Grow It! October 2011

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ALL YOU NEED TO GET STARTED THIS AUTUMN

Fruits galore Blackcurrant

How tto grow th these EASY beginner’s fruits

Hey good looking!

Make your fruits the star of the show

k fruit f i cuttings i ✦T Take ✦ Make a fig planting pit ✦ Pick the right rootstock ✦ Plant a compact plum

• Using fleece • Allotment security • Perry pears

OCTOBER 2011 £3.60

PRACTICAL KNOW-HOW:

Editor's welcome

www.kelsey.co.uk Published by: Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG Telephone: 01959 541444 Editorial team Gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk www.growitmag.com Editor Benedict Vanheems Sub editor Martin Oldaker Designer Kate Holt www.atgraphicsuk.com Publisher Stephen Curtis Friends and contributors Rebecca Wells, Anne Swithinbank, Martyn Cox, Paul Wagland, Steve Bradley, Wade Muggleton, Lucy Halliday, Charles Dowding, Dave Hamilton, Ann Somerset Miles, Dawn Francis-Pester, Andy Cawthray, Bob Cross, Mike Woolnough, Angela Youngman, Victoria Poolman, Andrew Haynes Advertising Advertisement Manager Kara Goodwin Telephone 01959 543586 Email gi.adsales@kelsey.co.uk Advertisement Director David Lerpiniere Telephone 01959 543507 Email gi.adsales@kelsey.co.uk Production Manager Natasha Austin Telephone 01733 353386 Email natasha.austin@kelseypb.co.uk Subscriptions Save money by taking out a subscription to Grow it! See offer on page 13.

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T

he other day I was perusing the fresh produce aisle of my local supermarket when I saw something that, quite frankly, took me aback. It was nothing particularly unusual, just some cherries. Yet it wasn’t the glistening comehither look of these perfect specimens that caught my eye, it was the price – £5 for a rather mean punnet (not a bag). Who buys these things?

It hammered home one of the many reasons why home-grown grub, and particularly fruit, is so appealing. It saves a small fortune, especially when, like my wife, you have a soft fruit habit! To be fair to the fruit growers, cherries, currants and berries are more labour intensive to harvest and require handling with extreme care to avoid damage. Maybe this is why they cost so much.

If there’s one thing I’d heartily recommend to anyone thinking about trying to grow fruit for the first time, it’s

Whether you’ve always fancied a pear tree, want to have a go at cultivating plump blackcurrants or like the idea of giving your secateurs a workout by training your own espalier, autumn’s the time to get started.

So this month we’ve rounded up the fruit connoisseurs and asked them to go back to basics so we can all give it a go.

Wade Muggleton lays the groundwork with his overview of fruitful potentials, including an invaluable look at root stocks and what to pick for your plot (see page 38). Dave Hamilton then offers some top tips on integrating fruit into the garden to make bushes and trees the star of the show – turn to page 43 to read his advice. We’re also delving into the magical world of perry pears, exploring the joys of the community orchard, exploring how to propagate your favourite fruits, and presenting a growing guide to the easy-to-tend blackcurrant. And if that wasn’t enough, every reader can claim three free raspberry canes to get them started (skip to page 42 to find out how).

I hope that if you’ve been reticent about fruit growing up until now you’ll be inspired to take the plunge this season.

The nurseries are full of fresh stock, so there really isn’t any better time to put plans into place for your own fruit garden.

Sweet rewards are just around the corner!

It wasn’t the glistening come-hither look of these perfect specimens that caught my eye, it was the price to do it! As well as the obvious financial savings, there’s the exceptional taste and the nutrient-packed goodness that only just-picked fruits can offer. The best thing, however, is the sheer range of fruit you can enjoy by growing it yourself. There are literally hundreds of varieties of apple, for example. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m sure I read somewhere you could enjoy a different variety every day for six years before having to start the cycle again. How incredible is that?!

In this issue we celebrate the wonder that is garden and allotment-grown fruit.

In this issue...

Benedict Vanheems, Editor

Gold Winner, Printing and Publishing, National Green Apple Awards 2006 for Environmental Best Practice by Commerce and Industry.

Grow it! magazine is printed on environmentally accredited paper which is sourced from forests managed in keeping with environmental, economic and social sustainability standards.

The paper is bleached without the use of any chlorine chemicals.

Copyright Kelsey Publishing Group 2011

Rebecca Wells On the allotment, p10

Martyn Cox Ready, sets, go!, p27

Wade Muggleton Fruit fanatic, p38

Victoria Poolman Sprouting seeds, p78

Grow it! October 2011

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Contents October 2011

FRUIT SPECIAL! Get planting this his autumn!

REGULARS 6 WHAT’S NEW

Must-attend courses, an allotment group with a difference, new fruit varieties for autumn and an update on the grow-it-yourself revolution – catch up with all the latest news from the world of kitchen gardening

8 YOUR SAY

What have you been up to over the past month? Some readers share their growing tips, successes and conundrums

10 GROWER’S DIARY

Late summer means a cornucopia of fresh fruits for Exeter allotmenteer Rebecca Wells, but there’s pruning to be completed to keep plants productive

14 46

13 SUBSCRIBE!

Subscribe to Grow it! and never miss an issue of your favourite magazine

18 ASK ANNE

Revealed!

THE YOUR PLOT 2011

WINNER

Got a growing query that you’d like answered? Then get in touch with Gardeners’ Question Time’s Anne Swithinbank. This month Anne dispenses advice on coping with carrot root fly, making hedgerow wines, composting couch grass and planting garlic

26 COMPETITION

Don’t let peckish birds spoil your hard-earned soft fruits; a fruit cage will keep prying beaks at bay. We’ve got two complete kits from Agriframes to give away!

42 READER OFFER

Get hold of your free raspberry canes and stock up on other tempting fruits, including an all-season gooseberry collection and a duo of French currants

78 YOUNG GROWER

Younger gardeners aren’t always the most patient, which is why they’ll love Victoria Poolman’s guide to growing double-quick sprouting seeds such as chickpeas

82 NOTES FROM THE POTTING SHED

Take another look at vegetables and you could see them in an entirely different light.

Walled kitchen gardener Andrew Haynes extols the virtues of using your crops as ornamentals and shares his plans for a new potager at Edmondsham

!

WIN mes

FEATURES

us, soft and tree fruits can look incredible in the garden

14 YOUR PLOT 2011

You’ve sent us pictures of your kitchen gardens and allotments – now it’s time to reveal the winner of this year’s Your Plot competition! Feast your eyes on the very best of readers’ productive plots

38 A FRUITFUL PLOT

On the

COVER

Autumn is the best time of year to plant new fruit trees and bushes. If you’ve ou’ve never had the opportunity to grow fruit then now’s your moment. Wade Muggleton explains the basics, including types of fruit, rootstocks and their care

43 FABULOUS AND FRUITY! TY!

Agrifra fruit cage p26

4

54

Fruit doesn’t have to conform to the On the COVER stereotype of regimented rows of staked trees. As Dave Hamilton shows

October 2011 Grow it!

46 A CURRANT AFFAIR

On the

COVER

Blackcurrants are one of the very easiest fruits to grow. Plant one this autumn ut and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of strigs of fine, rich-tasting currants, says Lucy Hallidayy

50 LOST AND FOUND

On the

COVER Not so long ago England’s rich tradition of perry making looked doomed med as pear orchards were being grubbed up to make room for more profitable ventures.

Today the tide has turned and perry pears are making a welcome comeback, as Ann Somerset Miles finds out

54 COMMUNITY SPIRITED

Dawn Francis Pester heads to Shropshire to discover how one group of likeminded

The Practical team October

14 PAGES

OF SEASONAL ADVICE, TOP TIPS AND EXPERT KNOW-HOW

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

On the

COVER

On the

The frui Th fruit grower p23

The city grower p27

October sees the launch of the autumn planting season. Benedict Vanheems shows how to get a fig tree off to the best start

It’s all go in Martyn Cox’s tiny plot as he starts off some onions for an early crop next summer and plants a new plum

The organic allotmenteer p31

Paul Wagland’s busy on the allotment, this month saving seed, planting garlic and sowing an autumn crop of leafy spinach

38 enthusiasts have come together to create a remarkable shared growing space

Charles Dowding explains how to use them to best effect

58 PRACTICAL PROJECT

68 THE GOOD FOOD GUIDE

On the Buying in new fruiting stock is an COVER exciting prospect but costs can quickly mount up. In this month’s practical project Andy Cawthray outlines key propagation techniques to help you bulk up plants at little or no cost

60 TUNNEL VISION

Discover the benefits of growing inside a polytunnel and glean some invaluable tunnel tips as we head towards the darker days of winter

64 GET IT COVERED!

On the

Horticultural fleece and mesh can COVER lead to dramatic improvements in crop quality and quantity. Organic grower

COVER

The under cover grower p34 Preparing the greenhouse for the colder days of winter is a pressing task this month.

Steve Bradley explains what to do

Feeding your chickens the correct food at the right stage of their lives will keep them healthy and productive. Bob Cross reviews diet options

71 WORK IN COMFORT

The return of colder and often wetter weather makes the right gardening garb essential. Keeping warm and dry needn’t be difficult with Mike Woolnough’s sartorial ideas

75 SAFE AND SOUND

On the

COVER Don’t let thieves spoil your hard-won harvests, says Angela Youngman, take some simple security urity measures and your allotment will stay secure

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5

What's new Send your news stories to gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Hot house profit Never mind investing in bricks and mortar, one canny gardener has turned a handsome profit from glass and aluminium after selling his greenhouse on auction site eBay for twice as much as it cost new. The 32-year-old original Hartley 10 greenhouse was described as being in excellent order, apart from one cracked pane of glass. After attracting 43 bids the greenhouse eventually sold for £1,809, double its 1979 price tag of £900.

According to manufacturer Hartley longevity is the norm. “Even the small greenhouses can outlive their owners.

Second-hand prices are invariably higher

than the original,” explains managing director Johnny Mobasher.” Another Hartley 10, installed at Belgrave Hall, Leicester in 1950 is still in constant use.

Back to basics

the greenhouse eventually sold for £1,809, double its 1979 price tag of £900 “An even older one could be quite valuable,” says Johnny, “because I would like to buy it back and put it on public display.” So, if you know of a Hartley greenhouse which pre-dates 1950, give Johnny a call on 01457 873244 and invite him to make you an offer!

Autumn is the ideal time to brush up your growing skills. Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland is offering a trio of courses this October to help aspiring and seasoned kitchen gardeners along the road to self-sufficiency.

First to run, on 10 October, is an ‘Introduction to Organic Vegetable Growing’, led by Nick Hamilton and combining classroom learning with practical on-the-plot discussions.

‘Growing Soft Fruit’ follows the next day, covering all aspects of soft fruit, including soil requirements, training and pruning. On 27 October, ‘Vegetables All the Year Round’ details everything you need to know to extend your cropping period.

Prices for the courses range from £18 for Growing Soft Fruit to £56.50 for an Introduction to Organic Vegetable Growing (to include a buffet lunch).Booking is essential on 01572 813200 or for more details visit www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk

Tunnel of delights A group of Middlesex gardeners is enjoying allotment growing with a twist. Gardeners at the Sky TV headquarters in Middlesex have each been given a raised bed within a polytunnel to try their hand at growing vegetables. The under cover allotment is the result of creative thinking, as senior facilities manager at Sky, Wade Farley explains: “The idea of individual

6

October 2011 Grow it!

plots stemmed from our desire to include as many folk as possible.

The ground in the area isn’t great, so that’s where the idea of the raised beds came from.”

The ‘Sky Polytunnel Planters’ keep in contact via their dedicated Facebook group and by email, ensuring they are able to maintain their fellow allotmenteers’ plots when they are away on holiday.

During this first season the group has enjoyed their own produce, including strawberries, radishes, potatoes, salad leaves, broccoli, courgettes and tomatoes.

Scouts scoop top prize

The Heage Scout Group receive their prize from Niki Phelps (left) of sponsor Verm-X

A Scout group from Derbyshire has scooped sc a prize in the nationwide ‘Everyone’s ‘E a Winner’ promotion.

Fifty Fi children, their parents and scout leaders le from the Heage Scout Group converted co a derelict allotment that hadn’t ha been used in more than eight years. ye Two years on the allotment boasts bo an impressive vegetable patch, pa three beehives, chickens and an a water collection scheme. The £1000 £1 prize will be used for new beekeeping be equipment and covered working areas for the children to use during the planting season.

An apple a day

Want to learn about apples from the experts?

Few people know more about Britain’s number one tree fruit than chairman of the RHS Fruit Group, Gerry Edwards. Gerry will be appearing at two special apple days this October – at Ransons Garden Centre, Hatton, Warwick on the 13th from 10.30am to 4pm, and at Rowan Garden Centre, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire on the 16th from 10am to 4pm. Gerry will be offering tips on growing apples and identifying varieties brought to both venues (he is one of only six apple identifiers in the country). Other applerelated offers and attractions will also be run.

Fresh temptations The new Marshalls catalogue is out now and has plenty to tempt fruit lovers. New for this season is plum ‘Hagenta’, a large blue plum with a sweet flavour and scented flesh.

The disease-resistant fruits are among the latest to ripen, making it a potential candidate to extend the plum season. Also new is blackberry ‘Asterina’, a variety with plenty of vigour that promises a long cropping period with minimal risk of sour berries.

Meanwhile apple ‘Rosette’, a natural sport of ‘Discovery’, develops a rich, red skin colour that penetrates deep into the flesh.

The flesh is crisp, juicy and has a raspberry flavour. Another fruit with dual personality is the new grape variety ‘Strawberry’, which has an intense flavour with a strong hint

of... you guessed it, strawberry!

Marshalls claims it is an easy-togrow variety that’s proved to be very productive in the garden, with grapes ready for picking in late September.

For more details on these varieties or to order a Marshalls Autumn 2011 Catalogue visit www.marshalls-seeds.com or call 01480 443390.

CHANGING COURSE The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is making changes to its degree-level Master of Horticulture qualification to better support students and reflect developments in the horticulture industry. From October students will have access to a new Virtual Learning Environment, establishing a forum for students and tutors to share knowledge and learning materials. In addition, the course modules have been redesigned to cover a wider spectrum of interests, with new options of The Edible Garden and Retail Horticulture.

The RHS Master of Horticulture is designed for those already working in the profession. Its modular structure allows for flexible self-study over a period of three years or more.

Assessed through projects and assignments, students will have access to a tutor to guide them through the syllabus, while study days will be held at RHS Garden Wisley at the start of each module.

For more information on the RHS Master of Horticulture visit http://www.rhs.org.uk/Courses/ Qualifications/Master-of-Horticulture

REVOLUTION CONTINUES

A report by consumer group Which? has confirmed the continuing expansion of the grow-it-yourself revolution. The online survey of more than 1,000 people found that 59% had turned to growing food because ‘increases in food prices mean I’m trying to be more economical’. A third said their main reason for becoming more self-sufficient was because they were ‘trying to eat more healthily’, while higher fuel bills and other household expenses saw 22% admitting they had ‘less disposable income to spend on food’ as a result.

Grow it! October 2011

7

Your say 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: gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk

✪

This month’s star letter wins some bell cloches from Two Wests and Elliott.

Drop us a line and share your growing stories, advice, questions and opinions

Snake trap

While out picking peas yesterday I glimpsed a snake in the corner of my eye. Wanting to get a closer look, I eased the plants apart to watch him. At first I was surprised that he didn’t quickly slide away but on closer inspection discovered why – the young adder was badly caught up in the pea netting.

Using a sharp knife I had with me for cutting courgettes I very carefully clipped away at the netting to set him free. Thankfully he was soon released and slinked off into the undergrowth. I never thought that my netting would prove such a hazard. Next year I will use extra long pea sticks to avoid trapping any more snakes.

E Parslow, Hampshire

Nursery pot Over the years I have lost many little seedlings in tiny pots or trays through their being overlooked or ‘lost’. Some have dried out while my back was turned. This year I hope I’ve fixed the problem by making what I call, for convenience, a ‘nursery pot’. I am sure other people may have done something similar before but this technique is new to me.

I placed one pot inside another, in my case moving in stages from a 20cm (8in) pot to a 2in (5cm) pot and filling the

Two for one!!

✪

STAR LETTER

narrow gaps created with potting soil. So far my seedlings have been much happier using this method. Once the seedlings are big enough to transplant it will be easy to dismantle the pots and plant them out.

J Creech, Llandudno

Editor replies: A simple but

effective way of raising new seedlings – I love it!

Wellie wonder

Whenever I clean out the garden pond I usually end up with a Welly full of water. It takes ages to dry out properly and ends up smelling damp and musty. Then I came up with the idea of placing the damp boots under the outlet of the tumble drier. Not only do they dry out much quicker, they smell clean and fresh too! T Vowles, Gloucestershire 8

October 2011 Grow it!

I thought I’d send you a picture of one of my cucumbers. I’ve never seen one like it before. I wonder what caused it to grow like nce, that. Whatever its appearance, it still tasted delicious!

J Smith, Pembrokeshire

Editor replies: What a

ber! Does remarkable looking cucumber! f it or veg pics? pi ? anyone else have any bizarre fruit

TOP TIP!

After coming in from a hard day’s gardening I clean my hands using a home-made hand scrub before washing them. To make the scrub combine olive oil, lemon juice and Demerara sugar then rub into your hands for a few minutes before rinsing off in a gentle soap.

My hands are left clean but soft, while the lemon juice helps reduce those dreaded age spots! The scrub is also good for feet. C Gadan, Devon

Grower's diary

Swell time

Where better to be during the hazy days of late summer than on the allotment? Rebecca Wells updates us on developments on her Exeter allotment over the last month

E

xeter, where I live, stands at the head of the River Exe estuary.

Historically the river has been of great importance. It used to be tidal as far up as the city so that below the encircling Roman walls stood a small but thriving port. The fine Customs House was, until vacated by HMRC fairly recently, the oldest customs house in continuous use in the country.

The wharfside warehouses have now been converted but the quay area still has a distinct character.

Today the river is used for a variety of more leisurely activities and the estuary is extremely important for migrating birds. In the winter the RSPB leads fascinating boat trips to identify these avian visitors; avocets, once rare, are now almost common. The RSPB conserves the riverside marshes and has tried to increase the range of possibilities for all kinds of birds. The field next to a busy roundabout on the outer ring road always flooded in winter so, deciding it was sensible to ‘go with the flow’ the field was excavated so that much of it should be below the water level all year.

10 October 2011 Grow it!

There are often dedicated twitchers watching the resulting lake through powerful binoculars but there’s little to look at now – the lake has become a small pond.

We have had some rain, especially one night when I opened the bedroom window wide so I could lie in bed and listen in delight, but it hasn’t penetrated and the ground is still very dry. Added to that, I write this in mid August which is always a difficult month as many gardeners go on holiday and are forced to throw themselves on the mercy of kind friends to water their precious crops or, failing that, grit their teeth and hope it rains back home.

Above: A good harvest of plums is a joy. Right: Figs ripen deliciously

Against all odds

What is so stunning is that our gardens keep going, with seeds germinating and plants producing despite the difficulties. The raspberry harvest has only just finished until the autumn canes produce again later in the year. The loganberries took up the baton and, despite the dry, have produced as well as in previous years. Now it is the turn of the blackberry. The first few berries, although well-flavoured, were not completely filled out and I put this down to lack of moisture. It was extraordinary to see how, immediately after the night of rain, the berries became completely full. We have enjoyed bowls of all three and have many more packed away in the freezer. Also frozen are some of the gooseberries, but I leave most of them late to enjoy raw as sweet, dessert fruit. I found some extremely cheap reusable stacking plastic containers in the supermarket which hold about a pound of fruit – a generous amount for the two of us.

There has been a bumper crop of early tree fruit from the orchard.

Husband Andrew returned from strimming the grass there with a huge bag of gages. We have an ‘Oullin’s Golden Gage’, which has made a large tree. The fruit is juicy, sweet and meltingly ripe, so it had to be eaten quickly. We pruned the smaller purple plum tree on the main allotment quite hard last year because it had outgrown its position. We’d loosely fan-trained it

but it had got too tall to pick easily. This year we had fewer plums than usual but still enjoyed a good harvest and, again, what we didn’t eat immediately was frozen. I roast halved and stoned plums, without water or sugar, before they go into the freezer. In this way they take up less room and, once defrosted, are ready to use in crumbles and pies.

Fruit fanatics

You will have gathered that we love all the fruits we grow but, for me, the absolute favourite is the mulberry. Our tree is about 12 years old and has always given a bowl or two of its delicious sweet-sharp-scented fruit. This year, perhaps because it’s coming of age, we have had a wonderful and generous crop. The mulberry, known as the ‘wise tree’ because it doesn’t come into leaf until late, often after the last frosts, is slow growing. Ours is only just taller than me now. The fruit is fully ripe when it is black and then falls into the hand when lightly touched. At this point it is easily bruised and broken, staining the hands and clothes dark red.

The most common method of harvesting the berries is by spreading a cloth on the ground beneath the tree and then shaking the branches so the berries fall. I prefer to carefully hand pick! The story is that King James I tried to introduce the silk industry into Britain, ‘suggesting’ that his courtiers (I imagine there’d have been little choice) buy up large numbers of young trees to plant in their grounds.

These could then supply leaves for the greedy silk worms. Unfortunately, perhaps as an early example of industrial sabotage, they were supplied with the fruiting trees as opposed to the ones silk worms eat and the venture failed.

Many mulberry trees now remain in the gardens of old houses and, in fact, the first one I encountered was in the grounds of a derelict mansion where we used to play as children. It’s a pity that they aren’t more popular because they are very garden-worthy, eventually forming a large conical tree with good autumn colour.

Taste test

We continue to harvest a steady supply of tomatoes of all shapes, colours and sizes. I note that some smarter supermarkets are selling, at huge expense, small punnets of mixed tomatoes. We grow them and have been doing so for years: smug? Moi!?

Having reported on the varieties that were earliest to produce, I thought it might Ripening fruits of the be interesting to do a small taste test to check that those exceptional mulberry we grow are still worth the have pickled them, ready for Christmas. space. It is only when you have so many We eat beetroot in many ways: grated in front of you that you realise the range raw with apple and sultanas in a salad, of flavours.

I know that taste is subjective but here made into a delicious soup, or roasted and enjoyed hot or cold. Andrew also are our results. We would always grow likes some pickled and I had set aside a ‘Pink Brandywine’, which is huge, juicy, row which I pulled last week. My recipe dense and delicious. ‘Green Zebra’ is also delicious and, together with the less suggests either boiling or roasting the roots before slicing them and covering in flavoursome but good ‘Golden Sunset’, spiced vinegar in jars. I find that roasting adds both green and gold to the plate. vegetables really brings out the flavour ‘Tigerella’ is also good and the most and is less messy, so that’s what I did. prolific, while ‘Gardener’s Delight’ is a We now have nine jars ready for the must. ‘Stupice’ has an average flavour winter but after skinning the beetroot but makes the list because it’s so early. and picking the mulberries my hands are I shall grow all these next year and will like Lady Macbeth’s! try another that I’ve never grown for fun.

With all the harvests to process and Any blight? Not yet! enjoy, it is easy to forget that this is a The freezer may be filling rapidly but the shelves in the pantry are Eight different varieties of also benefiting from the tomato – little and large! allotment’s largesse.

Our shallots (variety ‘Red Sun’) have been lifted and I

S

You will have gathered that we love all the fruits we grow but, for me, the absolute favourite is the mulberry Grow G row ro w it! it! O October ctob ct ober ob er 2 2011 011 11 01

Grower's diary good time to sow more seed for later in the year. We grow a lot of winter leaves so that we can enjoy spicy salads in the darker days. Accordingly, I have sown landcress, salad and wild rockets, the red-veined spinach ‘Bordeaux’ and two different salad mixes containing a variety of decorative oriental leaves such as the delightfully-named mustard ‘Red Frills’.

These are sown in modules kept in the greenhouse for the time being so that they can be planted out as I clear the raised beds at the bottom of the garden.

They will be easier to harvest and to care if they are closer to home.

she stops laying and sits on the eggs, upsetting the he others by stopping them from getting to the box.

If the eggs were fertile, it might be useful to allow her to sit to hatch them, but these are not so her time would be wasted.

In these circumstances one has to break the cycle by separating her hr days. d from the others for two or three I have a very large dog-cage, which I fit out comfortably as a ‘sin bin’. So I picked her up, tucked her under my arm and scrambled into the run to confine her there. I left her clucking her protests and imagined her, later, painting placards saying ‘Free the Cowick Field One’.

I’ve noted before that it’s very easy to anthropomorphise hens!

Summer prune

Broody birds

“You’ve got a broody hen,” said my plot neighbour John, who had given the girls some of his surplus and noticed that only two were around to enjoy his gift. Sure enough, when I opened the house, I was greeted by an outraged and fluffed up hen firmly installed in the nesting box. When a hen goes broody

Many people think that orchard tree pruning needs to be done in winter, when the trees are bare but, in fact, much of the important pruning happens in August. Pruning often results in increased growth but done at this time, as the sap slows, there’s less likelihood of this happening. The saying goes ‘winter for wood and summer for fruit’, reminding us that formative pruning to make a good shape in a younger tree happens in winter but that summer pruning is at least as important.

On most trees, fruit is formed on spurs on older wood. To encourage the formation of these fruiting spurs, all trained apples and pears should have

I have spent some time doing the summer prune. It's a gentle, meditative task in the midst of other busyness

Rebecca's tips

✓ The ground is still warm

eno en ugh to sow Hungarian ry grass as a green manure. rye Cover with fleece until it’s Co ge inated to conserve germ wa mth and keep birds off. war

✓ Save the seed of hardy

annuals such as calendula, Tagetes and poppies. Store them in a dry place. ✓ As you clear ground which will

stay empty over winter, spread compos t or manure over the top and cover.

✓ Plant out garlic cloves, burying the cloves 5cm (2in) deep.

their whippy side shoots cut back to three or four leaves. This also lets more light in to ripen the fruit. If you can, these side shoots should also be shortened on untrained trees and water shoots pulled off. This is a good argument for having trees grafted onto a more dwarfing rootstock so that this job is not so difficult. If necessary, a further pruning of established trees to cut out dead, diseased or dying wood and crossed branches to open out the centre of the tree can be carried out in winter, when the branches are bare and it’s easier to see what’s what, though often no winter pruning is necessary.

John’s Wiltshire grandfather checked his apple trees were open enough at the centre by throwing his hat through the middle of the tree. If the hat sailed through (I love the image) he reckoned that enough air could circulate to stop the buildup of fungal diseases.

We have a mixture of espaliered apples on the main allotment and mixed fruiting trees on the orchard plot and I have spent some time quietly doing the summer prune.

It’s a gentle, meditative task in the midst of the other busyness.

Above left: The broody hen confined to barracks.

Left: One of my espaliered apples after pruning

12 October 2011 Grow it!

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Grape expectations Plant a vine and reap the rewards – it’s EASY!

PLUS

Food from the sky

The growing group that’s turned a supermarket roof into a veg garden

Get set for winter: ✦ Tidy your allotment ✦ Make leaf mould ✦ Prune apple cordons ✦ Safeguard soil NOV/DEC 2011 £3.60

14 Great

green-fingered fi d

gift ideas

Seaweed feeds

Do they really work?

• Ecological plots • Chicory • Rhubarb • Growing nuts

Hands-on advice

Seasonal tips

Expert advice

Call our subscription hotline on:

01959 541444 and quote “E102”or visit

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Seasonal fayre

We’ve pored over the entries to this year’s Grow it!

Your Plot competition and it’s time to reveal the results. Prepare to be inspired!

RESULTS

W

e asked you to share your plots with us and you’ve certainly delivered! As in previous years the team here at Grow it! was astonished by the quality of entries to our annual Your Plot competition. From modest potted plots to traditional fulllength allotments, it’s been thoroughly enjoyable working through the entries and deciding which ones to feature. We’ll be bringing you a few additional plots in next month’s magazine, so there’s more to look forward to.

Over the coming pages we not only reveal our overall winner but our Best Container/Raised Bed Plot and Best Allotment category winners too. With featured entries covering all manner of styles, backgrounds and situations, there are plenty of ideas ripe for the picking. One thing’s for sure – Grow it! readers are a hardworking and dedicated bunch, as you’ll surely agree.

YOUR PLOT 2011

WINNER!

Our 2011 winner!

LOU THREAPLETON, BEDFORD

Lou Threapleton created her edible garden on an allotment plot to facilitate her job as a childminder. The plot uses her knowledge of early years education to create a space that’s

Lou Threapleton’s winning allotment plot Left: Teaching the youngsters the joy of growing their own

safe and appealing to pre-schoolaged children. The aim of the plot is to encourage children to develop a love for the outdoors, wildlife and healthy eating through active involvement in growing, harvesting, preparing and eating food on the plot.

There’s certainly plenty for the youngsters to explore, with winding paths, irregularly shaped beds, a willow archway, playhouse, pebbled mosaic area, summerhouse, wild area, log pile, young orchard and herb spiral. The planting adopts a multisensory approach 14 October 2011 Grow it!

through its mix of herbs, nectar-rich flowers, easy-to-grow veg, thornless soft fruits and tree fruits. This remarkable allotment also features a straw compost bin, bug hotel, compost tea maker and a number playful highlights, such as a timber bridge, chalkboard and wooden log building blocks.

Lou is justly proud of her plot having worked with her husband to transform it from fallow field to thriving space in six months flat. With no budget, everything has had to be reused and recycled. “The children have learnt so much about

YOUR PLOT 2011

RUNNERS-UP...

Joining the revolution

Above: Irregular-shaped beds create an exciting environment Below: What better way to inspire young minds?

Norfolk-based June Withers became bored of staring at an unloved patch of grass and so, earlier this year, decided to join the food-growing revolution by creating her own vegetable patch. Despite the interests of various birds and insects the 3.6x4.5m (12x15ft) space has got off to a strong start.

Beans, tomatoes, root veg, spuds and peas are just some of the crops already harvested, while leeks and brassicas such as curly kale will ensure the patch remains productive into winter. Forward-thinking June has also added sweet peas and marigolds to self-sown field poppies in order to draw in pollinating insects – a job well done judging by the weight of beans she’s picked!

Trial endeavour

themselves and one another, developed new skills and knowledge, and are enjoying cooking and eating vegetables that they don’t normally try at home,” says Lou. We think this would be a magical place for any youngster to visit and reckon Lou’s doing a grand job at inspiring tomorrow’s green fingers.

The team at Grow it! would like to congratulate Lou on being our overall winner. We are sure she will have plenty of ideas on how to spend her £500 Harrod Horticultural voucher!

✦ This year our overall Your Plot 2011 winner receives a £500 spending spree at top gardening sundries supplier Harrod Horticultural. Harrod Horticultural stocks a wide variety of kit for the growing enthusiast, so Lou will have more than enough to choose from! For more details on Harrod Horticultural’s range of gardening equipment or to request a brochure simply visit their website at www. harrodhorticultural.com or give them a call on 0845 4025300.

Despite running his Herefordshire plot for 20 years, adventurous grower David Gardner still aims to try at least one or two new crops every year. This season David’s been attempting outside sweet potatoes (while praying for plenty of sunshine!) and expanding the number of pea plants he grows to give more than the usual token nibble. Beetroot is a favourite – in vinegar, roasted or made into borsch – as are Jerusalem artichokes. The list of different vegetables and fruits on his plot reads like a seed catalogue, which means there’s always something to give away. David puts his success down to much-improved soil, the result of meticulous digging and the addition of generous amounts of compost.

S Grow it! October 2011 15

RUNNERS-UP...

Now you see it Located in the former kitchen garden of Dorset’s historic Kingston Lacy Estate, Diana Green’s allotment follows in prestigious footsteps. The most remarkable thing about her plot, however, is its age – at the time of taking this picture her plot was just two months old! “I was only allocated a plot on 30th May,” explains Diana. “Initially I was excited but felt a rising panic – what could I do at this late stage in the year? I had no seeds, nothing prepared.”

With the reassurance of allotmenteering friends, Diana’s nerves were steadied and she set to work, getting her potatoes and beans in quick before dividing the allotment into four with a

Pots of plenty Great things can indeed come in small packages! Rebecca Webber’s south London garden measures just 4x6m (13x20ft) yet manages to pack in shrubs, two ponds, bamboo and a potted plot of potatoes, runner beans and salads.

Investing in patio potato planters was, says Rebecca, money well spent. In them she has grown ‘Winston’, a delicious variety that’s as delicious harvested young as new potatoes as it is left to bulk up into baking spuds.

As a child Rebecca wasn’t a fan of broad beans but, keen to give them another try planted some last autumn. The result was 20 plants yielding enough pods for several tasty meals, including a bean and chorizo risotto. Her children have got involved too, devouring the strawberries and waiting expectantly for peas and carrots to eat on the spot!

path. “I now have a good proportion of the plot productive with a wide variety of crops. Despite the late start, my potatoes are thriving, beans flowering and brassicas coming on nicely.” Now Diana has breathing space she wants to dig a small wildlife pond and decide on what fruit to plant.

Island life While Barbara Payne’s island garden grows in the most idyllic surroundings, this kitchen gardener’s life is far from easygoing! Situated next to the sea on the beautiful Hebridean island of Coll, the constant challenge is to outwit the weather while sheltering plants from wind. Three beds are cultivated organically using gathered seaweed and manure to improve soil fertility. These contain crops such as carrots, broad beans, celery, cauliflower and shallots through summer, before being turned over to leeks, swedes and hopefully enough potatoes, sprouts and parsnips for Christmas day.

A ‘seriously overcrowded’ greenhouse is crammed with tender vegetables and herbs.

Raised awareness Raised beds help to clearly delineate cropping areas while making rotation easier. Mark Willis’ Hampshire garden ably demonstrates this, with six 1x2.4m (3x8ft) beds playing host to a huge variety of vegetables supplemented by large pots of chillies, tomatoes, blueberries, herbs, and two sizeable tubs (made from old plastic compost bins) housing cucumbers and marrows. An adjacent patio, softened by pots of lavender, an olive and two standard bay trees, offers the perfect venue for alfresco dining. We agree with Mark who believes his plot strikes a happy balance between productive and ornamental.

16 October 2011 Grow it!

Barbara has to employ a range of barricades to stop her collie from ploughing down the veggies while chasing hares! But with corncrakes, thrushes, willow warblers and sometimes even seals for company, she isn’t complaining.

Inside and out After moving house it wasn’t decorating that was Ruth Ritchie’s priority but erecting a polytunnel. A successful first season saw Ruth dig over an outside space to extend her growing ambitions.

Use yer planks!

It doesn’t take much to become infected with the gardening bug. Sue Stoneman and her son started by growing potatoes in bags before being encouraged to try a raised bed.

A trip to the wood merchant for planks, the local farmer to get a car-load of free manure and the garden centre for topsoil saw the gardening bug quickly spread!

“It’s surprising what we can grow in it,” says Sue of her raised bed. “We’ve

BEST CONTAINER/ RAISED BED PLOT

Pecking order

After attending a permaculture course Claire Gregory set about redesigning her Sheffield garden. Already growing an abundance of fruit and veg, she wanted a layout that was easy to maintain and that would accommodate her hens. The solution was three 6x2.4m (20x8ft) raised beds made from scaffold planks. Upright stakes around the beds support a mesh framework, protecting plants from pets and chickens. In bad weather polythene adds further protection.

To house the poultry, Claire built a pen around one of the beds which can be dismantled and relocated to a different bed each year. This gives a rotation system benefiting poultry and plants alike: with the hens moved to a shed for the worst of winter, the vacated bed has time to mature

Two years on it’s a tale of two spaces, as a disappointingly wet and windy summer up in Argyll has left outdoor beans lacklustre, while tunnel crops have thrived. Here, prolific early potatoes have jostled with the likes of onions, calabrese, French beans and courgettes for attention. Overwintering leeks, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and onions are looking healthy and will maintain the momentum. Ruth’s ultimate ambition is to be self-sufficient in vegetables by freezing any surplus to use during the lean months of the year. That, combined with her plans for more soft fruit outdoors could well see her realise her goal.

now learned to grow only what we like, our favourites being lettuce, peas, beans, tomatoes, beetroot and courgette. We are just starting to experiment with different vegetables, such as kohlrabi, ‘Crystal’ cucumbers, parsnip and, this year, lots of sweet and chilli peppers.” Their plot measures just 2x2m (7x7ft) but packs plenty in, overflowing into eight grow bags and numerous pots dotted about the Devon garden. “We are learning as we go; it’s great fun,” enthuses Sue, who wins our prize for the Best Container/Raised Bed Plot’.

✦ Sue Stoneman wins £250-worth of Burgon & Ball goodies. Burgon & Ball stocks a range of Home Allotment patio planting bags, accessories, labels and harvesting equipment. For details of their solutions for the home grower visit www.burgonball.com or call them on 0114 2338262.

before being stocked with crops that prefer a rich soil and overwintering vegetables that will stay put until the following year.

The third bed in the rotation is filled with single-season croppers such as legumes, onions and courgettes.

BEST ALLOTMENT

Restoration order Some people inherit an allotment plot that’s ready to go while others must battle with a seemingly impenetrable thicket of brambles. For the Fansa family it was the latter experience but, with hard work, their new plot was soon whipped into shape.

The biggest achievement for the Fansas has been the completion of two greenhouses, one of which was built entirely from wood-framed windows rescued from the dump. This now houses tomatoes, physalis, chillies and basil. The second greenhouse was restored from a derelict state to its former glory and shelters flourishing aubergines, peppers and lemongrass.

The recently installed pond (made from a recycled corner bath) is a big favourite with the family’s three boys and is a haven for dragonflies and damselflies.

It’s not all gone to plan, however.

The asparagus bed has been ravaged by asparagus beetle, necessitating repeat squishing to keep things organic. Despite the challenges the Fansas have shown considerable determination to get where they are today, two years after taking on their plot. And they’re not resting on their laurels – the next big project is to create a fruit cage. We think this resourceful family deserves to win our ‘Best Allotment Plot’.

✦ The Fansas win £250-worth of Bulldog Tools. All of Bulldog’s tools are hand-forged from a unique specification steel right here in Britain for strength and durability. To find a stockist or for further details on Bulldog Tools visit www.bulldogtools.co.uk or call 01279 401572.

Grow it! October 2011 17

Ask Anne

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Anne Swithinbank, one of Britain’s favourite gardeners and a member of Radio Four’s Gardeners’ Question Time panel, answers your growing questions.

Beat the fly

We’d all love to see rows of feathery carrots on our allotments but the reality is that unprotected, they almost always suffer from some degree of root fly damage. These cunning low-flying beasties can smell our carrots from a long distance (especially if you’ve been disturbing them by thinning or weeding around them) and home in to lay their eggs. Small, creamy-coloured maggots tunnel into the root, causing rusty brown lines, which sometimes turn into cracks

and fissures which in turn make lovely homes for slugs and slaters (wood lice).

In theory, carrots sown after late spring miss the first generation of larvae but it’s all a bit hit and miss. There are root fly-resistant varieties such as ‘Sytan’

which don’t seem as attractive to the fly. You can also sometimes thwart the fly by building polythene barriers 60cm (24in) high around the crop on the basis that they are so low flying they can’t zoom in and are deflected. I’ve also read that mulching with lawn clippings puts the fly off.

The safest precaution is to cover the crop throughout its life with horticultural fleece or mesh. Old cloche hoops are useful to stretch over the bed to support the fleece which can then be weighted down with bricks along the sides. You have to check periodically to make sure the foliage is not pushing the fleece up and letting the blighters in around the edges.

Gourmet bulbs I’d like to try growing garlic and hear that autumn is a good time to plant the cloves. How should I go about planting them and what varieties would you recommend for a gourmet kitchen gardener? S Hines, Lincolnshire

THE GARLIC FARM

18 October 2011 Grow it!

You are absolutely right about an autumn planting. Miss it and you can catch up by starting individual cloves in pots under glass during winter and then planting them out later, or setting the cloves of certain varieties straight into the soil in spring but they are rarely as good. First, as they’ll be in the ground all winter, choose a bed that’s going to be bright, sunny and well-drained. If your soil does become saturated then make ridges so you can plant the cloves in rows above general soil level. Good, though not recently manured, soil is ideal. Space the cloves 19cm (8in) apart each way or, if on

ridges, 10cm (4in) apart in rows 30cm (12in) apart. Set the tips about 5cm (2in) deep.

Most growers opt for softneck garlic as opposed to the hardneck varieties which produce a flower scape. But hardnecks like ‘Sicilian Red’ are said to have the best flavour and could be just right for you. My favourite is ‘Solent Wight’ but I have also had good results with ‘Purple Wight’ (pictured) and ‘Christo’. Individual cloves should be a good size, so I generally gather up the puny ones from the middle and plant them in a pot under glass to use the leaves like chives.

IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.BLACKTHORNARABLE.CO.UK

The carrots on my allotment have become badly pitted and blackened in bands. What could be the problem? Is there any way of preventing this from happening next year? E Bettingham, Hampshire

Hedgerow tipple After visiting a friend who makes his own country wines I’ve been inspired to have a go myself. What fruits have the highest juice content and would be most suitable for this purpose? I have a good, free-draining soil in full sun. W Oxburgh, Devon My dad used to make a lot of country wines and some of the best were from flowers that had no juice content at all.

I recall his elderflower and dandelion wines as being particularly good.

Elderberry was also a classic. Naturally, I have had a go at this myself, though it was more in my student days when we couldn’t afford proper wine!

There’s nothing like the excitement of setting it all up and then hearing that plopping noise in the airlock at the top of the demijohns telling you that all is working well.

There reaches a stage when you have to siphon the wine from one container to another to help it clear

Plant your own wild hedge full of elder, sloe, damson, May and roses

and, desperate for a swig, my husband (yes, he’s been around for years) used to drink it all before it could be bottled and rested properly. None of a memorable batch of blackberry ever made the final stages.

I think you should plant your own wild hedge full of elder (pictured), sloe, damson, May and roses. Looking through the book my dad used to use, Home Made Country Wines (recipes from Farmers Weekly), first published in 1955, there’s even a recipe for oak leaf wine! You’ve made me want to start up again.

Write in with your questions for Anne to:

Ask Anne, Grow it!, Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG. Alternatively email: gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Couch grass conundrum

Keeping on top of the couch grass on my plot is a constant battle, though I’m at least managing to stay a few steps ahead. Rather than burning the grass I’d like to compost it and return the nutrients to the soil. Is there any way of doing this?

A Taverner, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

I’m glad you are gradually winning the battle against couch. At least on a veg plot beds are always being cleared so you can get at all the roots, whereas flower borders are more challenging.

We have a few areas of couch and I’ve been burning it too. You can compost it but only after it has been thoroughly killed off by either suffocation or drowning.

I know some people heap it up separately and cover with black polythene, or put it inside a black

plastic sack until it has died and gone to a mush, then it is added to the regular compost heap. Otherwise, put the weed into a tub of water and wait until it has died in there before composting. I have several wormeries on the go and I’m going to start putting my perennial weeds in there.

Eventually everything gets passed through the worms, so that would be safe to use. Maybe you should put a wormery at the top of your Christmas list – wonderful things.

Grow it! October 2011 19

S

Ask Anne

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Seeking shelter We’ve recently moved to a hilltop site that’s battered by winds. I want to grow vegetables but am concerned they won’t grow in our exposed conditions. Can you recommend a quick way to windproof a corner of the garden?

Everybody will tell you that on moving to a new plot you need to wait for at least a year before rushing into action. Did the previous owners grow veg and, if so, where were their beds? After the first winter you should have a good idea about which parts of the garden are the windiest and also those suffering from solid clay, waterlogging, shade and frost.

My garden is perched on the ridge of a hill and as we can see the sea about a mile away, it too is windy. After the obligatory year we decided the only feasible place for the kitchen garden was literally outside the kitchen, against the northeastfacing side of the house. Here, it was sheltered from winds sweeping in from the southwest. We had to remove bits of hedging, lawn and driveway

TREESFTF

K Goole, Ceredigion

to make it but it worked beautifully and receives better light than you’d think.

If you have rabbit problems, too, design a fence to thwart both problems. I have palings fortified with chicken wire to keep rabbits out (the wire curls under the fence and extends beyond the fence on the outside so they can’t dig in) but windbreak netting could easily be added. This specially designed netting is 50% permeable so the wind filters through slowly, avoiding turbulence. It will give protection for a distance equal to roughly five times its height. A hedge will do the same job for longer, so you could consider planting one for the future.

Specially designed netting is 50% permeable so the wind filters through slowly, avoiding turbulence

Sickly canes

My raspberry canes are looking sickly as they appear to have a virus. So this autumn I want to remove and burn them. What can I grow in their place? V Lewis, via email If your raspberries are knocking on for their reasonable life expectancy of 12 years old and have been generally failing in vigour and fruitfulness then a virus is the likely culprit. You’ll see yellow blotches and streaks on the leaves (as opposed to the more regular pattern of yellow between the veins common to magnesium deficiency) and distorted growth. Viruses are invisible to the naked eye and there is no practical cure for them. If your plants are younger and their symptoms don’t match then it could be a more solvable problem.

Although I operate a no-dig policy, I come over all traditional and want to get

20 October 2011 Grow it!

my spade working when a crop like this has just come out of the soil after a very long period. Technically, you could cover the area with an organic mulch and let nature take its course but I love to feel I am literally folding nourishment back into that depleted soil. Incorporating the ground into a rotation of vegetable crops would be your best bet but if it has to be fruit, look outside the family Rosaceae to which raspberries belong (this family also includes blackberries, their hybrids and strawberries). Gooseberries, blackcurrants and other currants belong to the family Grossulariaceae, so you could try a few of those.

The Practical team

A

October

Benedict Vanheems

Martyn Cox

Paul Wagland

Steve Bradley

s autumn approaches it’s time to start thinking about preparing the garden or allotment for the colder months ahead. But that doesn’t mean the planting has to stop! Benedict starts off a new fig tree, Martyn gets to grips with autumn onions and promotes the merits of plums, while Paul sows spinach and plants some gourmet 14 PAGES garlic. Now’s also the time to give your greenhouse or polytunnel its annual autumn OF SEASONAL clean, as Steve explains. If you thought October was a quiet month, think again!

ADVICE, TOP TIPS AND EXPERT KNOW-HOW

27

Don’t wind down the garden for autumn – think ahead to next year. Martyn Cox advises on autumn-planting onions

31

Get set for spring today! Paul Wagland sets up a leaf mould bin to make potting compost and saves some tomato seed

Fruit grower Benedict Vanheems plants a fig, picks some pears and turns unwanted honey fungus into a tasty pickle page 23

34

Scrub away greenhouse grime to leave a healthy environment for over-wintered crops. Steve Bradley shows how Grow it! January 2011

1

S

This month Benedict Vanheems is editor of Grow it! and is a passionate home-grower.

 Plant a fig tree  Harvest pears  Control honey fungus

You’ll be busy enjoying your harvests this month, says Benedict Vanheems. But make sure you take time out to assess what’s been successful so you can plan ahead for an even better crop next year!

H

Autumn raspberries are less susceptible to bird’s beaks

ave you noticed that birds don’t seem to steal autumn-cropping raspberries?

Perhaps it’s because there is so much other fruit around for them, along with an abundance of insects. Whatever the cause, it’s a treat to be able to pick bowls full of the little red or golden fruits without having to bother with netting. In a good year, autumn raspberries crop all the way through to October, sometimes even into early November. If you aren’t growing any yet, find a corner for them in your garden – you will be very glad you did! Once they have finished fruiting, give them a feed of potash and cut the canes back in spring.

At this time of year it can be heartbreaking to see a formerly healthy fruit tree succumb to the dreaded honey fungus. Sadly members of the plum family are particularly susceptible. There is no cure, so you’ll have to dig up and dispose of any infected trees and as much of the rootball as possible to stop its spread. Burn it or send it to landfill, as adding infected material to the compost heap could spread the disease. Clean your spade and other tools carefully afterwards.

STEP-BY-STEP

1

The honey fungus can at least be eaten!

On the bright side, affected fruit trees usually put all their last efforts into producing an exceptionally large crop before they die. An added bonus is that honey fungus is very tasty and is produced in prolific quantities, so once you are certain you have identified it correctly (cross reference in at least two good books) you may as well tuck in to a home-grown feast of the little mushrooms. They are in fact the fruiting body of a much larger organism which is below the soil.

To stop honey fungus spreading to other areas, use a physical barrier such as pond liner or damp-proof membrane. Dig a thin trench about 45cm (18in) deep and insert a vertical strip all along the length of the trench to contain the affected site. Avoid replanting in the area for a year and then consider something that is resistant to the fungus, such as a walnut tree.

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the fruit grower

THE FRUIT GROWER

It's a treat to be able to pick bowls full of the little red or golden fruits without having to bother with netting

Pickle honey fungus

2

3

1. Pick the small mushrooms by holding them at the base. Brush the earth from the roots before putting them in your basket to prevent them from being gritty. 2. Pick every single clump you can see in your garden – although the fungus spreads rapidly by its roots, picking all of them will help to prevent them from setting spores. 3. Alternate layers of mushrooms with salt in a large bowl and leave for four hours, stirring regularly. Spoon into sterilised jars and cover with spiced vinegar. Store in the fridge.

Grow it! October 2011 23

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Grape expectations Plant a vine and reap the rewards – it’s EASY!

PLUS

Food from the sky

The growing group that’s turned a supermarket roof into a veg garden

Get set for winter: ✦ Tidy your allotment ✦ Make leaf mould ✦ Prune apple cordons ✦ Safeguard soil NOV/DEC 2011 £3.60

14 Great

green-fingered fi d

gift ideas

Seaweed feeds

Do they really work?

• Ecological plots • Chicory • Rhubarb • Growing nuts

Hands-on advice

Seasonal tips

Expert advice

Call our subscription hotline on:

01959 541444 and quote “E102”or visit

www.uniquemagazines.co.uk Helpful hints

Seasonal fayre

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the fruit grower

Figs will thrive if you restrict their roots

STEP-BY-STEP

Planting a fig tree

1

Choose a sunny site, ideally in the shelter of a south-facing wall, as the extra protection and warmth will help you get the best crops. Dig a deep, square hole.

Grow perfect figs E

veryone raves about Ficus carica ‘Brown turkey’ and it’s easy to see why. This tree is easy to grow, it crops quite reliably in the UK and the brownish-pink fruits are a taste sensation. If you can offer it a sheltered spot, ‘Brunswick’ is an even better choice. The large green fruits have succulent pink flesh that literally melts in your mouth and it crops so prolifically that you will have plenty to eat raw and more than you need to make into fig jam. I have a friend with an established

that might be possible to take with you if you move house. Once you have eaten your own fresh figs straight from the tree you will appreciate what an important consideration this is!

Dig a big hole that is slightly larger and deeper than a typical 60cm (24in) concrete paving slab. Put slabs on each side of the hole and line the bottom with 15cm (6in) of rubble. Cover this with a layer of well-rotted homemade compost and get someone to hold the tree in place while you backfill with soil, or soilbased compost, so that the bottom of the trunk is at exactly the same depth it was at in the pot.

Trees in the ground won’t need as much watering as pot-grown ones but remember that its roots are restricted and so it will still need extra care, especially when the fruits are ripening. In September, or early October, check over the tree and remove any fruits that are larger than your little fingernail.

The smaller ones that you leave on the branches should be protected over winter in cooler areas, as these will form next year’s crop. Each spring apply a generous layer of well-rotted compost or manure and cover the trees with nets in summer as the fruits ripen because birds find fresh figs as irresistible as we do!

2

Place paving slabs against the sides of the hole, creating a below ground ‘container’ for your tree. Fork over the bottom of the hole and line it with 15cm (6in) of rubble.

I have a friend with an established fig tree who makes enough to go on holiday by selling his excess crops at the local boot fair! tree who makes enough to go on holiday every autumn by selling his excess crops at the local boot fair!

You can grow figs in a large pot on a patio, but plants will require regular watering and you’ll need to refresh the top 10cm (4in) of compost each year.

Alternatively, grow them in the ground, near the shelter of a sunny wall. Left to their own devices, figs have a bad habit of growing plenty of leaves and not very much fruit. The secret to a successful crop is to restrict the root run. This also means you have a more compact tree 24 October 2011 Grow it!

3

Add a layer of well-rotted manure to the bottom and then plant the tree, ensuring it is at the same level it was at in the pot.

Water well and protect young fruits over winter.

Many varieties of dessert pears are ripe for picking this month when they are arguably at their very ng finest. Be careful when harvesting as some will be falling from the tree by now and attracting wasps..

Put windfalls on your bird table, or cut away any damaged bits and use the rest for making delicious fruit cheese to snack on over winter. Varieties such as ‘Glou Morceau’ and ‘Concord’ are good for storing. Leave the stalks intact, check each one for signs ct of damage and only store perfect specimens. Space them out in boxes, so that none are touching and keep them in a cool, dry place such as a garage or pantry.

Some heritage types, such as ‘Josephine de Malines’ can be picked now and stored until the end of January, when

COMICE: This rotund pear has sweet, buttery flesh and turns from greeny-brown to pinkish-gold when fully ripe.

CONFERENCE: The long, slender fruits have a russetty skin, full flavour and a grainy texture. A prolific cropper.

they will be a most welcome aromatic treat. If you have room for lots of trees (and somewhere to store your harvest) you can plan ahead to be self-sufficient in your own fruit for months on end.

Tidy strawberry plants for autumn This has been a fantastic year for berries and you may have had your best ever crops. Get next year’s harvest off to a flying start by ensuring that your strawberry beds are neat and tidy. Rake up any straw you have between the plants and give foliage a good trim, so that it’s not harbouring pests or diseases. If you have chickens, now is a good time to let them scratch about on the beds for a day or two, as they’ll do good work picking up any grubs or pests lurking in the soil. Wild birds will also be only too happy to help! If your plants suffered from fungal disease this year then it is wise to burn the old leaves rather than adding them to your compost heap.

Gonuts!

Wrinkled brown walnuts will be dropping out of their pithy green outer husks this month, staining pathways and hands brown as you gather up the bounty. You can crack them open and eat them right away, carefully removing the bitter skin if you have the patience.

Known as ‘wet walnuts’ when enjoyed this fresh, they have a delicious crispness. Wear gloves if you don’t want brown hands and collect the nuts every morning, as they fall, or use a stick to dislodge

FIVE OF THE BEST PEARS

RED ANJOU: Loved by cooks, the dense red fruits add a burst of colour and flavour to salads and desserts.

WILLIAMS: Popular with children, this is the fruit to choose if you want creamy, aromatic flesh.

ROCHA: Although on the small side, these fruits have a refreshing flavour and a crisp texture that’s irresistible.

Collect thenuts in the morning as they fall

them from the tree if you are concerned about squirrels getting to the crop before you do. Wash your harvest with a strong jet et of water from the garden hose to remove the tannins. Then spread pread them out in wooden boxes so o they ey can air dry for a couple of weeks. s.

Grow it! October 2011 25

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the fruit grower

Harvest pears

Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition ✦ Competition

TO GIVE AWAY!

2

WIN! A

utumn is peak fruit planting season – a time of promise as we lay the foundations for many summers of juicy pickings to come.

While everything else is settling down for winter, it’s a pleasure to be planning, digging and planting for future fruits.

Of course, we’re not the only ones who enjoy temptingly sweet berries

✄ COMPETITION

a deluxe fruit cage

and currants; all manner of feathered plunderers are all too eager to snatch our spoils. This is where a well-made fruit cage really comes into its own.

Agriframes’ fruit cages are the last word in quality and are used by professional gardeners up and down the country, including those at RHS Garden Wisley. Each cage is manufactured to last thanks to the strong high-tensile steel tubing used in its construction, galvanised both inside and out to resist corrosion. Tubing is further protected with a handsome black UV-treated polymer coating, while metal joints and moisture-resistant seals mean the framework is completely weatherproof.

Every Agriframes fruit cage stands 2m (6ft 6in) above ground level and comes with a 1m (3ft 3in)-wide self-closing door

as standard, plus all the netting, fixings and fastenings you’ll need to ensure complete bird protection from the off.

Cages are supplied in kit form with easyto-follow instructions.

After spending months waiting for your first crop don’t run the risk of losing it. The solid construction and longevity of Agriframes’ fruit cages will offer complete peace of mind. We have two 3x2.5m (10ft x 8ft 4in) cages, each worth £348, to give away to lucky readers! on the full range of Agriframes’ fruit cages, plant supports, garden structures, crop protection and pond covers visit www.agriframes.co.uk or call them on 0845 2604450.

Grow it! Agriframes Competition Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG

Q. What dimensions are the fruit cage on offer? ..................................................................

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To enter the competition simply fill in the coupon, left, answering the question, and post back to us at the address shown. The first two entries pulled from the Grow it! hat after the closing date will win an Agriframes fruit cage!

The closing date for entries is October 27th 2011.

This month  Autumn onions  Planting plums  Scale insect control

Martyn Cox writes a gardening column for the Mail on Sunday and is the author of RHS How to Grow Plants in Pots. He has a small, plant-packed garden in East London.

Plant now for onions early next summer

It may only be a few weeks since you brought this year’s onion harvest in, but now’s a great time to plant sets for an extra early crop next summer, as Martyn Cox explains

I

f you’ve been growing your own food for a while the chances are you will have tried growing onions from sets planted in spring.

Although this is the traditional time to plant these immature bulbs, several companies sell sets that are perfect for planting later in the year. Planting at this time results in plants that form a strong root system over winter, allowing the onions to bound into growth in spring and providing you with a good-sized crop that is ready for picking far earlier than those planted in February, March or April.

Sets can be grown in the ground, raised beds or even in pots. Plants need space to grow, so make sure you use really big containers to make it worthwhile, though looking after two or three bulbs in a pot for eight months really isn’t worth the effort. If you’ve got a raised bed or a patch of bare earth available, prepare it by removing weeds and digging over. Work in some Growmore or blood, fish and bone with a fork about a week before you intend to plant the sets.

To plant start by either making holes 2.5cm (1in)

STEP-BY-STEP

1

Autumn planting onions

Sets are merely immature bulbs. Pick a hardy variety for overwintering, such as ‘Sturon’. Planting now gives a head start.

2

deep and 10cm (4in) apart with a dibber, or take out a narrow trench of a similar depth using the end of a rake. Place sets in the holes or trench and cover gently, making sure the tip of the bulb is just visible. Handle sets with care as they are easily damaged. Finish off by giving the newly planted sets a good soaking.

Pots need to be at least 60cm (24in) in diameter and no less than 24cm (10in) deep.

Fill them with soil-based John Innes Number 3 compost, making sure there’s a gap of 5cm (2in) between the surface of the compost and the top of the pot. Make a series of 2.5cm (1in)-deep holes over the surface; these should be around 7cm (3in) apart. Plant as above and water.

Birds sometimes tug up newly-planted sets, damaging the roots in the process. To ensure they remain intact, cover the sets with a sheet of netting until they are well established. Cut smaller pieces to drape over pots. All you then need to do is keep the ground free of weeds and water regularly to ensure you have a crop of onions ready for lifting in early June. Among the best varieties for autumn planting are ‘Hercules’, ‘Sturon’, ‘Troy’, ‘Radar’, ‘Electric’, ‘Red Baron’ and ‘Senshyu Yellow’.

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the city gower

THE CITY GROWER

Onion ‘Sturon’

Plant each set so that the tip is just poking proud of the soil or compost surface. Leave around 7-10cm (3-4in) between sets.

3

Although raised beds are preferable, onion sets can also be planted in larger containers. Keep plants protected until they root.

Grow it! October 2011 27

S

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the city grower

Modern rootstocks have opened up plums to city growers

Quick jobs for October

✦ Lift up any remaining onions

from the ground and allow them to dry on slatted shelves or mesh trays before storing.

✦ Close greenhouse vents and doors from mid-afternoon to

trap warm air inside for the cooler night ahead.

✦ Prise congested clumps of rhubarb from the ground or

Perfect plums V isit any kitchen garden attached to a stately home and chances are you’ll find an orchard that contains a venerable old plum tree with a trunk the size of your waist and a canopy of spreading branches stretching across several metres.

Seeing these veterans of the fruit tree world gives the impression that plums are only suitable if you have a lot of space. However, modern breeding and trained forms that can be squeezed against a wall or fence mean that this popular fruit can be grown in quite small spaces.

Old-style rootstocks meant that plums grew really large, yet over the past few years there have been many new rootstocks introduced, resulting in much more compact plants. ‘Pixy’ is a semidwarfing rootstock that restricts plants to a 2.5-3m (8-10ft) when mature, while plants growing on ‘VVA1’, a dwarfing rootstock, will eventually grow to around 2.5m (8ft).

When buying plums from a garden centre you often won’t have any choice in the rootstock, so check carefully to see

whether it’s suitable for a small garden.

It’s a much better idea to buy from a specialist fruit tree grower who has many different varieties and a full selection of rootstocks to choose from.

Plants can be grown as bushes, upright Minarettes or as fans against supports, or with supports added to the container. Although you might want to train a plant from scratch, it’s far easier to buy a ready-trained plum to save you time, effort and lots of pruning.

Position plums in a warm, sunny, sheltered spot or in large pots (a minimum of 30cm (12in) is necessary) filled with soil-based compost. Water plants regularly, preventing the compost drying out in dry periods and feed with a general granular fertiliser in late winter. Protect flowers in spring from late frosts and, if necessary, use netting to safeguard the developing fruit from birds.

Plums can be grown as bushes, upright Minarettes or as fans against supports

upturn pots, then divide into several pieces and replant healthy portions. This will reinvigora go te plant p s.

✦ Di Dig over unoccupied soil, adding plenty of well-

rotted manure as you go.

✦ Control peach leaf curl disease on apricots and

peaches by spraying trees with a copper-based fungicide before the leaves fall.

✦ Cover perpetual-fruiting strawberries with cloches

or low polythene tunnels to protect them from poor weather and to extend the picking season further into autumn.

FIVE OF THE BEST PLUMS...

1

2

3

4

5

VICTORIA: Dating back to the 1840s, this selffertile variety produces masses of sweet, juicy red fruit in late summer.

WARWICKSHIRE DROOPER: Attractive yellow fruit that is ready for picking in early September. The trees have a drooping habit.

MARJORIE’S SEEDLING: Diseaseresistant, self-fertile plum with large, purple-blue fruits. Good for cooking or eating fresh.

GIANT PRUNE: Extremely sweet, oval red plums for picking in September. The flowers are self-fertile.

BLUE TIT: A self-fertile, dual-purpose culinary and desert plum that tastes great and performs reliably.

28 October 2011 Grow it!

W

hen I was younger, scale insect only affected indoor plants but over the past few years I’ve noticed that it’s become much more common outdoors. This summer, in particular, it has run rife through my garden and can be found on the branches of many fruit trees, along with herbs, such as bay.

If you’re not sure what they look like, scale insects are small, roundish creatures that are protected by a hard shell. There are about 25 different species in the UK, measuring between 1-6mm across. A white, fluffy substance can often be seen bulging out from the underside of the shell, which protects the eggs of the insects. Colonies of scale insect can build up quickly if left unchecked. Apart from looking unsightly, these pests will suck the sap of the host plant, reducing its vigour. Ultimately this can effect growth and have an impact on the plant’s yield. Scale insects also excrete a sticky substance, charmingly known as honeydew – this forms the perfect base for black, sooty moulds to develop, which can cover leaves and hinder healthy growth.

Some gardeners take the view that you should not worry about scale insects and allow birds, such as blue tits, to peck them off the tree. In my experience birds will take a few but not enough to prevent these pests from spreading quickly. Therefore you will need to take some action. If spotted early enough you can rub the scales off the branches with your fingers – remember to clench your

teeth, it’s not a particularly nice sensation feeling them between your finger tips.

However, you muzst hunt them down thoroughly, checking under leaves and between leaf joints so you don’t leave any behind.

Infestations are harder to deal with. You can spray infected plants with a suitable pesticide, such as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer or Bayer Sprayday Greenfly Killer. Make sure you thoroughly drench plants. The hard shell of the scale insect gives it some protection against sprays, so several subsequent treatments will be needed.

In December take action to control overwintering scales by spraying deciduous fruit trees with Growing Success Winter Wash. Although this treatment should curb populations of scale insects, be prepared to continue controlling them next year – unless you’re extremely thorough, or lucky, a few will have hidden themselves away and start to increase in numbers again

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the city grower

Control scale insects

Above: Blue tits will only eat a few insects Below: Scale insects may require repeat treatments to bring them under control

ERAN FINKLE

This summer, in particular, scale insect have run rife through my garden next summer.

USEFUL CONTACTS

DAVE BEVAN

✦ For a range of autumn onion sets try Marshalls (01480 443390, www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk), Greenfingers (0845 3450728, www.greenfingers.com) or Tuckers Seeds (01364 652233, www.tuckers-seeds.com) ✦ Good sources of plum trees include Buckingham Nurseries (01280 827925, www.hedging.co.uk) and Keepers Nursery (01622 726465, www.keepers-nursery.co.uk) ✦ For stockists of Provado Ultimate Bug Killer and Bayer Sprayday Greenfly Killer visit www.bayergarden.co.uk Grow it! October 2011 29

This month  Saving seed  Growing garlic  Winter spinach

Paul Wagland is an RHS-qualified gardener and keen allotmenteer, with three thriving plots in deepest Essex.

As summer crops come to an end, says Paul Wagland, make sure you keep your plot productive by sowing into empty ground

T

he practice of saving seed from one crop to start the next is as old as agriculture itself but is something few modern gardeners attempt. With so many seeds on offer in every garden centre and supermarket it’s certainly easy to go out and buy a fresh supply each year. There’s nothing wrong with that – indeed, choosing seed for a new season is one of the great pleasures of gardening – but there are still many reasons to preserve the seed of your existing plants.

While collecting and storing seed might seem like unnecessary work, many plants will give you far more seed than you could hope to get in a packet and for almost no financial cost.

You’ll know exactly how fresh it is, how it has been stored and (if you’re an organic gardener) whether it has been treated before or after collection. Saving tomato seed is an excellent way to start, as the seeds are easy to collect and tend to store well.

Perhaps the single biggest reason for saving seed is that it allows you to repeat notable successes from one year to the next – whichever plants have done particularly well in your garden are the ones most worth saving, so you can repeat the feat next year.

It’s a good idea to take notes through the year and perhaps even label those plants that seem particularly happy in your local conditions.

This will allow you to quickly select the best sources of seed.

STEP-BY-STEP

1

Saving tomato seed

Slice each tomato in half and scoop out the flesh. Separate the seeds from the rest of the fruit. Some types of tomato have many seeds, while others (beefsteak varieties in particular) carry just two or three.

2

Look out for suitable seeds to save while clearing away spent crops

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the organic allotmenteer

THE ORGANIC ALLOTMENTEER

TOP TIPS

✦ Collect seed in dry weather, after midday ✦ Use clean implements and containers ✦ Empty spice jars or paper envelopes are ideal ✦ Keep last year’s plant tags to label stored seeds ✦ Add a pinch of dry rice to absorb moisture ✦ Store seed in a dark, cool but frost-free place ✦ Use your stored seed within one or two years ✦ Seed from F1 hybrids won’t come true to type

Make sure all the flesh is removed, though you can allow the gelatinous layer immediately around the seeds to remain. Spread the seeds evenly on a sheet of kitchen paper and place in a dry and airy place.

3

Once dry, transfer the paper into a container and label with the date and contents. Next season, the paper can be torn into small pieces and planted, each piece with a single seed attached.

Grow it! October 2011 31

S

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the organic allotmenteer

Growing great garlic G

arlic is an easy and very rewarding crop to grow, not least because it is expensive in the shops but takes up little room on your plot. I find it one of the most satisfying plants to harvest, with its solid, pink-flushed bulbs so full of promise when you lift them and wipe away the soil from the outer skin.

Your site should ideally be in full sun, although garlic will tolerate light shade.

Prepare the ground with well-rotted organic matter and if the soil is heavy you can add small amounts of sharp sand to improve drainage, although the organic matter will also help with this. Sow individual cloves at a depth of 5cm (2in) with the pointed end facing upwards. If there are long, wispy tags

of last year’s leaves still attached it can be worth snipping these off, as curious birds love to pull them out of the soil.

To germinate, a temperature of 13°C is required – mulch with a layer of straw, shredded bark or leaves to retain heat if the autumn is particularly cold.

During spring the bright-green shoots will become visible and the mulch can be drawn back to allow the plants to grow freely. Unless the soil is extremely dry the garlic is unlikely to need much watering – simply weed around the plants at regular intervals. When the weather gets warmer, try interspersing beetroot and lettuce amongst the plants – these useful companions will help to cool the soil during the summer. The scent of garlic will also deter slugs and snails from the soft salad leaves.

It is easy to tell when the crop is ready for harvest, as the bottom leaves of the plant will turn yellow, usually in late summer. It is better to pull the bulbs up a little too early rather than too late, as they may start to sprout if left too long.

To avoid damage, loosen the soil with a fork before pulling up the bulbs.

Garlic is potent and you may well find you have grown more than you can readily use. Ensure that stored bulbs stay fresh by curing them correctly. Sit the bulbs on a screen in full sun and allow them to dry for at least a fortnight. If rain threatens, move them to a cool, open shed to continue the process.

Curing is complete when the necks are tight and the skin on the bulb is thoroughly dried, after which the bulbs can be kept and used as needed for up to eight months.

This simple structure will allow you quickly to convert fallen leaves into rich, crumbly potting compost, just in time for spring planting

Garlic takes up little room yet packs a satisfying punch of flavour

STEP-BY-STEP

1

Make a leaf mould bin

Use timber posts for the four corners of your bin. Bang them at least 30cm (12in) into the ground so they are sturdy enough to withstand the odd knock. A lump hammer should do the job.

32 October 2011 Grow it!

2

Tack the end of a roll of chicken wire to one of the front posts using wire staples. Unroll the wire around the other three posts, tacking it in place as you go.

After the last leg, cut the wire off.

3

Cut off or fold back any sharp ends, then tie the loose end of the cage in place using garden wire to form the last side of the square. This ‘door’ will allow you access to the rich leaf mould within.

5

Compost needs warmth and oxygen to really Co rot down well. This month may be your last chance to provide both as the weather begins ch to cool down. You can still be topping up the heap with any vegetation that you dig up or cut cu back, but make sure you turn the whole pile pi every week or two with a garden fork in order to let the air in. If you are organised or enough to have several compost bins, or one en with wi multiple bays, then an easy way to work is simply to fork from one bin to another, shaking si the th material to loosen it up as you go. This is not a long job but it speeds up the rotting process considerably. It also gives you an pr opportunity to spot any weed roots that may op still st have life left in them.

1

2

TOP OF THE CROPS 3

4

5 1 EARLY PURPLE WIGHT: The

earliest-cropping variety from autumn-planting, ready from May onwards. Does not store for long.

2 WIGHT CRISTO: Pure-white bulbs with an elegant bouquet and ideal for all kinds of kitchen dishes.

This variety does store well.

3 CHESNOK RED: From Shvelisi in Georgia, this attractive strain has purple striping and a wonderful full-bodied flavour.

4 GERMIDOUR: Well-known and reliable, from French production but specifically adapted to the UK climate and conditions.

5 ELEPHANT: Actually closer to

a leek than true garlic, this is well worth growing for its huge, mildlyflavoured cloves great for roasting.

As summer crops are removed from your beds you have the opportunity to re-use the ground, increasing your productivity and helping to control weeds. One of my favourite things to sow now is spinach, which is a fantastically healthy and tasty vegetable whose reputation has suffered in recent years thanks to overcooking and lack of imagination.

It’s a pretty fast-growing crop, with baby leaves useable within six weeks, and it doesn’t require the heat of summer to do well. In fact, it grows better in cooler weather, with less risk of running to seed.

Slightly lower light levels also encourage the formation of large, dark-green leaves, so even in the summer this is a crop which benefits from a little shade.

If you have time, sow into prepared drills about 2cm (1in) deep. If not, simply broadcast over fine soil and rake to cover.

Either way, water the seeds in well and don’t let the ground dry out until the leaves are ready for picking. You can keep the crop going late into the year by applying a good thick mulch of straw or grass clippings and adding a cloche as temperatures fall.

Slightly lower light levels encourage the formation of large, dark-green leaves.

Get connected

Winter weather has many benefits for gardeners, not least of which is the opportunity to collect lots of rainwater ready for spring irrigation. A shed roof will easily catch enough precipitation to fill several water butts, so get ready now by linking a number of butts together.

The butts should be situated next to each other, ideally all at the same level or slowly stepping down from one butt to the next.

If any butt is higher than the one previous, it won’t fill up to its maximum capacity.

The best option for joining them together is to buy a simple linking kit (available for around £10).

Grow it! October 2011 33

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the organic allotmenteer

Mix it up

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THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the under cover grower

THE UNDER COVER GROWER

This month Steve Bradley has an RHS Master of Horticulture diploma and lectures widely on gardening. He has written over 30 books on the subject and is gardening editor of The Sun.

Clean cladding to maximise light levels for overwintering greenhouse crops

 Greenhouse cleaning  Light levels  Winter storage

Get set for cooler weather. Steve Bradley outlines how to get your greenhouse or polytunnel cleaned, tidied and ready for the months ahead

O

ctober brings a change in the weather: there are still some warm sunny days, but the sun lacks the power of the previous months while the nights are considerably cooler with a risk of a frost just before dawn.

Warm days provide the opportunity for discarding old crops (and their debris) and carrying out any repairs to claddings and structures before the cold weather sets in. There is little point in insulating or heating a tunnel or greenhouse if the heat can leak out from tears in the plastic or cracked glass. Never neglect the less obvious areas, such as doors or windows which do not fit snugly, as they can be the cause of considerable heat loss during cold weather, especially where cold winds draw the heat out of the structure. One very easy method of finding out if there are any leaks or unseen openings is to place a fumigant, such as a sulphur candle, inside the structure just before dusk and light it. As the smoke thickens and billows it will escape from any cracks and holes, clearly indicating places where repairs are required.

34 October 2011 Grow it!

Another task which is better done early is to bring the greenhouse heater out of storage and give it a clean (if this wasn’t done before it was put away) and test run. Paraffin heaters, in particular, should have their wicks soaked in fuel and trimmed to remove any traces of carbon or burned wick. This often needs doing even if the wick was trimmed and cleaned before the heater went into storage. Before any fresh fuel is added, check the fuel tank for condensation that may have accumulated during storage. Empty any water that is present before adding fresh fuel.

While some equipment is being brought out of storage and tested ready for use during the winter, other items can be packed away to be stored until they are needed again next growing season. Most plants growing under protection need very little water at this time of year, so watering systems are practically redundant and can be drained, packed and stored.

Any automatic or semi-automatic watering equipment can be shut off and packed away to help avoid any excessive watering and high humidity over winter.

T

his is the time when thoughts turn to winter protection for crops and keeping the cold out, so that any heating system in use works to maximum efficiency. There is always a dilemma for the gardener because putting up some form of insulation, such as bubble polythene, to keep out the cold winds and frost means reducing the amount of light that can get into the greenhouse or polytunnel at a time of year when the light levels are already going down.

Before you install any insulation for winter protection, it is always a good idea to clean the cladding (whether glass, polycarbonate or plastic), so that the penetration of winter light into the structure is the best it can possibly be. For the best results the cladding needs to be cleaned on both sides, inside and out – it can be surprising just how dirty it can get.

To make matters worse, some of the methods used to keep pests and diseases under control, such as smoke fumigants to control diseases or insects, will often leave a smoky or greasy film on the surface of the cladding, which plays its part in blocking out the light. If fumigants are used – and they can be very effective – it is better to use them before cleaning the cladding and putting up the insulation.

When it comes to cleaning the outside of the structure, you can often combine the task with removing any remaining spray-on shading material that has lingered from the summer. It is much better to let this cleaning fluid/water drain away, rather than let it run down into the water butt, even if you use environmentally ‘safe’ products, as you have no idea what contaminants you have washed off the cladding. It is much better to be safe than sorry! This is also a good time to clean out the butt ready for collecting fresh rain during the wetter season ahead.

STEP-BY-STEP

1

TOP TIP

Brush out gutters before cleaning cladding to allow the solution to wash away the mould and slime

Greenhouse cleaners ✦ Agralan Citrox: 01285 860015, www.agralan.co.uk ✦ Algon Organic Cleaner: 01772 823370, www.algonorganics.co.uk ✦ Armillatox: 01773 590566, www.armillatox.com ✦ Biotal Algae & Mould Cleaner: 029 2047 5550, www.biotal.co.uk ✦ Jeyes Fluid Ready To Use: 01842 757575, www.jeyes.co.uk/jeyesfluid.htm

Wash the roof panels first and follow up by washing the side panels. This saves getting water and chemicals on your clothing or skin. Always wear gloves and goggles if you are using spray solutions.

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the under cover grower

Autumn clean

✦ Just Glasshouse Cleaner: 0800 3896002, www. just-green.com ✦ Gardena Shampoo Wax Sticks: 0844 8444558, www.gardena.com/uk ✦ Growing Success Concentrated Greenhouse Cleaner: 01522 537561, www.william-sinclair.co.uk ✦ Harrod Horticultural Greenhouse Cleaner: 0845 4025300, www.harrodhorticultural.com

Cleaning structures

Wash the cladding panels with a solution containing a moss and algae remover to penetrate any green slime or moulds.

2

Wipe over the panels with a cloth or sponge to dislodge any dirt, slime and mould. Wash out the sponge regularly in the moss and algae remover solution.

3

Wash over the cleaned panels with clean water, using enough to completely flush away any chemical residue remaining.

Grow it! October 2011 35

S

THE PRACTICAL TEAM – the under cover grower TH

Store irrigation systems

A

ny plants growing under protection at this time will be growing at a much slower rate than they were over summer when the days were longer and the weather warmer. Even those freshly-sown or planted crops intended for overwintering will have a slower growth rate and so will require far less watering.

Overhead watering systems, which are placed in the roof space above the crops, need to be drained down to clear the system of any water. Any remaining water in the system could turn stagnant and harbour harmful fungal spores or, if your structure is unheated, freeze in the pipes and damage either the pipes themselves or, more likely, the nozzles (which are usually the lowest point and so the most likely place to have water left

in them). These systems are usually left in place overwinter, as they are less of an obstruction than those at a lower level or laid on the ground but, in larger structures where there is space to practise some degree of crop rotation, the irrigation system will need to be moved anyway, to accommodate the change of crops.

In hard water areas the process of moving and storing flexible pipes can have an added advantage. The extra lime in the water means irrigation pipes fur up with lime scale. This is usually even worse if soluble feeds are applied through the system, so coiling up the pipes will dislodge a large amount of this residue. It can then be shaken out of the pipe, either when the pipe is prepared for storage or when it is laid out again ready for use.

Store irrigation systems in a dark, frost-free place as sunlight can degrade plastic fittings as much as frost

Worm their way in Wormeries are fantastic setups, turning Wo peelings pe and other compostable kitchen waste wa into beautiful, friable worm casts ca that will pep up the soil with their nutrient-rich nu contents. Furthermore, a valuable by-product of the worm co composting process is a dark-coloured te tea. This can be diluted to make a free – and exceptionally beneficial – feed for fo the likes of tomatoes, peppers and other fruiting vegetables. ot

STEP-BY-STEP

1

Dismantling a watering system

Disconnect and drain any water pipes which are part of the watering system, rolling or coiling up the pipes to allow any remaining water to drain out of one end.

36 October 2011 Grow it!

Like us, worms aren’t keen on cold temperatures and will stop digesting waste all together when it dips below 5°C. Don’t let them stop their good work. Move wormeries somewhere warmer to shelter from the worst of the winter weather. A greenhouse is ideal but offer further protection by wrapping the wormery in blankets.

That way the worms will stay snug and active all year round.

2

3

Coil flexible pipes and tie them Check any nozzles or outlets for securely, attaching any fittings or corrosion or damage. Adjusting nozzles placing them with the pipes to prevent slightly or closing them will free any lime wasted time searching for the relevant scale before it becomes too solid and parts next year. difficult to remove.

Fruit grow guide

A fruitful plot

Like the idea of growing some of your own fruit but haven’t a clue where to start?

Wade Muggleton explains how anyone can grow soft and tree fruits

I

n the field of ‘grow-it-yourself’, fruit growing has perhaps been rather overshadowed by the vegetable garden. Carrots, cabbages and tomatoes so often steal the limelight from currants, berries and top fruit. This is a shame as there are

many positives to growing some of your own fruit, including healthy eating and unbeatable freshness, as well cutting out all those road miles, packaging and carbon footprints, not to mention the sheer joy of simply walking outside and harvesting your own fresh fruit. The

fruit garden, however, is a different prospect from the veg garden.

The vegetable garden is tied into the annual cycle of sowing, pricking out and planting out, harvesting, clearing, digging and starting the process all over again. Not so the fruit garden with its largely perennial nature. A well-planned and executed fruit garden will last you for years with only light maintenance – mainly pruning and mulching. It is therefore important to get a fruit garden right from the outset as the fruit trees and bushes are going to be with you for the long haul.

Planning and preparing

It pays to take the time to plan your fruit growing. While mistakes in an annual vegetable garden are easily rectified the following season, getting it wrong in the fruit garden is more costly. Rule number one is that sunshine ripens fruit, so try and place your fruit garden in a location that gets a reasonable amount of sun.

Then consider what you like – everyone has favourites, so grow what you and your family most like to eat. When choosing you might also consider what is comparatively expensive to buy or has a high carbon footprint. Blueberries, for example, are great to grow at home as the shop-bought berries are pricey and have often travelled vast distances.

It is worth doing some serious research before splashing your cash on trees and bushes. Having decided what you and your family would like, investigate varieties of those crops. For example, if you live in a frost pocket, lateflowering fruit trees are preferable so as to avoid frost damage to the blossom.

Equally there are some varieties that do better in the cooler north of the country, while others are more disease resistant.

So do some research; get a book from

Crunch into home-grown fruit – it’s splendid!

38 October 2011 Grow it!

There are many positives to growing your own fruit but it pays to take time planning the fruit garden

the library, search the internet, go through lots of catalogues – it will be time well spent.

As the trees and bushes are going to be in the same place for a long time, pre-planting preparation is vital. Work in lots of good organic matter into the soil to give plants a strong start.

Consider this a great investment as you won’t be digging that area again for years. The hard work now will pay dividends when you enjoy the fruits of your labour over the years to come.

While bargains are always tempting I advise buying quality stock from specialist fruit nurseries.

These guys are experts and can give you sound advice and will often guarantee their plants.

The stock will be good quality and disease free.

Top fruit

What I grow

(in my average-sized garden)

Pick the right tree for your space.

My apple ‘May Queen’ is kept small thanks to its M26 rootstock

Cherry Apples – 35 varieties Pears – 4 varieties Plums – 3 varieties Damsons – 2 varieties Blackberry Raspberry – 4 varieties Strawberry Blueberry – 3 varieties Loganberry Tayberry Gooseberry – 5 varieties Cranberry – 2 varieties Goji berry Bilberry Worcesterberry Redcurrant White currant Blackcurrant Apricot Fig Peach Kiwifruit Lemon Cobnut Rhubarb Japanese wineberry Japanese strawberry Aronia Jostaberry Olive Rhubarb

By ‘top fruit’ we mean While bargains are tempting I advise buying apples, pears, plums, cherries and so on, that quality stock from specialist nurseries is any fruit that grows on a tree. While I often hear the cry ‘I don’t have room for a fruit tree’, to ensure they are genetic copies of that variety. As such, most varieties there is simply no excuse for not having are grafted onto different size-limiting fruit trees, even if the space you have rootstocks, therefore giving a choice of is tiny. It all comes down to selecting your favourite fruit on a large, small or the right tree for the right space. To in-between sized tree. It is, therefore, many people’s surprise, fruit trees are necessary to understand a bit about not grown from seed but are grafted rootstocks to ensure you get the right sized tree for your plot.

Another interesting approach to top fruit is rather than growing a common variety of apple, pear or plum, to check out the heritage varieties of the county you live in and grow something really different, something you’ll never find in the Fitting your space shops. The charity Common Ground has put together a county by county register of When contemplating planting a fruit tree one of the commonest concerns I hear is where hundreds of varieties originated. By growing a local variety you know it is suited ‘but won’t it get huge?’ to which my reply to your part of the country. You will also be is ‘you’re the one with the secateurs, it will get as big as big as you let it!’. The helping to keep alive the genetic heritage truth is we can mould, shape and control of our fruit history. Many of these old fruit trees and bushes into pretty much varieties are wonderfully hardy and have any form we like, so they can fit into even only slipped from popularity because they Blueberries are a good choice for home growing; doing so will save you the smallest spaces. There are a wide don’t meet the supermarkets’ obsession considerable amounts of money range of fruit tree forms that we can use. with uniformity.

Grow it! October 2011 39

S

Fruit grow guide In a smaller plot we are unlikely to be looking at large towering trees. Here it is more likely to be the small and the neatly-trained forms that we want. Urban environments in particular often have large areas of wall and fence which are ideal for training fruit trees up or against.

The following trained tree forms work best in such circumstances.

CORDONS: This is a

young tree planted on an angle to suppress its vigour. Any side branches are pruned back so that the fruit spurs develop straight off the trunk to effectively give a tree with no branches. The advantage here is a very compact habit, while several can be fitted into a small space.

ESPALIERS: Usually

grown along a wall or fence, these trees consist of a central trunk with side branches trained left and right on the horizontal. The fruit is borne on these branches.

They are created by training the branches you want and cutting off those you don’t.

STEP-OVER: This

was a Victorian idea to create productive and decorative edgings to vegetable plots. It is effectively a tree with only two branches, one going left, the other going right. This is created by pruning the young tree back to

about 35cm (14in) and then training the growth from two buds to go left and right. A step-over can be very productive while taking up a minimal amount of space.

MINARETTE OR BALLERINA: This is

effectively an upright cordon, a tree kept small and compact by pruning.

Like the cordon it has no side branches of any size, just short stubby side growths upon which the fruit is carried. They are widely advertised as ideal trees for growing in pots on the patio.

FAN: Perfect for growing

up walls and fences and especially well-suited to cherries.

Fans are created by simply selecting four, five, seven or even nine shoots to be trained in a fan shape on a single plane. It's a case of selecting the shoots you want to train and cutting out everything else.

FAMILY TREES:

These are mainly apple trees that have more than one variety grafted onto them, hence you can have three or more different types of apple growing on a single tree. Family trees mean that those with very limited space can still grow more than one variety (see ‘Head over heals’, March 2011, page 79).

APPLES OVER AN ARCH: Perhaps

not one you’ll find in the books, but I planted two apple trees, one either side of a cheap metal arch, and over several years trained them up and over to form a very decorative and productive arch.

Left: Single-stemmed cordons bear their fruits on short spurs. Right: This espalier pear has taken careful pruning to achieve its ordered structure

40 October 2011 Grow it!

Top: Try something a bit different, like this Japanese wineberry. Above: Most fruit, such as these gooseberries, will appreciate a late winter addition of compost or well-rotted manure

Soft fruit

By ‘soft fruit’ we mean all the currants and berries – those fruits that grow on a bush rather than a tree. While raspberries, strawberries and blackcurrants have been the traditional fare of the fruit plot there are dozens of other different soft fruits available. It is quite possible to grow blueberries, cranberries, goji berries and Japanese wineberries to name but a few.

Almost all soft fruit is incredibly good for us, crammed with high levels of antioxidants and contributing to our five-a-day fresh fruit and veg. Growing your own is a wonderfully positive thing to do and one of the joys of summer is simply foraging on the plot and popping fresh berries or currants straight into your mouth. In my house we often don’t eat pudding as such – we just go and forage straight from the bushes!

Rootstocks

6m 5m

5

4m

4

3m 2m 1m

1

0m

2

~

3

1. Very Dwarfing: M27 2. Dwarfing: M9, Gisela 5 3. Semi Dwarfing: M26, Pixy 4. Semi Vigorous: MM106, St Julia, A, Quince A 5. Vigorous: M25

Apples

Again, everyone will have their favourites, but a homegrown raspberry takes some beating and even the humble strawberry always seems so much sweeter when grown by your own fair hand.

MM106: Semi-dwarf apple stock used for espaliers and bush trees.

M26: Semi-dwarf apple stock for bushes and multiple cordons.

M9: Dwarf apple stock.

M27: Very dwarf apple stock, used for patio trees and step-overs.

Maintenance

Once established, there is far less maintenance to complete on a fruit garden than a vegetable plot. In terms of fertility and soil care, mulching is a key aspect of looking after the fruit garden. A late winter application of well-rotted manure and/or homemade compost will set up the fruit for the season to come, while a sprinkling of wood ash in spring is also a good source of potash and phosphate. Beyond this the only other maintenance is pruning, a job I find immensely satisfying and which we will look at in detail in future articles.

I am also a big advocate of liquid feeds, so occasional applications of comfrey and nettle water and seaweed solution will give your trees and bushes additional nutrients.

Diversity is king

When planning a fruit garden try and make it as diverse as possible, not just in terms of different types of fruit but of different varieties within a specific fruit category. If you are planning to have, say, several apple trees then ensure you’ve got an early variety, a good keeper, a nice cooker and maybe a Russet, rather than more than one of the same. In any given year something will have a good year, others less so. By

At first glance the rootstocks can be confusing. Fruit tree varieties are grafted for the simple reason they do not come true from pips and stones because of cross pollination. A graft is an identical copy of the parent and the rootstocks onto which they are grafted have been selected for their vigour and growth characteristics. There are rootstocks for all sorts of different sized mature trees. The following are most suitable for smaller plots.

Pears

Quince A: Semi-dwarf pear stock used for espaliers and bush trees.

Quince C: Dwarf pear stock for patio trees, small bushes and step-overs.

Plums and cherries

Pixy: Dwarf plum stock for small bushes and fans.

Gisela 5: Dwarf cherry stock used for bushes and fans.

Raspberry ‘All Gold’ is a bright and cheery addition to the fruit plot

having as wide a range as possible you will always get something.

In our garden we grow 21 different types of fruit and within that there are multiple varieties of some, which means every year we get a good crop, not the exact same crop. While some things are having an off year, others will be in abundance. So, whatever you plant try a wide range of crops but, most importantly of all, enjoy the whole process. May your plot be fruitful… quite literally!

USEFUL CONTACTS

✦ To find out what varieties are special to your county visit the Common Ground webpage: www.england-in-particular. info/orchards/o-counties.html ✦ For a good range of organic fruit trees try Walcot Nursery (01905 841587, www.walcotnursery.co.uk) or Trees for Life (01584 810214, www.frankpmatthews.com) ✦ For interesting information on regional growing visit Orange Pippin: www.orangepippinshop.com

Grow it! October 2011 41

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All-season gooseberry collection These fabulous fruits are one of early

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• Invicta’ A classic earlyavy season variety with heavy crops of sweet, greenay yellow berries in late May and early June.

• Pax: From virtually thornless bushes, a mature plant will give heavy yields of delicious red gooseberries from late June.

• Hinnonmaki Yellow: This late variety offers fruits right up to late July.

Its yellow fruits have an unusual fragrant flavour.

French fruits duo

Bring a little ooh la la into your garden with these two French beauties: attractive pink currant ‘Gloire de Sablon’ and currant ‘Caseille’. ‘Gloire de Sablon’ is worth growing for appearance alone but its fruits are deliciously sweet, juicy and perfect for puddings. ‘Caseille’ is an outstanding

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Strawberry ‘Albion’

This variety is said to be one of the tastiest everbearing varieties available. Fruit appears as early as June and continues in flushes to October. The fruits are large, dark-red, juicy and full of flavour.

A heavy cropper, it can produce up to 450kg (1lb) per plant. Get hold of 10 runners for just £9.95, or save £3 when ordering 20 for £16.90.

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HOW TO ORDER

Phone the order hotline on 0844 7707733. Alternatively, fill in the order form and post with payment to: Grow it! Raspberry, DT Brown, Rookery Farm, Joys Bank, Holbeach St Johns, Spalding, PE12 8SG. Despatch from November except strawberry runners which will be sent from October. Delivery to UK addresses only.

Know-how Bring your fruit into the heart of the garden – this pear looks great in the ornamental border

Fabulous

& fruity!

Don’t hide your fruit trees away in the corner of your garden – make them the star of the show! Dave Hamilton offers some tips to beautifying the fruit garden

N

ot so long ago I chanced upon a collection of gardening books from the turn of the last century.

Although the language was perhaps a little antiquated they were superbly written and beautifully illustrated, even containing what must have been an expensive addition at the time: black and white photographs! A lot of the advice dispensed was no different to that you’d receive today, yet at the same time a lot of it seemed very outdated, especially the guidance on chemical pest control – I’m glad this sort of advice has been left to gather dust on the shelves of antique book shops.

Nevertheless, the books spoke of styles and techniques which have sadly been lost or forgotten over time. The photos of espaliered, fan-trained and ornamental fruit tree plantings that punctuated the text proved Edwardian gardeners put a lot more emphasis on how things looked than we do today, even in the productive garden. Of course, many of today’s formal gardens still hold

onto much of this tradition, particularly those whose design harks back to a bygone era, such as the Lost Gardens of Heligan or Tresco Abbey Gardens. Paying gardens such as these a short visit will always offer inspiration, even to those with the tiniest of growing spaces.

Low box hedging can frame fruit areas to give a strong, formal feel to the garden

Formalised schemes

We can learn a trick or two from garden styles of yesteryear. For example, the simple trick of ‘framing’ dwarf, semidwarf or otherwise titchy fruit trees with low box hedging can bring a hint of that formal feel to your backyard, recreating a little corner of Heligan in Hemel Hempstead or Hull! Box (Latin name Buxus sempervirens) can be bought as ready-grown plants for setting out into a weed-free area at the same time you plant your fruit trees. Set the box plants in circles, squares or more ornate patterns around fruit trees to create your own mini parterre.

As the roots of most fruit trees lie close to the surface and dislike disturbance care will be required when planting a hedge like this around more established specimens. As a rule of

S

Frame your trees with hedges to give a more formal, ordered look

TOP TIP

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Get set for winter: ✦ Tidy your allotment ✦ Make leaf mould ✦ Prune apple cordons ✦ Safeguard soil NOV/DEC 2011 £3.60

14 Great

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Seaweed feeds

Do they really work?

• Ecological plots • Chicory • Rhubarb • Growing nuts

Hands-on advice

Seasonal tips

Expert advice

Call our subscription hotline on:

01959 541444 and quote “E102”or visit

www.uniquemagazines.co.uk Helpful hints

Seasonal fayre

Know-how thumb, take the root spread of a fruit tree to be approximately equal to that of its crown. Then, when planting, leave an additional 30cm (12in) beyond this area as the closest point for your hedge.

Buying in lots of box plants can soon add up, so a cheaper way to establish a hedge is to simply push cuttings into the ground where you wish the hedge to grow. This technique doesn’t appear in many gardening books but it does seem to work. Take cuttings around 30cm (12in) long and ensure there’s a bud at the top and base of each cutting. Set two cuttings into the ground at each planting position, pushing about two-thirds of their length into the ground. Leave approximately 30cm (12in) between each duo of cuttings then water into place and mulch with straw to conserve moisture.

The alternative would be to take cuttings from a box hedge and to grow them on in a nursery bed or pot before planting them out.

Training your trees

A lot of the techniques of days gone by involved training trees into all kinds of shapes, the most well-known of which are the fans and espaliers. These training methods can really save on room in today’s small gardens, while making the most of otherwise under-utilised growing spaces, such as a along a wall or framing the sides of a path. It is difficult to train established trees into these shapes; instead, to make life easier, begin with a two to three-year-old ready-trained tree, or at least one that looks as if it can be trained relatively easily. You will need to securely fasten wires to the wall or fence posts before you plant the young tree.

Competing plants and weeds should be completely removed to give your trees a strong start.

One clever idea that came from those

Mint looks very pretty under fruit trees or standard bushes of soft fruit like the gooseberry

Under-plant with attractive companions, including lavender or mint TOP TIP

old gardening books is to use every possible square inch of wall space by planting fruit trees in two tiers. Lower trees such as pear were fan trained so that the first branch sat no higher than 30cm (12in) off the ground. Taller fans were then planted alongside the pears so that they occupied the top half of the wall, sitting just above the pears.

This gave twice the productivity by effectively cramming in a parallel row of fans – ingenious!

Under-planting

Modern ecological techniques such as forest gardening can, at first glance, appear to fly in the face of the aesthetic but these, too, can be beautiful in their practicality and simplicity. An undersowing of mint will act as a ground cover around fruit trees or bushes, keeping moisture from evaporating away and weeds suppressed. As mint has a habit of spreading some measures will be necessary to keep it in check – either

44 October 2011 Grow it!

grow the mint up to the edge of a path or sink some kind of vertical barrier around the perimeter of its intended growing area.

If you are lucky enough to have a row of fruit trees another solution to add a splash of interest is to under-plant with lavender. My namesake, David Hamilton, who tends to the productive garden on Tresco in the Isles of Scilly does just this to highlight the path in the centre of his plot. David grows bay trees rather than fruit , but his planting scheme works well with either and will certainly

Wire-train trees into ornamental shapes, such as fans or espaliers, or along the sides of paths TOP TIP

There’s a simple elegance to be enjoyed from wall-trained fruit such as this ‘Braeburn’ apple

Lavender adds a shock of purple beneath bay standards. This effect would work equally as well with fruit

help to draw in the pollinating insects so welcomed. There’s also some evidence to suggest that the strong scent of lavender reduces the prevalence of pests preying on fruit trees. It means that zing of purple will be practical as well as pretty.

David uses a variety of lavender called ‘Hidcote’ because its orderly habit works well in a formal setting. Lavender can be bought as plants early in the season (look out for offers), started off from seed in spring or grown from cuttings taken in the summer.

Head on up

Encouraging a climber to romp up your tree can bring an extra splash of colour to the garden. This more relaxed approach can, nevertheless, give a very striking effect. A favourite combination of mine is nasturtiums scrambling up Prunus species such as plum or greengage. Choose trailing nasturtiums (often sold as ‘Trailing Mix’) and sow the plump seeds at the base of your tree in spring. Try not to plant anything that will eventually compete with your fruit tree for nutrients (for example a rambling rose or passion flower). Instead, go for non-hardy climbers that will die back each winter.

Of course, just to contradict myself for a moment, you could plant a productive companion with your fruit tree. Kiwifruits would fit the bill but just remember that it will be difficult to pick any fruits that end up high in the top branches.

Floral splendour

With larger fruit trees it is perfectly possible to tend a mixed wildflower meadow at ground level. A beautiful

AXELROHDEELIAS

Flowers and fruits of the strawberry tree

Nothing beats the flush of flowers that comes with springtime blossom – use it to your garden’s decorative advantage

sward of wildflowers under trees in this way will offer something of interest throughout most of the year. Firstly, in spring will be the blossom preceding the wildflowers of early summer. And once the wildflowers die back the fruit will soon be ready to harvest.

Many native wildflower mixes will only bring colour for a short period of time, typically in June and July. For a mix that will last longer try a mix of nonnatives. This goes against the grain of the common recommendation to grow solely native species to attract wildlife.

However, recent research suggests that non-native flowering plants may be even better at creating habitat for invertebrates and beneficial insects, as these mixes will be in flower for longer.

When Alfred Joyce Kilmer wrote: ‘I think that I shall never see. A poem lovely as a tree’, he must have been thinking about the Saskatoon, otherwise known at the June berry or amelanchier.

When I first saw a fully grown Saskatoon in flower it took my breath away.

Then, when I later discovered that the berries were edible, it immediately joined my ever-growing list of favourite plants. The Saskatoon, along with other ornamental trees with edible fruits, such as the Cornelian cherry or strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), can add that extra dimension of beauty to the fruit garden. But as with many of the fruit trees and bushes whose fruit production is secondary to

Grow climbing or trailing flowers such as nasturtiums up your trees TOP TIP

decorative appeal, the fruit isn’t always to everyone’s taste, so try them first if you can. The strawberry tree is currently in fruit and is well worth seeking out.

The fruit garden doesn’t have to consist of serried rows of staked trees.

It only takes a little bit of thought to bring in some ideas to prettify your plot, making your fruitful garden or allotment a pleasure for the eye as well as the palate.

Choose trees with a strong ornamental element, for example Cornelian cherry (pictured) or Saskatoon

Grow it! October 2011 45

Fruit grow guide

A currant affair Fall back in love with that taste of childhood – the rich tones of the beautiful blackcurrant. Lucy Halliday discusses how to plant, tend and prune bushes to achieve the highest yields

T

STEPHEN SHIRLEY

here’s one fruity flavour that everyone seems to remember fondly from childhood – the blackcurrant. Always the first flavour to run out in a bag of sweets while, of course, blackcurrant squash remains as popular as ever, not least because of the colour it turns your tongue! As we get older we might instead opt for blackcurrant cheesecake or sorbet for a hint of sophistication, but there’s still something about that simple, rich, sweet flavour that’s inherently pleasing to the palate.

Simplicity is the gift of the blackcurrant, for as well as harking back to carefree childhood summers this fruit is wonderfully easy to grow, making it ideal for those looking to grow fruit

46 October 2011 Grow it!

for the first time. The fruit bushes require an investment of space and money but, following this, blackcurrants will demand little of your time and reward you handsomely. October is an ideal month to plant new blackcurrants with the promise of delicious things to come next summer.

So if you fancy up-scaling your fruit-growing endeavours from say, a few strawberry plants, but don’t want anything too complicated, the blackcurrant is for you.

Black beauties

You will find blackcurrants for sale as bare-root plants from mid autumn. This is a very economical way of buying these sleepy winter bushes,

which will need to be planted straight away. You can also buy pot-grown plants all year round and these can go in the ground at anytime.

Blackcurrants come in different sizes and fruit at different times, so chose a compact variety such as ‘Ben Sarek’ if space is at a premium or go for a late-flowering variety if you live in an area prone to late frosts; suitable varieties include ‘Ben More’ or ‘Ben Lomond’.

Modern varieties, which have largely been bred in Scotland since 1975, are resistant to the main pests of mildew, gall midge and leaf spot.

They also tend to be more tolerant of frosts, giving you lower maintenance plants. However, if you want to try an old-fashioned or heritage variety there are still some around; look for `Boskoop Giant’, bred in 1880 or `Wellington XXX’ bred in 1913.

Bushes will tolerate most soils but prefer rich soil and a wet climate (unlike other currants which only prosper in really fertile conditions).

Plants will need plenty of organic matter dug in before planting to allow it to rot down and feed the plants for spring. The yield of fruit you can expect from your currant bush is almost directly proportional to how much you feed it.

A generous mulch of garden compost or wellrotted manure will guarantee a bumper crop.

The bushes like sunshine but will tolerate a bit of shade if this is the only space you have available.

Blackcurrants will even do well in containers, so long as you keep up the heavy feeding regime.

Planting bushes

Planting blackcurrants properly is the way to give plants a really strong start in life. Do this and they will then need little input from you in the future. You should ideally prepare the planting hole a few weeks before setting plants into place (perhaps just after you place an order for bareroot plants). This gives the organic material you add to the hole a chance to settle in and get to work, though this is by no means essential. Clear all perennial weeds from the site and add a very generous amount of well-rotted manure and some Growmore to each deeply cultivated hole. Each planting hole should be at least twice the diameter of the root ball (you’ll have to carefully spread out

the roots of a bare-root plant to gauge what this is).

To plant, place the blackcurrant into the hole and spread out the roots or tease out the root ball of container-grown plants. Make sure the plant sits at least 6cm (2in) deeper than the original soil depth. This extra depth encourages vigorous shoots to develop from the base of the plant. Once in the ground, firm in with your heel and water well.

Leave at least 90cm (3ft) between bushes – further for larger varieties. For container growing you’ll need a pot that’s 45cm-60cm (18-24in) in diameter. Add some good drainage material – a layer of crocks or broken polystyrene at the bottom of the pot should do the trick. Now fill with good-quality soil-based compost, such as John Innes Number 3, or add one third grit to a quality multipurpose mix. Container blackcurrants will only need to be re-potted every two to three years and not necessarily into a larger container if you loosen the root ball, prune out any old or dead roots and refresh the gaps with new compost.

Growth schedule

KEEP THEM CLEAN

If you acquire modern, certified virus-free blackcurrant bushes you are unlikely to encounter many problems, barring perhaps two key troublemakers: aphids and mildew. There are three types of aphid that affect blackcurrants and you will need to check for signs of them from early spring. Aphids can cause sooty mould on the fruits through a build up of honeydew, as well as puckering of the leaf surface. Ladybirds and lacewings will help keep aphids in check, or you could use plant and fish oil-based soft soap organic sprays.

Blackcurrant mildew is a fungal disease affecting the leaves and shoot tips. It can spread rapidly if it isn’t kept in check. Cut out infected plant material and make sure plants have proper airflow around the stems by keeping plants open. Regular treatments with a fungicidal spray will be needed if plants do become infected. This can be an organic spray, or non-organic such as those containing the fungicide myclobutanil. Alternatively look for resistant cultivars, including ‘Ben Alder’, ‘Ben Tirran’, ‘Ben Hope’, ‘Ben Gairn’ and ‘Ben Dorain’.

Once your blackcurrant is set up in a well-fed, well-cultivated position there is very little else that needs doing until it’s time for pruning. There are a couple of jobs on the checklist, however, that will help to increase the yield of fruit and keep plants in peak condition. Netting is really important if you only have a few fruit bushes, as blackcurrants, like many soft fruits, are a favourite of the birds. Single bushes or small groups or those in pots can be protected using a few garden canes (taller than the bushes) supporting a net draped over the top. If you are planting a larger area of fruit bushes it may be worth considering a purpose-built fruit cage. These can be very expensive or, conversely, cheaply homemade if you happen to be nifty with the DIY. Preferring its roots damp, you can also give your currants a good water during dry spells and a generous mulch of compost or well rotted manure

Far left: Late-flowering varieties such as ‘Ben Lomond’ will avoid the risk of frost in prone areas Above left: ‘Ben Sarek’ is a compact variety that’s ideal for smaller gardens Above: Mulching around the base of bushes will keep the root zone of this moisture lovers cool and damp

Grow it! October 2011 47

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Fruit grow guide WHAT TO GROW

in late winter to lock soil moisture in. At the same time as applying mulches, apply a balanced fertiliser such as Growmore or blood, fish and bone.

Pruned to perfection

The key to successful pruning is in understanding the flowering and growth pattern of the plant in question. This will make the whole process far less daunting. Blackcurrants fruit best on wood that is one year old. Each year the plants send

up multiple new green shoots that become woody as they age. As BEN BEN: A new blackcurrant an example, this means that if you forming fruits more than twice prune your bush when it arrives the size of others! Good disease in October, new wood will grow resistance and exceptionally high and may fruit a little the following yielding. Blackmoor summer before laying on a real BEN CONNAN: This variety starts feast the following season. Once cropping early on and continues for this point is reached the plant will a long time, forming lots of glossy, start to become gradually less well-flavoured currants. It is mildew productive. resistant. Thompson & Morgan To counter this steady decline in BEN LOMOND: The original ‘Ben’ yield a healthy amount of one-yearblackcurrant, offering plenty of large old fruiting must be maintained. To fruits on strong-growing plants. do this remove a proportion of older Flowers late in spring, avoiding frost wood each year (identified as the damage. Victoriana Nursery dark-coloured stems) to encourage new stems while thinning out any BEN SAREK: This blackcurrant bush unruly growth to keep an open, grows to a manageable 90cm (3ft) even shape to the bush. This will high. Despite its compact size it is ensure you get plenty of light and vigorous and frost resistant. Marshalls air in to minimise the risk of disease BOSKOOP GIANT: The large, while helping the fruits to ripen. sweet currants of this vigorous A simple rule is to prune out variety have a sweet, rich flavour. one in three of the main branches It will need some protection from from each bush every year. Take early frosts. Watsons Nurseries these down to the base of the EBONY: One of the sweetest plant using loppers or a pruning varieties of all, this dessert saw. Then take out any branches blackcurrant produces very large that are crossing or damaged. fruits on open, spreading plants From the fourth year after planting displaying good mildew resistance. you should also remove any weak, Thompson & Morgan skinny shoots or ones leaning inwards or towards the ground.

You are aiming for a solid, basic structure of ten healthy shoots, so go slowly and be discerning – but not too soft – when pruning and your bushes

A simple rule is to prune out one in three of the main branches from each bush every year will reward you with vigorous growth. Once again, the good old blackcurrant is forgiving over its pruning and, although this is best carried out right after fruiting to give the new shoots the longest possible growing time, it can be completed into autumn and even winter, when the structure of the dormant stems is easier to see.

Take your pick

Each blackcurrant bush is capable of producing over 4.5kg (10lb) of fruit, so if you keep the birds off you’ll have a harvest well worth celebrating!

On modern varieties such as ‘Ben Lomond’ the fruits on the 48 October 2011 Grow it!

Above left: Currants on the strigs of modern varieties ripen all at once, making picking easier.

Left: Aim to achieve a healthy, open structure in bushes. This plant needs thinning out to allow more air to circulate

Growing blackcurrants

DJSMILEY2K

STEP-BY-STEP

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If planting while plants are dormant, cut back the stems to 3cm (1in) above ground level, otherwise leave intact.

Blackcurrants fruit on wood that is one year old, so a pruning regime should encourage a healthy proportion of this younger growth.

In very dry weather bushes may require watering. Mulching around bushes with organic matter will help to create moist root conditions.

Another aim of pruning established plants to encourage an open habit that allows plenty of air to circulate. This will reduce disease risk.

little clusters of stems (technically called ‘strigs’) will ripen at the same time and can be picked in bunches. On more old-fashioned varieties the fruits are less coordinated so will need to be picked individually.

Pick the fruits when they are black all over. The currants will keep for a few days in the fridge but can, of course, be turned into an array of delights

Where birds are a problem you will need to net your bushes to ensure you have some crop left to enjoy! Fruit cages offer a more permanent solution.

The currants are ready for picking when they have taken on their full colour. Cut away complete strigs and handle them with care.

from sorbet and cheesecake ke to cordial and jam. The berries also freeze ze well for instant smoothies in the winter time me or an impromptu summer pudding. ng. With their easy-going character and fine flavour, blackcurrants should make an appearance nce on any productive plot.

Blackcurrant suppliers ✦ Blackmoor: 01420 477978, www.blackmoor.co.uk or.co.uk ✦ Marshalls: 01480 443390, www.marshalls-seeds.com ✦ Thompson & Morgan: gan: 0844 2485383, www.thompson-morgan.com ✦ Victoriana Nursery: 01233 740529, 40529, www.victoriananursery.co.uk ✦ Watsons Nurseries: 01624 801812, www.watsonsnuseries.co.uk snuseries.co.uk Grow it! October 2011 49

Fruit grow guide

An ancient perry pear on the Shropshire/Powys border. The trees can reach a considerable height and spread

LOST and

found

Not so long ago the perry pear was in rapid decline but a recent revival of this magical fruit means varieties have been secured for future generations, as Ann Somerset Miles explains

50 October 2011 Grow it!

Make your own perry

Unless you are going to make perry in a big way it’s hardly worth investing in all the necessary equipment. Instead, you can make a ‘Pressless Perry Wine’ following a recipe supplied by Bob Flowerdew in his Complete Fruit Book (Kyle Cathie, £25) and summarised here: ‘Chop 3kg (6lbs) of unpeeled perry pears and add to 4.5 litres (one gallon) of boiling water.

Stir in 0.75kg (1.5lbs) sugar and bring back to the boil. Then allow to cool to 22˚C before adding approximately one teaspoon of wine yeast. Seal with a fermentation lock and keep warm for one week, then strain and add the same amount of sugar as previously. Reseal with the lock and ferment in a warm place until all action has stopped. Siphon off the lees and store in a cool place for three months; then bottle and store for a year before drinking.’

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hen discussing orchard fruit it’s difficult to separate perry from cider, as the trees were often grown together in the same orchard with the drink produced in a similar fashion. Cider, of course, is better known, but many connoisseurs prefer perry. This pale, straw-coloured and delicate drink is experiencing a revival. Anyone fortunate to buy or inherit a garden with an orchard of perry pears is rich indeed, for you will have the wherewithal to make your own unusual and refreshing alcoholic drink.

As with apples specifically grown to make cider, special pear cultivars are used for perry. The trees produce fruit that is not of eating quality but perfect to create a superior beverage. Whereas perry in England remained an overwhelmingly dry, still drink served from a cask, in Normandy perry (poiré) was developed as a bottlefermented, sparkling Champagne-style drink with a good deal of sweetness.

Perry pears carry a long tradition

Pyrus communis subsp. pyraster. Perry pears are higher in tannin and acid than eating or cooking pears and are generally smaller. Nearly every old farmhouse had a few perry pears; the trees live to a great age and can be fully productive for 250 years!

They also grow to a considerable height and can have very large canopies.

The largest recorded (a tree at Holme Lacy in Herefordshire) which still partly

In the beginning

Perry pears are thought to be descended from wild hybrids (known as wildings) between the cultivated pear Pyrus communis subsp. communis, brought to northern Europe by the Romans, and the now-rare wild pear

survives, covered three quarters of an acre and yielded a crop of five to seven tonnes in 1790! Their size often led to them being planted to provide a windbreak for apple orchards.

Perry pears grow best in the west of the country and will often flourish where cider apples will not, though they do need more sun. But unless trees are grown on dwarfing stock it will be some years before new trees become fully productive. As the old saying goes: ‘pears for your heirs’.

Their names alone are pure poetry: ‘Nailer’, ‘Knapper’, ‘Merrylegs’ and ‘Rock’; ‘Judge Amphlett’, ‘Stinking Bishop’ and ‘Painted Lady’; ‘Taynton Squash’, ‘Cheat-boy’, ‘Black Huff-Cap’, ‘Flakey Bark’ and so on.

Tracking them all down would be a labour of love, as dozens more names are listed in various old accounts.

During the Industrial Revolution, perry production suffered a decline as corn and cattle became more profitable than fruit growing. As a result, orchards died out and trees weren’t replanted, heavy stone mills and massive presses were abandoned in farmyards, while ancient strains of the fruit were lost forever.

Creating a new heritage

Above: Traditional varieties are making a comeback thanks to a dedicated few Above right: Healthy local bee populations will ensure good pollination

Fortunately, as so often happens with fruit and vegetables in decline, tragedy was averted when a few dedicated people realised the implications of losing a past heritage. The Three Grow it! October 2011 51

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Learn more...

● MALVERN AUTUMN SHOW:

Counties Agricultural Society’s love affair with perry pears first began 22 years ago in 1989 when a committed group of farmers, nurserymen and fruit growers embarked on a special mission to track down 65 ancient and hitherto ‘lost’ trees.

Their aim was to propagate new trees from old and often lone survivors to accumulate and protect as many vintage varieties as possible. The ultimate ambition was to halt the demise of a 400-year-old tradition of perry making in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. Led by farmer and cheese-maker Charles Martell, the group literally scoured the three counties’ countryside for remnants of the once great perry pear orchards of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many new stocks were grafted and the group’s success was finally recognised in 1998 when the society was awarded National Collection status by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens. There are now around 90 different types of perry pear planted at the Malvern Showground. This represents at least one example of all the accepted vintage varieties associated with the three counties, in a collection of some 200 trees – ‘the most comprehensive collection of perry pear trees in the country, many of them rare’.

Plant your own

The planting of an orchard is not a project to be undertaken lightly. It can be heartbreaking for gardeners who are continually on the move, though others will ultimately enjoy your enterprise. If your garden is too small for planting even one perry pear tree, why not consider joining with others in your neighbourhood to create a community garden or orchard and help to preserve endangered varieties and traditions?

Future generations will thank you for your care and concern. Meanwhile you can experience the joy of seeing perry trees in flower and fruit.

52 October 2011 Grow it!

contact: 01386 552324. Staff will also be in action the Malvern Autumn Show.

Your trail of perry pears can begin this very month. Such is the increasing popularity of this remarkable fruit, that the Three Counties Agricultural Society now holds an annual ‘Festival of Perry’ at their Malvern Autumn Show, which this autumn runs from 24-25 September. Here you can view dozens of varieties of perry pears on display. The new Orchard Pavilion is the place to enjoy sparkling perry and local cider, taste delicious fruit at the Apple and Pears Show and discover what goes on in the orchards of Herefordshire. For more details visit www.threecounties.co.uk/ malvernautumn or call 01684 584924.

● VISIT A PERRY ORCHARD: For

a pleasant and informative day out why not explore old perry orchards?

Try the National Trust’s Berrington Hall, near Leominster in Herefordshire.

This classical 18th-Century mansion is gracefully set in a park landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown. There’s an enclosed orchard of traditional apple and pear varieties. Or try one of three in Yorkshire: Cannon Hall Walled Garden has a collection of some 38 pear cultivars, at Cawthorne, west of Barnsley (tel: 01226 790720), while Newby Hall, Ripon (tel: 01323 322583) and Ripley Castle Gardens near Harrogate (tel: 01423 770152) also fe feature orchards. Then there’s the Na National Collection at Malvern, though no not in a single ‘orchard’ but planted th throughout the showground.

● READ UP: Turn for more help

● GO ON A COURSE: While you are still contemplating the possibilities of planting perry pears, why not book a place on a perry-making course with ‘Taste & Explore’? Courses are held at a venue where you can learn more about this fascinating ancient drink, namely The Orchard Centre, a purpose-built production unit set amidst a new perry park at Hartpury, near Gloucester. For details visit www. tasteandexplore.co.uk or www.cider-academy. co.uk. Alternatively

to a book that every would-be co conservationist should keep by the be bedside, the Community Orchards Ha Handbook by Angela King and Sue Ri Richard. Originally published in 2008

by Common Ground, this remarkable bo book explains how to start your own community orchard, from getting support to tackling legal issues, as well as offering practical advice on planting, harvesting, organising work, celebrating and selling produce. Revised edition published this year by Green Books, ISBN: 9781-900322-92-8. Buy the book at a reduced rate from Amazon via http:// thebook-readersblog. blogspot.com Above: left: Perry pears at the Malvern Autumn Show. Left: A young perry pear tree at The Orchard Centre, Hartpury

WHERE TO BUY PERRY PEARS The following specialist nurseries can supply heritage varieties of perry pears ✦ Bernwode Plants stocks a long and interesting list of varieties. Contact: 01844 237415, www.bernwodeplants.co.uk ✦ Dolau-Hirion Fruit Tree Nursery specialises in traditional Welsh varieties. Nurseryman Paul Davis can

graft trees to order. Contact: 01558 668744, http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/ applewise/ ✦ Lodge Farm Trees specialises in Gloucestershire apples and perry pears. If they do not have a variety in stock they will graft to order.

Contact: 01454 260310, www.lodgefarmtrees.co.uk/pears.htm

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Real growers

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d e t i r i p s y t i n u Comm A love of growing fresh, wholesome fruit and veg can bring people together.

Dawn Francis-Pester visits Madeley Community Orchard in Shropshire where a two-acre shared space has evolved into a valuable asset for the whole community

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or the fruit lover Madeley Community Orchard could be almost as inviting as the Garden of Eden. With 70 varieties of fruit tree, including 15 types of apple and 10 pears, as well as plums, damsons and heritage fruits such as the medlar, there’s something to tempt a wide range of local residents. For those who prefer soft fruits, nestling against the churchyard wall are rows of luscious strawberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and some semi-ornamental plants such as elderberry. And if fruit all that fruit doesn’t appeal, there are plenty of other crops to feast your eyes or taste buds on.

This inspiring community project started 10 years ago. Today a third of the two-acre site is dedicated to fruit, while the rest of the land is used in a variety of ways. Mini allotments, cultivated by ‘uniformed groups’, including school children and Cub and Brownie packs 54 October 2011 Grow it!

cover a fairly extensive area. Other features include a sensory garden, a circular potager bed, wildlife pond and a willow dome. While local groups organise times to drop in at various stages of the day, the site is open for anyone to walk, picnic or relax in, with regular events proving a draw for families and friends.

Unifying field

Glenys Evans, orchard manager, describes Madeley as an industrial community taken over by a new town.

“It’s an old town with new estates that has become quite deprived,” she tells me, “so while we were always interested in fresh food, it was the community aspect of the project that really mattered. We want local people to get involved so they learn about organic gardening, the environment and healthy living – but in a fun, relaxing way. Once a few members of

a family are involved, the message filters through to others who learn to appreciate the benefits of a green space.”

Nearly 10 years ago Glenys was working as a volunteer tree warden, liaising with local schools and youth groups, when she and some other members of the local community decided to initiate the orchard project. The project started to take shape after they were offered an area of unloved land by Madeley United Charities. Later, after setting up the Community Orchard Steering Group they were advised to apply for a Living Spaces grant and managed to raise £23,000 to begin work. The first job was to design and commission large black wrought iron gates to mark the entrance to the orchard.

Breaking ground

In 2005 over 60 enthusiastic local residents came along to help plant the first 60 fruit trees. This was an

3 impressive first step, but as their vision encompassed more than just an orchard they also began work on two educational areas. They created the potager beds, which contain organic vegetables and plants separated by small paths, as well as a sensory garden with its variety of herbs, including rosemary, lavender, sage and thyme.

This second area is especially geared to people with sensory disabilities who can enjoy easy access to the beds.

Two years later, spurred on by Madeley Parish Council who was keen for Madeley Community Orchard to promote themselves as part of a healthy eating project, the group received funding from the Big Lottery Fund. This enabled the group to take Glenys on as a parttime paid worker who could oversee the progress of the project as a whole.

Although Glenys has been fighting a constant battle to keep volunteer numbers up since the start of the project, she has also become expert at organising events to attract new life and tap into any work hours, resources or funds that local residents, charities and community groups can offer. The initial planting is important, but Glenys is always anxious to involve local people in the weeding, pruning and other day-today tasks.

1. Just one of 15 varieties of apple at Madeley! 2. Volunteers dig in at Madeley Community Orchard 3. Glenys Evans – the energetic force behind the project 4. Spring is a beautiful time of year in the orchard 5. ‘Beurre Hardy’ pear is a truly exceptional eating pear grown in the orchard

Blossoming forth

Each spring the community holds a Blossom Day and, later in the season, a summer picnic. While both events are celebrations of natural beauty and produce, they also aim to attract a variety of visitors, regardless of gardening expertise or muscle power. This year they are also promoting the orchard at October’s Madeley Green Day where they will be apple juicing and providing samples to taste.

Pam Marshall is a volunteer and local Brownie leader who brings small but enthusiastic gardeners to work on the orchard site: “We have quite a large plot of land at the top end of the orchard where we grow mainly spring flowers, potatoes and strawberries. We are one of quite a few groups who are encouraged to make use of the land.

“Most of the Brownies love taking part in the growing process and they also learn to prune and pick off dead fruit from the trees. Above all they are learning to respect the plants and growing areas. It’s great that we can encourage them to pick the fruit and vegetables, too, and that the whole orchard provides a safe area where the children can run around out of doors.

The orchard provides a safe area where children can run around out of doors

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“While on a walk they would make a fuss about stinging nettles or small scratches, they are often so focused on their tasks here that they hardly notice minor injuries! And now they know the area is here they can bring their parents and families for a picnic at the weekend.”

Something for everyone

Too old for the Brownie pack, Linda Cream is a volunteer who wanted to become involved in her community after moving back to the area. Although many of the trees had already been planted when she arrived she was quick to throw herself into other projects. “Above all I love watching the overall progress of the orchard and looking at all the different vegetables that are grown. Quite a large area is dedicated to ‘square-foot gardening’ and it’s amazing to see the

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Real growers

3 1 d 1. Volunteers Bernie and Linda cultivate and esow one of the raised beds on site 2. A preschool group tends their plot during a mid-week picnic 3. ‘Sun Rival’ crab apples fruit in ue ue’ abundance 4. The fine flavour of ‘Kirk’s Blue’ plum attracts plenty of scrumpers

4 variety of vegetables that are grown there. Different schools and community groups get involved and there’s even a ‘mums ‘n’ tots’ group that meets during the week. Each group enjoys their time outside, but they all do something, however small, to help out too.

“The orchard is definitely thriving and is a huge asset for the community but we are more than that. We grow all the salad crops organically, as well as French beans, sweetcorn, courgettes... not forgetting the prize-winning squash.

There’s also a heritage vegetable plot where you can see old varieties of beetroot and crimson-flowered broad beans. The seeds come from the Heritage Seed Library and once the plants and flowers start to take off the shades and colours are beautiful.”

As well as individual volunteers, Glenys has forged relationships with other local groups. Supported by the Primary Care Trust, Telford Green Gym encourages 56 October 2011 Grow it!

2 people to improve their health as well as the landscape by doing gardening, conservation or environmental work in the area. Their members planted a hedge and soft fruit beds for the orchard, along with building a boardwalk around the pond for pond dipping. The local probation team has also taken on some of the heavier work that many of the older or very young volunteers are unable to do, including digging out new beds.

Veolia Environmental Trust is another organisation that’s contributed generously to the project, donating a large grant, which covered the building of compost toilets, an access path, wildlife pond and interpretive maps so visitors can locate the 60 fruit trees planted in 2005.

Seed pot to plate

For Glenys every stage of the process is a crucial part of the healthy eating project. “We hold seed-sowing workshops with a range of groups in spring. The groups then return as the seedlings start to grow and spend another session planting the different vegetables out in beds. Of course, they are encouraged to come back and continue helping with the other growing stages and general upkeep required.

“It’s a ‘seed to pot to plate’ journey and the harvesting is important, too, as we want people to see where their food comes from and get excited about the fresh produce they have enjoyed growing

themselves. People can help th themselves th to any produce and an scrumping is actively encouraged! We just want everyone to respect the area.

Recently we had a problem with some local boys picking apples and using them for apple fights, which is not our idea of respect. But the more children and families who take part in the orchard, the less of this we will se If people are involved with see. the work and care of the plants, they won’t spoi or waste them.” want to spoil While anyone can pick fruit or vegetables, sometimes groups get together to harvest crops and make soup. They also give out recipes and encourage people to taste fresh produce or try some of their dishes cooked for events. The old fruits are ideal for making chutneys, jams and jellies and always go down a treat. There’s a gas stove and a brick barbecue, which visitors are encouraged to use on the site as a healthy way of cooking fresh produce.

As the day draws to a close I see Glenys as a woman of action who is meticulous about shaping her vision for the orchard. She explains that the Big Lottery funding will be reviewed in January 2013 when the project will probably expand further or change direction. I have no doubt that Glenys has several ideas up her sleeve and will somehow find the necessary manpower to further benefit the local community.

Pay a visit

You can visit the Madeley Community Orchard at www.madeleycommunity orchard.org.uk or contact Glenys Evans on 01952 567286 to find out more about the orchard and events, including Madeley Green Day.

PRACTICAL PROJECT: OCTOBER Most soft fruits, including the blackcurrant, are easy to propagate

a good standard of productivity. For strawberries this means every third or fourth year. Strawberries can be propagated from the runners they produce, though you will eventually need to bring in new stock after a couple of cycles to keep the stock fresh and disease-free.

Blackcurrants and raspberries, on the other hand, can last up to 15 years before they need replacing. Remember, if you want to use your own stock you will need to take cuttings well in advance when plants are still healthy and productive. Other currants and gooseberries can last for up to 20 years, if managed correctly. The same applies for these fruits – take the cuttings early and when the plant is in its prime to avoid disease problems.

Semi-ripe cuttings

Fruit for the future Autumn presents the perfect opportunity to bulk up the fruit garden. Andy Cawthray shows how to take ers so cuttings, root runners and dig up suckers ee you can grow some extra plants for free

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he replacement and replenishment of your soft fruit is an essential part of keeping the kitchen garden productive. You can of course buy in new plants as and when you need them, but one of the best parts of gardening is getting something for nothing. Well, almost nothing. It just takes a bit of planning and time.

Growing replacement fruit bushes from cuttings is quite simple in most cases though it’s essential you get cuttings from healthy stock. Don’t be tempted to take cuttings from that flea-bitten currant bush in the corner of the veg plot in an attempt to grow a productive replacement – it has probably become unproductive because it’s picked up a disease.

58 October 2011 Grow it!

Diseased plants are not a source of suitable cutting material.

Instead, look to use existing healthy plants and if you don’t have any then have a word with fellow growers. They will most probably be more than happy to provide you with a few cuttings for you to grow on, especially if you offer to grow a few on for them too.

As a general rule soft fruits need to be replaced periodically in order to maintain

It is also possible to propagate some soft fruits, such as evergreen blueberries, from semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer. The semi-ripe method is much the same as taking hardwood cuttings, except that the material used is the new growth from the current year.

To take softwood cuttings, select suitable healthy material from this season’s growth. Cut the stem just below the bottom of this year’s growth.

Trim the cutting to 10-15cm (4-6in) in length with the base cut being just below a leaf node. Remove the lowest leaves and any soft tips to keep about four leaves on the cutting. Push the cutting into a pot of free-draining compost (mixing in some sharp sand will

Left: The perfect semi-ripe cuttings have just three or four leaves. Above: These young blueberries have been grown from semi-ripe cuttings

STEP-BY-STEP

Taking hardwood cuttings

One of the best parts of gardening is getting something for nothing help) and water well. Place the pot in a greenhouse in a light position but out of direct sunlight. Keep the compost moist. Deciduous plants will drop their leaves by late autumn, though successful rooting will be evident when new growth appears in the spring.

1

Hardwood cuttings

Suitable fruits for this treatment include blackcurrants, gooseberries, red and white currants, grapes and figs. Hardwood cuttings are taken from mature wood from mid autumn to late winter when the stock plant is dormant. This means the cuttings will have no leaves so they lose little moisture. They therefore need little aftercare, although it means the cuttings take much longer to root than other types of cuttings. Most cuttings need well over 12 months to develop properly.

The cuttings should be left in place, outdoors or in a cold frame until the following autumn at which point the roots will have formed along the stem and the few remaining buds should have grown over the year. Make sure, though, that frost doesn’t lift the cuttings during the winter. If it does, carefully push them back into place.

Cuttings mustn’t be allowed to dry out during the summer.

Runners and suckers

▲ Peg the plantlet into its pot to ensure good contact with the compost

the runner beyond the small plantlet.

Peg the runner into the pot, making sure there is good contact between the runner and the compost. Water the pot and keep it moist. After approximately six weeks the plantlet will have rooted and can be cut from the parent plant. After growing on a little more the new strawberry plant can be carefully lifted out of its pot planted where it is needed.

Using suckers is possibly the simplest method of acquiring additional soft fruit plants such as raspberries. Come October or November simply look for strong, healthy looking suckers emerging from the base of the canes. Gently lift them free using a trowel or fork, cut away from the parent rootstock (ensuring the sucker has enough roots itself) and plant immediately where the new raspberry is to be located. Job done!

2

Cut straight across at the base of the cutting, just below a bud. Insert the cuttings two-thirds of their length into prepared ground or a pot containing a 50:50 mix of compost and sharp sand.

Space cuttings 5-10cm (2-4in) apart. Once planted, water the cuttings lightly.

SCRUMPYBOY

Replacement strawberries and blackberries (as well as many other hybrid berries) can be raised from the ‘runners’ that these fruit plants put out. There’s very little preparation required as the ‘cuttings’ are to be rooted while still attached to the parent plant. This type of propagation can be completed anytime from June to September.

For strawberries, select a healthy parent plant and look for the strongest runner coming off the plant. Bury a small pot filled with compost next to the runner then nip Ensure suckers come away with off the rest of the material on plenty of roots for replanting

Cut strong, healthy shoots from this year’s growth, removing the soft tip growth. Divide the shoot into 20cm (8in)long sections. Cut a clean, diagonal slant just above a bud at the top of each cutting.

This avoids water collecting at the top of the cutting while also reminding you which way around the cutting is.

3

Cuttings can take over a year to root.

Once you see the buds begin to break you will know that the cuttings have successfully rooted. The following autumn tease apart the cuttings and pot them on into fresh compost. They can be planted into their final positions soon after.

Grow it! October 2011 59

Under cover growing

Tunnel vision

Say goodbye to months of lacklustre growth with a polytunnel. We explain the benefits of an under cover plot, offer tips for tunnel growers as we head towards winter, and reveal the winner of our magnificent polytunnel competition

H

ard graft in the kitchen garden brings its rewards in the form of armfuls of healthy, not to mention delicious produce. There’s nothing better than picking and plucking, cutting and pulling all of those wonderful fruits and vegetables! But at this time of year things begin to slow down considerably as the nights draw in and temperatures begin to cool off. If you’re hankering after a longer growing

Inside a Haygrove tunnel: Tunnels with taller, straighter sides will be easier to tend

60 October 2011 Grow it!

season (and, let’s face it, who isn’t?), a polytunnel could be the answer.

Polytunnels offer all of the warming benefits of traditional greenhouses but at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, tunnels are often a safer alternative where shattered glass could pose a hazard to youngsters or pets. Alongside extending your growing season, a protected environment will improve both crop quality and consistency. Given the warmer conditions you can also expect bigger yields more frequently.

Take a look at the graph opposite. The blue line shows the temperature achieved within a Haygrove polytunnel compared with that outside (the green line) during a day in October last year. At 2pm the internal temperature was 6°C higher than that outside the tunnel; with insulation this heat can easily be retained to extend the midday peak. Those extra few degrees make a huge difference at this time of year and as we head into winter. By late winter,

while all is still quiet outside, the growing season under cover will already be getting off to an extra early start.

Under wraps

If you are thinking about adding a polytunnel to your kitchen garden then now’s an excellent time to do so. Look for a tunnel that has side vents to ensure ample ventilation on hot, still days.

Some tunnel covers (such as that on our competition winner’s polytunnel – see ‘Our winning couple!’ box) offer unrivalled light transmittance. While a greenhouse gives 65-85% transmittance, depending on pane size and structure, the best polythene covers will give a total transmittance of around 88%, meaning more valuable light for your crops. Opt for a cover that diffuses light as this will keep crops that much cooler on hot, summer days while avoiding unnecessary scorching of delicate leaves.

When choosing which tunnel to buy, consider its ease of re-skinning. Most

Extend the season with your own personal paradise

Our winning couple!

Back in the Spring issue we ran a competition for one incredibly lucky reader to win a fully installed Haygrove polytunnel. We had an astonishing response and are delighted to announce Carina and David Evans as our proud winners. The chaps from Haygrove popped round to put together their generously proportioned 3x4m tunnel in next to no time. The tunnel includes a high-quality coated woven polythene cover with an impressive 88% light transmission.

Its ability to scatter light will keep plants safe in strong sunlight, while its galvanised steel construction will ensure the tunnel’s doing its job for many years to come, no matter what the weather throws at it.

The Evans’ Haygrove tunnel includes a number of invaluable features as standard, such as roll-up ventilation along both sides and a Smart Venting System to keep airflow up and insect pests out. Inside the tunnel are a number of hanging basket points, while the tunnel’s tall sides give plenty of growing space.

The couple are clearly delighted with their new polytunnel, as Carina explains: “The polytunnel is up and

tunnels will need a new cover every five to eight years, so the simpler it is to remove the cover for replacement, the better. Most tunnels have a semicircular profile, which makes it that much harder to stand up towards the sides. Thankfully for the domestic grower there are now polytunnels with straighter walls, giving more headroom and allowing easy cultivation right up to the sides.

Siting a tunnel

Due care and attention is needed in the siting of a polytunnel to ensure the best results. To maximise light availability, don’t site your tunnel directly under trees and hedges. Apart from shading, leaves will get onto the plastic covers and allow mould and lichen to take hold.

If possible, avoid north-facing slopes where light levels are worse.

A sheltered site is advisable in exposed areas to protect tunnels from heavy winds. As an example, a 3m (10ft) high

Graph showing internal vs external temperatures on an October day

will soon have ha plants lant for fo the th winter wint months to keep us all going. We were so delighted to win after having had such a tough decision to leave our old allotment just when it was about to reach harvest. We moved here 10 months ago to look after my fatherin-law, so we had to start again from scratch. It’s coming together at last – if we can keep the deer out for long enough to allow things to grow! Our allotment is our solace and I cannot thank you enough for the sanctuary that the polytunnel will bring.” ● To find out more about Haygrove Polytunnels call 0845 2696395 or visit www.gardentunnels.co.uk

A protected environment will improve both crop quality and consistency windbreak will reduce wind speed by 50 to 75% up to 15m (50ft) away. Wind behaves like water. This means that if the wind is forced through narrower areas it will dramatically pick up speed. Therefore it is important, where possible, to avoid building a polytunnel directly in front of a gateway or gap in a hedge where the wind will be forced to accelerate. Tunnels can be erected on gently sloping land but make sure that any slope is consistent and not undulating by filling in any dips with soil.

With your tunnel set up and ready to go, you’ll have many more weeks tagged onto the growing season – not a bad prospect for any kitchen gardening devotee!

Winter care

The Growing Experts at Haygrove Polytunnels offers some advice for existing polytunnel owners as we head into the colder months of the year.

Grow it! October 2011 61

S

Under cover growing ✓ TIGHTEN COVERS: In order to maximise the life of your covers, and the strength of the tunnel, it’s important to make sure covers are tight at all times. This is particularly important during winter when winds tend to be stronger, as wind can cause loose covers to wear and tear. Tighten covers on a warm, calm day. ✓ CHECK ANCHORS: Double-check that all ground anchors are knocked fully into the ground. Ideally they should be knocked in at a 45 degree angle. ✓ CLEAR SNOW: Be wary of heavy snow.

Should snowstorms occur, remove any snow lying on the roof of the tunnel. This can be done by going inside the tunnel and pushing the covers gently upwards, allowing the snow to slide down onto the ground. Ensure that the snow at the base of the tunnel doesn’t build up too high. ✓ CLEAN COVERS: In order to maximise the amount of light entering the tunnel it is worth cleaning covers every year. Autumn is the time to do this. A

STEP-BY-STEP

soft brush and a bucket of warm water with mild detergent is all that’s needed. ✓ SECURE SIDE VENTS: Secure the ends of any side vents for winter. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, if you are growing winter crops this will help maintain temperature. Secondly, it will help keep wind out of the tunnel to prevent excessive movement of both the roof and door covers.

READER OFFER Hargrove is offering a free potting table worth £100 for any Grow it! customer ordering before 30 Nov 2011. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other Haygrove offer. Visit: www.gardentunnels.co.uk or call 0845 2696395.

✓ SHUN THE SULPHUR: Some growers use sulphur-based products for fumigation purposes. While these are fine for greenhouses, they aren’t recommended for polytunnels. Sulphur can attack certain properties of polythene, leading to reduced life.

Constructing a Haygrove polytunnel

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 In this example a Haygrove polytunnel, such as that won by Carina and David, is being erected. The first step is to put together the base on which the whole structure sits. 2 With the base in place, the galvanised steel tubing that forms the shell can be slotted together. Haygrove tunnels feature straight sides to allow easier cultivation right up to the walls. 3 After securing the ridge pole it’s time to fit the cover – a job to be completed on a still day and with two people! 4 The plastic cover is secured by a unique zip-locking it into a channel in the frame. This ensures a tight fitting cover, which can easily be removed for re-skinning when the plastic needs replacing. 5 Nearly there – the polythene cover sits evenly over the polytunnel sides. Unlike other tunnels, this model is simply set into place by 80cm (32in) anchors hammered through the frame base. 6 The cover is secured at each end of the tunnel with hoop clips. These also help to keep things tight. Each hoop clip is then covered with a quick-release tape to give a neat appearance.

62 October 2011 Grow it!

Know-how

GET IT COVERED! Horticultural fleece and mesh are truly wonderful aids to the kitchen gardener, offering significant pest and weather protection. Charles Dowding explains some of the benefits to be had

O

f all the many methods and materials available for protecting plants, I rate fleece and mesh as the easiest to use – and reuse – many times. They are also some of the cheapest to buy. This article is a distillation of my decades of using them and highlights the many ways they can help you enjoy healthier harvests over a longer period, in all seasons of the year.

Fleece offers protection from wind and weather at all times, especially in winter, and then in spring when it helps new plantings to establish more quickly. Mesh, offering a cooler environment than fleece, is a most useful protection against summer and autumn insects, on brassicas above all and against carrot root fly too. Fleece gives enough frost and weather protection in winter to help plants survive extreme conditions but is less helpful against spring frosts. Both types of cover give excellent protection against birds and rabbits.

Fleece vs mesh

Fleece is an ultrathin yet (normally!) strong sheet of white or pale green synthetic ‘cobwebs’. It transmits around 70% of light, allows most rain to pass through, traps the sun’s warmth by day and protects leaves from cold winds.

Fleece comes in different thicknesses and occasionally there are quality issues, though 25 grams per square metre (25gsm) thickness should provide you with fleece to use and reuse for many years, often several times a year.

Mesh, often sold as Enviromesh, is also white and is stronger than fleece.

It is woven together into a myriad of tiny squares of thin strands of UV-stabilised polyethylene. It is less susceptible than fleece to damage from animals walking over it, but both materials suffer less harm than I expected at first, considering their lightness. Mesh has different size holes and the standard 2mm size allows 90% of light and plenty of air and all rain to pass through. This size is good for keeping most insects off plants. A thicker and finer mesh is needed to be sure of aphid protection but I have found that one passage of a cat can make enough tiny holes for at least a few aphids and flea beetles to pass through. Growth is still a lot cleaner and stronger than on uncovered plants, however.

Longevity

Mesh is woven into tiny squares. This calabrese, pictured in September, has outgrown its mesh cover

64 October 2011 Grow it!

Fleece is usually cheaper than mesh but I have found that recent purchases are flimsier then my 20-year-old fleece, which lasted for many seasons, even with a few holes. The old fleece is still resisting passage of large animals such as badgers. Mesh on the

other hand should certainly last for ten years or more, especially when its edges are woven so that strands cannot unravel.

Check before buying that the material is indeed UV-stabilised. I had one batch of fleece that the manufacturer had not stabilised and I found that after six or eight weeks of spring sunshine it all disintegrated into pieces of flimsy fabric.

Should this happen you should complain and be given a better roll!

Sheets can be rolled up, either dry or damp for storage. They will need to be hung up so that rodents do not nest in them. Mice are especially fond of chewing through fleece in winter to make cosy nests, leaving a patchwork of holes.

I have a batten running across a shed and drape the rolls of fleece and mesh over it until they are needed again. If a sheet is too long when you reuse it, simply leave the part that isn’t needed rolled up at one end of the bed.

Fleece and mesh are the easiest materials to use - and reuse many times

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Seasonal fayre

Above: Fleece is a handy protector against inclement weather and pests.

Here whole beds are covered to keep rabbits off the onions underneath

Pest protection

It reassures me no end to have fleece and mesh as such easy-to-use covers for all kinds of pest protection. Here are some examples of recent successes.

Left: Two beds – the back bed uncovered – in mid April. Notice the difference in growth rates, particularly of the spinach (right) and carrot seedlings (left)

● Calabrese: In May

calabrese plants which had been covered for a month with fleece grew large and cropped well in June, compared with uncovered plants that succumbed to cabbage root fly (which was unusually bad in 2011).

Fleece also protected plants from pigeons and if left on until maturity can keep out the butterflies too – though you need a wide sheet to allow for the extra height of large brassicas. ● Cauliflowers: In July last year I covered eight cauliflower plants with mesh and one was left uncovered. It was much more attacked by insects and although it survived and caught up to

some extent in autumn, the eventual curd in April was a half smaller than all the others. ● Lamb’s lettuce: Lamb’s lettuce fleeced from December to March not only grew more strongly, but was protected from rabbits. This meant that

by April the total harvest was about four times what we picked off the

adjacent, unfleeced bed that had been sown at the same time. ● Carrots: Carrots sown in March and emerging in April were being grazed by rabbits so the bed was covered with mesh.

The plants recovered with few losses and made a good harvest of roots by June.

The mesh also protects against carrot root fly and affords great peace of mind!

Grow it! October 2011 65

S

Know-how as allowing some extra warmth to accumulate in the air and soil underneath.

Another great asset is that nearly all rain can pass through and although a little runs off, this should be more than offset by fleece’s ability to retain some moisture through preventing the passage of drying winds. Just occasionally I have noticed that new fleece does not Healthy carrots under mesh, allow all rain to pass which protects against root fly through for the first and wandering rabbits week or two.

One slight drawback in darker conditions is the Fleece in spring reduction by about 30% of light passing My first discoveries of fleece’s amazing through to enable photosynthesis. possibilities were from beds of early But in spring, during bright days with lettuce in the 1980s. Late March cold winds, there is a surplus of light plantings were covered for about a compared to temperature, so the loss month, until about half grown, then of light is more than offset by fleece’s fleece was removed and the wellwarming effect, so that covered plants established plants grew rapidly, giving

an earlier harvest of hearts. Then I experimented with simply laying fleece on top of all plantings, even onions and carrots, which I feared would suffer too much squashing, although they survived and grew more strongly.

The chief virtue of fleece in spring is keeping cold winds off tender leaves of seedlings and small plants, as well

The chief virtue of fleece in spring is keeping cold winds off tender seedling leaves STEP-BY-STEP

1

● Lettuce,

spinach and peas: Sown in the greenhouse in February, these were planted out in March and covered for about a month, giving leaves and pea shoots to pick by the second half of April. ● Beetroot ‘Boltardy’: Sown three or four seeds to a module indoors in February, thinned to the four strongest plants and set out in late March, covered until early May by which time there can be small beets forming. This spring I picked tennis ball-size beetroot by the middle of May, a week after uncovering the bed. ● Squash and sweetcorn: Sown indoors in early April and planted late April young plants were covered with fleece for three weeks until well established. Celeriac was also covered for three weeks in May, until well established, then grew strongly after being uncovered. ● Courgettes: Plants were set out on 23rd April, well before the last date for spring frosts, under a cloche which was then covered with two layers of old fleece. They were watered twice, at three-day intervals, and grew steadily under the fleece until it was removed in early June. Courgettes were harvested

Extra early courgettes

My courgettes were planted in late April just above soil level, cloche hoops at the ready.

66 October 2011 Grow it!

Beetroots in late April, already swelling nicely under their fleece

grow faster and heavier. Only the colour is a little paler because of reduced light levels, but this is only noticeable if you have the covered and uncovered plants of the same variety side by side.

Cloches of glass or clear plastic admit more light than fleece and are more effective at keeping slight frost off leaves, but unless self ventilating in some way they require frequent opening and closing, and they also require that you water regularly.

Here are some examples of successfully using fleece in spring, always with fleece on top of leaves with no supports.

2

After watering, fleece was laid in double thickness over the hoops to protect against any late frosts.

3

The courgette bed just one month later. By now plants are in flowering and fruiting profusely.

WHEN TO USE FLEECE AND MESH Month of application February

from the middle of May, with the variety ‘Defender’ especially prolific.

Fleecy frost protection

Before winter, in October and November, fleece can be laid on all kinds of vegetables to mitigate the effects of severe weather. Fleece will give protection rather than keeping frost out completely, so it is suitable for many vegetables but not a miracle way of keeping frost-tender plants alive for longer. Here are examples of ways I have found it useful. ● Winter

salads: Lamb’s lettuce, winter purslane and land cress all grew more strongly and healthily under

Mesh

new plants of spinach, pea, broad bean, lettuce

–

as February, plus calabrese, cauliflower, onion and sowings of carrot, spinach

–

April

as March

carrots against rabbits and root fly

May

new plants of courgette, squash, summer beans, celeriac

as April

June

–

Brussels sprouts, kale, swede

July

–

any brassicas for winter

August

new plants of Chinese cabbage and other oriental leaves

carrots for winter and leeks against moth

October

winter salads

March

The advantages of fleecing in spring – a fine early June harvest

Fleece

November

beetroot, celeriac

fleece compared to uncovered plants, giving worthwhile and healthy harvests in February (from late August/early September sowings). Uncovered plants took a month longer to offer leaves of fair quality. A major additional benefit is the prevention of damage by birds and rabbits, as shown so clearly in the pictures. ● Hardy roots: Beetroot covered with fleece in November was still good to eat in April, having survived the big freeze of December 2010. The variety was ‘Cheltenham Green Top’ whose longer roots are more protected from frost by soil, but I have found that without fleece they are damaged at surface level. ● Hearting heads: Hearts of chicory

and endive were covered with two layers of fleece and suffered only minor frost damage until temperatures dipped below -7°C, which is too cold even for fleece to protect against. I then had some success with pulling them as whole plants and storing for up to a month in a barn, even though they were still slightly frozen in there.

Securing edges

Above: Two beds of lamb’s lettuce. The bed in the foreground has just been uncovered for the picture – notice the difference in growth! Above right: Stones and bricks placed at regular intervals do a fine job at securing fleece and mesh

Many ways of securing fleece are possible, including proprietary pegs.

A cheap, quick and easy method I find works in all weathers is to lay stones or bricks about a metre apart along all edges. I have been doing this for decades and have never suffered sheets blowing away, nor invasions of insects under the edges. It is easy to roll a few stones back in order to lift sheets, from either ends or sides in order to weed, harvest and check on plants’ progress.

Fleece and mesh is certainly worth the investment, giving bigger yields from healthier plants for longer.

Grow it! October 2011 67

Poultry

THE GOOD FOOD GUIDE Bob Cross offers a practical overview of poultry feeding options, plus essential advice on what to feed when

O

ne of the most important aspects of poultry keeping is feeding your birds. In its natural state a chicken will find enough food in the form of grains, grasses, berries, grubs, insects and other plant and animal life.

However, under domestication more is called for. It’s only comparatively recently keepers have started thinking seriously about what their birds eat. Not so long ago surprisingly little attention was paid to feeding the farmyard flock; the birds were simply expected to glean what they could.

Today things are quite different.

Poultry production is big business and the art of good feeding is now backed by scientific research. As a result we can benefit from off-theshelf rations specially formulated to suit all classes of stock. This means our birds perform better, growing faster and laying more eggs. So how can we ensure our feeding regime is correct?

68 October 2011 Grow it!

Equipment

Feeders are mostly trough-type or circular, ‘tube’ types. A minimum allowance of 10cm (4in) of feeding space is needed per bird for troughs, or 4cm (2in) per bird for circular feeders. For growing stock this allowance can be reduced a little and, for larger birds, it should be increased. If some degree

of food restriction is practiced it must allow all birds to eat at once.

Feeders should minimise waste and contamination. Troughs should have a lip to prevent feed being flicked out and a spinning rail along the top to prevent birds perching on them. They are best used to hold only one day’s food and should be allowed to run down before

Above: Feeder height should be set to the level of the birds’ backs A selection of feeders, clockwise from bottomleft: chick feeder, outdoor feeder, trough with spinning top rail, tube feeder, grit hopper

refilling the following day. Tube feeders are mostly preset to allow only a small amount of feed into the circular feeding tray at the base of the unit. On feeders where there is an adjustment facility, the distance between the tube and tray should be set to around the thickness of an index finger; possibly a little more where dry mash or crumbs are being fed.

The best of the tube-type feeders have finger-like projections around the base of the tube to further prevent wastage. As a general guide, feeders should be stood or suspended so that the lip of the trough, or base of the tube, is set at a height off the ground equivalent birds’ backs; this makes it convenient for them to eat.

Where possible, it’s best to feed poultry indoors. Dry feed can, however, be supplied outside in hoppers of similar design to tubetype units but made of galvanised steel and with a full, weatherproof cover. Tubes and hoppers can be used to hold several days’ worth of feed; it’s all kept fresh until it becomes accessible to the birds.

Wet mash is fed in open troughs. As the amount fed at one time is restricted somewhat, it’s important that there’s plenty of space for all to eat without the smaller birds being crowded out.

Diets

To comply with welfare legislation, the ration fed must be one that’s designed for that class of stock – so chick starter for chicks, grower for growers, layer for layers etc. It’s that easy – what it says on the bag is what is does! Also on the bag will be a label detailing the feed contents. All foods may look similar but closer inspection of the label will reveal more than subtle differences.

In general terms, starter diets are more concentrated than grower types.

This is because as a bird grows its feed intake goes up, so nutrient density can be reduced accordingly. However, as

the bird matures, the nutrient levels rise again, in preparation for production and to maintain it thereafter. Not only will the amount of protein change slightly but so too will its make-up. Proteins are made up of amino acids and different combinations of these are required according to the bird’s stage of development. Layer diets should also contain ingredients or additives to contribute towards a good, rich yolk colour.

Anti-coccidia supplements (ACS) are an optional extra in starter and grower diets. They aren’t vital, but do a good job in helping to prevent coccidiosis.

Feeding a laying hen with a grower diet containing an ACS could lead to residues in the eggs, so it’s important that the drug is withdrawn well before the first eggs are expected. Layer-type rations shouldn’t be fed to growing birds; the high levels of calcium can hamper bone development.

Food types

The basic choices are meal, pellets or crumbs. Meal is made by mixing the constituents of the ration and then grinding it down to the desired consistency. Pellets are formed by pushing the meal through a small hole under high pressure, while crumbs are made simply by crumbling pellets.

The particle size of mash, referred to as the grist, must not be so fine as to make it dusty, or so coarse as to allow the birds to select the best bits only.

Correctly ground mash is useful for birds kept indoors, or where some degree of restriction is placed on the amount of food given. It takes longer to eat, keeping those feeding on it occupied longer.

Mash-fed birds tend to eat marginally less than when the food is presented in other forms. The downsides of feeding mash include wastage (any that falls on the floor is lost), plus contamination of the drinkers with rancid mash.

Pellets are the most popular choice for growing and adult stock. They are palatable for the birds and don’t allow selective feeding of just whole or

FEEDING GUIDE

For most domestic chickens the following can be used as a guide to feeding.

Chick starter: Day-old to six to eight weeks Pullet grower: Six to eight weeks to around two weeks before point-of-lay Layers: Just prelay onwards

✦ For meat production, a similar start is made, but the grower can be replaced with a ‘finisher’ or ‘fattener’ diet for the last few weeks.

Basic poultry feed options, from top: pellets, crumbs, wheat and mash

cracked grains, thus ensuring a complete and balanced food intake. Crumbs are the usual form in which starter foods are presented. They offer the advantages of pellets but in a size that’s easy for a baby chick to pick up and swallow.

Wet mash feeding involves wetting the dry meal with water to a point where a squeezed handful holds together but will crumble if dropped. It’s important when feeding this way that all the food is consumed almost as soon as it is offered, and certainly before the next meal is put in the troughs. Birds fed this way may eat more because of the improved palatability of the food and they may lay bigger eggs. If they do it’s probably down to the increased nutrient intake, or because they’ve taken in additional water. The water will also presoften the food so making it marginally more digestible.

Further information

For more in-depth information on poultry keeping subscribe to Practical Poultry. Receive your first three issues for just £3 when you take out a subscription by direct debit! Call 01959 541444 and quote ‘GI edit’. Practical Poultry includes practical articles covering all aspects of this fantastic hobby; everything from health and welfare, housing, sourcing and buying birds to owners’ stories, Q&As and reports from the active Practical Poultry forum.

Grow it! October 2011 69

Product review

Workincomfort

From top to toe… and everything in between, Mike Woolnough considers the options for keeping warm and dry while working in the garden or allotment

A

utumn is now upon us and if the past few years are anything to go by it will be a brief interlude before we move swiftly into the first cold snap of winter. With weather patterns seeming to change year by year, traditional wisdom regarding sowing and planting patterns may one day have to be revised. It’s hard to predict what the seasons will bring. Following last winter’s bitter December I could be found working in shirtsleeves the following month. This was while rotovating my plots in a month when I normally wouldn’t be able to get even a fork into the ground.

Even if we are in for another sharp bite of cold weather there are always plenty of jobs that need to be completed on the productive plot.

Raspberry and other soft fruit canes need to be cut down to the ground, bean canes stowed somewhere dry for next year, end-of-season crops such as pumpkins and squashes harvested before the first frosts and, of course, the resulting empty plots dug over so that the frosts and birds can kill lurking grubs and other pests.

It’s no fun working when you are chilled to the bone or soaked through by rain. Many of the warm winter clothes worn for everyday use are unsuitable for active working outdoors. Here, hard graft can see a rapid build-up of body heat and, perversely, possible overheating. Several thin layers are usually better than one thick layer. As you warm up when working hard it easy enough to peel off one layer at a time, thereby remaining comfortable. Layers

Even if we are in for another sharp bite of cold weather there are always plenty of jobs that need to be completed on the productive plot. can then be gradually put back on once work stops and you slowly cool off.

Don’t forget your head! Most body heat is lost through the tops of our heads. If you are going thin on top (like me!) then this is doubly true, so don’t forget to insulate your loft. Our cloth

cap-clad forefathers knew a thing or two about keeping warm and we could do with taking a leaf or two out of their book.

At the opposite extremity it is important that feet are kept warm and dry as the cold can really come through

from cold soil to permeate your body.

Secure, waterproof shoes or Wellington boots combined with thick, insulating socks should do the trick.

Enjoy all those essential kitchen gardening jobs this autumn – get stuck in but make sure you’re comfortable while you work or what should be a pleasurable task can quickly turn into an unpleasant chore. Here, then, are some gardening wear suggestions to keep you in good spirits, no matter what the weather throws at you.

Grow it! October 2011 71

S

Product review 1. Gardener's Fleece Hat

for durability. Available in navy, olive, earth or derby tweed colours for a really I love the whimsical gardening elegant look. captions embroidered onto FEATURES these warm fleece hats that ✓ Hardwearing weave will keep you comfortable while you go about your work. ✓ Choice of colours ✓ Machine washable at 30°C ‘Hardy Perennial’ probably

suits me best (if anybody says ‘Old Gardener’ is more appropriate I’ll sulk) but as I spend most of my time on the allotments perhaps ‘Sod the Garden’ is the one I should go for! Matching fleece scarves are available for £6.99.

FEATURES ✓ Available in green or black ✓ Choice of gardening captions ✓ Great gift idea

1

Price: £6.99 Supplier: Green Fingers (0845 3450728, www.greenfingers.com)

2

2. Wool-Lined Gardening Waistcoat

The tough, cotton twill outer material, combined with the pure wool lining, makes this the ideal cold weather gardening gear. Its longer length gives protection to the lower back. The waistcoat is manufactured by FHB, a German company that knows a thing or two about quality outdoor clothes.

FEATURES ✓ Pure wool lining ✓ Neat finish to edges ✓ Handy front pockets

3 4 72 October 2011 Grow it!

Pr Price: £91.70 Su Supplier: Manufactum (0 (0800 0960938, ww www.manufactum.co.uk)

33. Barbour Men’s W Wellington Socks

Ba Barbour is well-known for its va vast range of hard-wearing ou outdoor clothing. Their socks be bear out that reputation, with wo wool content for warmth and a high ratio of nylon

Price: £9.95 Supplier: Barbour (for stockists: 0800 009988, www.barbour.com)

4. Tayberry Velcro Garden Boots These gardening boots offer a comfortable alternative to Wellies and are an excellent choice for keeping your feet warm. The quick-release Velcro straps make them easy to get on and off on your doorstep. The boots include removable cushioned inner soles and a nylon Thinsulatelined top.

FEATURES ✓ Velcro snap fastenings ✓ Available in green or navy blue ✓ Cushioned lining Price: £24.95 Supplier: Easy Wellies (0800 1216076, www.easy-wellies.co.uk)

5. Highgrove Check Scarf

If you fancy lording it around your garden or allotment, what could be a better than doing so while sporting a scarf from Highgrove House, home of Prince Charles? Not only will you look and feel the part, you’ll be supporting the Prince’s Charity Foundations to which all profits are directed.

FEATURES ✓ Based on Prince of Wales check ✓ 100% lamb’s wool ✓ Woven in Scotland Price: £35 Supplier: Highgrove Gardens (0845 5214342, www.highgroveshop.com)

It's no fun working when you are chilled to the bone or soaked through by rain

8. Hunter 6. Waterproof Gardening Jacket Original Green There’s no need for a bulky Wellington Boots overcoat that restricts your

movement and makes working difficult. This lightweight, tear-resistant gardening jacket will keep you dry in the most adverse weather. It can be worn over a sweater or fleece thanks to its breathable fabric which allows air to circulate.

FEATURES ✓ 100% waterproof ✓ Windproof and breathable ✓ Machine washable Price: £32.95 Supplier: Centre Sales (01527 832092, www.gloves.trader.uk.com)

The name Hunter is synonymous with Wellington boots and I love their clever catchphrase: Outstanding in every field. It says it all really! These are a superb-quality pair of Wellies that should last you many years.

5

FEATURES ✓ Vulcanised rubber construction ✓ Quick-dry nylon lining ✓ Tread pattern ideal for digging Price: £75 Supplier: Easy Wellies (0800 1216076, www.easy-wellies.co.uk)

7. Gold Leaf Winter Touch Gloves 9. Gruffalo Hat, Tools can be dangerous Gloves and Scarf weapons if your hands are wet, slippery and numb with cold.

These superb quality tough gardening gloves will ensure a tight grip while keeping your hands warm and dry in the worst of conditions. The gloves feature a warming ‘Thinsulate’ lining for extra comfort.

FEATURES ✓ Ski-Dri waterproof, breathable lining ✓ Thermal lining for warmth ✓ Leather outer with reinforced palm Price: £22.95 Supplier: Harrod Horticultural (0845 4025300, www.harrodhorticultural.com)

6

Don’t forget the youngsters in your life. Remind them that the garden is out there 365 days a year – not just on sunny summer days – by wrapping them up in this warm winter set themed on that children’s favourite, the Gruffalo.

FEATURES ✓ Warm fleece fabric ✓ Popular children’s theme ✓ Encourages young gardeners Price: £9.99 Supplier: The Gruffalo Shop (0844 4993456, www.gruffaloshop.com)

8 9

7

Grow it! October 2011 73

CelebrateAutumn with Next month...

You won’t want to miss the November/December issue of Grow it!. In it we’ll take a further peek over the garden fence as we bring you the final instalment of our Your Plot competition results.

Shannon Denny visits an inspiring project in London – the world’s first supermarket rooftop kitchen garden – and Ann Somerset Miles updates us on the progress of her wildlife-friendly ‘eco’ plot. There’ll be tabletop veg gardens up for grabs, a stunning offer on cordon fruit trees and all the usual seasonal tips from the Practical Team.

November/ December issue

ON SALE October 25th

C’est chic

Discover the smooth, elegant leaves of trendy chicory. Lucy Halliday will explain how to force your own crop of tender chicons to brighten up winter dishes. If you’ve never grown it before then you’re in for a treat!

Mould is gold

FAR CLOSER

Turn a leafy windfall into another kind of windfall.

Dave Hamilton reveals how to construct a leaf-mould bin, so you can transform autumn’s gift of leaves into a nutrient-laden addition to the fruit and veg garden

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Liquid seaweed is seen as one of the wonder feeds of the productive plot, but is it all it’s reputed to be? Joanne Brannan reports back on a trial of seaweed feeds and reveals whether or not they’re worth applying

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Know-how

Safe and sound

It’s a sad fact of modern times that allotment sites are often targeted by criminals. Whether it be petty theft or flagrant vandalism, Angela Youngman shares some tips to keep your plot safe

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alk to any allotment holder and security is always a prime concern, while internet forums regularly host questions about dealing with security problems. It matters not whether an allotment is situated in a town or the countryside – vandalism and theft are, unfortunately, endemic across the country. Every year there are newspaper stories about allotment holders who have slept in their sheds to try and protect their crops.

The allotments at Brandon, Suffolk, are a good case study. Hidden away behind a leisure centre and near a river, there have been numerous incidences of vandalism. People walking beside the river have been known to steal vegetables and fruit; Friday night revellers find it amusing to come down to the allotments after closing time; onions have been uprooted and fruit cages damaged. As a result all the allotment holders are aware that they should never leave crops unpicked.

One allotment holder commented: “If something is ready, pick it immediately.

Do not leave it, as it will not be there when you return. One woman had a row of redcurrant bushes and overnight they were stripped.”

Temptation’s path

An allotment chat site hosted the comment: ‘we have had a fair amount of damage and greenhouses and sheds

Fences can help to hide crops from the prying eyes of opportunistic thieves

Is your allotment field as secure as it could be?

broken into. Also last year we had quite widespread stealing from the plots.

Whole rows of vegetables and fruit were stolen. It’s not so much the taking of the vegetables but the hard work that goes into growing it’.

Opportunist thieves may only look on vegetables as being worth a few pounds but to an allotment holder they are much more than that. Hours of work have gone into their care, while money has been spent on seeds. To see all that work destroyed or lost is extremely disheartening.

It is not just crops that are at risk. Anything left on an allotment may be taken as thieves break into sheds and take tools and other goods.

Often vandals cause damage just for the sake of causing damage: cutting

netting, breaking greenhouses, even burning sheds.

Secure boundaries

So what can allotment holders do?

Access is a key issue. Unlike gardens linked to a house, allotments are shared areas. Fences around a site must be kept in good condition with any holes repaired and overhanging tree branches, which could provide access, removed. Individual plot holders can put up their own fences as long as they comply with local bylaws.

It is often suggested that prickly hedges such as pyracantha and hawthorn could be used around individual plots – the problem here is that they take up valuable growing space. Such hedges would be better positioned around the perimeter of the entire allotment field site. Bear in mind that it takes longer for such hedges to establish. At Thatcham, Berkshire, a working group from the Thatcham Allotment Gardening Club and

To see all that work destroyed or lost is extremely disheartening Grow it! October 2011 75

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Know-how BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Cages will protect crops from birds while adding a further barrier to deter theft

offenders from the Community Payback Scheme planted 900 prickly hedge plants to improve security.

Barbed wire is not recommended.

This is a material that can cause physical damage not just to intruders but also to plot holders. There is always the risk of a nasty accident for which you could be held liable – and the costs expensive. Some allotment holders build enclosed cages over their plot, with a lockable door. In such circumstances it is important to make sure that the cage meets council requirements regarding height, and that it can be easily removed if necessary.

Whatever the boundary material, there should be agreement from everyone on site that, where a lockable gate exists, everyone takes responsibility for its fastening. As an aggrieved plot holder commented on an internet chat site: ‘Our (nearly 200 plot) site has fencing around most of it and

Replace broken windows quickly to keep your shed secure

76 October 2011 Grow it!

West Mercia Police offers the following tips for securing an allotment site: ● Perimeter defences: Gates, fences and walls should be kept in good repair to stop intruders getting in. Grow prickly plants close to vulnerable areas such as fences. ● Out of sight: Don’t leave expensive equipment such as garden tools in the shed – take them home with you after use. ● Shed storage: If you have nowhere else to store valuable equipment, take measures to secure your shed from intruders. ● Traceability: Help others keep a track of your tools if they do go missing. Mark your garden tools and equipment with your postcode.

large gates which we all have a key for.

Unfortunately there is a minority of plotters who think they can drive out of the site and leave the gates wide open for the local youths to access once dark’.

Cooperation is essential. Remember that if troublemakers cannot get in, they cannot cause problems – or if they do manage to enter, escaping is harder.

Neighbourhood watch

It is worth establishing good relationships with those in houses overlooking the allotment site. Ask the householders to notify the police or ring an appropriate allotment holder if they see problems on site.

Offer some produce in return. If potential troublemakers are aware that people are keeping an eye on the site they’ll be less likely to attack it.

Seeking help from the police is an obvious answer. Crime prevention officers will provide advice on security measures that can be taken but there is a limit to what they can do. Police have other calls on their time. Leigh Driver, an allotment

holder in Brandon comments: “Police do regular checks but they cannot be everywhere. On Friday nights, after closing time, they have to pay more attention to the market place and the streets.”

At the Bluebell Road allotments in Norwich, Mahesh Patel adds: “Maybe safety in numbers works well for us. We don’t have major problems. We had two incidences of vandalism and fire in the past, although we reported the incidents to the police, nothing happened. Our insurance cover did help a bit.”

If you can identify local troublemakers or bored youth it may be worth trying to get them involved in caring for the allotments. If they see the time and effort involved in caring for the crops, it can discourage them from causing damage. Giving them a small section to cultivate themselves can make a difference. Talk to local schools and youth groups in the area. Or why not offer to hold a workshop teaching basic gardening skills? Establishing good relationships can make a difference.

Bluebell Road allotments have some small sections devoted solely to children’s gardening, while help and advice is provided to encourage children to develop an interest. If the local community and children appreciate the value of the site, know the plot holders and are friendly with them then they are less likely to cause problems. Events such as open days, tours for the local community or donating surplus produce to local charities can also help develop good relationships.

Security measures

Devices such as infrared security lights and security cameras have traditionally depended on the provision of mains electricity on Use a proper padlock site. Nowadays, to secure your shed solar-powered lights can be obtained and these can be a deterrent.

Their effect, however, is often limited by the fact that there’s usually no one around to deal with any intruder. It is likely to be most effective if the plots are overseen by neighbouring houses and a good relationship developed with them.

If intruders feel that they may be caught on camera, or their activities noted by neighbouring houses, they are less likely to cause trouble.

scheme, similar to Neighbourhood Watch. Contact your local crime prevention officer for more information.

Tools can be engraved with postcodes, enabling them to be easily identified if stolen. Keep a record of all serial numbers and make sure that your tools are covered by your insurance policy.

At least then, if they are stolen, you can make a claim and cover some of your replacement costs.

No allotment site will ever be 100% secure. Much will depend on the cooperation of the various plot members and their willingness to work together and with the local community. The risk of theft and vandalism will always be present – all you can do is reduce its threat as much as you possibly can. Be prepared for all eventualities

Visible security cameras may put off intruders

CASE STUDY

The harder it is for thieves to get in and take items, the greater the deterrent value Sheds and site stores should be made as secure as possible. Always replace any damaged sections immediately since these provide access points for

thieves. Cover windows with tight-fitting wire mesh. Use bolts to secure door and window hinges to prevent them being wrenched free. Use strong, quality padlocks and chains. Put up a clear sign saying that all items on site are marked and traceable. Do not leave any cash or expensive tools on site and chain tools to heavy items or secure bolts. If necessary, fill a bucket with concrete and chain tools to the bucket. The harder it is for thieves to get in and to take items, the greater the deterrent value.

Eliminate theft

Aim to keep allotment sheds clear of tools.

Leave only inexpensive tools on site overnight

Unless sheds are really secure, it is better not to leave tools of any kind on site overnight.

Take home everything you have brought with you. Bear in mind too that a slightly shabby site gives the impression that there is nothing worth taking!

Get to know your allotment neighbours and ask them to keep an eye on your plot if you are going to be away.

Some local councils work with police authorities to create an Allotment Watch

Saxlingham Allotments

Roger Mundy, chairman of the Saxlingham Allotments, Norfolk, explains his allotment site’s experience of crime and how plot holders dealt with it. “We are a rural site in a quie t village where there have never bee n any problems. The allotment site is beside the school to the edge of the village. We have had two break ins since the allotment was set up in 2009. Initially, things started going missing. People began to say ‘whe re did I put that?’ or ‘what happened to those packets of seeds?’ Then one day we found that nearly £400 worth of tools and other items had been stolen. The police came roun d and we put padlocks on the doors.

In August last year someone cut off the padlocks and bolts; one door was ripped off its hinges. Across the allotments, we lost another £200 to £300 of items. After reporting this latest theft to the police we have now security marked everything. I have also painted all my tools a vivid lilac shade so that they stand out!”

Grow it! October 2011 77

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

Young Growers

How a-sprout it?

It’s enormous fun to sprout seeds and, best of all, it’s very quick too!

Victoria Poolman shows us how to sprout a healthy crop of chickpeas

S

prouting seeds is a fast way of growing food. It is easy to do and in less than a week you could be enjoying some delicious home-grown chickpeas, seeds or beans to add to your dinner! Sprouted seeds are best used in curries, soups, stews and stirfries and are jam-packed with lots of healthy minerals and vitamins to keep you in tip-top condition.

There are lots of different kinds of sprouting seeds but we’ve chosen to

germinate chickpeas, which have a lovely nutty flavour and are very high in protein.

They are also great for making hummus, which is a Turkish dip that’s delicious on pitta bread. It’s easy to germinate chickpeas – all you need is a warm windowsill (if you’d like to grow green sprouts) or an airing cupboard (if you’d prefer white). Both methods produce slightly different tastes and textures.

The great thing about sprouting seeds is that they can be sown all year-

WHAT TO SPROUT

JUST FOR FUN...

Mustard: Mustard: Grows Grows like like cress, but watch cress, but watch out: out: it’s it’s super super hot hot to to taste! taste!

Mustard is delicious Mustard is delicious added added to to salads salads and and should be should be ready ready in in around around six six days. days.

What’s green and goes to summer camp?

Brussels scouts!

Barley: Barley: This This grows grows about two about two to to three three times times its its size size in in just just a a few days, making few days, making it it a very quick a very quick grower grower indeed! indeed!

Lentils: These These little little Lentils: fellas are full of fellas are full of protein and and delicious delicious protein in vegetarian dishes in vegetarian dishes or soups.

They only or soups. They only take five days and are take five days and are surprisingly filling. surprisingly filling.

Mung bean: bean: Slightly Slightly Mung trickier to grow.

Some trickier to grow. Some people keep a banana people keep a banana nearby because because they they nearby emit a gas which helps emit a gas which helps the beans to sprout. the beans to sprout.

Peas: These These taste taste a Peas: a bit like lentils but bit like lentils but grow grow slightly larger. slightly larger. They They onlyfive takedays five to only take days to sprout. sprout. Try themTry in them intosalads salads give atolovely give a lovely crunch. crunch.

78 October 2011 Grow it!

round. You don’t need any specialist kit and you won’t have to venture outside – so if the rainclouds are looming you can carry on gardening inside. There are lots of sprouting seeds you can grow, so take a look at our suggestions or next time you’re in the garden centre explore the range of sprouting seeds to see what tickles your fancy. You may find that some seeds prefer to be grown in trays or with a special sprouting kit, so check before you buy.

Sprouted seeds are delicious and nutritious!

STEP-BY-STEP

Sprouting chickpeas

What you will need

✓ Packet of sprouting seeds ✓ Clean jam jar ✓ Some gauze, muslin or a handkerchief ✓ An elastic band ✓ Water

1

2

3

4

5

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Start by placing two big tablespoons of seeds into your clean jam jar. Don’t put too many seeds into the jar or they won’t have enough room to grow.

Cover the seeds with about 300ml of clean, cold water and give your jar a good swirl around to ensure all the seeds are thoroughly soaked.

Did you know?

✦ In the past chickpeas have been roasted to use as a replacement for coffee. ✦ Chickpeas are usually pale yellow but in India brown, red and even black varieties are available. ✦ They hail from the Middle East and have a pleasingly nutty taste. ✦ Chickpeas are very good for you, with plenty of protein, phosphorous, calcium and iron.

Enclose the top of the jar with gauze or muslin. This can be secured into position with an elastic band around the rim of the jam jar.

Drain the water through the gauze then refill, swish around and drain once more before returning the jar to its sprouting home.

Repeat twice daily to keep the seeds fresh.

Leave your chickpea seeds to soak overnight on a windowsill or in the airing cupboard.

Notice how much your seeds have swollen by the morning!

After about four days your chickpeas will be ready to eat. Wash them once more before cooking. Your sprouts will keep in a polythene bag in the fridge for three days.

WANT MORE?

If you’d like to sprout larger quantities of seeds you will need to have a few jars on the go at the same time. Don’t try to overfill any one jar as the seeds may not have enough room to germinate properly.

Grow it! October 2011 79

Used creatively vegetables can be every bit as good looking as the best of our flowers and shrubs. Be creative in their use and make them the showpiece of your garden, pleads Andrew Haynes

I

f you look at vegetable plants in a slightly different light many of them are actually really rather attractive. An unlikely star of the ‘Best in Show’ garden at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show was a plant that had everyone baffled – until the garden’s designer, Cleve West, revealed that it was, in fact, a parsnip dug up from his allotment.

The parsnip is a biennial plant which if left in the ground until spring will rapidly produce tall stems bearing flat heads of pale yellow, strongly scented flowers. These are irresistible to hoverflies, so it’s well worth leaving the odd one to flower. Alternatively roots can be lifted, ideally just as they come into growth to be replanted in a convenient spot. Leeks (pictured) are also very ornamental at their flowering stage with, appropriately enough, onion-shaped buds opening to large lavender-coloured globes.

There is a garden in France called ‘Le Potager Extraordinaire’ which features a pergola completely covered with gourds, pumpkins, squashes and other members of the cucumber family. It is admittedly pretty weird but also rather spectacular.

All too often vegetables are considered to be less attractive than the ornamental shrubs, perennials and annuals, so they are shoved to the bottom of the garden or grown on an allotment. I think this is a shame and with this in mind shall be creating an ornamental garden at Edmondsham which will be composed entirely of vegetables.

The aim will be that it’s productive, practical and (I hope) beautiful. I suppose this should be called a ‘potager’ (from the French jardin potager, which literally translates as ‘garden for the pot’), but that smacks of something rather more ornamental than practical – ‘look but don’t touch!’. So what to call it: ‘orna-edible’ or ‘edi-mental’? I don’t think so. No, a ‘practical potager’ is the best I can come up with. Ideas anyone?

The plot I have in mind is almost square in shape and is currently used to demonstrate ways of growing vegetables in a small space. It will be divided into 16 rectangular beds, narrow enough to be worked from the paths without stepping on the beds. This will reduce soil compaction and is in line with the no-dig system already in place elsewhere in the garden. A typical bed might 82 October 2011 Grow it!

have something tall like a clump of Jerusalem artichoke, the next layer a block of sweetcorn then patches of beetroot, salad leaves and carrots. There would be a sufficient number of small patches of the successional crops so that the removal of one patch would not have much impact on the overall scheme. Removed patches would be re-sown straightaway or planted up with module-raised plants.

The inclusion of features such as rustic arches

for climbing crops and a sitting area with a bench and fragrant herbs will reinforce the idea that this is more than just a utilitarian space. Of course, the really great thing about planting with mostly annual vegetables is that the effect will be achieved very quickly and if something doesn’t look right it can easily be changed for next year.

So if ’er indoors doesn’t fancy the back garden looking like an allotment, there is another way to have fresh veg on the doorstep. There is absolutely no reason why the kitchen plot can’t both look and taste good – and by golly it will do you good! I can’t wait to get stuck into this project and hope to inspire some reluctant veg growers to give it a try.

Andrew Haynes has been a professional gardener for more than 30 years.

He is head gardener at Edmondsham House in Dorset where he tends an area of fruit and veg equivalent to three full-size allotment plots. Andrew often leads guided tours and runs workshops at Edmondsham.

All too often vegetables are considered to be less attractive

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