – and you need neversuffer another harpooned potato again.

FEATURES✓ Avoids spud damage✓ 75cm (30in) ash handle✓ British-made tool

Price: £106.80 Supplier: Bulldog Tools(for stockists: 01279 401572,www.bulldogtools.co.uk)

These tools make life in thegarden or on the allotmentthat little bit easier


Fruit grow guide

Don’t settle for run-of-the-mill fruits – try something out of the ordinary,like one of these four tempting prospects ideal for growing in containers

Exotic fruits from sunnier climes willcertainly tantalise your taste buds whileguaranteeing to create a talking point.

Pineapples and guavas, for example, are fun togrow, though both are tropical fruits and needthe protection of a warm, bright conservatory.If you haven’t got a conservatory there areplenty of other unusual fruits that will thrivein pots on the patio. Two less-than-commonfruits worth growing are the jewel-like goji andaronia berries. Both are easy to grow and makeattractive plants. Ideal for the health conscious,they are high in antioxidants and will save asmall fortune on bought-in ‘superfoods’.

Aronia berriescontain high levels

of antioxidants

An exoticmedleyPineappleA member of the tropical bromeliad family, thepineapple is an attractive plant with strappy, spinyleaves and spiky-topped fruit. For somethingexotic, pineapples are surprisingly easy to grow.Either buy ready-grown plants or start your ownin spring from shop-bought fruit. Cut a thick sliceoff the top of the pineapple and remove thelower leaves. Scoop out any soft flesh and leavethis to dry for a few days before planting, scoop-side down, in a pot of soil-based compost withadded grit. A sunny conservatory is essential aspineapples need six hours of bright sun a day andan ideal minimum temperature of 18°C.

Pineapples grow slowly and won’t fruit untilthey are at least three years old. Keep the ‘well’between the leaf rosettes full of water, and mistplants now and then. When in growth, feed oncea month with a liquid tomato fertiliser.

Aronia berryThe nutrient-rich, blackcurrant-like berries ofaronia or chokeberries can be juiced or madeinto jam. In spring and summer, this deciduousshrub forms a mound of glossy green foliage,but in autumn the leaves turn a fiery red, whichis even brighter if plants are placed in full sun.The small, white, spring flowers are followed bydark purple autumn berries.

In their native habitat aronias are foundgrowing in damp, acid soil, but they will thrive in

Tropical pineapplesmake strikingconservatory plants

ARONIA BERR

Y

HEIGHT & SPREAD1.2m (4ft) ASPECT

Sun or partial shadeMIN. TEMP Fully hardy

HARVEST Autumn


a range of conditions. Plant into pots of soil-based compost, such as John Innes Number 3,and keep plants well watered. The wild speciesproduces prolific crops of berries, though morecompact cultivars, such as Iroquois Beauty(‘Morton’) and ‘Hugin’ are better suited to thecramped conditions of a container.

GuavaSmall, green guava fruit is rarely seen in shop, andplants will be the star attraction when grown in aconservatory in cooler climes. They can be grownfrom seed, but it’s easier to start with a youngplant. Guavas need plenty of space and lots oflight, so plant them into large containers filledwith soil-based compost and set in a warm, brightconservatory. Trees can go outside in summer in

a sheltered area next to a warm, south-facingwall, but both the early blossom and

ripening fruits must be protectedfrom frost. Plants will only fruit

after a long, hot summer.

To care for your trees, ensure the compostdoesn’t dry out, though avoid overwatering.Give guavas a boost in spring by working aslow-release, balancedfertiliser into the top layer ofcompost. Keep plants bushyand within bounds by pruningshoot tips in spring.

Goji berryThe red, oval berries of thegoji or wolfberry are displayedlike jewels on the branchesof this hardy shrub. As wellas their aesthetic appeal, theberries are crammed withantioxidants, vitamins andminerals. Young plants areavailable in spring, ready toplant out into pots of soil-based compost. To improve drainage,add extra grit and raise pots on ‘feet’.Boost plant growth by mixing a slow-release, balanced fertiliser into thecompost. Water regularly and lightlyprune plants in spring. The purple orpink flowers produced in summer arefollowed by autumn fruits, but rememberthat pants won’t crop until their secondyear. Shake berries from the branchesrather than picking them off.

Berries can be used fresh or dried.To dry them, spread the fruits in asingle layer on a wire rack and allow to drynaturally in a warm and light place. Alternatively,dry the berries on a rack in an oven set at a lowtemperature. Avoid touching the fruits as theirskins will discolour your hands.

PINEAPPLE

HEIGHT & SPREAD1m (3ft) ASPECT Full sun ina bright conservatory MIN.TEMP 15°C HARVEST When

fruit is fully ripe

Guavas have asweet, pineapple-

mint flavour

Ripe goji berries are full ofhealth-giving properties.Enjoy them fresh or dried

GOJI BERRY

HEIGHT & SPREAD1.2m (4ft) ASPECT

Sun or partial shadeMIN. TEMP Fully hardy

HARVEST Autumn

GUAVA

HEIGHT & SPREAD2m (8ft) ASPECT

Full sun MIN. TEMP 3°CHARVEST Late spring

Find out more aboutgrowing edibles andother plants in pots inthe new book RHS Howto Grow Plants in Pots(published byDK, priced £14.99).Available from allgood bookshops orwww.dk.com

SUT

TON

S


Avoid sudden gluts by sowing what you need, when youneed it. Dave Hamilton talks us through successionalsowing and a few of the crops we can sow like this now

At some point we’ve alllet enthusiasm presideover commonsense;

it’s all-too tempting to sow theentire contents of a seed packetin one go. The trouble is thisoften results in a glut of producefollowed by nothing at all. Whilesome crops can be left in placeto take as and when needed(parsnips, sprouting broccoli andpotatoes for example), quick-growers such as salad leaves,spinach and radish won’t standfor long. Their quick turnaroundfrom seed to plate means thatif you don’t want to be eatingsalads for breakfast, lunch anddinner, you will do well to spreadyour crops out to achieve moreevenly spaced harvests.

The starting point for this is towork out how much you think youwill realistically eat within a typicalweek. It’s obvious that a singleperson will need less than a family,

so figure out what each memberof your family will eat and add thisall up to get an idea of how muchyou should be sowing. My partnerand I eat around a bag of saladeach a week, which works outas three or four whole loose-leaflettuces. In warm weather we’ll eat

Steady does itmore than this and we sometimeslike to sow extra for guests(including uninvited guests suchas the odd slug!).

Of course, it’s impossibleto avoid all gluts and any thatdo still occur can be dealt withby freezing. Crops like runnerbeans and courgettes, which arenotoriously difficult to avoid glutsof, are ideal for this treatment.These will need blanching inboiling water then freezing ontrays before packing into plastictubs (this will stop them becominga solid frozen mass). But whilefreezing deals with unavoidablegluts, properly staggering theharvests of those crops you canplan will mean much fresherproduce.

Successional saladsSowing little and often helpsprolong the harvest window,while minimising the all-at-once

Know-how

Quick-growers suchas radish need to besown little and often

to prevent fat andlean times

Salads can bestarted off inmodule trays,sowing a setnumber of cellsevery few weeks

S


Know-how

as ‘Fristina’ and the oak-leaf typeslend themselves to this, as domany non-lettuce leaves such aspurslane and rocket. Widening therange of salads you grow not onlygives a rounder balance of flavour,it will ensure a more balanced diet.Brassicas, for example, containhigh levels of vitamin K; herbsalads are rich in beta-carotene;rocket, watercress and landcresscontain folate; while all fresh

scenario – a technique known as‘successional sowing’. It is relativelysimple to achieve a staggeredharvest of salad leaves. Let’s takelettuce as an example: if you wishto have whole heads of lettuceevery week then sow one row ofa module tray every two to fourweeks. Sow more than this if youeat more lettuce. In this way you’llachieve a succession of harvestsand won’t ever feel like you haveto eat your way through a suddenrush of leaves.

Prick out the lettuces whenthey are large enough to handle,remembering to handle seedlingsby their leaves and not the rootsor delicate stems – leaves cangrow back if they break but asnapped taproot or stem willkill a plant. Grow your lettuceson in containers filled withmultipurpose, peat-free compostor plant out into the ground attheir final spacings. Differentvarieties of lettuce can be sownevery few weeks up until October,with later sowings benefitingfrom a little protection. The seedpackets should tell you when it isbest to sow. Winter salads can bea little on the bitter side and if youare not used to this you may alsowant to try a crisp-tasting lettucesuch as ‘Parella Rossa’. Mostlettuces take four to seven weeksto mature.

Rather than take one lettucehead at a time I prefer to take afew leaves from several plants.Cut-and-come-again lettuces such

Salad leaf schedule

Lettuce ‘Red Flame’,‘Mint Crisp’

April to July May to September No

Lettuce,oak-leaf types

February to earlySeptember

Almost year-round Yes

Rocket March toSeptember

April to November Yes

Mizuna and mibuna June to September,and April to Mayunder protection

July to December Quite cold hardy butgrow under a clochein winter

Winter purslane/miners’ lettuce

August toSeptember, orAugust to Novemberunder protection

October to May Hardy to -15°C

Type of salad When to sow When to harvest Frost protection required?

Lettuce,oak-leaf types

February to earlySeptember

Almost year-round Yes

Mizuna and mibuna June to September,and April to Mayunder protection

July to December Quite cold hardy butgrow under a clochein winter

salad leaves are a good sourceof vitamin C.

Another advantage ofharvesting a few leaves at a timeis that you will prevent plants fromgenerating enough energy to goto seed or ‘bolt’. Stopping a plantfrom bolting will considerablyextend its lifespan and usefulharvest time. Commercial growerswho use this method pick fromone row one week and anotherthe next, switching back and forthon alternating weeks to allow newleaves to grow on those plants justharvested. If you wish to staggeryour harvest this way then sow awhole module tray of mixed saladsonce every four weeks (this willgive about 24 plants).

At the end of the seasonsome plants will need coveringwith a cloche or will need to begrown under the protection of apolytunnel or greenhouse. I coverwinter salads with a fleece whenthe weather cools down; the extrawarmth keeps plants ticking alongfor longer.

Crazy for carrotsThe organised among us willbe harvesting their spring-sowncarrots by about now. But forthose who may have spentFebruary flicking through seedcatalogues rather than startingtheir first sowings it’s not too lateto get some carrots in now. I tendto eat about four carrots in a weekand my partner has the same, soI make sure I sow a row of at least16 carrots every two weeks, plusextras for losses/spares.

Later sowings from June usuallyavoid the laying season of thecarrot’s number one pest – the

Take a fewleaves from eachplant to extendeach plant’suseful lifespan

Above: Sowshorter rows ofcarrots moreoften to preventtoo much at anyone time







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carrot root fly, which means youmay not have to cover this latercrop with fleece protection.A student of mine swears byplanting strong-smelling herbssuch as sage next to carrots. Thento mask the scent of a harvestedcarrot from the carrot root fly she’llbruise the sage leaves, releasingthe herb’s aromatic scent to throwthe flies off the scent.

Early carrot varieties takeabout 12 weeks from sowing toharvest, while maincrop typestake around 16. June is a little latefor earlies but it’s a good timeto sow maincrop varieties suchas ‘Ulysses’ or the more flexible‘Napoli’. There are also cultivarssuitable for patio or pot growing,which are much smaller and takeless time to mature. Some babycarrots will be ready in as littleas seven weeks and have a crisp,crunchy flavour. You can also sowsecond earlies in August for anautumn-lifting crop. Carrots willstore over winter in a sand box orpotato clamp.

Shell outBy early summer you may think it’sgetting too late to sow peas. Forsome varieties, such as ‘FelthamFirst’ that may be the case but asearlies take around 12 weeks tostart cropping, second earlies 14and maincrop varieties 15 weeks,you can get away with sowingpeas as late as June and evenJuly in some parts of the South. Inmild areas you could be pickingas late as November, thoughthis is, admittedly, exceptional‘Kelvedon Wonder’ is a good all-rounder, serving as both an earlyand maincrop pea. Mangetout

varieties are useful for a slightlyquicker crop. Early varieties canbe sown in November for a cropthe following spring.

You can stagger harvests bygrowing a range of varieties orby staggering sowing times withsuccessional sowing. Sow everytwo weeks from spring directlyinto the soil and grow plants uppea sticks or netting. Modulesowing isn’t necessary for peasand can even do more harmthan good as this only disturbsthe roots, though sowing intobiodegradable loo roll centresgets around this problem.

If you have struggled with peasin the past, bear in mind theydon’t like compacted soil and canrot in waterlogged conditions.Birds can also be a problem –

I used to be watched by a hungryjay that would eagerly swoopdown and eat all the peas I’d justsown the moment my back wasturned. It took the allotment rep toalert me to this leguminous crimeand I have netted my peas andbeans while they germinate eversince. Peas are quite cold hardybut autumn sowings will needsome protection.

Experiment!It is worth experimenting withother crops as only experiencewill let you know what growswell in your conditions. Over thelast winter, when temperaturesplummeted to below -10°C, I wasamazed to see overwinteringcoriander under fleece in apolytunnel. I have also managed togrow summer lettuces in a warmpart of a kitchen. Sown into potsin October, they remained fairlystatic over winter but swelled intoa lush head of leaves come spring,allowing me to take a few leavesat a time right up to May when myoutdoor lettuces started to crop.

Remember that the key toachieving a steady supply of anycrop is to sow just what you needevery few weeks. Work back fromthe anticipated harvest dateand sow from here. With a littlepractise you will get the knackof successional sowing and berewarded with a steady supply ofyour favourite produce.

The key to achieving a steadysupply of any crop is to sow justwhat you need every few weeks

It’s still not too lateto sow peas. Growthem up pea sticksfor support

Left: Carrotssuitable forcontainers, such as‘Parmex’ are veryquick growers

The smallest pinchof seeds at eachsowing is usuallyenough

MR

FOTH

ERG

ILL'

S


Plants need several things to growon and produce a healthy crop:sunlight, warmth and water. We all

need water to live, but how much shouldwe give our plants? Seedlings especiallyrequire a careful balance – enough togrow and avoid drying out but not somuch that they are flooded. Lots of watercan also wash away soil nutrients (a processcalled leaching).

When you’re growing seedlings in potsit’s very easy to control the water intake butonce your plants are in the ground this canbe much harder. This is where a rain gaugecomes in handy. By monitoring rainfall, whilekeeping a diary to record temperature andweather patterns, you can make sure that inhot weather your plants are watered and, ifthere has been a lot of rain, you ease off thewatering. Don’t worry about too much rainaffecting your plants, as when they are in theground the soil quickly absorbs rain. It is onlycontainer plants that can get too soggy ifgiven too much water.

Even though water is all around us,

in rivers, lakes and the sea, it is still veryprecious. Rainfall has become unpredictableover the years, so we need to make surethat not a drop is wasted. When it comesto looking after your garden in the heat ofsummer, it’s much better to use collectedrain water rather than water from thetap. Rain water is better for plants andit saves on treated water. The easiestway to collect rain water is to askan adult to buy a water butt fromthe garden centre and attach it tothe drainpipe on your house. Thatway, when it rains, the water willtrickle down the roof and alongthe guttering, right into your waterbutt. Then you can simply dip yourwatering can in to water your plantsand wait for the rain to refill the butt.

When you water your plants it’s muchbetter to use a rose fitting on the end ofyour hose or watering can that has lots oftiny holes. This will slow the flow of waterand ensure that it is spread over a wider areawithout disturbing the soil surface.

Don’t be glum when it rains – celebrate the weather that helpsour plants to grow! Victoria Poolman explains why rain is soprecious and how to make a garden rain gauge

Young GrowersLE

VEL

OF

DIF

FIC

ULT

Y

D ’t b l h it i l b t th th

Rainy daysRainy daysWhat youwill need✓ A clean two-litrebottle with a flatbottom✓ Scissors (andan adult)✓ Paperclips✓ Ruler✓ Marker pen

to make sureWhen it comesen in the heat ofo use collected

er from theplants and

he easiestto asktt fromch it to

use. Thatter willalongur waterdip your

our plantsl the butt

aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnn aaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddddddddddduuuuuuuuuuulllllllllllttttttttttt)))))))))))✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPaaaaaaaaaaaaapppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrccccccccccccllllllllliiiiiiiiipppppppppppppppssssssssssssss✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ RRRRRRRRRRRRRuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr pppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnn

Why not try?Keeping a weather diary torecord how much rainfallyou receive. That way you’llknow when your plants willbe in need of some extrahelp from the watering can.


6Now simply check your rain gauge atthe same time every day, recording each

measurement as you go. Empty the water aftertaking a reading.

STEP-BY-STEP Making a rain gauge

1Use some scissors to cut the top end of thebottle off. Cut around the bottle where it

starts to slope towards the neck to leave youwith a funnel.

2 Turn the funnel upside down and fit ininto the bottle. Use paperclips to secure

it in place. Make sure you haven’t left the lidscrewed on!

3Place the bottle onto a table for supportthen use a ruler to mark out measurements

along the side. It’s best to do this in centimetres.4Find a place in the garden that isn’t

overshadowed by trees or buildings and diga hole as wide as your bottle. Alternatively fill abucket with sand.

5 Insert your new rain gauge into the holeand secure it with sand, stones or soil so

that it won’t get blown over by the wind. Makesure it’s level.

Rain is essentialif we’re to havethriving plants

JUSTFOR FUN...Why is the letter ‘T’

like an island?Because it’s in themiddle of water!

Did you know?✦ There are around 326million trillion gallonsof water in the world, yetonly about 2.5% of this isfresh water of which lessthan 1% is accessible forus to use.

✦ Roughly one in eightpeople around the worldhave no safe drinkingwater supply. Instead, theycope with polluted, dirtywater to wash, drink andcook with.

✦ Here in the UK theaverage person uses150 litres of water everyday. This has gone upby a whopping 1% everysingle year since 1930!


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NextmonthMake the most ofsummer with Grow it!

With long summer days and balmyweather speeding crops along,July can be an incrediblyproductive month. It’s a timeof plenty, when springtimesowings reap edible riches.But don’t let summer’sbounty lull you into a falsesense of security – there’s lotsto be getting on with, especially if theharvests are to continue. Next month we’ll show you how to keepthings ticking over, there’ll be tips on plant feeding, advice onfigs, troubleshooting ideas and an inspiring step-by-step guideto help you create a living wall of crops. And lots, lots more!

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Supermarket culture hassadly conditioned us tothink that only certainparts of most plants are

edible. Yet there is a huge rangeof different veg that offer two ormore crops for the price of one.This untapped source of food is areal boon for the busy gardeneror anyone short on space. Italso offers exciting new flavoursto explore and opens up newpossibilities in the kitchen.

Did you know, for example, thatthe young leaves of radishes aredelicious in their own right and canbe eaten raw or cooked? Or that ifyou leave some radishes to flower,the resulting crunchy seed pods are

fantastic added as a spicy garnishto salads, or fried and served witha sprinkling of sea salt? We all lovemangetout and sugar snap peas,but did you know that whole youngbroad bean pods can be eaten in asimilar way when they are still as slimas your finger? Even people whodon’t usually like broad beans findthem hard to resist when they arepicked this young.

Twice as niceIn Northern Spain the leaves on topof turnips are more highly-prized asa gourmet food than the roots are.Here they are served as a deliciousgratin with cream and sharp cheese.Don’t be in too much of a hurry to

Know-how

Are you throwing delicious veg onto your compost heap by mistake? More ofyour plants might be tastier than you think. Jeannine McAndrew reveals how youcan make your plot more productive at no added cost and for no extra effort

A th i d li i t t h b i t k ? M fWaste not,want not

Main pic: Young beetroot leaves can beeaten much like spinach for an addededible bonus; Above: Enjoy the tenderleaves of radish as much as its root S



Know-how

Salad daysThe health benefits of eating abowl of salad every day are welldocumented, but supermarketbags of leaves can cost a smallfortune. Luckily there are lots ofways that savvy gardeners canenjoy fresh crops all year roundfor very little outlay. As well asgrowing old favourites like lettuce,supplement your salads by usingthe young leaves of spinach andSwiss chard raw. Onion thinningsand young leek leaves can beused to pep up all sorts of recipes,as can trimmings from your herbplants whenever you need to keepthem in shape. Petals from daisiesand dandelions can be used to addcolour and flavour to salads, whileyoung dandelion leaves are verytasty. If you blanch a dandelionplant by covering it with a bucketor flowerpot for a week or two, theleaves are said to have a flavoursuperior to endive.

A huge range of wild herbs,weeds and mushrooms can all makedelicious and vitamin-rich additionsto the stock pot. However, it’s vitalthat you never pick anything unless

you are absolutely certain of itsidentity and you can also guarantee

it hasn’t come into contact withany harmful chemicals such

as pesticides.

dig up your brassicas either – youcan often get a second mini cropof greens if you leave the cut stemin the soil for just three or fourmore weeks. When you harvestcabbages, for example, slice across into the top of the stalk andfour ‘mini cabbages’ will soongrow, providing you with fresh,sweet leaves.

Much of what seems like ground-breaking information to us wascommon knowledge back in the1940s. The importance of findingclever and creative ways to makethe most of all the food we hadavailable was widely recognisedand as a result our diet was farhealthier than it is now. By simplygetting into the habit of thinkingtwice before putting veg on thecompost heap, the yields from yourplot could be significantly improvedwithout you having to do any extrawork whatsoever!

Flower powerNasturtiums are incredibly easy to grow from seed and will thriveeven on poor soils. The blooms attract useful pollinators to our plotsand so they are a common sight in veg gardens and allotments.However, while most of us eat lettuce a few times a week, when didyou last eat a nasturtium leaf or flower? They are just as deliciousand healthy as watercress and rocket, so why not get into the habitof harvesting a few leaves every day this summer? What’s more theseed pods can be pickled to make a dish much like capers that islovely with bread and cheese. Simply fill a pound jar with the washedgreen seeds and add 450g of cold water in which you’ve mixed 50gof salt. Leave for 24 hours and then drain and rinse them. Sterilisethe jar then put the seeds back in and cover with boiling, spicedvinegar. Your ‘poor man’s capers’ will be ready to eat in three weeks.

Did you know?


Stock upBring back the lost art of making delicious home-made stocks. Even if youhave a small household you can save up all your unwanted bits and piecesof veg in a zip-bag in the freezer until you have enough to make a decentpot full. Onion skins, celery hearts and leaves, peel from butternut squash,pumpkins and marrows, woody bits from the ends of asparagus and kohlrabi, the dark green tops of leeks, stems from cauliflower and broccoli, notto mention tough mushroom stalks can all be put to good use. Simply popthem all in the bag as you go along and every few weeks you’ll have enoughto make an amazing stock. Any overripe tomatoes and leftover bits of veg thatare lurking in the fridge and starting to go a bit bendy can also be choppedand added, though anything that’s on the turn should be avoided.

• In a large pot, fry some roughly-chopped onions – skins and all –then add your frozen veg and anyleftovers from the fridge.

• Stir for a few minutes to really bringout the flavour then add water. Ifyou’ve cunningly managed to savewater from cooking other veg orpulses then so much the better.

• Bring to the boil, stirring fromtime to time.

• You can also add whatever freshherbs you have in the garden, oreven the leaves of some weeds,such as the tops of fresh nettles thatyou’ve found at the allotment.

• Simmer for an hour or two, strainto remove all the pieces, and youwill be left with a nutrient-rich stockthat’s perfect as a starting point forsoups, gravies and stews.

• This stock can also be frozen ifyou can’t use it all at once.

To make it into a simple soup, fry anonion, add some roughly-choppedvegetables (and veg tops if youhave any), pour over the stock andsimmer till the veg are starting tosoften. Add a vegetable stock cubeand stir. Then add seasoning totaste and serve with crusty bread.

How to make stock... Look on thebright sideCutting down on waste canpresent you with newopportunities in the kitchen.

● Planted your crops a bittoo close together?Thinnings are delicious insalads – colourful beetrootleaves, for example, look asgood as they taste.

● Getting lots of male flowersthat won’t produce fruits onyour squash?They are fantastic friend in batter,or stuffed with cream cheese andbaked with a tomato sauce.

● Discovered the dreaded honeyfungus (pictured) on your trees?It may be some consolation toknow that the mushrooms arevery tasty.

● Found an old cache of vegseeds that are now out of date?Use them to grow nutritioussprouting seeds to add to soups,savoury dishes and sandwiches.

Pecking orderBack in the 1940s many households keptchickens and these animals would be fed allthe leftovers. Nowadays many people keepchickens as family pets. Once you have investedin their housing, chooks are much cheaper tolook after than most other pets and they alsoreward you with their delicious eggs. You canbuy ex-battery hens from the British HenWelfare Trust for just £1 each and, whiletheir main diet should be layers’ mash,they love to eat leaves from all thedifferent brassicas, apple peel and anyouter leaves from your lettuces. What’smore they will be delighted to devourany grubs, slugs and caterpillars youfind while you are digging and weeding.Chickens enjoy a range of fruit and vegbut avoid giving them rhubarb leaves, as theycontain toxic levels of oxalic acid. Never giveyour chooks anything that might possibly havebeen treated with herbicide or fungicide.


With so much coming off the allotment and kitchen garden you’ll be spoilt for choicethis month! Have a go at these tempting recipes that are sure to leave mouths watering

SEASONAL FARESEASONAL FARESUMMER PUDDINGCelebrate the fresh tastes of the season with this classic summer pudding.It’s the perfect way to turn a glut of soft fruits such as blackcurrants andstrawberries into a sumptuous dessert – just don’t expect it to hangaround for too long!

INGREDIENTS:800g (1lb 12oz) of soft fruits (raspberries,redcurrants, blackcurrants, strawberries)A few fruits for decoration125g (4.5oz) caster sugar8 slices of day-old white bread, crusts removedSprigs of mint to decorateSingle cream to serve

METHOD• Place the redcurrants and blackcurrants in a panwith the sugar and 75ml (3fl oz) of water. Gentlysimmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat andadd the raspberries and strawberries. Leave tocool. Strain the fruit and reserve the juice.

• Soak the slices of bread in the juice and usethem to line a one-litre (1.75 pint) pudding basin,reserving a circle of soaked bread for the top.

• Spoon the fruit and remaining juice into thebasin and top with the bread circle. Cover with asaucer or tea plate and weigh down with heavy tins.Refrigerate overnight.

• Place a serving plate under the pudding and,holding firmly, turn over to remove the puddingfrom the basin. Decorate with a few berries anda sprig of mint. Serve with cream.

RECIPE BY SANDRA GEERE

AsparagusBasilBeetrootBroad beansCabbageCarrotsCauliflowerChardCherriesCourgettesCucumberEndiveFennelGooseberries

LettuceMintPeasPotatoesRadishesRedcurrantsRhubarbRocketSalad leavesSpinachSpring onionsStrawberriesTurnipWatercress

What’s in season?



INGREDIENTS:1 tbsp olive oil1 onion, finely chopped1 clove garlic400g (14oz) risotto rice150ml (0.25 pint) dry white wine750ml (1.75 pints) hotvegetable stock150g (5oz) peas0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg100g (4oz) watercress, roughlychopped25g (1oz) freshly gratedParmesan cheese

METHOD• Heat the oil in a large heavy pan,add the onion and sauté for fourminutes until soft but not coloured.Add the garlic and rice and cookfor one more minute whilst stirring.

• Add the white wine andcook, stirring continuously,for two to three minutes untilmost of the liquid has beenabsorbed. Add a ladle ofthe stock and cook foranother two to three minutes,gently stirring occasionallyto prevent sticking until theliquid has been absorbed.Repeat until you have just alittle stock left and the rice isalmost tender.

• Add the remaining stock,peas and nutmeg then cookuntil the rice is soft and creamy.

• Remove from the heat.Add the watercress andcheese, and seasoning totaste. Serve straight away.

WATERCRESS AND PEA RISOTTO / SERVES 4Sweet and fresh, peas are the epitome of early summer, and what better way to enjoy them than in an indulgent risotto.This recipe (delicious with fish or chicken) also uses watercress, which can be sown in a shady part of the veg plot fromMay to September for a continuous crop of vitamin-rich leaves.

On a hot day the mint cools thestrawberries and reminds you thatstrawberries may grow in yourgarden but are inspired by heaven!

INGREDIENTS:675g (1lb 8oz) strawberriesStock syrup: 225g (8oz) sugar and300ml (0.5 pint) waterSprigs of mint

METHOD• To make the stock syrup, dissolvethe sugar in the water and boil fortwo minutes, before allowing tocool.• Hull the strawberries, then take225g (8oz) of them and crush.Combine the crushed strawberrieswith the syrup. Now fold in thewhole strawberries, strew with mintleaves and chill.• Serve with sweetened yoghurt,cream or crème fraîche, preferablysitting in your own strawberrypatch feeling smug!

MINTED STRAWBERRIES

RECIPE BY CLARISSA PORTER

Try it:A simple butsophisticated

summertreat!


Andrew Haynes has beena professional gardenerfor more than 30 years.He is head gardener atEdmondsham House inDorset where he tendsan area of fruit and vegequivalent to three full-sizeallotment plots. Andrewoften leads guided toursand runs workshops atEdmondsham.

Slugs and snails are a perennial nuisance, as anygardener knows all too well. Andrew Haynesinvestigates what makes these slimy molluscstick – and how to keep them in check

W ith the exception of those servedon a Frenchman’s plate with butterand garlic (and it has to be said that

the butter and garlic are the main attraction),snails are pretty universally unpopular and slugseven more so. The mollusc family, to which theybelong, includes the whelk and the octopus,neither of which are likely to cause much botherin the garden. But whether you have a pot or aplot, garden slugs most certainly will.

The most common and troublesome speciesof garden slug are between 3cm and 10cm (1-4in)long. Believe it or not the largest slug inthe world can grow to a massive 30cm –that’s 12 inches! This species, the Ash Greyslug is found, not as you might imagine insome tropical rainforest, but here in Britain.Dartmoor is one of the last strongholdsof this beauty, where high annual rainfalland the shelter provided by damp rocksand mossy woodland floors are key to itssurvival. Not all slugs are bad, certainlynot this one since it has a diet of fungiand decaying vegetation. There are alsoseveral carnivorous species, some of whichwill even feed on the pest species.

Slugs (and snails) require a damp andshady refuge safe from the drying effectsof the sun. Many gardeners unwittinglyprovide this in the form of box hedging orturf around the veg plot. Whilst an edgingof box may be attractive, something like lavenderis less likely to harbour pests and will alsoproduce flowers that attract beneficial insects. Ifyou burrow your fingers into turf, you will find it tobe cool and moist, even on a hot and sunny day –first class accommodation for slugs.

The best slug deterring paths are compactedgravel, cinders from a coal fire or crushedoyster shell. If none of these are available thenan unplanted but regularly hoed bit of baresoil bordering the plot will be hostile to slugs.Disturbing the soil with a cultivator hoe bringsdown hungry birds, like gulls following a plough,so working a small area before moving on toanother part of the garden enables birds tosearch undisturbed. Birds are our greatest ally inthe battle against slugs, taking both slug’s eggsand mature slugs.

I am not a fan of beer traps, as apart frombeing a dreadful waste of good beer they alltoo often drown the ground beetles whichpredate on slugs, making them somewhatcounterproductive. Likewise the old-fashionedkind of slug pellets which have either methiocarbor metaldehyde as the active ingredient.Both these chemicals may harm predators,especially methiocarb, which is an insecticideand responsible for many ‘friendly fire’ incidents.A gigantic old tin of Slug Death powder datingfrom the 1950s found (empty) in the potting

shed contained nosafety advice other than‘Not to be eaten’. Nordid it state an activeingredient.

The new generationof slug pellets based onferric phosphate are safeif used correctly and areapproved by the OrganicFarmers and GrowersAssociation. Slugs arefar from sluggish when

it comes to chomping their way through a row ofseedlings and I have found the ferric phosphatepellets to be very effective at protecting seedlings.As is a garlic spray to protect young leafy cropssuch as salad leaves. The garlic does not affectthe flavour of the crop and may also help preventfungal diseases. Use both garlic spay and ferricphosphate when the problem is severe. Thenematode slug controls are good but expensiveon a large area and won’t work in cold weather.

Slugs have their place in nature: they arefood for many other creatures, they aredecomposers and their slime improves soilstructure. We should never try to eradicateany native organism, plant or animal.All we should ever do is to keep theirnumbers to an acceptable level aroundour crops.

Believe it or not the largest slugin the world can grow to a massive30cm – that’s 12 inches!

Most slugspecies have onlyone thing on theirminds: your crops!

Grow It! June 2011 (E102)

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