Grow It! July 2011 Issue E103 by KELSEY Free Magazine Samples

ending May 2011 Sow by 2013 Botanical name Brassica oleracea capitata

Cover July 10.indd 1

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• Christine Walkden • Time-saving tips • Turnips

tomatoes Greenhouse Get the kids growing veg!

Fertile minds Flower of Spring

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Celebrate summer and enjoy the finest fruits! Cabbage Offenham 2-Flower of Spring

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Magazine

www.kelsey.co.uk Published on the first Friday of each month 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 Art/Design | Rob Terry / Paul Silk Publisher | Stephen Curtis Friends and contributors Rebecca Wells, Anne Swithinbank, Charles Dowding, Martyn Cox, Steve Bradley, Val Bourne, Victoria Poolman, Ann Somerset Miles, Mike Woolnough, Keith Annetts, Angela Youngman, Kathryn Hawkins, Dave Hamilton, Terry Beebe, Lucy Halliday, Andy Cawthray, Christine Walkden Advertising Advertisement Manager: Sue Loome Telephone: 01342 301731 Email: gi.adsales@kelsey.co.uk Advertisement Director David Lerpiniere Telephone: 01959 543507 Email: gi.adsales@kelsey.co.uk Production Manager | Simone Daws Telephone: 01733 353386 Email: simone.daws@kelseypb.co.uk Subscriptions Save money by taking out a subscription to Grow it! See offer on page 90. Distribution Problems getting your magazine in the shops? Please contact our distributors, Marketforce, on 0203 1483333, or better still, SUBSCRIBE, you know it makes sense! If you would like to sell Grow it! magazine, or help distribute it in your local area, please call Jerry on 01869 325845 Printing William Gibbons & Sons Limited Willenhall, West Midlands. Kelsey Publishing Group 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 2010

Editor’s welcome

Most exciting for me are the courgette plants. “ Regular eyeing up of these green monsters sees them pretty much doubling by the day ” S ummer time and the living is easy. Or at least it should be! If you’re anything like me you’ll find that the warmest months are something of a balancing act between keeping the productive plot ticking over and seeing to all those other demands on your time. Long evenings and fine weather (we hope!) will have us out and about. All too often the kitchen garden can fall too low down the list of priorities. The result is an explosion in the weed population and a compromise on crop quality. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If you find yourself torn between family duties, social outings and your fruit and veg brigade there are some simple steps you can take to keep everything healthy while you’re on the go. So this month we’ve asked busy allotmenteer Mike Woolnough to share some of his time-saving pearls of wisdom. Mulching to keep the weeds down, careful and targeted watering, and a beady eye for early signs of pests and diseases will help you keep your plot shipshape. See what else Mike recommends on page 84. Of course, this time of year is the season of plenty. No doubt your pickings will be starting to come thick and fast. I’m already tucking into platefuls of salads from the likes of lettuce, early carrots, radish and spring onion. The tomato plants have started to flower, the beans are finding their way up the canes and even the parsnips have put on respectable growth. Most exciting for me are the

courgette plants. My regular eyeing up of these green monsters sees them pretty much doubling by the day – it’s so exciting to watch them put on some muscle. Within another week or two the first (of many!) courgettes will be ready for the taking. If you are looking for some inspiration about what to sow now to keep those harvests coming, we have plenty of suggestions for you. On page 41 organic allotment guru Val Bourne will be making sowings of quick-growing French beans, spinach and chard – perfect follow-on crops from the likes of early potatoes, peas or carrots. I’ll be exploring the impressively varied world of the salad leaf from page 65, while on page 46 Lucy Halliday puts the case for the humble but eager-to-please turnip. All these crops can be sown at the height of summer, so don’t let your plot run out of steam. Finally, I’d like to invite all readers to enter this year’s Your Plot competition (see page 8). This is your chance to tell us what you are up to and to share your successes with other readers. There are prizes to be won and there’s the opportunity to have your plot featured in a future issue of Grow it! We are itching to find out where, why and what you grow. Get snapping as midsummer approaches and it could be you that’s crowned our Your Plot 2010 winner! Benedict Vanheems, Editor

In this issue

Steve Bradley Greenhouse guru, Page 36

Angela Youngman Kids in the garden, Page 50

Dave Hamilton Unusual veg, Page 76

Christine Walkden Rebel sower, Page 98 July 2010 3

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Contents July 2010

REGULARS

On the

COVER

6 What’s new

All the latest from the world of kitchen gardening, including news of a garden sharing scheme, a revamped kitchen garden and a fantastic offer on speedy veg

8 Your Plot competition

Enter our Your Plot competition today and you could see your garden or allotment featured in a future issue of Grow it!

10 Your say

Readers share their stories, tips and queries

12 Grower’s diary

Rebecca Wells is picking the worst possible time to go on holiday – during the height of the growing season! So it’s all hand on deck to get the allotment ready for a two-week absence

46 On the

COVER

22 Ask Anne

BBC radio’s Gardeners’ Question Time’s Anne Swithinbank dispels the woes of readers and solves some nagging questions. This month she’s tackling how to keep cats out of the garden, poorforming carrots, an ant infestation, plus she shares ideas for late-start crops and growing rhubarb

30 Competition

the Polytunnels offer the ideal COVER growing environment, extending both the start and end of the growing season. Could you win our £500 voucher to spend on one?

40 Reader offer

Don’t stumble at the final hurdle – protect your crops from insect pests and pigeons with some great offers on netting and insect mesh

80 Young Grower

88 Seasonal fare

Enjoy the finest tastes of summer with this month’s mouth-watering recipes: broad bean, pea and mint soup; spicy potato and cauliflower; and, for pudding, a tempting cherry pie

On the

COVER Christine Walkden’s in rebellious mood as she advocates throwing the rules out of the window and sowing seeds outside their normal sowing times 4 July 2010 P4-5 Contents.indd 4

FREE SEEDS! Grow your cabbage seeds and enjoy the fresh crunch of leaves by spring. Turn to page 91 to find out how.

The BEST value kitchen garden magazine

Bees do so much good in the garden, explains Victoria Poolman, so give them something back in return. Find out how to make a bee hotel – it’s easy and fun!

98 Christine’s Corner

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and get your green fingers on an incredible ten free packets of seeds!

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Ripe track

How to keep those summer crops coming

Sow tasty herb boxes in less than an hour

Just in time

Last-minute summer veg to

SOW NOW!

Black gold

How to make the BEST compost

• Hot weather tips • Anne Swithinbank • Peas

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Pteam ractical The

July

19 pages of seasonal advice, top tips and expert know-how

On the

COVER

On the

Totally turnips

COVER

We should be growing more turnips on our allotments, argues Lucy Halliday. Find out how to sow, tend and harvest these remarkably hardy roots and enjoy a long season of earthy flavours

Now’s the time to summer prune your currants, but why not turn some of that summer glut into a tasty jam?

On the

COVER

Steve Bradley shows us how to keep our greenhouses cool this summer, as the first fruiting crops reach maturity.

Martyn Cox gets to grips with horseradish and grapples with compact composting solutions for city gardens.

41 As the first harvests of the summer are cleared, Val Bourne’s busy planting out second-wind veg such as French beans.

FEATURES 17 Goodbye to the spade Imagine a vegetable garden without the digging. Sounds too good to be true? Charles Dowding meets an allotment owner who has done just that and is reaping the rewards

50 Growing interest

62 A taste of Malvern

Growing food featured heavily at this spring’s Malvern Gardening Show. Ann Somerset Miles was there to bring us some cherry-picked highlights

65 Turn over a new leaf

76 Unusual suspects

If you’re hankering after something new then Dave Hamilton may have the solution in his roundup of some of the most interesting but accessible unusual vegetables to grow at home

Children are truly our future, so COVER give them the inspiration and support they need to start growing-itthemselves. Angela Youngman considers some of the options to help them along

Rapid-germinating, easy-grow, versatile salad leaves should be on everyone’s seed list. Benedict Vanheems explains how to grow these kitchen garden staples and looks at some of the varieties on offer to adventurous gardeners

82 Bravo for brassicas!

54 Sitting comfortably

70 Practical project

84 Time is of the essence

On the

Keep your chickens clean, safe and comfortable so that they remain healthy and happy. Poultry expert Terry Beebe looks at bedding options for our egglaying friends

59 Stretch the seasons

Make the most of this year’s On the growing season by making sure you have something to pick right COVER through to the start of autumn. Lucy Halliday tells us how to cheat the seasons

On the

Put together Andy Cawthray’s COVER ingenious method for growing salad leaves – his hanging salad ball will brighten up any front door!

72 Perpetual motion

Forest gardening has the potential to offer us a productive perennial garden that will have something to pick year-round. Ann Somerset Miles visits the garden of forest gardening legend Martin Crawford and brings back some top tips to start your own productive system

Get planting autumn brassicas now for plenty of leafy goodness in the months to come. Kathryn Hawkins puts together some containers of cabbage and kale in her easy step-by-step project With so many demands on our time, particularly over the summer months, it’s easy to let the veg plot run riot. Mike Woolnough shares his top tips to keep your crops on the straight and narrow, even when time is short

93 Trigger happy

Spray guns are an effective way to water in comfort, but which model is best? Keith Annetts put some of the most popular spray guns through their paces in his product review July 2010 5

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What’s

New

Send your news stories to gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Partners in grime A pioneering gardenshare scheme that links older garden owners with volunteers who want their own growing space has chalked up 30 partnerships in its first year. Garden Partners, run by Age Concern Wandsworth in London, was the first garden-share scheme of its kind in Britain when it began in May last year. It matches people aged 60-plus who need help managing their garden with volunteers who tend the garden to grow and share vegetables, fruit and flowers. More than 100 older people in the borough of Wandsworth have benefited so far. The scheme is open to both private and communal gardens attached to schemes for the over-60s. The scheme can also help prevent loneliness among older people. “The scheme mixes gardening with befriending,” explains Garden Partners coordinator Sarah Jackson. “Garden owners enjoy seeing their volunteer regularly and find renewed interest in the garden. Many are greatly relieved at having the garden looked after, while the volunteers are delighted to have extra growing space.” To find out more about Garden Partners visit the Age Concern Wandsworth website at www.ageconcernwandsworth.org.uk or contact Sarah Jackson on 020 8877 8946.

Topsham comes tops A newly restored kitchen garden has been unveiled in Devon, courtesy of a national campaign and the hard work of local volunteers. The garden at Highfield Farm’s campsite was revealed by head farmer Ian Shears and pupils of Topsham Primary School as part of Bovril’s Great Outdoors Revival Campaign. The Awakening the Campsite Kitchen

Garden project was entered into the campaign by local teacher Justin Vernon and was awarded a share of the £100,000 prize fund in February. Since then the garden has been transformed. Based on a small organic holding with a camping site that’s linked with nearby Topsham School, the kitchen garden has seen trees replanted in the orchards

Future fruits The future looks fruitful for residents of Essex, where the local council has announced it is to establish a new generation of community orchards and allotments. The initiative will see 50 new or re-established community orchards and allotments created across the county, as well as five demonstration sites. The initiative aims to train around 500 volunteers in allotment and orchard tending and support 50 communities in helping to promote healthy eating. Furthermore, the project aims to engage with schools across the county through the provision of 66 ‘orchards in a box’, encouraging them to develop their own gardens and allotments. Bob Lever, member of the East of England Apples and Orchards Project adds: “This project will also help to improve biodiversity in the county by cultivating a wide variety of plant and wildlife native to Essex. It will improve the landscape of local communities, as well as providing better access to a healthy diet.”

Land grab With allotment waiting lists at all-time highs, many would-be growers may wonder when their turn will finally come. Demand for land is on the up and with the increase in demand has come a dramatic increase in price – a local land agent recently sold one acre of land for £12,000! A small Cornwall-based company may have come up with an answer, potentially cutting allotment waiting lists in the process! Internet based www.field4Sale.co.uk aims to assist people in buying small areas of land at sensible prices through economies of scale. Individuals register online, giving details of where they are looking for land, how much they need and what they wish to do with it. As soon as there is sufficient interest in a particular region, a larger area of land will be purchased and split between the interested parties. New title deeds will be drawn up for each buyer, with no obligation other than fencing off the individual plots.

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Winning the race

Restoration complete, ready for planting

and the previously tatty polytunnels cleaned up to offer a safe environment for the local school to visit and learn about food. The children have been busy planting and will soon be able to sell the produce from the garden on their own fruit and veg stall. Justin Vernon is delighted: “The children have had a great day planting the fruit and vegetable seeds. They

will also be able to take some of the produce back to school to cook and eat – they are very happy about that!” Over 200 projects were nominated from across the UK and in January an expert judging panel, including countryside enthusiast John Craven, narrowed hundreds of projects down to three winners in desperate need of a revamp.

Unruly gardens cost Two thirds of Brits would be put off buying or renting a property if it had an unattractive garden, according to recently released research. The survey quizzed over 2,000 homeowners on the state of their gardens, revealing that 61 per cent of Brits would not be prepared to pay as much for a house with an unattractive garden. Half of those surveyed would expect to be able to negotiate at least £50 per month off the cost of a rental property, while 45 per cent would anticipate a drop of at least £5,000 on a house purchase to compensate.

Glazed over

City dwellers who may be hankering after a taste of the good life can enjoy the best of both worlds thanks to a space-saving new Patio Glasshouse from Hartley Botanic. Small enough to fit neatly onto a patio or balcony, the miniature greenhouse is 127cm (4ft 2in) wide, stands 138cm (4ft 6in) tall and is just 74cm (2ft 5in) deep, yet offers ample space for growing a wide range of produce. Supplied with two slatted aluminium shelves (which can be removed)

Offer

Never mind the Grand Prix, Suttons has taken a first in the race for quickgrowing veg! Consumer champion Which? tested the validity of claims made by seed companies about the speed of their veg. Trials were run to see whether these so called ‘speedy veg’ really lived up to the name. The results speak for themselves. In first place in the ‘Sowing to harvest category’, coming in at just three weeks and three days was radish ‘Jolly’, which forms peppery bright-red roots. In joint first place in the ‘Salad leaves’ category were ‘Lettuce Mix’ and ‘Stir-fry Mix’, with spinach ‘Tetona’ completing the line-up with its quick-fire creamy leaves. Second place in the ‘Six week’ category, quick as a flash, came the colourful chard mix ‘Bright Lights’. This variety will keep on growing, with one sowing giving an ample supply all summer long. Turnip ‘Atlantic’ also sailed into second position with its fleet of attractive baby turnips yielding 700g (1.5lbs), which almost doubled when left to grow on a bit longer. Readers can try all six of these speedy veg varieties for the special price of just £8.65, inclusive of p&p and saving 25% on the normal price! To order call 0844 9220606 quoting offer code ‘GR410’, or send a cheque made payable to ‘Suttons’ to: Grow it! Offer (GR410), Woodview Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7NG, remembering to include your name and address. You can also order online at www.suttons.co.uk/gr410. Offer closes 31 July 2010 and delivery is within 21 days.

and sliding glazed doors, the Patio Glasshouse is a scaled down version of large estate glasshouses. Its tempered and toughened safety glass is virtually unbreakable, while its sturdy aluminium frame comes in a choice of nine powdercoat finish colours. Each glasshouse comes with a two-year guarantee and currently costs £749, saving £150. For more information call 01457 821963 or visit www.hartley-botanic.co.uk July 2010 7

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Competition!

Your Plot 2010 s e i r t n e r o f l l a c Prizes to be won!

Last year’s winning plot came from Wade Muggleton

his year’s ‘Your Plot’ competition offers you the chance to tell us why you are proud of your patch and boast about your achievements. We know from the regular correspondence we receive that Grow it! readers have the best edible plots in the land, so let’s celebrate that fact! We want to know all about your plot, no matter what its size and situation. Like last year we’ll crown a winner, who will receive a generous £500 spending spree at horticultural sundries supplier Two Wests & Elliott. This year, however, there will be additional prizes for other selected plots that we consider to be worthy of reward, including a prize for the best container kitchen garden. Write in and tell us about how you

started your plot, how it is laid out, what you are growing and your proudest achievements. We’ll be taking a detailed look at some of the entries in an autumn issue of Grow it!, so this is your opportunity to tell other readers about your greenfingered exploits. Take a look at some of the pictures from last year’s entrants to get a flavour for the competition. The kitchen gardener deemed to have the best plot will be crowned our 2010 Your Plot winner and will receive a £500 voucher from our friends at Two Wests & Elliott. Two Wests & Elliott has a wide range of kit, with just about every horticultural sundry under the sun to help you get the most from your garden. Visit its website at www.twowests.co.uk to find out what you could be spending the prize money on.

Any size plot can be entered into the competition!

Fresh pickings in Linda Proud Smith’s Oxford plot

How to enter To enter the 2010 Your Plot competition simply send us five pictures of your kitchen garden plot and no more than 250 words to describe its layout, what you grow, how you grow it and why you are proud of your plot. Take your snaps as your plot reaches its peak of productivity. If you are using a digital camera to take your pictures make sure they are taken at the largest possible setting so we can use them in the magazine. We will feature the best entries in an autumn issue. Post your entries to: Grow it! Your Plot Competition, Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG. Alternatively email them to: gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk Don’t forget to include your name and contact details. The closing date for entries is 31st July 2010.

Raised beds in Phillip William’s Cheshire garden

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e handles

Your say Your chance to talk to us!

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

Star★

letter

This month’s star letter wins a deluxe watering can from Two Wests & Elliott.

Net to nothing Having been a keen grower for just 18 months I thought I’d share with you my little bit of DIY. Last year I tried various methods of netting my crops without spending too much on special systems. I tried canes, batons and old bits of tree that I picked up, but all were rather hard to use. This year I have come up with the perfect solution for netting crops on a budget. I had the netting left over from last year but wondered how I was going to make my supports without spending too much. I found the answer at Homebase where I purchased the cheapest gazebo they had. With a little bit of adjustment with the hacksaw this has made the perfect net support for next to nothing. The net was given to me by a friend and the gazebo (of which only the framework was used) cost £15.99 – a M Smith, via email bargain! Editor replies: What a fantastic money-saving tip – and so simple too! Have any other readers got similar budgetbusting ideas that they’d like to share?

Proud haul

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

My husband and I are sending you a picture of our attempt at growing allotment leeks. Both of us are registered disabled and I have been told by the doctors that maybe I should not tend the allotment anymore, but I think the results speak for themselves. The haul weighed 5.5kg (12lbs) after trimming – not huge but big by our standards. The

Wonderful

worms

I would like to say a big thank you for the prize of a Wiggly Wigglers wormery that I was lucky enough to win. I have always wanted one of these and had never quite found the funds to go ahead, so I’m thrilled! My son Jacob is 10 years old and suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism). He is obsessed with bugs, slugs and any other kind of minibeast. The wormery has provided him with hours of fun, just finding out what they can eat, how they produce ‘worm wee’ and how to keep them happy. This has been the best prize our family could have wished for. S McFarlane, via email

In the can After a disaster last year when I accidentally ‘murdered’ all my bedding plants by using a watering can that had previously held weed killer, I decided to take action. I bought a cheap can and labelled it accordingly. It was well worth the couple of pounds it cost as it has potentially saved me a fortune in lost plants! J Fletcher, Gloucestershire Editor replies: The unintended death of seedlings and plants happens all too often from damage caused by traces of weed killer, so this is very simple but effective idea we should all adopt. allotment is our little getaway and our way of enjoying some of the freshest veggies and fruit on the planet. We have been reading your magazine from the very start. We have also managed to get many more people reading Grow it! after we told them of the great ideas and tips we gain from it. There are many gardening magazines out there but if anyone

wanted to find a magazine for the vegetable grower yours has to be the top pick. Well, we are now off to start a batch of leek and potato soup for the freezer for the cold winter months. I know it is only early in the growing season but, as I was told by a very old gardener – think ahead and you won’t go far wrong. S Dynes, Hertfordshire

10 July 2010 P10 Letters your sayBV.indd 10

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Spring onions

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Seeds supplied by Experts in1855 the garden since 1855 Experts in the garden since

Corn salad ‘Cavallo’

H tto grow th How them and what to sow now

Weekend projects

Great for winter salads storage • Harvest • Design a potager • Gooseberries

Hands-on advice Sowing instructions: Corn salad prefers well-drained conditions in full sun. Sow thinly from April right through to October at two-weekly intervals to ensure continuity of harvests. Sow 1cm (0.5in) deep in drills 23cm (9in) apart into soil that’s been raked to a fine tilth. An extremely useful addition to autumn and winter salads, producing a mass of succulent, fresh, deep green leaves throughout the season. Hardy corn salad is easy to grow and takes up minimal space. It can also be grown very successfully in containers. Use it as a cut-and-come-again salad to brighten up mealtimes.

Corn salad ‘Cavallo’

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Salad expert Charles Dowding on how to raise winter salads

Growing instructions: Thin seedlings when large enough to handle to 10cm (4in) apart. Water well during dry periods. Harvest by pulling up every other plant in the row and then by selecting a few leaves from each of the remaining plants. Keep the ground weed-free at all times, as plants can quickly become smothered. Winter harvests will continue to February.

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Grower’s diary

Holiday mode I

f you’re a gardener, you have a difficult decision to make when it comes to choosing when to go on holiday. The Gardeners’ Question Time Panel suggested the first two weeks in November but that option may not be very popular with non-gardening family or friends, especially if you are holidaying in Britain. (Of course, even in those weeks there is digging and clearing to be done). It’s a tricky one but I think it can be safely said that the middle of May is absolutely the wrong time to spend two weeks camping in France! Yet that’s exactly what we are doing this year and I fear that I may well come to regret the choice. For one thing, May is my absolute

favourite month and the thought of being out of England during May saddens me. It is also a time when we make the transition from spring into early summer and when we can be sure that there will be no more frosts. You may already be familiar with ‘Franklin Nights’, named for a bygone Devon brewer who, it is said, sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for a damaging late frost which put paid to all the cider apple blossom. Whatever the truth of the story, down here in Devon we think we are safe from frosts after 15th May. It is therefore a really busy time when all the tender plants can be put out into the ground, having been hardened off. This year, however, we had little choice about

The height of spring may not be the best time to go on holiday but for Rebecca Wells a camping break beckons, so it’s all hands on deck to get the allotments ready for a two-week absence

the matter. Due to various home, work and family commitments, the only time we could get away was the middle of May and so we have worked hard to make sure that all is as ready as it can be. We have also had to take some risks. The progression of seedlings from the home greenhouse to the allotments and then to the top of the hen run to harden off has worked smoothly. The peas (‘Norli’) and the mangetout (‘Carrouby de Mausanne’) are now in the ground and beginning to grow away. I start most of my seedlings off in modules and the deeper-rooted plants are sown in Rootrainers. These ensure a really good root system is developed before plants go into the ground.

12 July 2010 P12-14 Growers DiaryBV.indd 12

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The comfrey is ready to cut – a valuable source of food for fruiting crops

A good root system developed by growing in Rootrainers will ensure these plants will thrive

Recently planted mangetout are growing away strongly

The lettuce seedlings (a range of ‘Mascara’, ‘Marshall’ and ‘Little Gem’) have been put in along the base of the pea rows and as a catch crop in-between the new raspberry canes. Lettuce is such a fast-growing crop that it can be planted out in this way and will be safely harvested before the main crop needs the room. The leeks, cut-and-comeagain leaves, Welsh onions, spinach and globe artichokes are also in. I have sown two varieties of globe artichoke this year: ‘Violetta di Choggia’ has deep purple buds and ‘Gros Vert de Lyon’ is a delicious variety which is slightly later than the others, thus stretching the season. I shall grow the ‘Violetta di Choggia’ as ornamental plants, even if I don’t eat all of them. Bees love the open, thistle flowers which cut well and I fancy a stand of them grown with black hollyhocks, which are also doing well as seedlings. My husband Andrew loves hollyhocks although, in our pure air, they often get a bit of rust towards the end of the season. I am trying to grow a variety of bee-attracting ornamental plants on the orchard this year, gradually filling up a border along the front. My indoor tomatoes (‘Green Zebra’ and ‘Brandywine’), peppers (‘King of the North’ and ‘Purple Beauty’) and chillies (‘Thai Hot’ and the ones that came free with an earlier issue of Grow it!) are in one of the greenhouses while the outdoor tomatoes harden off along with the courgettes, pumpkins and squashes, runner and other climbing beans, sweetcorn and outdoor chillies. This is the risky part of the exercise. These plants

are growing at a great rate and I don’t want to have them checked too much or pot bound. Nor am I willing to leave Ron, who will babysit the hens while we are away, with too much to water in the greenhouses. So we have worked hard to put everything that we can in the ground before we go away and will keep our fingers crossed. So as not to miss the boat, I have sowed the first rows of parsnip and beetroot in the ground. In the warm spring weather of the past month the beetroot germinated quickly, marking the rows where the parsnip will also (we hope) appear but more slowly. Many of the tomatoes already have their first flower buds showing and – good timing this – the Russian comfrey is ready for its first cut. Plants have their greatest energy at the point of flower and I have left the comfrey cut a little late, though I don’t regret it. The deep blue of the flowers is quite beautiful and the bees and other beneficial insects adore them, bumbling and fumbling them delightedly as they gather the nectar. There is enough for me to make a cut and leave some to share with them. They will, in turn, help pollinate my other crops. Some people shy away from having comfrey because they think it will spread too rapidly but the much better behaved ‘Bocking 14’ strain was specially developed after work completed by Lawrence Hills at The Henry Doubleday Research Association (now Garden Organic). The practice of steeping the leaves in water results in an extremely smelly, if efficacious, brew. I avoid this unfortunate side effect by putting the  July 2010 13

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Grower’s diary Rebecca’s tips Share any surplus seedlings

with friends and neighbours, only composting what you can’t pass on.

The Royal Horticultural Society

gardens have lots of events to encourage more of us to growit-ourselves. It is inspiring and informative to look at other gardens to see how they do it. Check out other gardens open to the public, including those private gardens listed in the National Gardens Scheme’s Yellow Book.

My rhubarb has thrown up a flower spike. If yours has too, cut it off. Rhubarb leaves wrapped around the rootballs of young brassicas are supposed to ward off club root.

The plum blossom promises a good harvest

leaves, dry, into a big-lidded container with a small hole in the bottom. As the leaves rot down, they secrete a tarry liquid which I catch in an old plastic milk container. This concentrate may be stored and, when it needs to be used, diluted 1:10 with water. This high-potash liquid feed is fed to tomatoes and any other fruiting and flowering plants which need it. I have also seen the cut leaves used as a mulch beneath fruit trees. We have had some good rhubarbrelated puddings and are still harvesting tulips, leeks, parsley and parsnips. We continue to enjoy purple spouting broccoli, which remains un-woody, even though it must be coming to the end of

Strange-looking asparagus crowns

its time now. Lightly steamed, the tender stems and flower buds remind us of asparagus. Talking of asparagus, the first shoots have appeared already, pushing up through the soil in a faintly rude manner. This is a fantastic crop and, after the initial effort of making the bed, an easy one to cultivate. Freshly-picked asparagus, either raw or steamed and crowned with butter, is sublime. It needs a permanent bed, to be kept weed-free and, if you can get hold of it, seaweed mulch. We had some gaps in our bed and so I bought ten crowns of the purple-shooting variety, ‘Jacmac Purple’. They arrived, looking like strangely alien, beached sea-creatures, and I put them in at the beginning of the month, clearly marked with canes so that I don’t accidentally pick them too soon. New crowns need to be left to establish for the first year, picked only lightly in their second year and then maybe properly harvested after that. It may be a wait but it’s worth it! Both varieties of first early new potatoes (‘Lady Christl’ and ‘International Kidney’) are in the ground and are showing through. I grow only first earlies so that I can avoid spreading blight and because I think that they are worth the effort, whereas I can buy equally tasty later, risk-free potatoes at the greengrocers. I dug over the soil, which had had manure incorporated last winter, and put the well-chitted seed in shallow depressions rather than deep trenches, only lightly covering them. Because I want lots of small, sweet potatoes rather than a few big ones, I left all the sprouts rather than rubbing out all but the strongest one.

I then covered over the whole patch with straw to keep out the light, positioning a layer of fleece on top to protect the young haulms from the frost as they grow. Instead of earthing up, I shall add a layer of fresh lawn mowings on top of the straw. When I want to harvest the potatoes, I shall push back the straw and, ta-dah! – there they will be, clean and easy to harvest! I have used this way of growing the few potatoes we need for several years now and, although I always expect it not to work, it always does, as if by magic. The spring seems to have happened all at once and has been full of blossom. I wonder whether that is because the winter was so harsh and seemed to go on for so long? The sight of blossom and flowers on both top and soft fruit is a welcome sign of a good harvest come autumn. The black, red and white currants, dessert and cooking gooseberries, loganberries and raspberries are all festooned with flower. The orchard trees and the espaliered apples on the main allotment are also beginning to bloom and the early purple plum has been a glorious sight against the clear, blue sky. The balmy weather has meant that everyone on the field has been hard at work. Allotments which had to be neglected during the poorer weather are now quickly being knocked into shape. There is much digging and raking to a fine tilth in order to sow seeds. Fred, on the next door plot, has once again erected his impressive row of bean poles, ready for his runner beans. The hoes are out and sharpened for dealing with weeds. There’s a lot to do but a good Saturday in the vegetable garden is satisfying and fun and there’s always time for a lunchtime break in the warm sunshine. ■

14 July 2010 P12-14 Growers DiaryBV.indd 14

20/05/2010 12:21

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Real growers Abundant growth, here in mid August, is a direct result of all that compost and manure

Goodbye to the spade

When allotmenteer Steph felt dissatisfied with the amount of produce coming off her plot she decided to turn her back on traditional digging techniques. No-dig expert Charles Dowding took her under his wing to create a new, no-dig allotment and today the results speak for themselves

his is the story of the transformation of an allotment from a hard-to-work, sticky clay soil producing average crops, to a nutrient-packed, soft soil yielding year-round harvests of ample produce. Previously the allotment was dug in much the same way as any other allotment, requiring significant manual effort and toil. But all this changed when a thick layer of compost and manure was spread on top of the soil and a new, no-dig regime begun. This carpet of organic matter has also contributed to a massive reduction in the prevalence of weeds. The allotment’s owner is Steph, who after six years of patchy harvests decided to invest in a large load of compost to cover all her beds and paths. This decision resulted from her work in my own gardens, where she helps to pick, plant and run the two acres of un-dug beds. We’d often discussed her allotment and she decided that her experiences simply weren’t good enough, compared to the productive results of no-dig growing. So, one February afternoon, I gave her a hand to spread about four tonnes

of green waste compost from the local recycling centre onto her Somerset allotment. All her beds and paths were covered with three inches of the compost and manure. The results have been excellent and speak for themselves. Here, then, are Steph’s reflections on her transformed allotment, given at the end of a particularly cold winter.

How would you describe the original soil on your allotment? It was clay soil with poor fertility. Older people who had allotments here back in the seventies and eighties (they were derelict for a few years), warned me about the poor quality of the soil. They were right! Every winter it was so muddy and sticky that it was impossible to work on, so I was unable to do anything there 

Steph’s allotment in December 2008, a few months before conversion to its new no-dig regime July 2010 17

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STEP-BY-STEP: The transition begins

Steph’s allotment in February 2009, all weeds cleared and the soil levelled by rake ready to receive its topping of compost and manure.

for weeks on end. This gave the weeds plenty of time to take hold. But as soon as fine, dry weather came along the soil would quickly dry out and crack. What state was the allotment in when you took it over? The allotments had been rotovated before being allocated about six years ago, so they were infested with weed seeds and bits of root – lots of bindweed and creeping tormentil. The weeds grew quickly so I initially covered half the allotment with plastic as I was struggling to keep on top of them. I had to do a lot of weeding all through the year! Then in 2008, after working in Charles’ no-dig garden and seeing how few weeds he had to deal with, I decided to spread a thick covering of compost and convert my own allotment to the no-dig method of cultivation. During the winter weeks before spreading the main load of compost, I went through and cleared all the weeds I could find. The soil was laid out in a pattern of small, slightly raised beds, so I shaped up a few more with some soil from the paths to make 14 beds in total, each about 1.2m (4ft) wide, with 45cm (18in) pathways of bare soil between them. What did you crop in previous years? New potatoes, beans, peas, squashes, courgettes and beetroot. It was mainly summer crops that I grew, including salads and herbs planted in spirals, plus companion plants such as the poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii) that self-seeded annoyingly.

After just two hours of spreading compost and well-rotted cow manure the transformation is well underway! The compost had to be barrowed from a pile 100 feet away.

By April the first crops of the new no-dig system are beginning to get away. Note the remarkable freedom from weeds, one of the clear benefits of this system.

How did you find the work of spreading compost and manure? It was hard work but very satisfying and easy to do. Laying compost and manure on top of the soil is much easier than digging it in. Having the allotment in beds helps because you get a sense of accomplishment each time a bed is completed, rather than thinking ‘Oh no, I still have half the allotment to go’. Spreading cow manure involved more work than the sieved and softer green waste compost. It was quite lumpy and I needed to knock it around a bit with a rake or fork to shatter it into smaller pieces. I also make my own compost and spread that too, so by March my beds were covered with about three inches of lovely, dark material. What did fellow allotmenteers make of it all? I received lots of favourable comments. It really did look lovely, just like a chocolate fudge cake – dark and rich, and such a contrast to the pale clay before. Some thought it odd that I wasn’t digging it

18 July 2010 P17-20 Bruton AllotmentsBV.indd 18

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Real growers After spreading with the three inch-layer of green waste compost and cow manure

Steph with a freshly picked allotment salad – in January!

all in and were convinced it would not work. I had a few dire warnings of failure, that it was all a bit crazy, but in general they were pleased that it looked good and were interested to see something a bit different. Were you pleased with the first year’s crops? Absolutely! They have been fantastic – the best vegetables I have ever grown and so healthy, delicious and abundant. The space has been used more productively, with new crops going in as old ones were removed, so there were few gaps the whole growing season and I am cropping right through the winter.

Everyone has been amazed that I am still picking outdoor salad in winter. Which vegetables grew particularly well? Almost everything grew well. I have been especially pleased with my leeks, still looking good after all the snow and freezing weather. The kale is radiant and glowing with health. Last year I managed just six small parsnips but this year I had a whole bed full; the largest so far was 1.5kg (3.5lb)! I was amazed to be able to dig up parsnips even when the ground was frozen. The squash I grew have kept really well – I’m still eating those.

Steph with her king-sized leeks and chicory in October. The bittersweet-tasting chicory withstands autumn frost better than lettuce

Summer carrots prove the lack of digging has no impact on the quality and shape of roots

How do the economics stack up? The initial outlay of £105 for compost and manure may seem fairly expensive but when one takes into account the fantastic results it is certainly worth it. Divide the cost into 12 monthly ‘instalments’ and it actually isn’t too bad – about the cost of a DVD rental subscription. The soil was in such a poor shape that other allotment holders have dug in almost as much compost and manure to try to improve their soil, so it is not an expense exclusive to the no-dig growing method. I haven’t needed to buy any more compost this year. Instead I bought just one load of cow manure, which came to £20, so the £105 was a one-off, rather than an annual expense. Having a no-dig allotment has saved a huge amount of time because there is very little weeding  July 2010 19

P17-20 Bruton AllotmentsBV.indd 19

20/05/2010 12:23

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Real growers involved. I have used this extra time to write. I have also saved a lot of money because we have been eating so many of our own vegetables, which is nearly covering the cost of the manure, compost and allotment fees. What are the pros and cons of no-dig? The lack of weeds is a real bonus. Last summer all I needed to do was remove the odd weed with a trowel every week or so, which took hardly any time at all. Bindweed still grew but seemed easier to deal with in the relative absence of other weeds. Many allotments were smothered with weeds, which was disheartening for them and meant a lot of work. The soil is fantastic and a pleasure to work

with. I can work on the allotment in wet weather because my boots don’t stick to the mud! I have loads of delicious vegetables and it looks beautiful, fertile and abundant. One can really sense the health of the plants growing there. The leaves appear to glow – and I honestly can’t think of any downsides. Have other allotmenteers on your site been persuaded to try not digging? A few are already trying it (in different ways, mostly using some beds with wooden sides) and others have mentioned that they’ll try it on part of their allotments. Several friends have also decided to make no-dig vegetable beds in their gardens. ■

Next-door allotment holder Alan considers the no-dig method after clearing masses of weeds!

Charles’ top tips Green waste compost is available

from most waste facilities. Check that it is put through a 15mm sieve, to remove larger bits of wood and plastic. Steph paid £14 per tonne and £40 delivery. Green waste compost is not rich in terms of nutrients but is weed-free, holds moisture and it feeds worms and other soil life, which all contributes to greater fertility.

Animal manure is more variable

in quality but often comes free or carries only a delivery charge. Look for it to be well-rotted and dark brown, almost black. It shouldn’t have too much un-rotted straw or other bedding in it. Be sure to ask the farmer or stable owner whether the animals ate any grass or hay from fields sprayed with aminopyralid weedkiller, which is persistent and can stunt growth of vegetables. It is unlikely but worth checking.

Spent mushroom compost is friable and easy to use as a weed-free mulch, of similar nutrient status to green waste compost.

Most home-made compost gives

excellent results, just be wary of putting seeding weeds into heaps because they will grow again on your fertile beds.

Steph’s first covering of compost,

Early July and the allotment is chock full of vegetables and flowers. Some lumps of cow manure remain on the surface but these have weathered a little

a 7-8cm (3in) layer, involves a oneoff cost and effort that does not need to be repeated. I recommend subsequent annual coverings of about 3cm (1in) of compost or manure applied in the autumn or winter, as soon as the last vegetables are harvested, or around them in some cases.

20 July 2010 P17-20 Bruton AllotmentsBV.indd 20

20/05/2010 12:23

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Anne Q&A Ask

Anne Swithinbank, one of Britain’s favourite gardeners and a member of Radio Four’s Gardeners’ Question Time panel, answers your growing questions. Write in with your questions for Anne to: Ask Anne, Grow it!, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG. Or email: gi.ed@kelsey.co.uk

ROOT OF A PROBLEM

The foliage of my carrots has grown well but there is very little in the way of root to them. They are in tubs of top-grade compost from the garden centre and are covered with fleece to prevent carrot fly. Why are the roots so tiny? The same is true of my beetroot. P Wright, via email

I’m not convinced that potting compost is the best medium to use for root crops in pots, especially if it was a soilless, peat-free option. I think they need some proper loam to get their roots into and they certainly don’t want too much nitrogen, as this would lead to lots of leafy growth. Filling tubs like this is also costly and for reasons of economy as much as anything else, I usually put together my own mix, which goes something like this (but varies according to what’s available). There will always be about a third proper potting compost, but this is usually 50:50 soilless to loam-based John Innes Number 2. Then there will be a third sieved, well-rotted garden compost or leaf mould,

PAW SHOW

and finally one third good garden soil, potting compost saved from previous pots or molehill soil. Having filled my pots with this, I’ll direct-sow across the top of the pot rather than raise the veg in modules first. This is beneficial to root crops because the main tap root goes directly into the soil and stops there. Make shallow drills across the top of the pot and sow thinly into them.

How can I stop the neighbourhood cats from using my garden as a toilet? So far I have tried using orange peel, prickly sticks and cat deterrents to keep the moggies off my patch. I have given up feeding the birds as they are scared away. M Holt, Blackpool

I wonder if you are consistently mean enough to these cats? They are territorial animals and you need to cast yourselves in the role of the biggest, nastiest tomcat these local moggies have seen in a long while. Never speak gently to them and never stroke or encourage them in any way. Instead, whenever you see one, point, stare and hiss loudly at it and it will run. Obviously, you are not going to hurt them, but I think squirting them with a water pistol is permissible. Otherwise, you are doing all the right things. I have more rabbit than cat problems and have to literally cover the soil with twiggy sticks (large twiggy beech prunings are terrific) to keep them off plants. Any bare soil is vulnerable and as you’ve discovered, the odd prickly stick is no deterrent. Some gardeners have reported that laying large plastic drinks bottles half-filled with water on the ground scares them too but I haven’t tried this. 22 July 2010 Questions Answered JULY10.indd 22

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Questions answered BEE SURE

Last year my gooseberry and redcurrant bushes were devastated by sawfly, while the year before I lost most of my fruit to the birds. I have nearly finished making a fruit cage but wonder whether I will get fruit if the bees are unable to reach the flowers? H Bean, Cumbria

You have had your fair share of problems and are right to be concerned about access to bees and other pollinating insects. Sawfly are a pain but I think you had better leave the bushes uncovered and inspect regularly to see whether these pests build up. Look right in the centre of the bush as they are cunning and often lay their eggs here. I’ve never tried spraying them with horticultural soft soap solution but I wouldn’t have thought they’d like it too much, so have a go. Or try a natural spray like SB Plant Invigorator. Alternatively, there is now a biological control based on nematodes available for caterpillars, including sawfly larvae, though it is rather costly. It is available from Green Gardener (01493 750061, www.greengardener.co.uk) or Scarletts Plant Care (0845 0945499, www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk). A slightly whacky alternative that’s free and therefore certainly worth a try must be attributed to Bob Flowerdew. He has said that when you see sawfly, place a cloth under your gooseberry bush and then make a sudden loud noise. Apparently they fall off in shock! Once your plants have set fruit and are beginning to swell, you can then use your fruit cage as protection from birds.

LATE STARTERS

My husband and I are just about to move into our new house. This will be our first garden and we’re keen to start growing our own food immediately. What can we sow this late in the season to enjoy before the autumn? K Richards, Swansea

If you are just starting, invest in Grow Your Own Vegetables by Joy Larkcom (published by Frances Lincoln), a small book with no colour pictures but absolutely packed with all the info you’ll need. There’s a lot you can sow now but as soon as you have beds prepared and ready, why not buy in a few plug plants of lettuce and spinach for a really quick start. Sow seed of the

same as well. Salad mixtures for cut-and-come-again mini leaves are widely available and some will be ready from pots or borders in as little as three weeks. You are also in time to plant kale, sprouting broccoli and winter cabbage, so look out for young plants. You will need to cover them with mesh to keep the butterflies off but they’ll be lovely to pick from autumn to spring. You can direct-sow beetroot, turnips and kohl rabi and for greens, Swiss chard and perpetual spinach. Next month, sow hardy salad plants like land cress, mizuna and salad rocket (pictured). When making direct sowings during dry weather, take out your drill and soak it really well before sowing. July 2010 23

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Questions answered ANTS IN THE PLANTS

I have noticed lots of tiny insects like yellow ants in the compost of my new pear tree, which was planted last year. Are they young ants or something more serious? I have never seen them before and wondered if I should re-pot the plant. D McIlroy, via email We do have a native yellow meadow ant, so it could be these. Why not take a look through a hand lens to really see who you’re dealing with. This is not good news but to what extent depends on what the ants are up to. If they are simply foraging for food, they will be less of a nuisance to the pear and easier to discourage. There are various ant deterrents on the market to put on the pot, or to smear on the ground along the ants’ pathway – watch them for a while and you’ll soon see where this is. However, if you suspect they are actually building a nest in the pot, this will seriously disrupt the pear’s roots and they need to be sent packing. A bait-like poison is probably the best bet. This must be put inside a trap or container, so that pets and other animals can’t get at it. I wouldn’t try to repot the plant, because you’d never shake all the ants out and there are likely to be grubs, eggs (pictured) and other stages. I think you’d set the pear back and the ants would simply recolonise.

Dave Bevan

There is also a nematode-based biological control for ants (see ‘Bee sure’ question for stockists). I’m all for live and let live and tend to leave ants alone in borders and lawns (they are a good food source for green woodpeckers) but I do take action when ants invade the house or

threaten a valued plant. If you don’t want to use a poison, I have heard of all kinds of remedies being used such as lemon tea tree oil in water, but I haven’t tried them. I have tried rubbing pennyroyal (a type of mint) along their pathways and this does seem to dissuade them.

ROUSING RHUBARB

How do you grow rhubarb? It costs a small fortune for a few measly stems in the supermarket but I love the stuff and want to be able to enjoy it more often. Is it too late to plant it? M Fairford, Leicestershire

Rhubarb is probably one of the easiest crops to grow because once established, a clump will go on for years. These hardy plants thrive in a wide range of soils but will not tolerate being waterlogged during winter. I can’t grow them, or raspberries, in the lower part of my kitchen garden and have to put them higher up, on better drained soil. They also like an open, not shaded position.

Now is not the best time for planting because rhubarb is a thirsty plant and even pot-grown specimens will have to be watered copiously. Autumn to spring is a better time to plant and if you order it in from a nursery, it will probably arrive in late winter or spring. If you know anybody with a good clump, you could persuade them to chop a piece off for you. Now, however, is a good time to decide where to put your rhubarb, get rid of any perennial weeds and dig in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure, so this can settle. Of the three varieties we grow, ‘Timperley Early’ is the best. I want to get my hands on some ‘Fulton’s Strawberry Surprise’ because it has done well in taste tests and seems to have lovely red stems.

24 July 2010 Questions Answered JULY10.indd 24

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July

19 pages of seasonal advice, top tips and expert know-how

July and the height of summer brings with it the true bounty of the growing season. This month our Practical Team will help you to get the most from your plot. Steve looks at feeding and tending greenhouse crops such as tomatoes, while city gardener Martyn is seeing to his exotic root crops – sweet potatoes and hardy horseradish – and investigating a curious upside-down tomato planter. Val’s planting spinach, chard and French beans to keep the harvests coming, while Benedict is busy pruning – and making jam! There’s plenty to be getting on with.

27 Now’s the time to summer prune your currants, but why not turn some of that summer glut into a tasty jam?

36 Steve Bradley shows us how to keep our greenhouses cool this summer, as the first fruiting crops reach maturity.

The Practical Team – July 2010

Pteam ractical The

31 Martyn Cox gets to grips with horseradish and grapples with compact composting solutions for city gardens.

41 As the first harvests of the summer are cleared, Val Bourne’s busy planting out second-wind veg such as French beans. July 2010 25

Practical Team Cover.indd 25

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

This month: Picking fruit Pruning currants Making jam It’s rich pickings this month from the likes of currants, berries and peaches, says Benedict Vanheems. Why not try your hand at turning some of this bounty into a tasty preserve?

The best job this month: Picking all that fresh fruit!

idsummer is truly the time of plenty as fruit growers with even a modestly stocked garden become spoilt for picking choice. Joining the flurry of strawberries, cherries and gooseberries will be the likes of currants and all manner of raspberries and related hybrid berries. Meanwhile, succulent, juice-drippingly tempting apricots, peaches and nectarines will be putting on their final flush of colour ready for that most indulgent harvest of all. It’s a fine time of year to be working on the fruit garden and the rewards are there for the taking. What a treat! Of course, some years there can be too much of a good thing. If forecasts about 2010 being a bumper year come true, many of us will be left with extra fruit going begging. When punnets of soft fruit cost a small fortune in the supermarket, it’s a shame to let anything go to waste – no matter how much there is. Fresh fruit is an excellent bartering tool to swap with the excess produce of other kitchen gardeners. Alternatively, don the apron and start turning excess pickings into moreish jams, chutneys and fruit pickles. Apples and pears won’t be ready for another few months but by now the fruitlets should be coming on nicely. The natural ‘June drop’ will be finished by now, so take a moment to look at your potential harvest and complete a final thinning by hand if it looks like there are too many fruits. While a generous harvest of fruit isn’t to be discouraged, too many fruits can put undue strain on a tree, resulting in either smaller fruits or the compromise of next year’s crop. Old orchard faithfuls may also need a little helping hand as the fruits swell day by day. The extra weight can strain older branches, so give them some extra support if necessary. Prop up fulsome branches with sturdy, Y-shaped supports (old wind-fallen tree branches are good for this) or sink additional tree stakes into  the ground.

The Practical Team – The fruit grower

Fruitgrower The

July 2010 27 P27-29 Fruit grower v2BV.indd 27

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The Practical Team – The fruit grower

STEP-BY-STEP: Pruning currants

Harvest currants now, while completing their summer pruning

Tend to currants

Now’s the time to enjoy fresh black, white and redcurrants. Red and white currants appear on delicate trusses called strigs. Rather than pull off each individual currant, cut away entire strigs and bring them into the kitchen for stripping. A fork is a very handy utensil for this purpose. Excess berries make irresistible jellies that form the perfect accompaniment to Sunday roasts. Blackcurrants are ready once they have attained their full, black colour, with those higher up the clusters available for picking first of all. With harvests of these obliging crops now underway, this is also the time to think about completing their summer prune. Red and white currants and gooseberries are pruned in exactly the same way. Start by cutting back

Prune summer-fruiting raspberries

Wit

Cut back the canes of summerfruiting raspberries to ground level as soon as the final berries have been picked. The older, fruited canes are easily identified by their darker stems and tattier leaves. Tie in the fresh, young canes that have grown up this season into their horizontal wire supports. Space them about 10cm (4in) apart and cut away any that look spindly or weak.

all side shoots to leave just three to four leaves. Shoots that are crowding the centre of the bush should also be removed, allowing air to better circulate and letting in light to help fruit ripen. Enabling the air to get to the centre of each bush will also reduce the chances of stagnant air around delicate new shoots, thereby minimising any chance of diseases gaining hold. A winter prune later on in the year completes the pruning regime. Blackcurrants require slightly different treatment and are best pruned later on in the autumn, though the first pruning cuts may be undertaken as the currants are harvested. The object here is to gradually replace older wood with new. Aim to exchange about one third of the bush’s growth each year. Make cuts low down in the bush to encourage fresh new shoots to sprout.

Preserve the glut

Excess fruit presents a welcome but puzzling choice of preserving techniques. Fruit can be frozen, bottled, pickled, or turned into jams, jellies, chutneys, cheeses, syrups and sauces. Whatever fruit you have, there will be a recipe to turn it into something delicious, ensuring the enjoyment of that sweet moment of harvest is extended well beyond the natural shelf-life of your crop. Jams are an obvious starting point and can be eaten on toast, used in pancakes or savoured as the filling to a sponge cake. They also make fantastic home-made gifts for birthdays or Christmas. The golden rule when making jam is to ensure absolute cleanliness at every stage and to use only the best fruit that you’d be happy to eat fresh. Anyone can make jam and many recipes are available to try out. Strawberries abound in ample quantities throughout summer. For a

Cut away side shoots on red and white currant bushes, as well as gooseberries, to leave three to four leaves on each shoot.

Blackcurrant bushes should have a good balance of new and older wood to leave a vigorous plant. Remove any branches crowding the centre of a bush.

Red and white currants will be ready for picking at around the same time as pruning. Cut away complete strigs to avoid damaging the delicate currants.

28 July 2010 P27-29 Fruit grower v2BV.indd 28

20/05/2010 12:24

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simple strawberry jam wash and hull some fruit and place it into a pan. Add the juice of a lemon to every 1.5kg (3lb) of fruit and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly to prevent the pulp from sticking or burning. Once soft, add an equal amount of sugar and stir to dissolve. To test if the jam is ready to bottle take a cold saucer and pour a tablespoon of the jam onto it. Allow this to cool – it should form a skin that wrinkles up when pushed with a finger. At this stage, take the pan off the heat and allow its contents to cool for 15 minutes. Remove any surface scum then stir and decant the jam into sterilised jars using a pouring jug or funnel. ■

While no-one likes to dwell too heavily on the pests that sometimes attack our fruit trees and bushes, it’s worth recognising some of the common culprits, just in case they appear. One of these is the capsid bug, a diamond-shaped insect that looks very much like a giant aphid. The capsid bug’s preferred menu items include the young leaves of currants and gooseberries, though they can sometimes be spotted on apples trees. They wreak their destruction by feeding on leaves and secreting a toxic saliva as they go. The result is a series of brown-edged, ragged holes, which expand as the leaf does. By the time such symptoms are observed, it’s often too late to do much about it. anirbanbiswas c8

Capsid bug damage

Capsid bug

Fortunately capsid bugs rarely cause any lasting damage. The adults or eggs overwinter in the leaf litter beneath trees and shrubs, so if they attack this year be sure to practise rigorous hygiene in future. Rake away all debris in autumn once the leaves have dropped and hoe the ground beneath the plants to expose the critters to passing birds. Pick off any adult bugs from leaves as you notice them. Persistent problems can be dealt with by spraying on an organic pesticide such as the pyrethrum-based PY Insect Killer. Spray as the flowers open in spring and then again in summer should you spot the bugs once the fruits have set.

The Practical Team – The fruit grower

Control capsid bugs

STEP-BY-STEP: Making strawberry jam Dvortygirl

Dvortygirl

Select only fresh fruit that you would be happy to eat. Underripe fruit will result in a bland jam. Thoroughly wash the fruit to remove all traces of dirt.

Agathe B

Remove all the calyxes and stalks from the strawberries then cut out the central pithy section using a sharp knife. This will leave the tastiest part of the fruit.

Add the strawberries to a wide-bottomed pan and slowly bring to a simmer. Add lemon juice to maintain a good balance of sweet and sharp.

Dvortygirl

drum

Once the strawberries have fully softened and begun to disintegrate to a pulp, add the same weight of preserving sugar as strawberries. Simmer to thicken.

josh.liba

Once the jam has reached its setting point, allow it to cool off a little. Remove any surface scum and then pour into sterilised jars and seal.

Strawberry jam, like other jams, is best enjoyed on toast but also makes a tasty filling to home-made sponges. Jam should keep for at least a few months. July 2010 29

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e may not have the longest summers in the world – or the mildest winters – but creating your own microclimate has never been easier. With a polytunnel every ray of sunshine works a little harder, every drop of rain is managed, damaging winds are kept at bay and frost damage is a thing of the past. Polytunnels also reduce your workload as crops grow faster and yields are higher. All this adds up to a kitchen gardener’s dream – and all for a fraction of the cost of a conventional glasshouse! We’ve teamed up with premium polytunnel supplier First Tunnels to bring you this exciting competition to win a £500 First Tunnels voucher to spend as you wish. First Tunnels offer exceptional value for money and present gardeners with the easiest way to achieve a prime growing environment in the garden. Our lucky winner will be able to spend their £500 voucher on any of First Tunnels’ range of horticultural goodies. For the ultimate growing experience opt for a complete polytunnel kit. Polytunnels range in width from 1.8m (6ft) to 9m (30ft), giving a wide choice and specification. A variety of polythene film covers is available to provide the ideal environment for crops, while their straight sides give excellent working and growing space. All First Tunnels’ polytunnels use large diameter, high tensile steel tubing for extra sturdiness, which are galvanised inside and out for maximum corrosion protection. If you haven’t got the room for a full polytunnel then opt for some mini polytunnels – at just 1.2m (4ft) wide and just over 1m (3ft 7in) tall you can afford to indulge and give crops that magical head start. Also available to the discerning grower are fruit cages and all manner of polytunnel accessories, from staging to irrigation systems. HOW TO ENTER To enter the competition simply fill in the coupon below, answering the question, and post back to us at the address shown on the coupon. The first entry pulled from the Grow it! hat after the closing date will win a £500 voucher to spend at First Tunnels. The closing date for entries is July 7th 2010.

For more information on First Tunnels’ extensive range of polytunnels, covers and accessories, or to take a look at what you might spend the £500 voucher on visit www. firsttunnels.co.uk or call 01282 601253.

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30 July 2010 Competition page 30.indd 1

21/05/2010 15:13

Martyn Cox writes a gardening column for The Mail on Sunday and Sainsbury’s Magazine. He has a small, plant-packed garden in east London

This month: Growing honeyberries Tending sweet potatoes Start composting Sweet honeyberries come as a welcome surprise to small-space gardener Martyn Cox, who is also trying some less-thancommon root crops of sweet potato and horseradish

The honeyberry has honeysuckle-like leaves and is exceptionally hardy

The Practical Team – The city grower

Citygrower The

’m always on the lookout for something new to grow. So when a nursery got in touch with me and asked if I’d like to try its honeyberry (no, I’d never heard of it before either), I jumped at the chance. A few days later a large box arrived in the post with my honeyberry inside. I sliced through the packaging eagerly to find a shrub with a mass of stems clothed with leaves similar to that of honeysuckle – this intrigued me, so I turned on the computer and carried out an internet search to find out more about this mysterious plant. A few minutes later I had my answer. The plant I’d been sent was indeed related to the honeysuckle. A native of Siberia, Lonicera caerulea subsp. kamtschatica is an extremely hardy (to below minus 40°C) plant, making a 1.5m (5ft)-tall bush over time. It is grown for its large, elongated fruit that look, and apparently taste, like blueberries. Fortunately they don’t have such fussy compost or watering requirements as blueberries. I simply potted the 9cm (4in) pot into a larger container filled with multi-purpose compost and use ordinary tap water (not rainwater) to keep the compost damp. Sadly it is not self-fertile but the nursery has got around this problem by potting a male and female plant together in the same pot to ensure good pollination. There are also named varieties available, such as ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘Blue Bell’. If you can track these down, make sure you buy plants of both sex. Apart from having a reputation for producing a prolific crop, honeyberry is supposedly very low

maintenance. According to the nursery all I have to do for the first two to three years is remove dead growth. After that a little bit of thinning work with a pair of secateurs will be needed. I really am quite excited about tasting my first honeyberry but I’m going to have to be patient – the plant won’t produce a crop until next summer. Still, at least I know I won’t have to mollycoddle the plant while I wait. A honeyberry duo bush (male and female varieties in the same pot), along with a free blueberry and goji berry bush, costs £17.95 from Suttons (0844 9220606, www.suttons.co.uk).

Blueberry-like fruits will be available  for picking next season July 2010 31

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The Practical Team – The city grower

Topsy turvy tomatoes

My young sweet potatoes are now well established and should yield a decent crop of tubers

Sweet potato progress

As I often use sweet potatoes in the kitchen, I thought I’d try growing them last year for the first time and ordered some cuttings, known as slips, from a mail-order nursery. When they arrived in a padded envelope, the slips looked like they just gone 10 rounds with a heavyweight boxer. Limp, bent, beaten and lifeless, I didn’t think they stood the remotest chance of growing. Sadly, I was proved right. After duly potting up the flaccid shoots, they sat on my patio for about six weeks until they finally withered away to nothing and I took the decision to consign the contents to a bin bag. I know I should have complained to the nursery, but as a typical Brit, I bit my lip, fumed in private and decided that I’d never grow sweet potatoes again. Time is a great healer. Early this year I learned that Suttons was offering ready-grown plants of ‘Beauregard’, an orangefleshed variety of sweet potato, which were claimed to offer better results than plants grown from slips, so I placed an order so I could try them for myself. After the plants arrived I potted them up into larger pots and plonked them into my greenhouse until June. These were then placed into larger containers and are now on my patio. The plants have suffered no set backs at all and are growing away well – I’m keeping my fingers crossed that in a couple of months I’ll be harvesting my own sweet potatoes for the very first time. I’ll let you know how I get on.

There’s a famous line from the comic books proclaimed by an onlooker as he notices a superhero flying through the sky: ‘Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Superman!’ Well, I found myself paraphrasing this quote recently. Leafing through the Mr Fothergill’s catalogue I came across a really unusual planter that caused me to mutter ‘Is it a hanging basket, is it a pot, no it’s the Over & Under The Upside Down Tomato Planter’. Okay, it’s got a less than snappy name and looks really odd, but using the device is claimed to result in bumper crops of tomatoes. It consists of a planter cage, waterproof liner and a hanging chain. After partially filling the liner with compost, a tomato plant is fed into the bottom and then the rest of the liner filled. This should then be hung at least 1.2m (4ft) from the ground. A water reservoir at the top of the liner will ensure the tomato is kept damp. As the plant grows, the stems will extend downwards until they touch the floor. So what’s the benefit of growing tomatoes this way? Well, you don’t have to constantly tie the stems to canes or other supports, and you can expect bigger crops as the plants put their energy into producing roots: it is not wasted on helping to support plants as they grow upwards. I’m dubious about whether this novel growing device will prove worthwhile but am looking forward to giving it a go. Made by Parasene, the tomato planter costs £19.99 from Mr Fothergill’s (0845 3710518, www.mr-fothergills.co.uk).

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There really isn’t a good or bad time to start composting but I always think it makes sense to have some kind of composting system in place to make the most of all the debris you are likely to be left with after harvesting your edible crops. Unlike those with space to swing a cat, those of us with miniscule plots have to think a little bit more carefully about what kind of compost bin we go for. Although I’d like a double bay unit or a gigantic tumbler device with 600 litre capacity that you spin round, I’m realistic enough to realise that it would be ridiculous to try and elbow such a gargantuan composter into my garden. Not that I’ve always been so sensible. When I first took on my current garden the first thing I did was go out and buy a compost bin from the local council. I’d long wanted to do my bit for the environment, so felt it was my duty to become a home composter and the fact that the bin was only £12 was the icing on the cake. I felt as proud as punch when I placed the bin in my new garden and it didn’t take long to fill. The trouble came when I decided that it was time to give my garden an overhaul. The bin was rather on the large side and would take up far too much room. I didn’t want to design my garden around it and didn’t want to hive off any of my precious space to make a special composting area. There was only one answer – it had to go. In its place came a more compact worm bin, which is shoved into a

redundant corner of a passageway, where it neither offends the eye nor takes up any useful room. Yet, while this is fine for some of my kitchen waste, it is no substitute for a traditional composting bin as you can’t hurl your harvested vegetable plants, spent compost, lawn clippings or other garden waste into it. So what’s your best bet if you want to compost waste but don’t want a garden dominated by an ugly bin? Well, nothing compares to a beehive style composter. They are beautiful-looking structures (identical to a traditional beehive), which can even be placed in the border as an eye-catching feature. But best of all, they are not just pretty but have the capacity to house about 400 litres of compost. The one drawback is the cost – expect to pay over £100 to compost in style.

An attractive compost bin will be worth the initial investment

Harrod Horticultural stocks a range of composters (0845 2185301, www.harrodhorticultural.com).



The Practical Team – The city grower

Start composting

Compact compost solutions

CompostAir: The ‘egg box’ cone wall and integral breather tube ensure maximum availability of air to speed the composting process and minimise odour. Supplied as a roll so you can adjust the size to suit the space you have available. 300-500 litre capacity.

Composting Bag Kit: Probably the most flexible composting solution for small gardens. Simply fill the two reusable polythene bags with compostable material and activator, close the string, turn frequently and expect compost within three months! 200 litre capacity per bag.

Courtyard Composter: This handsome plywood composter is just 60cm (24in) deep and will fit into the slimmest of spots. Stain the wood with your choice of colour. The composter turns into a wormery with the addition of worms. 203 litre capacity. July 2010 33

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The Practical Team – The city grower

Hooray for horseradish!

I’d like to share a bit of gossip with you. I once visited the garden of a very famous celebrity chef (I won’t name him as he might find what I write a bit on the embarrassing side), who I was told had planted horseradish in a border that ran alongside the driveway that led to his house. Despite being a genius in the kitchen, he was obviously no gardener and had no idea that this pungent root crop was an invasive perennial thug that would muscle out just about anything it came across. Still, at least he would be able to make enough horseradish sauce to feed an army, forever! As a devotee of horseradish I’ve long toyed with growing it in the garden but would obviously not contemplate sticking it in the soil. However, I have a plant that has thrived in a pot for the past few years. Plants are generally started with thongs or bare roots, but you can buy ready-grown plants in pots. As it grows vigorously, this will need potting into a larger container and will usually need re-potting once or twice in a growing season. My plant is currently in a 35-litre container filled with general-purpose compost with added John Innes, and is spreading quickly. However, its growth will be curtailed in autumn when I lift some of the roots for cooking. I find it is dead easy to grow – its only demand is for copious amounts of water in the growing season. Check nurseries for pot-grown plants. Thongs will be available to buy from mail-order nurseries in the autumn. Two thongs costs £2.49 from Crocus (0845 5572233, www.crocus.co.uk). ■

Vigorous horseradish plants have large leaves and are best contained in pots

Quick jobs for July Renew greenhouse shade paint if areas have become worn. This will prevent plants inside from becoming scorched by the sun.

Pinch out the tops of runner

beans when they reach the top of their supports to encourage side shoots to grow.

Squash the conical yellow eggs of the cabbage white butterfly before they have a chance to turn into leafeating caterpillars.

Remove flowers from parsley,

marjoram, sage and other herbs to ensure they continue to make lots of fresh leaves for picking.

Ensure bunches of grapes ripen

by removing some of the leaves hiding the developing crop, which will allow sunlight to reach the fruit.

Remove damaged or malformed Large, chunky horseradish roots are easy to grow and can be raised in containers

fruit on apple trees and ensure there’s about 10cm (4in) between those that remain to give them plenty of space to grow.

34 July 2010 P31-34 City Grower.indd 34

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grower

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.

This month: Shading a greenhouse Watching for pests Feeding crops

A delicate balance of shading, ventilation and damping down will keep under cover plants comfortable in hot weather

MarilynJane

The Practical Team – The Under cover grower

Under cover The

Extreme temperatures aren’t uncommon under glass, particularly as the hottest month of the year takes hold. Effective shading, careful watering and damping down are the answers, advises Steve Bradley

uly is generally the hottest month of the year. Even if the weather is not sunny for much of the time, the soil is warm and, unless there are long periods of heavy rain (not unknown!), the average temperatures will be quite warm outdoors. Plants under the protection of cloches, greenhouses and polythene tunnels can be uncomfortably hot at times, so it is time to place greater emphasis on shading, ventilation and damping down to lower temperatures and raise humidity. This will reduce stress on the plants.

On very hot days, cropping plants under protection can look as if they are flagging. The leaves of tomatoes and peppers can droop and some cultivars of tomato take on a slightly blue sheen, but this is pure heat stress where the plants’ roots are just about keeping pace with the moisture requirements of the plants. This is a perfectly natural reaction by the plants to cope with this heat stress. Once the temperature reaches into the mid 30s Celsius, many of the chemical reactions within the plant, which are so important to healthy growth, are restricted. To cope with this the plants will start to go into a resting

phase, only picking up once the light levels and temperatures become lower again. Spraying the plants over with water can help but only if the structure is shaded. If no shade has been applied, the plants’ leaves may suffer some scorch damage due to the combination of water and bright sunlight. Although this situation can look terminal, the plants will usually recover overnight and look fully turgid and full of life by the following morning. However, if this is allowed to continue on a regular basis, then growth potential will be lost as the plants never quite grow to their best.

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Shading a greenhouse

When the weather is hot with very high light levels, it’s important to be aware that the occasional heavy shower may have washed off some of the shading since earlier applications were made. It means that keeping a close watch on the density of the shading and its effectiveness is critical. Be prepared to apply extra layers to protect the plants as they grow, either from leaf scorch or fruit damage, such as greenback on tomatoes and scalding on pepper fruits. Although these signs of damage may be obvious, other forms are less visible and may have dire consequences later on in the season. When the temperature rises too much, the pollen from flowers has a very short life and, as a result, flower pollination may be reduced. This leads to a greatly reduced fruit set and results in a much poorer crop in the height of the season. Shading a structure may seem a simple task but it needs to be done carefully to achieve an even density of shade over the entire structure. If the covering is uneven, localised bright or dull spots can occur, leading to uneven growth. This can also be a messy task and it can be quite easy to achieve a better covering over your clothes than over the outside of the structure! For this reason, always cover the roof first before you tackle the sides. Once the structure has been covered with shading, allow it to dry. The shade density always seems darker while the solution is still wet, so examine the effectiveness from inside the structure to get an idea if the covering is sufficient or more solution needs to be applied. Most shading solutions quickly start to fade, so if the interior of the structure seems a bit darker than you wanted don’t worry, it will soon become brighter. If you find the inside seems a bit too light, be prepared to add more. 

STEP-BY-STEP: Applying shading

Always mix the shading solution to an even texture and consistency to give the best possible chance of an even coating when it is applied to any surface.

Top tip Before starting to cover the structure with shading solution, apply water into the gutters (if there are any) so that any surplus solution is diluted and easily washed away when the job is finished. If the shading solution is being applied using a sprayer of some type, make sure that any doors and ventilation windows are closed while it is being applied. This may seem glaringly obvious but you don’t have to visit many greenhouses or polythene tunnels to see a few white-coated plants after a warm, bright spell of summer weather.

The Practical Team – The Under cover grower

Heavy rain can thin shading paint, which may then require reapplication

Cover the roof first so that any surplus that runs down the sides will help to provide a layer of shading on the side panels.

Apply shading to the side panels so an even covering is achieved. This will help create the same conditions for all the plants within the structure.

When the shading has dried, check to see if the covering is of the density required and be prepared to apply more, if necessary. July 2010 37

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The Practical Team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Under cover grower

Perfect tomatoes: The reward of judicious watering

Using biological controls to manage the damage caused by red spider mite is now the preferred option for gardeners who prefer not to use sprays on edible plants

Keep on top of problems

Some early-fruiting crops will now be ready to harvest, or at least very close to it, and most will be growing vigorously and flowering well. The better the growing conditions are, the better the potential growth, but problems are never far away. Strong, healthy plants make a good home, breeding ground and feeding site for any number of pests and diseases. Hot, dry conditions really suit red spider mite and their appearance is often one of the first symptoms to show that cucumbers are being grown in conditions which are too dry for them. All too often, this is closely followed by the spread of powdery

mildew. Rather than simply relying on using sprays, it always helps if cucumbers are kept well watered and the humidity kept high, giving ideal growing conditions for the crop and a less-than-ideal environment for these two devastating problems, which can quickly ruin the crop. Watering should be carried out as regularly as possible but never overdone. This is something that is never easy to gauge as each day can be different. It is unusual to get blossom end rot due to poor watering this early in the season, but a massive fluctuation between the roots of tomatoes going from too wet to too dry and back again soon takes its toll on

fruit quality. This may show as cracking and freckling on some fruits. Where the skin hardens and is dry, fruits can split wide open when they are watered later on. If these fruits are not harvested and used quickly, they soon start to rot. Insect traps are always useful and, by selecting colours that are known to attract certain pests, it is possible to treat early infestations of insects before they start to increase in number. Striking early before numbers really start to build up is the most efficient method of control, whatever measures you choose. Decide early on in the life of the crop which methods of pest and disease control you prefer to use and stick with

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them if you can. It is easy to forget that some sprays, both chemical and organic, can do just as much harm to the predators and parasites used to control pests as they do to the pests themselves. The companies who offer biological controls are usually happy to tell you what sprays are compatible with the biological controls they offer.

Feeding crops

Erratic watering can quickly ruin fruits on tomatoes when the skins have hardened and set due to lack of water, only to split when the roots take up more available water.

For low populations of whitefly, insect traps can be used as a control. If sprays are to be used, these traps can be used to keep track of the population build-up before spraying begins.

Powdery mildew is a sure sign of dry compost and roots. Even if sprays are used they will only treat the symptoms, not the cause. These vigorous, leafy plants need plenty of water.

In order to sustain rapid growth, plants will need to be kept well fed. Not only does it need to be the correct type of feed to achieve the desired results but the quantity and frequency are also important. Plants grown for their fruits are gradually fed higher levels of phosphates and potassium as the fruit crop develops and matures. For most gardeners, there will be two basic options. First is to feed at regular intervals of 10-14 days (this will depend on the crop, the type of feed and the manufacturer’s recommendations), so that the plants have a large feed which they gradually use up over a period before the food supply is replenished. Alternatively, lower rates of fertiliser may be applied but at more frequent intervals. Some recommendations even suggest that a minute amount of feed is applied with every watering, so that the plants are never stressed either by a shortage of feed or an excess. Many gardeners believe that this little and often approach is a better way of achieving even, sustained growth. It is also a very useful method of feeding plants if you have trouble remembering which plants need feeding when. This is often a problem where several crops are being grown together under a single structure. ■

The Practical Team – The Under cover grower

STEP-BY-STEP: Avoiding problems

Suppliers ● Harrod Horticultural stocks a

range of mail-order biological controls and greenhouse shading solutions. Contact them on 0845 2185301 or visit www.harrodhorticultural.com ● Just Green also has a wide array

of biological control solutions. Call 0800 3896002 or go online at www.just-green.com ● Greenhouse shading is

available as CoolGlass from Bayer Garden (0845 3454100, www.bayergarden.co.uk) or, for polycarbonate or polythene cladding Greenhouse Shading from Growing Success (01622 717373, www.monrobrands.com/ growingsuccess) July 2010 39 P36-39 Practical Team Under coverBV.indd 39

20/05/2010 12:30

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This sturdy netting is perfect to protect against both pigeons and the smallest of birds without trapping them. The 20x20mm diamond mesh net is manufactured from high density polyethylene – not to be confused with cheap imitations! Available as a 4x5m section for £10.60 (order code GNE-001) or an 8x10m size for £37 (order code GNE-006).

If your patch is prone to being invaded by pests both large and small, then lay this heavy-duty 100% polyethylene UV stabilised fine mesh directly over crops, protection frames or hoops. The mesh provides 20% shade and protects against the elements, while allowing air and water to circulate so that plants can grow healthily. The fine 1.35mm square mesh should last 10 years, making it excellent value for money. Available in a 2.5x5m size for £11.25 (order code GNE-038) or 3x10m size for £25 (order code GNE-041).

21/05/2010 15:10

allotmenteer

Val Bourne is an award-winning writer with an organic cottage garden and two allotments (www.valbourne.co.uk)

This month: Filling gaps Attracting bees Growing cucumbers Dwarf French beans such as ‘Stanley’ make the perfect catch crop following on from potatoes

Sprinkle blood, fish and bone organic fertiliser over recently vacated ground for follow-on crops

The Practical Team – The organic allotmenteer

Organic The

With the first crops lifted, including early potatoes, now’s the time to plant and sow follow-on crops. Val Bourne has plans for French beans, spinach and leeks

ork on the allotment is tailing off for a bit – thank goodness! It’s always hectic in spring, especially after a severe winter when ‘out of sight and out of mind’ is all too easy. It takes a lot to walk up to a desolate plot when you could be tucked up in front of the fire. After a particularly hectic struggle this spring most of it is planted up. Now summer’s here it is hard to imagine there was once a foot of snow! Gaps are now beginning to appear as the early potatoes are dug up. You can either plant up a permanent crop such as leeks or winter cabbages in their place or try to get a catch crop. This only works if the ground is damp,

so in dry conditions it is vital to water the ground well after the potatoes have been lifted. The foliage excludes all rain and the soil is nearly always bone dry. It’s also worth sprinkling on blood, fish and bone to give an added boost of soil nutrients, as potatoes take a lot out of the soil. The most successful catch crop for me has been the foot-high French bean ‘Stanley’. This does well sown after potatoes. All its beans crop at once, so it is possible to sow 12 seeds in a small area and get enough for a meal or two, but once picked they are over. This variety is said to be the heaviestcropping bean of all, producing straight, fleshy green beans about 12cm (5in)

in length. It seems to crop quickly, too, and this bean is healthy. On occasions I’ve also planted another courgette. You could choose the nutty, Italian variety ‘Romanesco’ or the compact ‘Venus’. Either will romp away and produce courgettes from mid-August onwards. Courgettes like chicken manure – we have the real thing (from our garden) but you can buy pelleted manure if you don’t keep poultry. However, I once had a dog that ate it all, with unpleasant results, so I generally use a powdered chicken manure sold as 6X (it’s rather smelly). You could also grow more lettuce or spring onions after your first flush of  potatoes has passed. July 2010 41

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The Practical Team – The organic allotmenteer

Super spinach

Fill gaps on the plot Spinach is worth planting as a gap filler again and again, and in every form – whether it’s chard, perpetual spinach or the annual leafy type. Annual spinach is much less likely to bolt when planted in warmer conditions; it hates dry springs. You want to be able to harvest lots of leaves all at the same time, so this is one crop when an F1 hybrid seed is useful. The leaves need to be harvested young and you can either pick it at the baby leaf stage and eat it raw or allow it another week or so to mature. Spinach is delicious eaten fresh – just steamcook the leaves after washing them. It goes without saying that spinach is good for you because it contains

lots of iron and is rich in vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, lutein (which helps protect against eye disease) and dietary fibre. Sow the seeds of annual, leafy spinach in situ in warm conditions. They will germinate easily outdoors from March to July. Sow seeds thinly, 1cm (0.5in) deep in broad drills 30cm (12in) apart. Thin the seedlings to 5cm (2in) apart once they are large enough to handle (the thinnings can be eaten in salads). Harvest leaves as required, picking only a few from each plant on each occasion. You will need to keep plants well watered during hot, dry weather.

‘Matador’: A summer variety

with slightly blistered leaves. Good in warm summers, it is one of the best non hybrids. Organic Gardening Catalogue

‘Campania F1’: Thick, very

green smaller leaves that are good for salads. Best for spring and early summer sowings. Marshalls

‘Medania’: A reliable non-

hybrid variety with dark-green leaves. It is long cropping and very reliable. Thompson & Morgan

‘Toscane’: Very high-yielding and slow to bolt, ‘Toscane’ can resist six races of mildew. Its leaves are thick and dark green. Unwins

‘Tetona F1’: A productive

variety with bright-green, rounded leaves available for picking over a long period. It is slow to bolt. Thompson & Morgan

‘Scenic’: Resistance to all forms

of mildew and fast cropping. Heavy crops of dark green, upright leaves are produced. Thompson & Morgan

‘Palco F1’: Dark green leaves and resistant to mildew. Widely available

‘Bordeaux F1’: Red-stemmed

triangular leaves have a sweeter flavour and make a pretty salad leaf ingredient. Thompson & Morgan

‘Mikado’: A pointed-leaved

oriental spinach that has a pink tinge to its leaves. Suttons

‘Koto’: This spinach has a

slightly peppery flavour, making it the perfect accompaniment to other spinaches. Marshalls

Spinach seed suppliers ● Marshalls: 01480 443390,

www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk ● Suttons: 0844 9222899,

www.suttons.co.uk ● The Organic Gardening Catalogue:

01932 253666, www.organiccatalogue.com Photo: Spocaj

● Thompson & Morgan:

0844 2485383, www.thompson-morgan.com ● Unwins: 01480 443395,

www.unwins.co.uk Spinach is the perfect follow-on crop from early potatoes 42 July 2010

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Perpetual spinach and chard are closely related – and they’re confusing! Perpetual spinach is the crop for you if your allotment is very dry. The leaves are held aloft on long stems and can be harvested over a long period. It generally stays in the ground for two years because it is a biennial and runs to seed in its second year. You can sow perpetual spinach in September and it will successfully overwinter for a spring harvest. Chards have thickly ribbed edible stems and spinach-like leaves. The stems and leaves are cooked separately, so it’s really two crops in one. There are white-stemmed forms and much more colourful ones. However, I have found the white-stemmed chards by far the hardiest, coming through severe winters better than chards with colourful stems. Either way the leaves are cooked like spinach but taste softer, with a beetrootlike sweetness. The stems are also boiled and they taste almost of fennel. Chard developed from the wild

COLOUR PARADE

Often colourful chard offers two crops in one: succulent stems and sweet-tasting leaves

sea beet, Beta maritima, which is the ancestor of beetroot, mangelwurzels and sugar beet. It grows on sandy and shingle beaches in Britain and all around the Mediterranean. Aristotle wrote about red chard in the 4th century BC – so coloured varieties have been around for thousands of years.

Photo: Ceinwyn13

I love both and six plants of either are generally enough to suffice. These plants are also handsome to look at, so every allotment holder should grow a few chards or sea beets. They are one of the few things available in the hungry gap, which normally runs from May to the end  of June.

The Practical Team – The organic allotmenteer

Perpetual motion

OTHER FOLLOWERS

A number of chard varieties are available with different-coloured midribs, such as this stunning orange chard.

Red-flushed chard offers a handsome choice, with darker leaves that look every bit as attractive on the plate as allotment.

White-stemmed chard may not be as colourful but it is definitely the hardiest of all the chards.

Leeks are also often planted out after potatoes. Ideally they should be pencil-thick when they are transplanted. In some warmer parts of Britain Brussels sprouts and other brassicas are planted as a follow on. In the cold district where I live I need to make sure that most of my sprouts and winter brassicas are in the ground by early June so that they make large plants by August. July 2010 43

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The Practical Team – The organic allotmenteer

Consider the bees One of the great arguments that occasionally rears its head on the allotment is the growing of flowers. Apparently it is all right to grow chrysanthemums and dahlias for competition, but if you veer away towards mere garden flowers it’s seen by some as a crime! But it’s vital to attract bees to your allotment to aid pollination of edibles. Many Mediterranean herbs produce concentrated sugary nectar in midsummer. Sage and lavender are both excellent bee plants for a sunny position. Rosemary will flower early in the year, while oregano is also excellent, especially in August, as it attracts butterflies as well as bees. Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen’ is lovely, though more decorative than edible. Or consider growing some annuals. It’s not too late to sprinkle some pot marigold (or calendula) seeds. Their

bright orange flowers attract hoverflies and their predatory larvae clean up aphids and other small pests. But perhaps the most effective predator on an allotment site is the wasp. These

COCKTAIL CUCUMBERS

meat-eating creatures take small cabbage white caterpillars and I have seen several wasps carve a mature one up for dinner. So don’t view them as just pests. ■

Photo: graibeard

This year I’m trying to grow outdoor cucumbers more successfully, as they taste so different from shop-bought ones – the flavour is almost nutty. ‘Marketmore’ is the old favourite but I’ve also added a new cocktail cucumber from Eastern Europe called ‘Iznik’ (available from Plants of Distinction). This small cucumber will reach just 90cm (3ft), which means it could be trained on a patio or grown in a cool position under glass. It will produce clusters of small cucumbers and one plant yielded an impressive 40 fruits in trials. It is downy mildew resistant but, like all cucumbers, it prefers cooler, damp conditions and lots of water. So far it is in flower!

TOP TIPS FOR JULY

Cut the leaves off your

strawberries after they finish fruiting, leaving just 5-8cm (2-3in) of growth. Remove any straw from around the plants and fork over any areas flattened by feet to allow rainwater and air to penetrate.

Take semi-ripe cuttings

of herbs such as lavender, sage and rosemary. Ideally cuttings should be taken from new, non-flowering growth that has begun to harden off. Cut them away below a leaf node and trim off the lower leaves before plunging into small trays or pots filled with horticultural sand.

Get ready to cut back

summer-fruiting raspberry canes to ground level as they finish flowering.

44 July 2010 P41-44 Organic allotmenteer PT BV.indd 44

20/05/2010 12:31

WE0051_Arnica_GrowIt[297x210mm].qxd

18/3/09

11:48

Page 1

the right tools

for the job

Weleda Massage Balm with Arnica

is made from natural plant extracts grown in the same loving way that you work your own garden. Our best selling product since Weleda began in 1921, this wonderfully aromatic dark golden liquid made with organic arnica grown in the Scottish Black Isle will ease and relax stiffness and aches no matter how much bending and stretching you’ve done. It also makes an ideal pre-gardening massage to warm up muscles before a day’s digging. With our Arnica massage balm you’ve got everything you need for the perfect garden. Always read the label.

Available from selected Sainsbury’s, independent health stores and pharmacies or direct from Weleda. To learn more visit www.weleda.co.uk

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Veg grow guide

Sweet-tasting early turnips have numerous uses in the kitchen

Totally turnips

Over the years earthy-tasting turnips have taken a back seat on many vegetable plots but Lucy Halliday reckons these overlooked roots are worthy of a centre stage spot

urnips get something of a bad press. In fact, my first memory of these earthy roots is from a children’s story where the unfortunate canine protagonist was tied up in a turnip box to prevent him warning a misguided family who lived in a turnip house about encroaching monsters. The less-than-glamorous reputation of the turnip may be down to the fact that some larger varieties are used for livestock feed but, as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. Turnips are in fact a wonderfully sweet and versatile crop that no garden, however small, should be without. Very tolerant and unfussy in their requirements, they come in many colours, from red and yellow to orange, pink and white. They can extend your growing season and provide you with both greens and roots. Perhaps it’s time we turned the tables on the turnip and gave it the place of honour it deserves in our vegetable gardens!

Long history

A member of the brassica family, Brassica rapa var. rapa, the turnip has a very long history of cultivation dating back long before the Romans and Ancient Greeks, who provide the earliest written records of it. It was most likely first cultivated in Northern Europe around 2000 BC and records show it was certainly grown for its oil-bearing seeds, much like today’s related rapeseed, in India around 1500 BC. Turnips are linked to many old English and European traditions and even preceded pumpkins for the making of Jack-O-Lanterns at Halloween. Packed full of vitamin C they can be used in soups, mash, stir-fries, as chips or roasted, in gratins, grated in salads or to great effect when small as a young vegetable served up all sweet and smothered in butter. Their young leaves are similar to mustard greens and are great steamed or stir-fried. Add to all this turnips’ incredibly long season and excellent storage, both in and out of the

Turnips (to the front) will happily grow in containers or raised beds of a suitable depth

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ground, and you start to wonder how turnips could ever have been thought of as ‘poor man’s food’! Turnips come in two general groupings: early, which tend to be small and mainly white for spring and summer crops, and later maturing, maincrop varieties. Quick-maturing baby turnips make an excellent catch crop and can be grown under other crops to take advantage of the space and cooler conditions. Early cultivars take as little as five weeks to harvest, making them a great choice for kids to grow. Maincrop types are hardier and can be used small from mid to late summer or as larger vegetables all the way through the winter.

Solid start

To get your turnips off to a solid start find them a site in the garden that they will appreciate. This shouldn’t be too hard as they prefer areas that may not be as suitable for other veg. Moist, cool soil is best, and turnips can tolerate some shade surprisingly well. They like soil that has been improved, perhaps for a previous crop, but one that isn’t too rich, as too much nitrogen will encourage leafy top growth at the expense of those earthy roots. As they are brassicas, turnips are fond of a limey soil but more tolerant than many others, displaying a pH tolerance in the 5.5-7.5 range. Still, if your soil is very acidic it will be worth applying some horticultural lime to the soil the winter before sowing. Turnips do not take very kindly to being transplanted, so you are always better off sowing the seeds in situ. They will happily grow in containers on a patio or terrace, preferring wide containers but doing well in anything down to standard window box size, so long as they have at least 20cm (8in) depth of compost to anchor themselves into. Choose a baby variety for container growing and sow every two or three weeks for a continuous supply. The minimum germination temperature for turnips is 5°C, which makes them one of the first crops to get started in spring. This means they can be sown as early as late February or early March, as soon as you can get a fork into the soil. Sow these early risers under cloches or horticultural fleece to give them a little protection, both from frosts and pests. Quick-growing cultivars can go out unprotected later on in March or early April, depending on how mild the spring is. Again, sow seeds every three weeks for a succession of crops. It is possible to go on sowing early varieties right through to June in a cool wet spring (one solace when the weather is not up to scratch!). Maincrop varieties can be sown from July to September and the longest storing roots will keep in the ground until early January.

Thin seedlings to leave enough room for the roots to swell to their full potential

Sowing and growing

Sow turnips thinly into shallow drills 1cm (0.5in) deep. Alternatively you can station sow them, dropping three or four of the round seeds every 10cm (4in) or so. As the intention is to encourage good-sized roots to form, thinning is a must and should be carried out by choosing the sturdiest seedlings when the plants are no more than 3cm (1in) high. Thinning early will give the best results as the seedlings won’t become crowded and stretched. Turnips don’t need loads of space and baby cultivars can be packed in to rows with 10cm (4in) spacings in rows 25cm (10in) apart. Maincrop varieties need a little more space at 15cm (6in) apart within the rows, with at least 30cm (12in) between each row. Thinning is pretty much all the maintenance your turnips will need. Of course, you will need to keep weeds down around maincrop varieties, which will be in the ground for longer. Also be sure to water well if the weather turns hot and dry – turnips are prone to bolt in these conditions. Hot, dry weather also makes the flavour of the roots rather strong and less sweet, which means a crop that is kept moist will be much tastier, unless you prefer roots that pack more of a punch!

Pest watch

As members of the brassica family, turnips are susceptible to the many pests and diseases that afflict their cabbage relatives. In reality, however, these maladies need not become a problem – unless you grow your turnips in ground that has housed brassicas within the past few years, or have a particular brassica problem on your site. For most growers the main problem will be slugs and possibly flea beetle, which will go for the little seedlings as they emerge. To protect from slugs and flea beetle you can try sowing in 

Mild flea beetle damage shouldn’t affect crops too severely July 2010 47

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Veg grow guide

What to grow ‘Rubin’: Quick

plugs or block modules to give plants a chance to mature before planting out. If you want to try this, make sure to use large modules to minimise root disturbance and get them out as early as possible or the plants will always be sickly. The usual slug defences work well but don’t try used coffee grounds around turnips as these will acidify the surroundings – conditions turnips hate. A protective cover of fleece will set you up well against both flea beetle (if positioned early) and cabbage root fly. Allow good ventilation by weeding and keep the soil moist to encourage healthy crops that will avoid the pitfalls of downy or powdery mildew. Weeding also discourages flea beetles. If club root is a problem on your plot, container-growing turnips may be a good solution to your brassica frustrations, otherwise a crop rotation plan working to up to a six year gap will help, although spores may survive in the ground for up to 20 years, so

there’s no complete assurance. Yellowfleshed turnip varieties such as ‘Golden Ball’ appear to show more resistance to club root. If aphids attempt to nick your juicy fresh turnip greens, pinch out severely affected leaves and hose down thoroughly to remove them.

Yellow varieties of maincrop turnip such as ‘Golden Ball’ are less prone to club root

to reach maturity, this purpletopped turnip is slow to turn woody. Unwins ‘Snowball’: These fast-growing pure-white roots have a clean flesh of mild flavour. Unwins ‘Armand’: An exceptionally hardy but sweet turnip for sowing late in the season. It can sit through the winter. DT Brown ‘Golden Ball’: Lovely round roots are produced by these compact plants. The roots are great for storing. Suttons ‘Atlantic’: Very similar to the popular ‘Purple Top Milan’, this variety can be sown under cloches either end of the season. Suttons ‘Tokyo Cross F1’: One of the speediest turnips around, it’s ready in as little as 35 days. High yielding and very tasty. Mr Fothergill’s ‘Petrowski’: An heirloom variety of fine texture and flavour that’s ideal for intercropping between larger plants. Mr Fothergill’s ‘Scarlet Queen’: Show off your turnips in style with this new variety. It has stunning red stems and blushpink roots. Plants of Distinction

48 July 2010 P46-49 TurnipsBV.indd 48

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STEP-BY-STEP: Growing turnips

Dig over the ground well in advance and shortly before sowing rake to a fine tilth. Acidic soils will require a top-dressing of lime the winter before sowing.

Sow the seeds thinly into the bottom of each drill. There should be a gap of 30-40cm (12-16in) between each new drill. Cover the seeds back over and water well.

Turnip time

You won’t have to wait long for your first harvest of turnips. The chunky roots are incredibly satisfying to tug out of the ground. Lift early varieties when they are golfball size – 4-5cm (2in) – throughout spring and summer. Maincrops can be dug out up to the size of a tennis ball from October onwards. Maincrop turnips will store for a couple of months if kept unwashed in a cool, slightly damp place. If you happen to leave any turnips in the ground to the New Year and they make it past the worst excesses of winter, get yourself a bonus early crop of greens by cutting back the old foliage to 10cm (4in). Within a few weeks you will have fresh new leaves to harvest and can usually get several harvests this way by treating the turnips as a cut-and-come-again leaf crop. So, with the ability to provide everything from sweet, tender veg and leafy greens, to cattle food, oil, Jack-

Turnips may be sown from February but will need the protection of cloches or a cold frame to protect against harsh frosts. Make sure the ground is dry enough to work.

Turnips germinate very quickly indeed. Once the seedlings have appeared thin them out to leave about 7cm (3in) between each plant. They can be thinned once more if necessary.

From spring sow without protection. Mark out drills into prepared ground using a string line and drag a cane or trowel along the line to create a 1cm (0.5in)-deep depression.

Healthy turnips will grow rapidly, with the quickest varieties giving a crop as soon as five weeks after sowing. Don’t let them exceed tennis ball size or they will become woody.

O-Lanterns and an associated wealth of folklore, let’s put the turnip centre stage. It’s time we celebrated this most versatile ingredient of British horticultural history! ■

Turnip seed suppliers ● DT Brown: 0845 3710532,

www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk ● Mr Fothergill’s: 0845 3710518,

www.mr-fothergills.co.uk ● Plants of Distinction:

01449 721720, www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk ● Suttons: 0844 9222899,

www.suttons.co.uk ● Unwins: 01480 443395,

www.unwins.co.uk July 2010 49

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Young growers

Growing

Nurture young minds and watch their enthusiasm for growing vegetables flourish. Angela Youngman has some suggestions to inspire youngsters

interest T

rying to get kids to eat vegetables can be hard work but as soon as they become involved in growing their own produce, this situation quickly changes. Having seen a vegetable grow from a seed into a plant, youngsters suddenly become keen to harvest and eat it. Growing their own vegetables is a brilliant way of encouraging children to think about what they are eating, how vegetables grow and to try new foods. There are of course other benefits â&#x20AC;&#x201C; gardening will provide lots of exercise and, hopefully, will provide the foundation for a lifelong interest in gardening. Even if these arguments fail to encourage your kids to try growing some vegetables you can also appeal to their pockets. Why not encourage them to earn some extra pocket money by selling a proportion of what they grow to relatives, friends or the general public at the garden gate. The thought of earning extra cash is usually a good stimulus!

Engage young minds

Stephen Shirley

Discuss with children what they would like to grow. Do not suggest anything that takes a long time to germinate or is difficult â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this will only discourage children. They want to see something happening quickly. Encourage children to choose themselves what they want to grow rather than telling them to grow this or that. Give them choices and talk about the various crops, but always make sure you suggest crops which are easy to grow, are guaranteed to have some level of success and are crops that children will enjoy eating and using. There can be nothing more soul destroying or discouraging for a child

Pumpkins are an obvious favourite for young gardeners 50 July 2010

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Photo: Stephen Shirley

The growing experience will be dramatically improved if kids have their own tools – here the Apprentice range from Joseph Bentley

than being faced with seeds that fail to germinate or fail to produce crops. Suggest seeds that appeal to their imaginations, such as pumpkin ‘Mars’, ‘Scarlet Emperor’ runner beans or ‘Tigerella’ tomatoes (all from Thompson & Morgan). Also worth considering are ranges of baby vegetables, such as those from Suttons' ‘Speedy Veg’ group, including radish ‘Jolly’ or dwarf French bean ‘Speedy’, which will be ready to eat six to 12 weeks after planting. If the children in your life have grown vegetables before, it can be worth experimenting with some of the more unusual types. These do not need any real skill but are just types that cannot be found on the supermarket shelves. Typical of these varieties are asparagus peas. Easy to grow, they create a mat along the ground rather than growing upright. Within a few weeks of planting, they start flowering and will continue right through to the first frosts. As the flowers die, they are replaced by edible seed heads. These should be picked when they are only a couple of centimetres long and steamed lightly.

Make it easy

The right approach makes all the difference when it comes to encouraging children to turn their fingers green. Start by giving them tools they can actually use, rather than toy spades and forks which do not break up the earth or have much effect when weeding. Children from about five years onwards will want tools that are effective in the soil rather than a simple plastic spade more suited to the beach. Plastic tools are lightweight and particularly suitable for younger children, but are not very effective when digging heavy garden soils. Try and keep plastic tools for when planting up or harvesting from containers. Most garden centres now stock ranges of children’s gardening tools that are designed for children up to about the age of eight or nine, depending on their height and strength. Above that age, look out for the Joseph Bentley Apprentice range or Bulldog’s children’s tools. These are basically reduced-size versions of adult tools. Encourage children to sow seeds in fairly straight lines, as this will help them identify the vegetables from the weeds,

which inevitably appear. Children who have difficulty grasping the seeds may find it easier to use a seed dispenser. Take a small plastic container such as an empty yoghurt pot and pierce holes into the bottom that are slightly bigger than the seeds. Put the seeds inside and gently shake along the line of planting. The seeds will drop out of the holes more evenly, rather than being dispensed in erratic clumps. Cover the seeds with a little soil and water gently using a watering can with a fine nozzle. If there is no rain during subsequent days, make sure that the seeds are watered regularly. Once the seeds start growing, all you need to do is keep them lightly watered, removing any weeds that appear. Put a layer of mulch (even grass cuttings will do) around the line of emerging plants. This will conserve moisture in the soil. Put watering bottles in the ground nearby and keep these filled up. They are easily made from drinks bottles by piercing holes into the bottom. Place into the soil and fill with water, replace the screw top and top up the water periodically. Water will trickle out and reach  the roots of the vegetable plants. July 2010 51

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Young growers

Top 10 crops for kids

Runner beans: Fast growing, children get an instant ‘wow’ factor as they see them growing from nothing to several feet within a short time. Kids like being able to pick the beans all summer. Also appealing is the way in which bees and butterflies are attracted to the plants.

Radish: Quick to grow, radishes can

amandabhslater

Nasturtium: Climbing or compact,

nasturtiums have instant appeal to kids. They grow fast from seed and can be grown in pots as well as within the garden. The flowers are pretty – and kids enjoy picking the flowers and spicy leaves to eat in salads.

Mung beans: Also known as Chinese

bean sprouts, the shoots grow so fast that they can be eaten within four to six days. They can be eaten raw or cooked.

Pumpkin: Although kids have to

wait a while for this crop to be useable, the appeal of pumpkins is undeniable. Children like the sprawling nature of the stems, seeing how quickly they grow, and enjoy watching the pumpkins swell in size, planning what they can do with them come autumn. Salad leaf mixes: Just growing one variety of lettuce on its own can be boring. What is more appealing are packets of mixed leaves in which there are a range of different leaf shapes, colours and flavours. It encourages them to try new varieties of leaves, discovering what they like and dislike. a lot of satisfaction right from the start as children can see things happening by watching potatoes chit before planting, and soon afterwards seeing the new shoots appearing above the ground. A reasonable crop is guaranteed.

Covert help

Let them personalise their pots with a splash of colour

courgettes have lots of imaginative names to appeal to kids and the seeds will grow quickly. They can be started off in a greenhouse. There will always be plenty of crops to harvest and children can enjoy watching surplus courgettes grow into marrows.

be ready to eat within a very short time. There are lots of different types of radish, in shape, colour and size.

Potatoes: This is a crop which gives L.Marie

Courgettes: As prolific croppers,

Quietly loosen the earth before they start work in a patch of the garden so that it is easier for them. Be prepared to help when necessary and be patient when they take longer to do a job than you might do yourself. Answer questions but do not give more information than the kids want, otherwise they may lose interest. Having planted the crops, children need to learn how to care for them. Much depends on how this is approached. It is important not to make weeding and watering time consuming chores – this will turn kids off gardening rather than encourage them. Initially persuade children to spend just a few minutes each day checking on their seeds and removing any weeds. As the plants start growing, they will be more willing to spend just that bit longer each day looking after them. By gradually increasing the amount of time each child spends looking after ‘their’ vegetables, they will get used to doing it regularly and doing it properly. Above all else, make gardening fun rather than tiresome hard work! Let children experiment with growing vegetables in unusual containers. Why not see if they can grow some radishes in an old shoe or

Tomato: Choose varieties that are

slightly different to the standard red ones. Children love small cherry tomatoes that cascade down, plus giant or striped versions such as 'Tigerella' (above).

Peas: Again, the fact that they are fast growing has immediate appeal. Fresh peas are popular with most children.

boot, for example. Use a dustbin or tyre as a container for potatoes and let them decorate it. Adding a splash of paint to a container helps make it special, especially if there is more than one child involved. Growing vegetables can often become competitive – whose runner beans grow the fastest or tallest? Who can grow the most potatoes from one tuber? Let them try cooking the resulting produce themselves rather than leaving mum or dad to do everything. It all adds to the overall sense of achievement and encourages them to try again next season. With a little bit of guidance and a gentle helping hand, you’ll be cultivating the next crop of kitchen gardeners. ■

Suppliers ● Bulldog: 01279 401572,

www.bulldogtools.co.uk ● Joseph Bentley: 01905 798666,

www.josephbentley.org.uk ● Suttons: 0844 9222899,

www.suttons.co.uk ● Thompson & Morgan: 0844 2485383,

www.thompson-morgan.com ● Victoriana Nursery: 01233 740529,

www.victoriananursery.co.uk

52 July 2010 P50-52 Kids GardeningBV.indd 4

20/05/2010 12:33

Poultry Straw bedding in nest boxes is acceptable but will need changing regularly to avoid any problems

Sitting comfortably

Are your chickens comfortable and safe from disease? Poultry expert Terry Beebe offers the benefit of his experience regarding the vital issue of bedding choice

54 July 2010 P54-56 PoultryBV.indd 2

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he choice about which hen house bedding material to use is one of the most important you have to make as a poultry keeper. This apparently simple decision can have all sorts of important, knock-on effects on the general welfare of your birds. Poultry house bedding is available in various forms, with popular options including wood shavings, sawdust and straw. There are more exotic options too, such as hemp and dried grass, both of which have arrived from the equine market. The pros and cons of the most common types of bedding are explained in turn below.

Shavings

The best sorts of shavings are dust-free and represent the safest option of the lot. I’ve used them for years and, although I’ve tried other materials, I always return to shavings as the easiest and safest choice. The fact that they are dust-free is the most important consideration, as dust inside a poultry house greatly increases the risk of the birds developing respiratory problems. It’s also vital to ensure that any shavings you buy are made from softwood, not hardwood. The latter tends to produce splinters, so that

Making the right poultry bedding choice has important implications for the overall welfare of your birds

birds jumping from perches onto a floor covered with hardwood shavings run the risk of injuring their feet. Pick your shavings carefully, making sure they are both clean and soft. The use of shavings provides an easy way to keep an eye on the all-important condition of your birds’ droppings, which should stand out very obviously. Coccidiosis, for example, is one of the more serious potential problems facing domestic poultry but will show up instantly on clean bedding, as the blood content in the droppings will be easy to see. Clean shavings will also help prevent birds’ feet from becoming clogged with dirt. But the key word here is ‘clean’ – shavings, of course, have a service life and will degrade. Consequently, it’s important to establish a regular cleaning routine that ensures all bedding is kept fresh. Areas of wet shavings are easy to identify and remove. When you buy shavings, always opt for the large compressed bales, typically costing about £6. Not only are these more compact, convenient to store and easier to work with, they work out cheaper too. You can buy softwood shavings in smaller quantities but you will pay a good deal more for the privilege.

Sawdust

Softwood shavings are most economically bought in large, compressed bales like this

This can be bought very cheaply and you may even find that lumberyards are prepared to give it away for nothing. People are attracted to it for this reason, imagining it to be a far more cost-effective alternative to shavings. However, it is best steered clear of. It is dusty, clogs easily and can often cause problems with birds’ eyes. Not only is this serious for birds but it can be very expensive to put right.

Sawdust is a completely false economy in my view, although I know there are keepers who would disagree. My limited experience of sawdust saw a big increase in the amount of time spent cleaning out drinkers and feeders, which soon became contaminated.

Straw

This is a slightly more acceptable bedding option and, of course, you can buy it in bales, making it pretty economical. There are now companies chopping straw and marketing it rather like shavings; some are even scented. But the use of straw – a traditional favourite – throws up significant problems. Primary is the fact that straw is very effective at disguising potential dangers. It nearly always looks clean and fresh on top, giving the impression that all’s well. However, use a fork to dig into the layer and you’ll often find a different story. Moisture and mildew tend to be held under the surface, with serious consequences. Inexperienced keepers using straw bedding can all too easily assume that everything’s fine when, in reality, dampness below the surface is actively promoting potentially deadly respiratory problems. The use of straw in nest boxes is quite common and this is perfectly acceptable as long as it’s changed on a regular basis. It should also be powdered well to prevent insect infestation. The dreaded red mite loves a straw-based environment as it provides just about the perfect hiding place. I’ve found the chopped straw, which is sold and packaged for an assortment of different types of animal, to be acceptable but once it becomes damp and dirty it can create a problem and gets smelly.  July 2010 55

P54-56 PoultryBV.indd 3

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3 For £3! SubsCribe today! Call 01959 541444 & quote “E103”

Want a productive vegetable garden? Take a six month trial subscription to Grow it! for just £19.80 and get

The BEST VALUE kitchen garden magazine JUST £3.60

BE INSPIRED!

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A £600 WOODBLOCX VOUCHER!

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FREE! SEEDS

Keep on

SOWING 7

quick-growing veg to start off TODAY

Spring onions

Packed for year end August 2011 Sow by 2013

Seeds supplied by Experts in1855 the garden since 1855 Experts in the garden since

Corn salad ‘Cavallo’

H tto grow th How them and what to sow now

Weekend projects

Great for winter salads storage • Harvest • Design a potager • Gooseberries

Corn salad ‘Cavallo’

Growit! Seed Packet 132 x 95 August11.indd 1

Subscribe today.

Salad expert Charles Dowding on how to raise winter salads

packets of seeds!

10 FREE Picture for illustration purposes only, seed varieties may change subject to availability.

SEPTEMBER 2011 £3.60

✦M Make k a ffruit it store t ✦ Set up a green roof ✦ Plant a peach tree ✦ Easy bug homes

Seasonal tips

27/07/2011 16:11

Expert advice

Call our subscription hotline on:

01959 541444 and quote “E103”or visit

www.kelseyshop.co.uk Helpful hints

Seasonal fayre

Poultry visitors are amazed by how fresh and ammonia-free my poultry sheds are. Keeping your poultry house clean really is essential, especially with today’s generally warmer weather. The use of a specialist product such as Stalosan F provides valuable assistance with all aspects of poultry hygiene, disease prevention and general day-to-day welfare issues. What’s more, using Stalosan couldn’t be simpler; all you need to do is clean out the unit, sweep and scrape the floor as required, then sprinkle the powder over the entire floor area, so that the whole area is lightly dusted. The product doesn’t need to be too heavily spread or worked-in, but make sure that any damp areas are well covered. I usually spread it by hand then add the layer of clean, dry softwood shavings over the top to finish the job. Stalosan can be used with all types of bedding but, if you do decide to use straw or hay, especially in nest boxes, make sure there’s a really good covering of it underneath. If you must use straw then ensure that you check regularly for damp, mildew and red mite. All of these are easy to miss and prevention is always better than cure. ■

House litter must be kept clean and fresh-smelling, which means regular changing

Bath time! Many poultry newcomers often overlook the provision of a dust bath. Chickens love nothing better than to wallow in a dry, powdery dust bath – it’s one of the ways they counter parasites. If your birds don’t have the run of your garden and can’t create a dust bath, make one for them using a large box half-filled with very fine, dry earth/ anti-red mite powder mix. Siting this inside the poultry house will ensure its contents stay dry and will mean birds are less inclined to try ‘bathing’ in the new bedding each time you clean out the house.

Alternatives

There are quite a few bedding alternatives available. Generally, these tend to be more expensive and the fact that they aren’t really produced specifically for poultry can sometimes mean their practical application is limited. My testing of some of these products has thrown up a worrying tendency for them to become lumpy and even solid, severely limiting their effectiveness as a bedding material. This sort of end result provides an ideal hiding place for all sorts of insect infestations and a possible source of disease. I’ve seen newspaper and cardboard

used under bedding to help keep the house floor clean but I don’t agree with this practice. In practical terms it creates an environment worse than that produced by a layer of straw. Acting like blotting paper, the card or paper quickly becomes damp and smelly; it never gets a chance to dry, so can harbour all sorts of nasties. There are a few well-known horse bedding products which are, however, suitable for use in a poultry house. One of these is called Aubiose, a biodegradable, chopped-straw product. Although this type of bedding material can work out a little more expensive, it is worth the extra cost, especially if you don’t keep many birds. Aubiose, unlike some of the other bedding mentioned, breaks down when raked over and there’s a good chance that if you use a good quality product it will tend to stay fresher for longer. This obviously helps to keep the flooring fresh and dry.

Stalosan F

Stalosan F is possibly the best powdered disinfectant available. Its regular use will ensure protection from both insect infestation and disease. I’ve used this superb product on my own poultry for more than 10 years and most of my

For more in-depth information on poultry keeping subscribe to Practical Poultry magazine. Take advantage of an introductory offer and 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 downto-earth, 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.

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Stretch A

the season

Don’t let your kitchen garden wind down at the end of summer. Lucy Halliday tells us how to cheat the seasons and extend your regular harvests well into autumn

Know-how

s this summer’s harvest swells and your dinner plate fills with all manner of home-grown goodies, it’s easy to forget how quickly this blissful time of year can be over. If like me you are a home-grown veg-a-holic, then you won’t want this bounty to end. Yet many people leave the garden to dwindle as the summer ends, simply assuming that its time has come. We often think of the growing season as having a fairly well defined beginning and end, but there are many things that can be done to stretch as much joy (and food) out of your garden as possible. Come autumn the garden doesn’t suddenly have to cease to be productive and sink into its annual winter decline. Instead it can continue to provide you with tasty, useful crops. Call me demanding but I always want more out of the garden and to get it I’m happy to complete a few extra tasks. Many of the things you can do to extend your season are really very simple and amount to little more than keeping on top of straightforward jobs that you will be doing throughout the season anyhow. From midsummer, with a little extra care, you could easily squeeze two to four extra weeks out of your growing season. So here are a few good ways to enjoy your veg plot right up to the last minute!

Thirst quenchers

Vegetables need a drink, so regular and consistent watering is essential to produce the robust plants that will give you the longest harvest. Irregular watering leads to unhealthy plants and diseases like blossom end rot in tomatoes, which will reduce and disfigure your harvest. Underwatered veg also loses its sweetness, becoming increasingly bitter. These crops can easily bolt, particularly plants such as lettuce, spinach and beetroot. Bolting means the plant, fearing the worst, has run to seed as quickly as possible and is no longer interested in providing you with edible parts. Enjoy your watering with a leisurely stroll around the garden in the  evening or early morning, as these are

It’s easy to stretch the season of plenty

Water in the morning or evenings to give the best results July 2010 59

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Know-how Reduce the competition

Weeding can become an almost gargantuan task by midsummer as everything ‘friend or foe’ is growing its socks off. With the beckoning of sunny summer evenings it can be the first thing to slide. Keeping on top of this, however, means that your veg plants won’t have to constantly compete for nutrients, water and light with plants you can’t eat. The resulting yield will be much better. It’s worth weeding little and often so that it becomes a small, satisfying task and not your own version of painting the Forth Bridge! Most vegetables need lots of sunshine to really thrive and by mid to late summer the garden has often put on so much growth that some plants can begin to get rather more shade than they would like. This is particularly a problem if, like me, you try to cram as much as possible in due to lack of space and prefer to mix up your crops to avoid pests. Don’t be afraid to pinch out the odd leaf to let a little light in to the plants underneath or, better still, eat some gaps in to let the light through to neighbouring rows of plants.

Keep on top of weeding to give crops all the room and air they need

the best times to water; it’s often a very peaceful time and needn’t be a chore. In the interests of prolonging the season, a scorching hot summer can sometimes be a bad thing as plants can get desperate for a little shade. Keeping greenhouse crops cool in the heat helps them remain at their most productive, so casting a bit of shade can really help keep them cropping. In very warm areas of the UK, such as Guernsey, it is traditional to splatter a lime wash over the greenhouse glass to afford a little extra shade through the hottest months. This is soon washed off by autumn rains. You can be as imaginative as you like in creating shade, using everything from tracing paper over some of the greenhouse panes, to a fast-growing annual climber over the roof to give a bit of dappled shade in a really blistering summer.

Beat the bugs

If you’re an obsessive gardener you will probably be out every day examining and rejoicing over every new leaf, whereas others only have time to grab a glimpse every few days. However, it really pays to keep your eye out for pest problems, as you can catch them while they are still small. Prevention is far better than cure, especially when it comes to ensuring your plants have the best stab at providing a really good, long harvest. They really don’t need the setback of an aphid infestation just as they are about to set fruit, so tackling the problem immediately will be well worth it. 60 July 2010 P59-61 Stretching the Harvest.indd 60

Feeding time

Almost all of our vegetable plants are grown as annuals and, boy, do we ask a lot of them, encouraging speedy and vigorous growth and expecting large crops. By midsummer pretty much all veg, however well fed at the start of the season, could probably use a top-up. A regular light feed with a preparatory multipurpose plant food such as Growmore will do the trick. Or you could use seaweed-based feeds or homemade comfrey or nettle liquid feeds. Tomato food is often good for any kind of tender fruiting plant. Try not to go overboard on the nitrogen though, as this will encourage leafy growth at the expense of fruits and flowers. Fruits and flowers need a good dose of potassium and phosphorus for masses of flowers and fruits. As well as feeding your plants, make sure to feed yourself (and maybe your friends) as much as possible by keeping a beady eye out for all the produce your plants develop. It’s all too easy to leave a hidden clutch of runner beans to go woody or a sneaky courgette to turn in to a huge beast under a large leaf. Once a plant is allowed to set seed it will ‘switch off’, thinking its job is done for the year. It won’t bother to supply you with any further crops. By keeping on top of picking you can keep your plants on edge, desperate to supply you with more.

The right choice

Carefully planning your crops can allow you to use early, mid and late-season varieties to make your harvest as long as possible. Potatoes, strawberries, peas, carrots, cabbage, blueberries and many other types of vegetables and fruits come in early, mid and late varieties, extending your picking time by months. If you haven’t planned for this there are still loads of crops you can use to lengthen the harvest. The cooler weather towards the end of the season is actually a great chance to have another go at all those crops which hate a scorching summer. Lots of salad crops love the cooler weather so you can have a multitude of Below: Regular picking of crops such as beans will ensure a longer harvest period

hello-julie

20/05/2010 16:11

Mix early and mid-season varieties with late. Strawberries offer such an opportunity

lettuce, radishes, mustard greens, rocket and salad onions right up to and even beyond the first frosts. While the weather is still hot, coolloving plants can be started off, sown in the shade of other mature veg plants like tomatoes or slightly deeper than normal to protect from high temperatures. I’m not sure why, but after a craze of sowing and planting in early summer, come midsummer we often seem to sit back and watch. There’s no need to stop and the following are all great crops to sow during July and August, the leafy types being fine to sow on the most part in to September: beetroot, kale, kohl rabi, calabrese, endive, Florence fennel , lamb’s lettuce, Chinese cabbage, Japanese

The unusual-looking kohl rabi can be sown now to give a crop before winter

onions, radishes, scorzonera, spinach, Swiss chard, carrots, turnips and parsley. That way, along with successional sowings that stagger your harvest nicely when sown every couple of weeks, you’ll have a bigger harvest than ever.

Don’t abandon ship!

Summer is a time for relaxation and it is all too tempting to rush off on holiday without a care for the veg plot, which often seems to be doing fine until you get home. Returning to a sight of dried up, overgrown, weed-strangled plants, laden with woody or oversized veg can be somewhat of a shock, not to mention a disappointment. It is incredible how quickly things can fall in to disarray over

the summer, but a little bit of planning means you can return to business as usual and keep on the harvest. Watering is a big issue, so having a friend do a regular (daily if it’s really hot) irrigation duty is the best thing you can do for your garden. In return, offer them any and all pickings they can carry home to keep your plants producing. If everyone else is on holiday too you can turn to technology, such as seep hoses on a timer, laid through your patch. If this isn’t within your budget or your space is too big then mulching can be an excellent way to conserve water while giving plants a top-up feed. Choose a mulch like well-rotted compost for this. If you grow, as I do, a lot of veg in containers then bunching all the pots together when you go away can really help to keep a bit of extra moisture around them.

Cover up and use up

As the cold weather finally creeps in, don’t forget that you can always keep off frosts with crop covers such as cloches, fleece, mini polytunnels or cold frames for potted plants. Other crops such as tomatoes and chillies can be brought in to greenhouses or even a sunny spot in the house to ripen the last of their wares. Any green tomatoes left over can be placed in a cool, dark box between layers of newspaper and topped off with a ripening banana to ripen up nicely. Radishes that may have finally run to seed produce crunchy little seed pods that are great in salads or stir-fries, offering an extra peppery treat. Chard that has bolted can be cut to the ground and often produces a last-minute crop of baby leaves. Using up the last your garden has to offer is quite good fun and allows you to try anything in the knowledge that it’s all a bonus. Keep sowing, planting, harvesting and watering and it could easily be mid November before your garden finally winds down. ■

Pick the last of the tomatoes in autumn to finish ripening indoors July 2010 61

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Show review The show’s 25th Anniversary Show Garden proved a thought-provoking centrepiece

A taste of Malvern Food growing leapt up the agenda at this year’s Malvern Spring Gardening Show. Ann Somerset Miles popped along to bring us these highlights

Despite the rain and cold winds, the 2010 RHS Malvern Spring Gardening Show, now in its 25th year, more than lived up to expectations. This year there was certainly a greater emphasis on growing for eating. Reflecting the location and pastoral history of the area, the ‘25th Anniversary Garden’ brought together three top designers (James Steed, Alex Bell and Claire Potter), whose huge symbolic show garden incorporated grassy mounds (hills), water (Malvern springs), native trees (fruit orchards) and beehives, essential for pollination and sustainable gardening. (Contact: www.outdoorlivingspace.co.uk, www.alexbellgardendesign.co.uk, www.clairepotterdesign.com)

Road to recovery The ‘Recovery and Wellbeing Garden’ demonstrated that growing food crops, caring for animals and working hands-on with the soil aids recuperation. Designer Mark Eveleigh explained the philosophy behind his Gold Medal-winning cottage-

style garden, which was created with help from the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Under Mark’s guidance, clients of the service have also been reclaiming defunct allotments within their NHS catchment

area. The show garden comprised a mini vegetable plot, a functional but highly decorative path (fired terracotta tiles designed and made by Trust clients), a chicken shed complete with chickens and a wildlife hedge. (Contact: 07895 213231)

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Green corridors

Green corridors between neighbouring habitats were much in evidence, emphasising the importance of attracting beneficial wildlife into our gardens. Particularly so was Teresa Rham’s ‘Trackbed’, which took its inspiration from a section of the Cambrian Heritage Railways line on the Welsh border. It captured the atmosphere of the location, with plants selected to provide a haven for wildlife – an aspect vital for healthy vegetable gardens and one that all gardeners and allotment holders might consider including on their plots. (Contact: 01691 658546, www.groundesigns.co.uk)

Eco bus

The Big Green Bus travels all over the UK and is a mobile eco-education resource centre that offers help directly to people who are aware of environmental challenges and would like to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but don’t know where to begin. The bus is the brainchild of vivacious Brigit Strawbridge as a result of feedback received after appearing on the BBC2 series It’s Not Easy Being Green. Green issues are addressed by offering information, guidance and expertise on a whole host of sustainable topics, delivered in a hands-on and accessible way. Courses are also available on location in Worcestershire. (Contact: www.thebiggreenidea.org)

Mr D’Arcy

Sourcing high-quality rare fruit varieties is never easy, so it was a delight to discover Mr D’Arcy’s Heritage Fruit Trees. Their online catalogue includes classic, rare and unusual varieties of fruit trees, including apple, pear, plum, damson, cherry, peach, fig, quince and medlar. Available as grafted one or two-year-old trees on plant-health certified rootstocks, in three-litre, seven-litre or 12-litre containers, they are available for mail-order delivery. (Contact: 07704 860404, www.mrdarcysheritagefruittrees.com)

Heritage pedigree

Pennard Plants has exhibited at all 25 Malvern Spring Gardening Shows and this year displayed many heritage varieties of potato to demonstrate those that have been introduced over the years. Although too late to plant in 2010, varieties are listed on the website for ordering for 2011. Also available is a new range of heritage and heirloom vegetable and flower seeds under the banner Growing Old – ‘the future is in the growth of the past’.  (Contact: 01749 860039, www.pennardplants.com)

July 2010 63 P62-64 Malvern Spring Sow.indd 63

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Show review

Handsome herbs

Herbs are always in demand and are some of the easiest edible plants to grow, whether for their culinary or medicinal properties. An enormous range (over 600 varieties), all organically grown, is available from Gold Medalwinner Jekka’s Herb Farm. Jekka, crowned ‘queen of herbs’ by TV chef Jamie Oliver, is shortly to launch her new book Jekka’s Herb Cookbook, illustrated by her daughter Hannah McVicar. Also available is a herb garden design service, providing customers with expert support to create their own unique herb gardens, tailored to their own tastes and situations. (Contact: 01454 418878, www.jekkasherbfarm.com)

Tunnel vision

Cold winters and late springs will undoubtedly persuade gardeners to invest in a polytunnel. Particularly impressive are those developed for gardeners from Haygrove’s commercial range. Claimed by Ron MacFarlane (National Vegetable Society judge) as being ‘the best garden tunnel I’ve seen’, they are available in 2m (6ft 8in), 3m (10ft) or 4m (13ft 4in) widths in lengths of 2m (6ft 8in) multiples. No concrete base is required as a unique fixing system is utilised; the plastic woven covers are strong enough to walk on, and a venting system that allows complete sealing or full ventilation is also employed. (Contact: 0845 2696395, www.gardentunnels.co.uk)

Fresh take

Education plays a key role under the auspices of the Three Counties Agricultural Society. Show gardens were also encouraged from schools and colleges under the theme of ‘Fast Forward the Future’, inspiring students to think how our gardens might look in years to come and how we might be growing our food. Particularly ingenious in one school’s entry was a greenhouse made from recycled timber and 2,500 discarded plastic bottles (providing excellent insulation) – an idea that could easily be copied.

Next generation

The Chris Beardshaw Mentoring Scholarship (now in its third year) is a key feature of the show giving young, first-time designers an entry route into the profession and the opportunity to compete for this prestigious annual award. Although some years off being able to apply themselves, Chris is always ready to stop and chat with groups of school children, realising how important it is to encourage and inspire the gardeners of the future. (Contact: www.bradstone.com/ chrisbeardshaw)

Next show

Come along to the RHS Malvern Autumn Show, ‘a celebration of nature’s harvest’, on 25-26 September. For more details visit www.threecounties.co.uk or call 01684 584924. Next year’s Spring Gardening Show will be held on 12-15 May 2011.

64 July 2010 P62-64 Malvern Spring Sow.indd 64

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Seasonal fayre

Veg grow guide

new leaf

Suttons

Turn over a

Salad leaves are among the quickest-growing vegetables you can nurture. They are very eager to germinate and offer a surprisingly varied choice. No wonder we’re growing more of them than ever. Benedict Vanheems investigates these leafy marvels

t was years of paying over the odds for rather mean-sized bags of supermarket salad that finally spurred me on to grow my own. No more limp leaves and no more rotating between the usual salad suspects. This would be my chance to try some of the incredibly enticing seed mixes available, while enjoying fresh leaves as I needed them and on my own terms. It’s no surprise that supermarkets have to charge as much as they do for their salads. Commercially grown leaves are brought to the shelves via a long supply chain involving many growers, packers and distributors. Salads are grown using complex weather forecasting systems, irrigation and targeted pest control. The leaves have to be rapidly cooled to 3°C within three hours of picking and must be kept at this temperature until they are

sold; refrigeration costs soon mount up. Furthermore, many bagged salads will have had the air within their packaging modified to extend shelf life, lowering levels of oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide content to inhibit the growth of bacteria. Modern salad leaf production is, it seems, a high-tech and complicated process. Thankfully growing these salads at home couldn’t be easier – and it will save you a fair few bob too.

Salad days

The choice of salad leaves available to grow can’t be overstated. Their many leaf shapes, textures, colours and flavours means you’ll never be stuck for something new to try. Sweet, mild or spicy; red, purple or green; thickly lobed, rounded or filigree – the many combinations of leaves will keep even the most adventurous kitchen gardener occupied for some time. 

It’s not just traditional lettuces that make a good salad leaf – other veg can be harvested young to enjoy their tender leaves, such as the beetroot ‘Bull’s Blood’ sprouting here July 2010 65

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Veg grow guide

A riot of different leaf colours, textures and shapes make cut-and-come-again salads an appealing option

Keep beds weed free and well watered to speed the time to harvest

Leave 15-30cm (6-12in) between rows of salad leaves and thin them out as soon as you can easily handle them

Speed is the name of the game here, with some salads so quick off the mark that they will be ready to harvest within just three to four weeks of sowing. This makes them ideal for sowing right through the growing season and as late as September, with many salads even suitable for overwintering, given a little protection. Buy seed of individual varieties or make your own tailor-made mix by blending a few of your favourites. Of course, there are many salad leaf mixes pre-blended which represent a well-considered starting point. Each constituent variety will have been chosen to complement the others, growing at a similar rate and giving a pleasing taste and texture in the mouth. While many individual types of salad are left to mature as fully-grown heads of loose or tightly-wrapped leaves, leaf mixes lend themselves well to the cut-and-come-again treatment. Cutand-come-again is exactly as it reads – the leaves are cut and replaced by

An early crop of salad leaves takes some comfort from the protection of horticultural fleece

new ones that offer another harvest just a few weeks on. Correctly harvested, each salad leaf plant can yield at least three or four separate harvests and often more, making them exceptional value for money and ideal for those with limited space. Compact salads are the first crop that any aspiring grow-it-yourselfer should try thanks to this ground-saving habit. A few lines of leaves sown into an old Belfast sink keeps me in leaves for most of the summer – and looks fantastic too. You could try any pot with adequate drainage, including shallow trays; hanging baskets and window boxes; or quirky containers made from old tins, walking boots or other eccentric vessels! Their diminutive size means that you’ll be getting the best value per square foot of any crop you could grow.

Sow easy

Mustard greens are a hardy choice for sowing in early autumn

Salad leaves are obligingly easy to grow, so long as a few essential requirements

are met. The trick is to keep your leaves growing as rapidly as possible, which will minimise the chances of them getting caught out by pests or diseases, while ensuring the best-tasting results. Dry soil combined with hot temperatures can lead to bolting, when plants prematurely run to seed. If this happens plants stop producing fresh leaves and those that remain will take on a tough texture and bitter taste. The key to guaranteeing unhindered growth is in the soil preparation. Select a site for your salad leaves that has fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Soil can be improved over winter by digging in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure, before a final boost of organic fertiliser is applied just before sowing. By sowing time the ground should be warm, dark and of a fine texture, or tilth, so that seeds will readily germinate. If you haven’t had the time to dig in lots of organic matter over winter, then try digging in a little garden compost, forking it thoroughly into the

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STEP-BY-STEP: Growing salad leaves

Prepare ground by digging in plenty of organic matter during the winter. In spring, rake the soil to a fine tilth, sprinkle over a general fertiliser, such as blood, fish and bone, and mark out rows with a string line.

Draw a hoe, trowel or cane along the string line to mark out 1cm (0.5in)-deep drills. Sow the seeds very thinly along the bottom of the drill, leaving plenty of space so that thinning is kept to a minimum.

Within about five to seven days the first salad leaf seedlings will have germinated and pushed through to the surface. They will be ready to thin at the stage shown here.

soil to break up any lumpy clods and achieve that fine texture. Container-grown salads require good multi-purpose compost. Select a peatfree compost and fill pots to within an inch of the rim. Make sure that there are enough drainage holes at the bottom of your container – punch a screwdriver or drill through the base if there aren’t any. Place containers onto pot feet to raise them off the ground. This will allow any excess water to quickly drain away, doing away with dirty, stagnant water which can sometimes lead to disease.

Thin out the seedlings by pulling out any excess as necessary to leave the correct spacing, usually around 1-2cm (0.5-1in). Don’t discard the thinnings but wash them off and enjoy them as a baby leaf salad.

Pot feet also make life that bit more difficult for inquisitive slugs. To sow the seeds, mark out 1cm (0.5in)-deep drills into prepared soil or compost. I’m a stickler for order on the plot, so tend to use a string line to achieve a neat row. Of course, in the majority of cases a keen eye will do just as good a job. Mark your drills out with a hoe or by drawing a trowel sideways along the line. Sow the seed very thinly along the bottom of the drill and cover them back over with soil or compost. Bear in mind that most seeds

Pinch back the soil or compost over the seeds and gently pat the soil surface down using your fingers or the back of a rake. Water along the row using a watering can fitted with a fine rose.

Salads do not generally take very long to reach maturity. Cut the leaves when they are about 5-10cm (2-4in) tall, cutting away the outside leaves first. This leafy salad is ready for harvesting now.

will germinate, so clusters of seeds are likely to give a similarly clustered bunch of seedlings. It is worth taking the time to sow as thinly as practical, ideally leaving around 1cm (0.5in) between each seed, which will help seed go further. Leave about 15-30cm (6-12in) between rows, depending on what you are growing – always be guided by the seed packet instructions for your chosen crop’s precise requirements.

Unhindered growth

It will be a matter of days before the first  July 2010 67

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Veg grow guide Potted crops Container salads make a very flexible crop and can be sneaked into just about any available space. Sow salads in rows or broadcast-sow your seed thinly. To do this, take a pinch or two of seed and scatter it across the top of your compost-filled container. Now sieve a dusting of fresh compost over the seeds until they fully disappear from view. Gently water the container and place it in a sunny position to germinate. In hot weather, keep your container in a shadier spot where the cooler temperature will help these cool-loving crops get going. Containers are easier to protect against slugs. As well as raising them off the ground on pot feet, consider applying a copper strip around the rim of the pot or a layer of grease or Vaseline – both will form a highly effective barrier against these hungry molluscs. As the season progresses, give container salads an occasional boost by watering on a liquid feed.

Where else can I grow them? Under cloches or in a cold frame or greenhouse during winter In-between slow-growing crops such as onions and parsnips At the edge of a flower border as an unusual but attractive edging Mixed up in swirls or patterns to create an edible work of art In old grow bags that have been hand forked over and fertilised seedlings push through the ground to greet the world. The priority now is to keep these tender leaves moist. Water in all but the wettest weather to maintain soil moisture. When the seedlings are big enough, thin them out to leave one plant every 1cm (0.5in) or so. If you have sown thinly in the first place this may not even be necessary but be guided by the seed packet instructions for the final spacing needs of your chosen seed mix or variety. Salads can easily become overwhelmed by weeds, making careful weeding an important task. Hand weed so as not to disturb the young plants or use a hoe if there is enough room between rows to do so. Needless to say, targeted weeding by hand is safer than a carelessly wielded hoe! Slugs and snails can prove problematic in wet weather and by its

very nature watering can create these much-loved conditions. To a certain degree maintaining a weed-free plot will give slugs fewer places to hide but it’s likely you will need to practise other precautionary techniques. Water in the early evening, allowing enough time for the soil surface and leaves to dry off a little before sunset, when these molluscs are more active. Regular torch-lit forays into the garden after sunset afford the opportunity to catch them red handed. You’ll be able to pluck them away to their destruction before they can creep away and hide. Saucers filled with beer and set into the ground are irresistible to slugs, whose thirsty greed sees their downfall as they come to a beer-drenched end. Maintain momentum through the growing season by making regular sowings every two to three weeks. Little and often is the mantra when sowing

Cut salad leaves to within 2cm (1in) of ground level so they will sprout again

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5 to try

2 1 Rocket ‘Skyrocket’: Add a peppery punch to your salads with rocket. Both the flowers and leaves are edible, but for the hottest flavour go for wild rocket. Thompson & Morgan 2 Mizuna ‘Kyoto’: Mizuna is very hardy and suitable for overwintering. This variety has a feathery leaf texture and mild taste that’s good in salads or stir-fries. Marshalls

3 Spinach ‘Tetona’: This creamy-textured salad spinach will be ready to pick in as little as four weeks from sowing. Keep plants well watered to prevent them bolting. Thompson & Morgan 4 Corn salad: Given a little protection, corn salad (also known as lamb’s lettuce) will crop right through the year. The leaves are mild and soft in texture. Nicky’s Nursery

4 cut-and-come-again salad leaves, so sow a pinch or two of seed on each occasion to stretch your season of enjoyment rather than facing a glut of leaves that will never get eaten. Careful planning will have the first leaves sown under cloches as early as March, with the final sowings made of hardy varieties in early autumn. Many salad leaves are perfect for late sowing, including Oriental leaves such as mizuna, peppery mustards and rocket, and annual spinach.

Cut above

Harvesting salad leaves takes as much skill as the initial sowing and care. Many first-time growers fall at the final hurdle, cutting the leaves in such a way that subsequent cuts are jeopardised. The trick is to make cuts of individual leaves so as not to damage the central growing

5 Gourmet lettuce mix: There are many salad leaf mixes, with Italian, French and other blends to try. This mix incorporates red and green lettuces of ruffled and unusual texture. Nicky’s Nursery point of the plant. Harvest a few leaves at a time from each plant, taking the outside leaves first to allow the smaller, central ones to grow on. Use a sharp knife or scissors to make each cut, taking care not to damage any other part of the plant. Alternatively, cut your way along a row, making the cut about 2cm (1in) above the ground to preserve the growing points. New leaves of cut-and-come-again varieties will appear within a few days, rapidly growing on to give another cut within about two weeks. If you feel the rate of cropping is slowing, it may be because the nutrient levels in the soil are flagging. Water a liquid feed along rows after harvesting to give plants added oomph to sprout again. The major benefit of growing your own salad leaves is that you can cut precisely what you need for each meal, so that

nothing should ever go to waste. If you do need to keep leaves for a few days, place them into polythene bags with a light misting of water to keep them crisp and hydrated. Many cut-and-come-again leaves (particularly Oriental types) make perfect stir-fry ingredients, or enjoy your leaves thinly coated with a fresh dressing of your choice. After a few harvests I think you’ll agree that growing salad leaves is a very worthwhile pursuit! ■

Suppliers ● Marshalls: 01480 443390,

www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk ● Nicky’s Nursery: 01843 600972,

www.nickys-nursery.co.uk ● Thompson & Morgan:

0844 2485383, www.thompson-morgan.com July 2010 69

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Practical project

Great balls

salad

Having on hand a ready supply of fresh salad leaves is a real boon when making sandwiches or assembling a simple side salad. Andy Cawthray shares his clever idea for the ultimate convenience food

reshly-picked salad leaves can be the making of a summer meal but not everyone has the luxury of being able to grow their crops at home. Equally, you may just need a handful of greens to add to a sandwich at lunchtime. Wouldn’t it be great if they were just outside the window? I know at our house there are times when after a hard day’s garden labour and a long soak in the bath you don’t feel like donning the Wellies again and trudging down to the vegetable plot to grab some lettuce for a supper of tossed salad and fresh scrambled egg.

So, whether you are limited for space to grow crops, troubled by slugs or rabbits eating your ground-grown crops, or a little lazy like me and just fancy having a bit of salad hanging outside the backdoor, this quick and simply alternative way of growing loose-leaf crops may well provide an effective solution. By simply attaching two hanging baskets together you can create a ‘planting ball’. This also doubles the growing area using the same amount of space a single basket would normally and oh-so delicious: fiSweet, ll. Youtender may even have all the materials Pod-fresh peas are a summer delicacy readily available, stuffed away in the back of the potting shed. If not the

What you will need

Two wire hanging baskets Garden wire Two large pots and one small one Piece of cardboard Sphagnum moss (from a renewable source)

Peat-free compost A selection of salad plug plants total cost of the project is less than £10 and will take no more than an hour to put together. Pick cut-and-come-again salad crops or even tender herbs to plant in the ball. These can be raised in modules of compost and planted into the ball as soon as their roots have filled the plugs. Alternatively, buy readygrown plugs from the garden centre. Sphagnum moss should be from a renewable source, or use moss raked up from the lawn. If you hang the salad ball in a sunny but sheltered spot and keep it well watered, it should provide a small but steady supply of salad throughout the summer. ■

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STEP-BY-STEP: Making the salad ball

Remove the hanging chains from the two baskets and place them onto the two larger plant pots, which will keep them stable while you work on them.

Completely line one of the hanging baskets with some of the sphagnum moss. This basket will form the lower half of the salad ball.

Place the small plant pot in the centre of the second basket and line the basket with moss. This will form the ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top half. The pot will act as a reservoir ensuring water gets to the centre of the ball.

Using the garden wire carefully attach the two sections together at 8-10cm (3-4in) intervals all around the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;equatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the ball.

Fill both the top and bottom sections with peat-free compost. Be sure to fill each section up to the brim and press the compost down firmly as you go. Then place a piece of cardboard over the top section (pic inset) and flip the whole basket over on to the lower section. Line the two halves up then carefully remove the divider.

Reattach one of the hanging basket chains to the top section in a triangular arrangement around the small plant pot reservoir.

Fill the small plant pot with compost and then cover it over with a thin layer of moss for a complete, even finish.

Hang the ball up and begin planting by parting the moss and pushing pre-grown plug plants into the compost beneath. Water thoroughly through the small plant pot at the top of the ball. July 2010 71

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Organic growing

Honeyberry grows to around 1.2m (4ft) high. Its berries are larger and sweeter than blueberries

he concept of a forest garden has always fascinated me, perhaps because I loved playing in woodlands as a young child, collecting hazelnuts to eat or plucking wild mint when on walks with my grandmother. So when an opportunity arose in April to visit the forest garden of author Martin Crawford, to celebrate the publication of his new book on the subject, I knew I had to be there. What an opportunity seeing such a garden for real proved to be. The nomenclature ‘forest garden’ is a bit of a misnomer but, as Martin Crawford explained, it was a term first coined by pioneer Robert Hart back in the 1970s to describe the system he devised on part of his farm on Wenlock Edge in the Shropshire Hills. The term has stuck. The name means something to forest garden aficionados (and there are many) but may be decidedly off-putting to anyone not familiar with this type of ecosystem.

Defining a forest garden

Perpetual

motion The idea of a self-perpetuating, productive garden is a tempting prospect but one that’s within everyone’s reach thanks to forest gardening techniques. Ann Somerset Miles discovers how it all works

So what is forest gardening? Well, it can be defined as a sustainable edible landscape that’s three-dimensional and productive in different layers. It can perhaps be more accurately described as ‘agroforestry’, using trees, shrubs and perennials to mimic a natural woodland from which to harvest a crop of fruits, nuts and edible leaves, plus materials such as garden poles, wood for fuel, mulches and fibres for weaving. In fact, it does not require a forest. If you think about it, very little – edible or otherwise – will grow within the dense shade of very thick and impenetrable woodland. Early settlers cleared areas of our native forest out of necessity and grew crops therein. They collected wild berries and nuts growing at the forest edges, and cropped the timber for numerous uses. We have lost the culture of being comfortable within such surroundings, of being integrated with nature. The following synopsis, and the principle on which Robert Hart began the forest garden movement, provides us with guidelines for something similar: ‘a ‘canopy layer’ consisting of the original mature fruit trees; a ‘low-tree layer’ of smaller nut and fruit trees on dwarfing root stocks; a ‘shrub layer’ of fruit bushes such as currants and berries; an ‘herbaceous layer’ of perennial vegetables and herbs; ‘ground cover layer’ of edible plants that spread horizontally; ‘rhizosphere’ or ‘underground dimension’ of plants grown for their roots and tubers and a ‘vertical layer’ of vines and climbers’. You needn’t start from scratch but can mimic these layers by adapting existing practices, maybe initially just by

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The three layers of a forest garden: tall canopy trees, midlayer shrubs and a perennial lower layer, all providing edible or productive plants

shifting what you grow. It might involve plants you have never considered, which you may even classify as weeds. It’s unlikely you will consider something on such a scale as Martin Crawford’s forest garden on the Dartington Estate near Totnes in South Devon. His is a long-term project into growing edible crops for a changing climate, through the auspices of The Agroforestry Research Trust (ART), of which he is a director. His demonstration garden began life in 1994 as a two-acre pasture with a single existing shelterbelt. Everything that is now flourishing there is the result of long-term planning and experimentation both there and on his nearby nut plantation. The knowledge gained from all the ART work

will benefit all gardeners interested in sustainability.

Where to begin

Unless you have a bare field and sufficient space to start from scratch, it will be more a question of slotting those aspects that most appeal to you into your existing garden, adapting and converting it bit by bit. Assess your site, prevailing winds, orientation (deep shade and location of sunny spots, angle and penetration of the sun at different times of day etc) and soil. Your aim in a self-sustaining and productive garden is diversity, which means trying not to group together the same or closely-related species. The forest garden is basically perennial

Open space allows perennial veg to thrive. Here the coppiced canopy allows light onto the patch, where Turkish rocket and cardoons are flourishing

– traditional crop rotation is abandoned (though annuals can be incorporated) and the more mixed your plantings, the more resilient your garden will be to pests and diseases. Maintenance is kept to a minimum (an advantage for busy people) but beware if you are a finicky gardener – this is not a neat and tidy system but one of managed wildness.

Starting from scratch

Assuming you have the space and years ahead of you, you need first to consider various factors, such as timescale – whether you will work to a single-year planting or spread the work and cost over anything from two to 10 years. Ground preparation is important and includes breaking up of compacted soil and sheet-mulching to remove weed or grass growth. Think about the sourcing of unusual plants or raising them yourself. What about the provision of essential windbreaks? Even suburban gardens have problems from wind funnelling between buildings. You will then need to consider designing the various layers: canopy, shrub, perennial/ground-cover and, finally, annuals, biennials and climbers, plus plants to attract beneficial insects and bees. Bear in mind paths through the garden – they must be wide enough to accommodate machinery or wheelbarrows – and their surface, maintenance and ongoing tasks. Gardens are living entities and plants will outlive their usefulness, but the strength of the forest garden system lies in resilience through diversity of structure and species.  July 2010 73

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Organic growing Attracting beneficial insects

Cephalotaxus, the plum yew, looks like yew but has edible, cherry-sized fruit with a butterscotch/pine nut flavour

What to grow

Think in layers and list what you have already and what you would like to introduce. Martin Crawford’s book, listed at the end of this article, will be invaluable for selection purposes, listing hundreds of plants under three main categories, including a cropping guide monthby-month and notes on propagation. There are too many possibilities to list on these pages but the following selections should intrigue you enough to consider alternative edible plants. For ease of reference the layers have been separated here, although in reality they are all intimately connected. In a way it is better to think in terms of specific patches of ground or ‘guilds’ – groups of species that support each other in beneficial ways: nitrogen-fixers, mineral accumulators, insect and bee plants, differing root systems to exploit soil space, aromatics to confuse pests and increase system health, and ground-cover to densely cover the soil surface. Let’s, then, consider the layers.

The attractive flowers of New Zealand flax. This plant has multiple uses, including as a bee plant yielding edible seeds. Its leaves can be used for basket weaving

The canopy layer

This does not necessarily refer to large trees – they may reach no more than 3m (10ft) high and will include fruit trees and taller shrubs. The canopy is the single most important element in the design of any forest garden and should always be mapped out first on a scaled plan to ensure adequate spacing. Obvious plants to include could be quince (Cydonia oblonga), apples – culinary, dessert, crab and cider varieties on various rootstocks, medlars, cherries, plums, bullaces and damsons. That sounds much like a traditional orchard but you could also consider less common fruiting trees, such as Amelanchier, Arbutus (strawberry tree), Crataegus species (though not the common hawthorn which has poor fruit), the evergreen Eleagnus x ebbingei, sea buckthorn, cherry-plum, elder, rowan, common bay and pepper trees (Zanthoxylum). Perhaps also consider a range of nut-bearing trees and shrubs, plus trees with edible

Though not necessarily all edible, plants that attract beneficial insects and bees are an invaluable resource in any garden. We may not appreciate the true value of insect life – various bugs, earwigs, ground beetles, hoverflies, ladybirds and midges, plus certain insect parasites, but it pays to attract them. Martin lists 70 useful perennials for attracting the above, including yarrow, common daisy, borage, knapweed, fennel, wild strawberry, sunflowers, lemon balm, rosemary, mints, comfrey, chickweed, comfrey, feverfew, dandelion, thyme, clover and stinging nettles. With the decline in bee populations, attracting wild bees and bumbles becomes increasingly important. Nectar and pollen-rich plants to attract bees should aim to cover the whole flowering season, especially late winter and early spring. Martin’s list of 178 bee plants, which he admits is not conclusive, is set out in tabular form indicating only when they flower. Do not despise or eradicate the humble red deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), as it flowers all year and supplies both nectar and pollen. leaves such as the lime (Tillia species) which can be coppiced to keep them within bounds.

The shrub layer

This layer is established within the canopy but takes into consideration the ultimate spread of any canopy trees, and of the shrubs, to ensure that the latter are planted outside of the drip line of the trees, though there are exceptions. Think woodland clearings and you will better understand the philosophy. The layer will include common bush fruits such as jostaberry, currants, gooseberries and blackberries, plus raspberries, loganberries and blueberries. Less common choices could focus on chokeberries, Chaenomeles, fuschias, junipers, goji berries, honeyberries, mahonias, roses (for petals and hips), bamboos and lavender. For uses in addition to food, grow Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax), which has edible seeds and leaves that can be used for basketry or in place of twine; and willow for medicinal bark but mostly for basketry, wigwam supports and edging paths.

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Bunias orientalis or Turkish rocket has peppery leaves and flowering stems similar to broccoli

The perennial and ground cover layer

Any plant covering the ground for much of the year is beneficial to the whole system as it protects the soil from drying sun, beating rain and airborne weed seeds. Into this huge category fall fruiting groundcover raspberry and creeping bramble. Perennial edible herbaceous plants are equally useful and include wild garlic, angelica, sea beet and sea kale, mints, sorrel, violets, cardoon and perennial cultivars of leek, broccoli, kale and Turkish rocket. Annuals can be left to seed and self-perpetuate. In my own conversion of just part of our one-acre garden to forest garden style, I have just transplanted dozens of alpine strawberries (the birds don’t go

A coppiced Tilia cordata (small-leaved lime tree) shows its young, edible leaves. A vertical layer is present courtesy of a kiwi fruit, trained into the branches

for these) as ground cover to prevent germination of wind-born weed seeds until I can obtain and propagate a range of perennial vegetables. I’m also cultivating more comfrey, which is marvellous for mulching and composting, and spreading mint which I always allow to flower to attract insects. I’ve added saffron that will be productive this autumn and some unusual fruit bushes, as well and new varieties of currant and blackberry. I particularly liked the idea of the large berries of blackcurrant ‘Big Ben’, an aronia ‘Viking’ (black chokeberry), a honeyberry ‘Duo’, which grows into a shrubby 1.5m (5ft) high bush with deep purple hanging berries, plus an almost thornless blackberry ‘Ouachita Super Sweet’. These additions were all obtained mail-order from Suttons Seeds.

Maintaining the plot

Saffron crocus looks wonderful in autumn. The stamens can be picked and dried and used to colour dishes

The forest garden is self-sustaining, containing a very diverse number of species, and is therefore very resilient to pests, diseases and the vagaries of the climate. Humus from decaying vegetation protects the soil, acting as a mulch in dry seasons and a sponge in wet ones. Touring the demonstration garden in Devon you quickly come to understand that, in Martin’s words: “It is self-fertilising by the use of specific plants which supply nutrients: nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs (particularly alders and Elaeagnus) which can utilise nitrogen directly from the air and make it available to other plants; and dynamic accumulators (particularly coltsfoot, comfrey, sorrel) – deep-rooting plants which tap phosphate and potash sources deep in the subsoil, raise them to the topsoil layer and make them available to other plants.”

Clearly there is much to learn if you are new to forest gardening but the philosophy and practice is truly fascinating. At best, it will provide you with a wide variety of fruits, nuts, edible leaves, medicinal plants, poles and fibres for tying – and a great deal of pleasure and sense of achievement (though it will not replace the traditional vegetable plot). Take a look at Martin’s 50-minute DVD, A Forest Garden Year to find out how you can apply the principles to spaces big and small. Read all you can and to start you could not do better than a copy of Creating a Forest Garden – working with nature to grow edible crops. This book is a magnificently produced and massive tome that is sure to become every forest gardener’s horticultural toolkit and bible. ■

Further information ● Visit the Agroforestry Research

Trust’s website for details (www.agroforestry.co.uk) of guided tours and courses for beginners or those with some knowledge, plus a downloadable version of their ■ plant and seed catalogue. The website also includes details of the Agroforestry Garden Network and how to join. ● Creating a Forest Garden and

the DVD A Forest Garden Year by Martin Crawford are available from Green Books: 01803 863260, www.greenbooks.co.uk. ● Try Suttons Seeds for pot-grown

fruit bushes: 0844 9222899, www.suttons.co.uk July 2010 75

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Veg grow guide The springtime top growth of Babbingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leek can be used in a similar way to wild garlic

Unusual

suspects Tired of the same old vegetables? Dave Hamilton shares some tempting alternatives to whet your appetite for horticultural adventure

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ne of the great things about grow-it-yourself is the variety it can bring to your dinner plate. Wander around any Asian supermarket and you will find a huge array of vegetables whose seeds, tubers or corms can be grown on a home plot or in a greenhouse. Alternatively you could scour the seed catalogues for rare native vegetables, Oriental exotics and a whole host of the weird and wonderful just waiting to be discovered. The following article only scratches the surface of possibilities but reflects some of the more unusual plants I have come across and attempted to grow. It can be a deeply satisfying experience to see a plant for the first time, even more so if you have no frame of reference for what that plant will look like. Let’s take a look, then, at some of these unusual suspects. Also known as perennial leek, I first came across the Babbington’s leek (Allium ampeloprasum babbingtonii) when a friend of mine returned from holiday in the Scilly Isles with a small envelope full of strange-looking bulbils. The Babbington’s leek is a coastal plant and one of a handful of native vegetables; the Scilly Isles are one of the few places in the country where the plant grows wild. As a protected species my friend was advised against taking the bulbils from the wild and instead asked around a number of gardeners until he was given the envelope that ended up on my kitchen table. I squirreled away the few he decanted from the envelope and promptly forgot about them. They remained forgotten until I was invited to go on a tour of Martin Crawford’s forest garden, where Martin advocated simply scattering the bulbils when they form in September and letting them grow where they land. This method of propagation is fine if you have the room and enough of the bulbils to spare, but for better results you could pot them

Dig up complete leeks in spring as soon as they are large enough

up into modules in September and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant them out in spring into their final positions, which should be approximately 15-20cm (6-8in) apart. The leaves can be used in a similar way to wild garlic and make a welcome addition to salads around January and February, when there is scant else coming off the land. The stems then swell up and start to resemble leeks. Once they are big enough you can cut the leek tops (the leaves and white stalk) at ground level, leaving the swollen base to re-grow and regenerate. If you have a number of plants growing (or you are just impatient) simply dig up the entire plant and use in the same way as an annual

leek. I have dug some up from a patch that was getting a little out of hand and roasted them before adding them to a roux and blitzing the whole thing with a handheld blender. This made a delicious gravy, not dissimilar to onion gravy but with a milder taste. Alternatively, leave the entire plant in the ground so that the bulbs swell up to the size of a garlic bulb. These are dug up later in the season then used just like their more pungent cousins. The plant is often grown solely for its attractive purple flowers. These flowers can have a slightly chaotic look about them, as the small bulbils form on the flower head, which on occasion grow while still attached to  the plant!

STEP-BY-STEP: Planting Babbington's leek

The small bulbils of the Babbington’s leek are borne on the flower heads. Collect these in September for propagation.

Fill a module tray with seed compost and nestle each bulbil into its own module. Water and keep under cover over winter.

In spring plant the young plantlets out into their final positions, leaving about 15-20cm (6-8in) between each station. July 2010 77

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Veg grow guide as if they’ve decided to pop up and see what you are up to. They can be slow to germinate, so be patient with them. Harvest when the top inch pops up for a peek. Both mooli and rat-tailed radishes can be sown from spring until summer. The mallow may seem an odd addition to a vegetable bed but the leaves of all British mallows are edible. I love the flowers and find that they brighten up any vegetable bed. It is a shame the taste of the leaves isn’t quite so inspiring but they add a bit of bulk to a salad and mask other strong flavours.

International leaves

A purple-podded form of the rat-tailed Rubber Slippers In Italy radish

Salad crops

Mr Fothergill’s

Many of us grow radishes as they produce a fast-growing, generally trouble-free crop. It might therefore be encouraging to learn that there are many more varieties to choose from other than our common red round type – and all are as simple to grow. This year I’ve planted some rat-tailed radishes, an heirloom variety grown for their seed pods rather than their bulbs. The seedpods have a mild radish flavour and can be used in salads, stir-fries or as an extra vegetable ingredient in a mixed curry. If you’ve grown radishes for many years it might feel a little wrong to wait for the plant to bolt before harvesting the seedpods, but this variety not only has a much higher yield, you will also get, in my opinion, a tastier crop. Another radish, the mooli, is a great addition to any vegetable bed and is one that kids seem to love. You can see why – their white tops appear out of the soil

Mooli radish is an easy-to-grow alternative to the common red varieties

When it comes to strong flavours Turkish rocket really pulls a punch. It is a perennial plant, which means you only have to sow it once to be able to harvest the leaves throughout the year from early spring onwards. It has quite a large spread so isn’t recommended for smaller gardens but rather those with allotments who can grow a couple of plants on the margins, out of the way of the main beds. Summer is the perfect time to sow Chinese winter salad leaves, such as mizuna and mibuna. Sown at any other time of the year they have a tendency to run to seed. Both crops kick a bit of a punch as they have the characteristic peppery alkaloid of many mustard plants and nasturtiums. They should be sown in a similar way to lettuce – in shallow grooves made by running an upturned rake along a guiding string line. Sprinkle the seeds at a spacing of 2-5cm (1-2in). Leave around 30cm (12in) between rows, cover with soil and water in. You will need to thin them out to about 8cm (3in) between plants. They can be grown in pots on a patio or indoors on a windowsill, but as with most pot plants they will need a little extra care. Pink purslane is an American plant that has started to naturalise all over the south of England. For this reason I was reluctant to add it to this list of plants in the fear that I may be introducing the next Himalayan Balsam! However, if it isn’t allowed to self seed it shouldn’t become a nuisance and it only tends to do this if sown in the spring or summer. It will withstand quite low temperatures, making it a useful winter salad leaf and an excellent antidote to all those strong winter flavours from the likes of some of the Oriental salads. Pink purslane’s spread is similar to a small lettuce and it is sown in a similar way to mizuna. It is a forest floor plant, doing well in shady gardens or under some cover. I wouldn’t recommend planting bamboo unless you have the space to grow it. However, if you are blessed with a lot of room or you already have some growing in your garden, you will find

Perennial Turkish rocket really packs a punch

Bamboo shoots are a delicacy and offer one of the first crops of the year

Pink purslane is a pretty salad option that grows well in shade

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Chunky taro corms. The plant bears handsome, heart-shaped leaves

that the shoots can make an excellent vegetable crop in the spring. Some will carry on shooting for a good couple of months. Simply cut the top foot or so of new growth and remove all the woody material before steaming or lightly boiling the succulent material. Add bamboo shoots to stir-fries or serve, as asparagus, with butter. The dried out canes can, of course, be used as bean supports. With blight becoming ever more of a worry our traditional late crop of potatoes is getting harder and harder to grow. With an aim to minimising the risk by planting a mix of crops, I have in the past grown a few ‘Pink Fir Apple’ potatoes with ordinary types. These act as an early variety, so they can be harvested way before the maincrop is ready; they store very well. However, they are still a potato and, if left in the ground too long, they can still succumb to the dreaded blight. As some summers are predominantly wet – ideal blight conditions – I have decided to do

My Japanese yam have sprouted and are well underway. The large tubers are similar to sweet potato in appearance

away with potatoes altogether and grow some more unusual root crops. This year I’ve potted up some Japanese yams and have had a go at growing the South Pacific root and leaf crop, taro. Every country that grows taro or ‘eddoe’ has a completely different name for the plant, so it is perhaps important when referring to the plant to call it by its botanical name Colocasia esculenta. There are two types of taro, one wetland and one dry. It produces both edible leaves and, as opposed to tubers, an edible corm. I didn’t have much luck with my taro corms – four out of the five rotted before they sprouted. I have since been told I should have bought ready-sprouted corms. These can be bought from ethnic supermarkets or market stalls and grown as an indoor pot plant. You might have seen taro growing in a botanical garden. The two-year wait to get an edible corm seems to be worth it, as it is a very striking plant with huge, heart-shaped leaves. I just hope my one remaining plant lasts that long. If you were lucky enough to plant a Japanese yam, Dioscorea japonica, in the spring it should be coming into flower within a couple of months. Like the Babbington’s leek, the Japanese yam has a strange method of propagation. It can either be grown from its tubers or its tubercles, which look like mini round potatoes growing on the stem, under the leaves. These tubercles are sometimes mistakenly sold under the name ‘bulbils’ and should be ordered around the time you wish to plant them out (about May) as they can dry out and die before they have a chance to grow.

Set the tubercles into pots and plant them out to the desired position after the risk of frost, making sure the pot doesn’t dry out. The plant needs a reasonable amount of room as it can grow a huge amount of climbing foliage (some reports say anything up to 12m (40ft)). The tubers are similarly enormous, growing up to 1m (3ft) down in their second year. They can weigh in at around 500g (1lb) in their first year and can swell up to a huge 2kg (4lbs) by their second. I’m told they can be harvested whole or by taking just the top of the tuber, allowing the plant to sprout up again the following spring. You could experiment by growing them in large tonne bags, as many do with potatoes. This may eliminate the problem of harvesting the colossal root but bear in mind there is little or no literature on this growing method, so the results are completely unpredictable.

Exotic future

I’ve no doubt that in coming years, as climate change takes more of a grip, we will have to widen our repertoire of what we grow as some of our traditional crops will be unable to cope with the coming changes. Also, as multinational companies buy up smaller companies we could see a situation where vegetable seeds seen as unpopular or commercially non-viable will all but disappear. Gardeners and allotmenteers could be the ones our governments turn to for food crops, as the diversity of an allotment breeds much healthier plants than the huge mono-crops traditional farmers are used to. But even if becoming a saviour of humanity doesn’t appeal to you, having a meal that you know no-one else in the country is having may! The flavours of these more unusual crops can challenge the palate and inspire new dishes. ■

Where can I buy them?

I bought most of my seeds from Chiltern Seeds (01229 581137, www.chilternseeds.co.uk) but there are many other companies with exotic and heritage varieties in their catalogues. Martin Crawford also sells a number of unusual plants through his Agroforestry Research Trust (01803 840776, www.agroforestry.co.uk).

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Young growers

Level of difficulty

★★★★★ What you will need Large terracotta pot (about 25cm tall)

Busy bees!

A large lump of clay String, wire or gaffer tape Elastic band A collection of bamboo canes or hollow dried plant stems

Fuzzy bees are truly the gardener’s best friend, helping to pollinate plants and give us a bumper harvest of fruit and veg. Victoria Poolman gives our bees somewhere safe to set up home

ees play an important role in helping us to grow our fruits and vegetables. As they travel from flower to flower collecting nectar, small pieces of pollen rub off onto the bee’s furry body. When it travels to the next flower, this pollen rubs off and fertilises the plant, allowing it to produce its fruit. If we didn’t have bees, we’d have to do all this hard work ourselves, so they really are a gardener’s best friend! The loss of habitats, pests and a nasty bug called the varroa mite are currently posing a threat to our bees. As their numbers dwindle, they really need our help in order to survive. For this month’s

activity we have made this bee hotel in which a type of bee called the solitary bee can lay its eggs. It provides a safe place for the young bees that follow to grow up. There are lots of ways to make a bee hotel. An alternative to the bee hotel shown here is to ask an adult to drill lots of different-sized holes into an untreated block of wood, which you can then place around your garden to create a bee hotel complex! With the bee hotel we are making here, watch out for muddy seals forming on Sweet, tender andcanes oh-soand delicious: the ends of your plant stems Pod-fresh peas are a summer – it’s very likely that baby beesdelicacy will be stored away inside until they are ready to

grow up and buzz away like their mum. Some of the bees which visit your home won’t even look like the usual kind you see buzzing about. So if you see some that are black all over, they are simply a different kind of solitary bee looking for a safe place to lay their eggs. Remember, that if a bee hovers in front of you, it’s not trying to hurt you, so don’t panic and flap your hands. Instead, stay calm and move slowly away towards some shade and it will soon fly away. Ladybirds and other insects may also decide to make a home for themselves in your bee hotel. It will turn out to be your very own mini nature reserve! ■

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STEP-BY-STEP: Make a bee hotel

How to look after bees Plant bee-friendly plants such as mint, beans and flowering herbs. Bees like daisy-shaped flowers such as asters and sunflowers, as well as tall plants like hollyhocks and foxgloves. Visit www.britishbee.org.uk for more information on bee-friendly plants.

Never keep unwashed honey

Ask an adult to help you saw some canes or hollow plant stems into pieces roughly 20cm long, though it is a good idea to leave some slightly shorter than others. Be careful not to get any splinters.

Gather all your canes or plant stems together. Make sure that there are holes in all of the canes or that the plant stems have a soft filling which the bees will be able to delve into.

jars outside. Honey brought in from other countries can contain bacteria that are harmful to our bees. If you leave a jar outside, it encourages them to feed on the remaining honey and means they may then catch an infection and take it back to their hives.

Support your local beekeepers by buying their honey. It tastes different to supermarket honey and is good for you if you have allergies such as hay fever. Honey made by bees that have collected nectar from local flowers has been shown to make quite a difference when regularly eaten.

How do bees make honey?

Wrap the elastic band around the bundle to hold it in place while you bind all of the canes or plant stems tightly with string, wire or gaffer tape. You may need two pairs of hands for this bit!

Pop half of your lump of clay onto a flat surface (you might want to put newspapers down if you’re doing this indoors). Now press one end of your cane bundle into it.

Place the canes into your pot, with the clay at the bottom of it. Take the remaining pieces of clay and push them down the sides to secure the canes firmly into position.

Your bee home can now be placed in a sunny, dry spot for bees to find. Try to make sure that the bottom of your pot is slightly higher than the opening to protect the cane bundle from rain.

Bees make honey by collecting nectar from flowers and taking it back to their hives where they turn it into honey, placing it into combs and sealing the store so that they can continue to feed through winter. When you eat honey on toast, it’s because a bee keeper has taken this honey for us to eat. Don’t worry, though, as the bee keeper will ensure his bees are fed with sugary syrup throughout winter so they don’t go hungry. Bees work very hard to make their honey – one worker bee will make just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime, so make sure you don’t waste any!

Just for fun

Q: What goes zzub, zzub? A: A bee flying backwards!

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Practical project

Bravo for brassicas! Don’t let your container kitchen garden run out of steam – sow now for an autumn harvest of leafy brassicas, advises Kathryn Hawkins

What you will need

any crops can be sown in summer to give a tasty crop of leaves during the autumn months and on into winter. Chief among these are members of the brassica tribe, such as cabbage, kale and Oriental greens, which can be started off now to yield a hearty harvest. Given a suitably generous volume of compost and the right varieties, these crops also offer the perfect solution for container gardens. The best cabbages and kales for container growing are compact, spring cabbages and dwarf varieties of kale. You’ll get a quicker reward for your efforts and tasty, lighter leaves for cooking with – excellent for steaming or stir-fries. If you want to carry on growing throughout the colder months of the year, then winter cabbages in larger containers might also be worth considering. Kale is the hardiest of all brassicas whose flavour is believed to improve after exposure to a frost. You’ll find a huge selection of interesting-tasting leaves that come under the umbrella of Oriental greens. These brassicas are perfect for cooler climates and will provide excellent greenery for cooking and eating when other leaves are scarce. These are ideal for container growing and some, like mizuna, make good cut-and-come-again crops, representing excellent value too. Chinese cabbages are the biggest of the Oriental greens and take up the most space, while pak choi form small, compact bunches of leaves with a thick, yet soft white stalk. Mizuna is a Japanese salad brassica with fine, feathery leaves used for garnishing, salads or stir-fries. Mustard greens can be grown as a large cabbage or as a leafy seedling to give a mustardy flavour to a salad. All can be grown from seed or ready-raised seedlings. ■

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Small pots, seed trays or module trays

Peat-free, multipurpose compost Large containers and/or grow bags Brassica seeds suitable for

summer sowing including: cabbage, kale, Chinese cabbage, mizuna, pak choi, mustard greens

Sow now for a fine crop of autumn brassicas, including cabbage and kale

20/05/2010 12:41

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01959 541444 and quote “E103”or visit

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Seasonal fayre

STEP-BY-STEP: Growing autumn brassicas

Keep containers weed-free and water in dry weather. Feed with a nitrogen-rich liquid feed mid season and protect plants from bird and cabbage butterflies if they are a problem with netting and fleece. Cut cabbages when the hearts are firm, using a knife to cut through the stem, just below the head. Kale is best picked as required.

Sow seed directly into outdoor containers filled with multipurpose compost or, if you have indoor space, into modules for later planting out. Firm down the compost, make drills about 1cm (0.5in) deep then sow the seeds thinly. As they grow, thin out the seedlings to keep them about 5cm (2in) apart, or one per module.

For Oriental greens, sow Chinese cabbage seeds directly into an outdoor container, in drills about 2cm (1in) deep. These are also ideal for raising in grow bags. When large enough to handle, thin out to 10cm (4in) apart. After a few weeks, thin the seedlings again to about 25cm (10in) apart – you can use the established seedlings as spring greens – leaving the strongest specimens to grow on.

When the plants are 12cm (5in) tall, they are ready for transplanting into your chosen container. Choose the strongest seedlings and, using a dibber, make sufficiently deep holes for each seedling and firm in carefully. Plants should be spaced about 2545cm (10-18in) apart, depending on variety. Water well and fix a cabbage collar around the stems. Plant readygrown seedlings singly or in large containers.

For other leaves, sow every two weeks up until September for a continuous supply. Leave un-thinned for salad leaves or thin to 15cm (6in) or more for larger plants. Ready-raised plants may also be planted out at these final spacings. Keep all plants weed-free, well watered and protect with fleece to shield from strong sunlight. Remove yellowing or weak leaves using scissors.

As winter approaches, protect over-wintering varieties with cloches (these do not have to be so well watered). For Chinese leaves, tie up the leaves with raffia or light string if they start to loosen. All Oriental leaves are best picked and used as required. Either pick off individual leaves – this way the plants will sprout again – or pull up the whole plant.

For more container crop ideas get your hands on Kathryn Hawkins’ new book Pot it Grow it Eat it. To order a copy at the special price of £7.99 (normal price £9.99), including free post and packing, call 01206 255800, quoting the book title, ISBN: 9781847736659 and offer code ‘POT/GROW’.

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July 2010 83 P82-83 Autumn brassicasBV.indd 83

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Know-how The height of the growing season sees plots in full glory, but summer holidays are a potentially risky time for your charges

Time is of the essence Whether you’re heading off on holiday or are out and about with the kids, summer absences can prove a tricky time for the kitchen gardener. Mike Woolnough shares his time-saving tips to keep your plot safe while you’re busy

igh summer can be a very difficult time of year for our gardens and allotments. Although the bulk of sowing and planting is complete and we are, at last, relaxing a little and anticipating the harvest to come, there are plenty of potential pitfalls to avoid before we can enjoy the fruits of our labour. A typical British summer is anything but – by its very nature it is highly unpredictable. There may be a drought or we could face a very wet season, or

there might be a mixture of sunshine and showers that would stimulate faster growth for our crops, and weeds! Add into the mix the fact that many people head off in July and August for their annual holiday and you can appreciate the huge impact all this has on the success or otherwise of our crops. Even if you are not going away for a long period, having young children that need to be kept amused at home for several weeks could take up valuable gardening time. And as if to really put the cat

A deep mulch of well-rotted leaf mould will keep weeds at bay as well as retaining moisture. Once crops are harvested the mulch can be dug in to improve soil structure

among the pigeons, this is also the time when many pests may emerge to ravage those crops. So, although these are potentially trying months, what measures can we take to prevent potential problems from arising? Well, it’s time to think smart and take some simple steps that, when combined, will help to reduce the workload facing us after our return from the holiday period. These tips will save you time and ensure that the living really is easy this summer.

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Check the weeds

I am a huge fan of mulching thanks to its many beneficial effects. A good, deep mulch will stop almost any weed growth in its tracks. It will also do a great job of slowing down evaporation from the ground, thereby retaining valuable moisture in the soil around your plants. I use several tonnes of well-rotted leaf mould for this purpose every season and am convinced that as climate change has an ever-greater impact on my part of the country, with longer spring and summertime dry spells, it will make all the difference between crop success and failure. Undoubtedly it is having a big influence in my polytunnels, as watering is carried out less often, even in very hot weather. Good compost will have a similar effect if it is used as a mulch. Make sure it is weed seed-free or you will end up amplifying the weed problem instead of preventing it. Commercially available mulching fabric, while not quite as effective at retaining moisture content, will similarly curtail weed growth and shade the ground, keeping it cool. Rolls of this sheeting can often be bought quite cheaply when on special offer from garden centres and mail-order catalogues. An even cheaper solution for smaller areas is to spread old newspapers over the ground, secured in place with bricks or pegs. If this is well soaked with water before any holiday

Mixing in water-retaining gel into your hanging basket’s compost at planting time reduces water stress later on in the season

departure, this covering may well keep the ground moist for many days. As a precaution, any mulch sheeting should have slug pellets sprinkled underneath to prevent the shady, moist conditions leading to an explosion in the slug and snail populations. Make sure that the pellets are of a type that will cause no harm to other wildlife, such as hedgehogs or thrushes, pets or inquisitive young fingers.

This Hozelock automatic irrigation system has an integral timer that accurately controls delivery of water every day

Of course, don’t forget the power of a sharp hoe. If you are out on day trips throughout the summer, aim to set aside at least half an hour a week to run the hoe around your vegetable patch and flower beds. Beheading weeds when they are just an inch high is much easier than later trying to remove entrenched mature plants with deep roots.

Water stations

If you are absent for just a week or two you are unlikely to return home to a desert landscape full of shriveled plants. Most established plants are remarkably resilient and will withstand drought conditions for some time. It is the freshlyplanted specimens that are most at risk. One option is to consider setting up an automatic irrigation system for these more vulnerable plants. Such a setup will certainly be of use if you are intending to head off for long periods. In summer 2008 I field-tested a number of different irrigation systems (see ‘Water, water everywhere’, pages 63-66, June 2008 issue). One of these was an automatic sprinkler/drip system from Hozelock called the Auto Aquapod, which switches on at a set time each day for a pre-determined period. Hozelock claims it uses 90 per cent less water than hand watering. It would be ideal for summer holiday watering and although principally designed for watering pot plants, there is certainly enough piping included to be able to water a reasonable area. There are undoubtedly other automatic watering systems that would fit the bill. Don’t forget your hanging baskets. They are notoriously hard to keep damp  as wind is able pass right round them, July 2010 85

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Know-how sucking out the moisture. The answer in this instance might be to use waterretaining gel within the compost mix. This gel slowly releases water that it locks up in moister conditions, as well as nutrients and hormones to promote vigorous growth. Supplied in sachets or bags, the gel is simply mixed in with your compost at planting time. It is also suitable for use in pots and troughs, which are often just as prone to drying out. Never be tempted to let watering sessions turn into ten-minute runarounds with the watering can, just to get the job done. It is far more beneficial to give a really good, deep soaking once a week than merely wetting the surface. Light sprinklings will encourage plants to produce surface roots rather than the deeper growth that’s needed.

Vacant lots

Planting a spreading, large-leaved crop such as pumpkin can help keep a vacant plot relatively weed-free

What to do about those larger bare patches on your plot that are currently vacant and waiting for later crops to be planted? Open to the elements, they can quickly become a weed-tangled jungle. It is possible, of course, to cover them with heavy-duty mulch sheeting but why not look to a more useful solution, such as a green manure? Green manures are quick-growing crops sown with the sole intention of digging them into the ground later on to improve the soil. Seed is available from most merchants that will produce a suitable ground cover, such as the general purpose mixture from Thompson & Morgan, costing £3.29 to cover 2m2 (11sq ft) or agricultural white mustard from Kings Seeds, costing £1.50 to cover 25m2 (269sq ft). An even cheaper option is to sow pigeon tares, which are available from many animal feed merchants. Tares are extremely fast growing and are excellent nitrogen-fixers. I have used them very successfully on my allotments, rotovating them into the ground a couple of weeks before I am ready to sow the next crop. Alternatively plant out one or two young pumpkin plants of a medium or large-growing variety to plug the gap. While it is too late to sow them now, young plants can often be purchased from garden centres, nurseries and even car boot sales. Pumpkins spread over quite substantial areas, their large leaves shielding the ground and helping to retain moisture while discouraging weed growth. You will need a reasonable space to grow them – two ‘Mars’ pumpkins that I grew a couple of years ago covered an area about six metres square. The upside is that they will keep the ground reasonably clear for you and provide the bonus of superb, roasted pumpkin right through to Christmas and beyond thanks to their strong storage ability.

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Quick off the mark If time conspires against you this summer try a few of these quick-fire crops for rapid results. They are sure to keep you and children on school holidays happy. They can be sown until the end of summer into shallow drills of prepared soil. Keep seedlings moist as they grow and pluck out any weeds that appear. Children will love taking ownership of these easy-grow, speedy veg – giving you more time to catch up on other gardening jobs!

Lettuce ‘Wildfire Mix’: And

they grow like wildfire too! Ready in just 28 days, this salad leaf mix contains a high percentage of red-leaved lettuces, including ‘Outredgous’, ‘Aruba’ and ‘Blackjack’. Nicky’s Nursery

Carrot ‘Paris Market 5’: These stump-rooted, bite-size carrots grow very fast indeed. They can be sown into containers or even on clay soil and have an excellent flavour. Mr Fothergill’s Beetroot ‘Pronto’: Harvest

these sweet beetroots young for a delicious experience. The skins are smooth and the flesh is deep red. Try them raw in salads or pickled. Chiltern Seeds

Dwarf bean

‘Tasman’: A heavy-yielding French bean that’s unlikely to disappoint. It is bred to withstand hot summers and is disease resistant. The pods are smooth and straight. Johnsons

Kohl rabi ‘Logo’: Any curious gardener will love this alienlooking vegetable, but especially young helpers. It is bolt resistant and forms pale green swollen stems. Nicky’s Nursery

Certain pests, such as caterpillars of the notorious cabbage white butterfly can destroy crops in a very short time

What happens if you don’t find time during the hectic summer holidays for all the sowing and pricking out that your follow-on crops will demand? The answer lies in buying plant plugs, dispatched to you by post. Postal plug plants are becoming increasingly popular with busy gardeners, with seed merchants reporting that sales are steadily on the up. I tried some earlier this year for the first time and can tell you that my plants arrived in superb condition and are doing very well. Look out for the likes of plug plant specialist Gardening Direct (0844 8846535, www.gardeningdirect.co.uk), as well as all the usual seed companies.

Pest defence

Protecting your precious vegetables from the numerous pests that are waiting for you to turn your back should be a summer priority. It’s when you are sunning yourself on a distant beach that these insects take the opportunity to attack! Cabbage white caterpillars are a particularly ruthless example, turning brassicas into skeletons practically overnight. Meanwhile, whitefly and other aphids can stunt the growth of vegetables and leave them coated in their sticky droppings. The dreaded carrot fly can appear while you are away and you won’t even be aware of its presence until harvest time. Until recently there was very little you could do to prevent these and other pests from doing damage, unless you were prepared to use chemical sprays (and how would you if you were away on holiday?). Thankfully, nowadays there is a much more acceptable way of preventing many pests from gaining a foothold in the form of nematodes. Most people will now have heard of these microscopic creatures that prey on garden pests. Like

other biological controls, such as the ladybird larvae that feed on aphids, there is usually a specific nematode available to target a specific pest. However, there is a new nematode on the block, available from Nemasys (the same company that manufacture the popular slug deterrent Nemaslug) that’s about to change all that. Called ‘Grow your Own’, this latest nematode control is aimed at a broad range of pests. Simply add some to a watering can and sprinkle all over your plot just before you go away on holiday. The microscopic guided missiles will seek and destroy pests while you are away to ensure that your crops remain healthy and un-nibbled for you return. Whichever of my suggestions you set into action, try not to worry too much about your kitchen garden plot while you are away on holiday. A break from the garden or allotment will see you returning refreshed and ready for that final push before harvest time. ■

Suppliers ● Chiltern Seeds: 01229 581137,

www.chilternseeds.co.uk ● Hozelock: 0121 3131122,

www.hozelock.com/watering ● Johnsons: 0845 6589147,

www.johnsons-seeds.com ● Kings Seeds: 01376 570000,

www.kingsseeds.com ● Mr Fothergill’s: 0845 3710518,

www.mr-fothergills.co.uk ● Nicky’s Nursery: 01843 600972,

www.nickys-nursery.co.uk ● Thompson & Morgan:

0844 2485383, www.thompson-morgan.com July 2010 87

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In the kitchen

Seasonal fare With so much tasty fruit and veg coming off the land now is truly the season of bounty! Celebrate this time of plenty with these carefully selected recipes that will have you salivating

Chilled broad bean, pea and mint soup

What’s in season? Basil Beetroot Blackcurrants Blueberries Broad beans Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Chard Cherries Courgettes Cucumber Endive Fennel Garlic Globe artichokes Gooseberries Lettuce Loganberries Mint Onion Peas Potatoes Radishes Raspberries Redcurrants Rhubarb Rocket Salad leaves Shallots Sorrel Spinach Spring onions Strawberries Tomato Turnip Method

Serves 1 Ingredients

Recipe by Hannah Miles

● 75g (3oz) peas ● 75g (3oz) broad beans ● 450ml (16fl oz) vegetable or

chicken stock 1 tbsp olive oil 1 shallot, peeled and chopped A few stalks of fresh mint 1 tbsp sherry or Marsala wine (optional) ● Salt and ground black pepper ● ● ● ●

Chilled soups are one of the highlights of this time of year; there are few more refreshing delights on a hot summer’s day. This recipe uses delicious peas and broad beans from the garden but either can be substituted for frozen vegetables. If you have only peas or broad beans available, then simply use 150g (6oz) of either. If the weather is cool and rainy then the soup can be served warm.

Gently fry the shallot in the olive oil in a saucepan for five minutes until soft. Add the peas, beans, stock, mint and sherry (if using) and simmer for 10 minutes.

Blitz with a hand blender or in a food processor then season to taste. You will need extra seasoning in cold soups, as the salt and pepper will not be as strong.

Leave to chill in the fridge. Serve with a swirl of cream if you have some and then sprinkle over the top a little freshly-chopped mint.

88 July 2010 P88-89 In the KitchenBV.indd 2

20/05/2010 12:57

Spicy potato and cauliflower Recipe by Joy Skipper

Serves 4 Ingredients ● 500g (1lb 2oz) potatoes,

cut into bite-size pieces ● 1 small cauliflower, cut

Fresh spuds and the first heads of allotment cauliflower are a real cause for celebration! What better way to combine these two deliciously filling vegetables than with this easy-to-make curry? It will make for a healthy and moreish supper.

into florets ● 1 onion, peeled and sliced ● 2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil) ● 1 tsp turmeric ● 2 tsp cumin seeds ● ½ tsp ground cumin ● ½ tsp ground coriander ● ½ tsp chilli powder ● 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ● 3cm (1in) fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped ● 2 tomatoes, chopped ● Spring onions and almond slivers to serve

Method

Heat a pan of water for cooking the potatoes, adding half a teaspoon of turmeric to the water. Cook the potatoes for 6-8 minutes then add the cauliflower and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile heat one tablespoon of the coconut oil in a wok or large pan and fry together the onion and cumin seeds until it starts to turn golden. Remove to a warm plate.

Heat the remaining coconut oil and add the garlic, ginger and remaining spices and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and add these to the spices in the wok, along with the chopped tomatoes.

Return the onions to the pan and toss everything gently while cooking for 3-4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with sliced spring onions and slivers of almonds.

Cherry pie Also known as Queen Elizabeth’s cherry pie, this open pie is more like a tart and uses some of the first tree fruits of the season. It is possibly the oldest traditional cherry dish, baked in this country for 500 years and celebrated in literature and song. It’s the perfect end to any summer dinner.

For the crust: ● 300g (11oz) plain flour ● 150g (5oz) butter ● 2 eggs ● Salt ● 3 tbsp very cold water ● 1 egg, beaten ● Sugar Method

First make the pastry. Cut the butter into pieces and rub the flour and butter together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and a little water and, using a knife, mix together until you have a dough. Tip out onto a floured board and knead briefly. Wrap in cling film and put in a fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cornflour, two tablespoons of orange juice and one tablespoon of grated

For the filling: ● 1.2kg (2lb 10oz) pitted,

sweet cherries ● 150g (5oz) sugar ● 3 tbsp cornflour ● Orange juice and fresh

Recipe by Clarissa Porter

Serves 4-6 Ingredients

orange peel, grated ● 1 tsp ground cinnamon ● Dash of almond

essence ● Salt

orange peel, ground cinnamon, almond essence and a pinch of salt. Then add the cherries, tossing together. Put to one side for about 30 minutes.

Now grease a 22cm (9in) tart tin and divide the pastry into two halves, one a bit bigger than the other. Take the larger piece and, on a floured board, roll out the pastry until it is quite thin. Cut out a round to cover the tin, about 30cm (12in) across or a bit wider.

Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (400°F, gas 6). Line your

tart tin with the pastry round. Then take the second portion of dough and roll it out so that you have a rectangle about 30x20cm (12x8in). You will be cutting out strips for a lattice top from this so use your eye and judge whether these measurements fit your tart. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut the rectangle lengthways into nine 1.5cm (half-inch) strips.

Spoon the filling into the pastry case, place five strips across the tart in one direction and then the remaining four across in the other direction to

form the lattice top. Press the ends into the edge of the pastry to seal together, crimp the edge all the way around and decorate if you wish.

Brush the pastry with an egg glaze then sprinkle a little sugar over the top of the pie. Place in the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes. Then use tinfoil to cover the edges of the crust and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pie is golden and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve by itself or with cream.

July 2010 89 P88-89 In the KitchenBV.indd 3

20/05/2010 12:57

Free seeds STEP-BY-STEP: Growing your cabbages

Grow your

free cabbage seeds!

Sow cabbages outside into prepared ground. The young seedlings will appear within two to three weeks. Thin if necessary to leave 5cm (2in) between each seedling.

Whether you want tasty spring greens or a hearty cabbage, this month’s free seeds are for you

he hardy and easy-to-grow cabbage is this month’s free cover seeds and we’ve brought you a real old-time favourite. ‘Offenham 2 – Flower of Spring’ is a versatile cabbage forming delicious, solid heads of tasty leaves or exceptional greens. Sow this winner in spring for an autumn crop of tasty greens, or in summer for solid, pointed heads the following spring. Whether you want your cabbage for spring or autumn picking, you’ll really appreciate Offenham 2’s vitamin-rich leaves. Simply shred them and lightly boil for a few minutes before serving with a little butter and a grind of black pepper. Pick an open and sunny site for your cabbages in soil that’s well-drained and slightly alkaline. Soil should have been manured for a previous crop so that it is rich and moisture-retentive. If your soil is anything but alkaline, apply some lime onto the soil surface soon after digging it over. This will lower the pH and make conditions far more suitable for these brassicas.

Sowing and growing

Seed can be sown directly outside into prepared soil that’s been raked to a fine tilth, or indoors into module trays for later planting out. To sow outdoors, draw drills into the soil about 1.5cm (0.5in) deep and sow the seed thinly before covering them

over. Water along the drills before sowing to thoroughly wet the soil. Keep the soil moist as the seedlings appear and grow on. Thin them out if overcrowded to leave 5cm (2in) between each seedling. Sowings made in the spring will produce leaves in autumn, while those sown in summer will overwinter to give tasty pointed spring-harvested heads of leaves. Transplant the seedlings once they are about 10cm (4in) tall, spacing them about 45cm (18in) apart in rows spaced the same distance. Firm them in well at planting time and keep beds well watered and weed-free. Sow indoors if springtime conditions are poor or the ground is occupied at that time. Set seeds into seed trays of multipurpose compost about 0.5cm (0.25in) deep. They can be kept in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame to germinate. Avoid frost and harden them off gradually before planting them outside later on in the spring.

When the young plants are approximately 10cm (4in) high it is time to plant them out. Set them 45cm (18in) apart and firm them in well. Keep them watered and free of weeds.

Gorgeous greens

Garden or allotment-grown greens take some beating and with any luck you’ll have more than enough plants to keep you well stocked. Cut the spring-sown greens as needed. Summer sowings can be enjoyed as greens from the end of winter, or left to heart-up from April to enjoy as well-filled, pointed heads. Either way you will be guaranteed a culinary treat! ■

Plants should grow smoothly up to harvest. However, if necessary, guard against the interest of pigeons and other birds by positioning netting over your cabbages. July 2010 91

P91 Free SeedsBV.indd 91

20/05/2010 12:58

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Product review

Trigger happy

Regular watering can be a time consuming job, so it’s worth having the right tools for the job. Keith Annetts puts some spray guns to the test

t’s that time of year again when constant vigilance is needed on the veg patch to keep all its occupants well watered and in good heart. A consistent supply of water is essential to keep crops healthy, but perhaps like me you don’t always have the time to water them all from a watering can. Hosepipe bans permitting, most summers I have to resort to a hose and spray gun to complete my watering. Last year, for one reason or another,

I managed to go through three spray heads. One of them was accidentally dropped and subsequently broke, one started to leak, and the third saw the trigger/piston-retaining clip snapping off. An attempt was made to repair the third spray gun with glue but to no avail. The solution to all of these faulty spray guns was a trip to the garden centre to buy the best and most expensive one I could find, in the hope that maybe this one would last! Well, it has and is in regular use up to this day, but it prompted me to complete a product test on some of the more widely available spray guns to see how they perform. All of the spray gun tests that follow were carried out using an in-line regulator and a pressure meter, kindly donated by my friend Gordon, the village plumber – or should that be ‘water

control technician’? The pressure was set to two bar (approximately 29 psi) to give a consistent and fair test across all the different spray heads. Both the amount of water delivered (time to deliver one gallon) and the various spray patterns were then observed. The overall performance of nearly all the spray heads was, on the whole, very good. Top of the shop for me was the Draper Expert Spray Gun, which was both comfortable to use and looked as though it would survive the occasional knock. Coming in a close second was the Hozelock Ultra Metal 14 Spray Gun; it only fell down on its weight. Prices for these spray guns do vary and the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ certainly holds true. All the spray heads tested can be found on the internet and shopping around will definitely bring savings.  July 2010 93

Sprayer Comparison.indd 93

21/05/2010 15:18

Product review

Hozelock Jet Spray Gun

Hozelock Ultra 12 Spray Gun

Supplier: available from stockists nationwide (for stockist details: 0121 3131122, www.hozelock.com)

The Jet Spray Gun is small and light and has a choice of three spray patterns: ‘jet’ for cleaning, ‘fast fill’ for filling up watering cans and ‘mist’ for watering seedlings and young plants. It has a rear action trigger, which is made of textured rubber. This can be locked in place using a lever, which works well, and has a manual release. I found this spray gun very easy to use, although there is no clear difference between the three spray patterns produced. The piston is connected to the trigger via a plastic spigot coupling, which I have had fail before. Saying that, this is a new model, so this part may have been strengthened. Another feature is the valve control lever, which can reduce the flow rate by half.

The Ultra 12 Spay Gun is quite large but is still light enough in weight. It has seven spray patterns: ‘powerful jet’ for cleaning, ‘fast fill’ for filling up watering cans, ‘fine mist’ for seedlings, a high definition brass rose for gentle watering, ‘fan spray’ for rinsing soap off cars and ‘cone spray’ for delicate watering. The final spray pattern is an aerated flow for high volume watering with no disturbance of the compost. This gun has a good design that sits well in the hand. It has a textured pistol grip and the same material is used for the rose head, making it easy to grip to change the spray pattern. Hozelock include a patented, infinitely variable trigger flow control so that the harder you squeeze the more water you get; this certainly had a smooth action and worked well. The rose head can easily be removed for cleaning and there is also a very handy spares kit available for changing ‘O’-rings and washers. It comes with a twoyear guarantee.

Time to deliver a gallon: 35 seconds

Price: £10.36

Time to deliver a gallon: 23 seconds

Price: £29.99

Gardena Comfort Shower/ Spray Gun Time to deliver a gallon: 32 seconds

Hozelock Ultra Metal 14 Spray Gun Time to deliver a gallon: 27 seconds

Price: £36.28

Supplier: available from stockists nationwide (for stockist details: 0121 3131122, www.hozelock.com) The Ultra Metal 14 (also pictured above) gun is rather heavy. It has several spray patterns: the powerful jet, fast fill, fine mist, fan spray and cone spray of the Ultra 12, plus a high definition nickel-plated brass rose for gentle watering. It has an ultra-tough zinc alloy body, which is mostly covered in textured rubber. Also included is a locking trigger, like the Ultra 12. Many of the components are made of metal, such as the hose coupling and some of the rose head parts, but unfortunately this makes the gun very heavy to use. However, when all is said and done, I would be very confident that it would survive a drop or two and it is obviously made to last, as it comes with a reassuring three-year guarantee.

Price: £19.49

Supplier: available from stockists nationwide (for stockist details: 01325 300303, www.liveyourgarden.com) The Gardena Comfort is a good size but light to use. It has a three-spray pattern rose: soft spray, mist spray and hard jet. Made of plastic components with a soft plastic retaining ring for the rose, its flow rate is adjustable by means of a rearmounted lever, which worked fine and is easy to use. The trigger action was very smooth but I wasn’t overly keen on the locking lever, which felt a little clumsy. The rose head is removable for cleaning purposes. When I came to use the jet spray the outer rose leaked, which was somewhat irritating.

94 July 2010 Sprayer Comparison.indd 94

21/05/2010 15:18

Gardena Premium Adjustable Shower/Spray Gun Time to deliver a gallon: 28 seconds

Price: £21.99

Supplier: Two Wests & Elliott (01246 451077, www.twowests.co.uk) The Gardena Premium Adjustable Shower/ Spray Gun has a petite size, medium weight and the same threespray pattern rose as the Gardena Comfort. The well-designed spray gun is robust and made of a metal/plastic combination with a non-slip soft plastic body. The rose head also has a soft plastic ring to protect it against damage. This is altogether a much better model than the Gardena Comfort, as it is well balanced and would likely be hard wearing. It uses a single-handed operation and I like the flow rate adjusting lever, which has the same soft plastic inset into it. It doesn’t have a trigger control but I did not find this a disadvantage. Complete with a metal hose coupling, I found this to be a well-constructed sprayer.

Draper Three Pattern Spray Gun Time to deliver a gallon: 55 seconds

Price: £10.03

Supplier: available from stockists nationwide (for stockist details: 023 8026 6355, www.drapertools.com) This Draper spray gun has, as the name suggests, three spray patterns: cone, mist and jet. It is both small and light and consists of a high impact-resistant plastic construction. The handle has a soft, contoured textured grip and the trigger lever is made of fiberglass-reinforced nylon that feels like it’s made to last. Included is a locking clip for continuous watering – which was my only concern. I just wonder whether if this came loose it might keep dropping down and locking the gun into the ‘on’ position. There is a water flow control nut, which like the Hozelock Jet Spray Gun is made of plastic.

Bio Green Spray Gun

Time to deliver a gallon: 38 seconds

Price: £19.99

Supplier: Two Wests & Elliott (01246 451077, www.twowests.co.uk)

Draper Expert Spray Gun Time to deliver a gallon: 37 seconds

Price: £16.24

Supplier: available from stockists nationwide (for stockist details: 023 8026 6355, www.drapertools.com) The Draper Expert Spray Gun (also pictured above) is medium in size and weight and has seven spray patterns: flat, jet, shower, centre (gentle flow), mist, soaker and cone. It is made of a diecast body with a rubber-textured grip. The water flow control and hose coupling are made out of brass. I found this by far the best all-rounder; it felt good and sturdy. My only reservation was the locking clip, which was the same as the other Draper model tested. The spray head is removable but you will need a screwdriver to do this. This could be its only downfall, as screws and water don’t tend to mix.

This small spray gun is middling to heavy in weight and comes with four individual detachable spray heads. The high-quality brass heads use the same locking system as a standard hose coupling. Their simple, quick-release makes it easy to swap from one to another, although you’ll have to remember to turn the lever valve to off first. The probable advantage to this is that should you damage a rose, you can just replace it. The feel to this no-slip textured grip spray gun is slightly different from the normal pistol grip spray heads because of the handle to head angle, though it works well. I found the lever was a little awkward, as you have to reposition your thumb to turn it on or off. It has simplicity on its side, however, which means less can go wrong.

BEST BUY July 2010 95

Sprayer Comparison.indd 95

21/05/2010 15:19

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Sow outdoors thinly where they are to crop, 1.5cm (1/2”) deep directly into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Allow 30cm (1’) between rows. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. Thin out to 10cm (4”) apart. Water well until plants are established. Regular sowings made every two to three weeks will ensure a continuous supply.

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Sow outdoors thinly in a seed bed, 1.5cm (1/2”) deep directly into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. Water well until plants are established. Transplant 15cm (6”) apart into 15cm (6”) deep holes made with a dibber. Allow 30cm (1’) between rows. Water seedlings, but do not fill holes with soil. As plants grow, draw up soil onto them to improve length of blanch (white stem). Or sow indoors 0.5cm (1/4”) deep, in a tray of compost. Water well and place in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. Keep moist. Transplant 5cm (2”) apart to other trays when large enough to handle. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions (avoid frosts), before planting out.

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Sow outdoors thinly where they are to crop, 1.5cm (1/2”) deep, directly into prepared soil which has been watered or into pots. Sow the Spring Onions 15cm (6”) apart between rows. Early sowings may benefit from cloche protection. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. No thinning is required, but keep well watered in dry spells. Regular sowings made every two to three weeks will ensure a continuous supply through the summer. For cut and come again baby lettuce and lambs lettuce leaves, allow 15cm (6”) between rows or sow thinly direct into 25cm (10”) pots. Early sowings may benefit from cloche protection. Seedlings usually appear in 7-21 days. No further thinning should be necessary, keep moist. Regular sowings made every two to three weeks will ensure a continuous supply of leaves. Pick a few from each plant from approx. 5cm (2”) high, they will regrow for up to 4 ‘cuts’. For mature leaves allow 20cm (8”) between rows and thin to 15cm (6”) apart. Harvest whole plants from May.

High summer and it’s high time you should be enjoying all that fresh produce coming off your plot! In next month’s issue we’ll explore some of the options for late-season crops, including delicious Oriental leaves such as Chinese cabbage. There’s advice on setting up a polytunnel, plus tips on choosing droughtresistant veg suitable for even the hottest summer. We review some of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show highlights, plus our Practical Team dispenses their seasonal tips to keep your crops in tiptop condition.

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Last word

Christine Walkden is a past presenter of BBC Gardeners’ World and has had her own television series. She lectures widely and is a prolific broadcaster, writer and passionate gardener.

“

I’m now keen to experiment with dates either side of normal sowing windows

”

Christine’s corner Should we rigidly stick to the sowing times shown on the back of seed packets? Christine Walkden believes it may be worth breaking free of convention

was chatting to an old gardener the other day and we got on to the subject of filling the space created once the first crops of the season have come out of the ground. He mentioned that he sows peas in pots during the first week of June so that he has plants ready for planting once he’s harvested his onions in July. Harvests from this sowing are picked from late September to early October. I must confess that I was a little surprised, as I sow peas directly into the ground in July and still achieve the same harvest date. I use the very old variety of ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ for this. And yes, I know it’s a first early, but I grow it because of its mildew resistance and find it to be a first-class choice for sowing this late. In the past I’ve tried other varieties but none do as well for me at this time of year as ‘Kelvedon Wonder’. Previously mildew always seemed to strike the crop at some stage, but not now. Success with this tough variety got me thinking and I’m now keen to experiment with dates either side of normal sowing windows to see if other disease-resistant varieties go on to produce good results. Sometimes it’s worth acting outside the normal timescales. The same old gardener looked at my parsnips and asked if I was going to mulch them. I normally don’t but he said that mulching helps prevent the crowns from cracking and reduces the level

of canker. I am going to try this out by using my well-rotted compost to mulch some of the parsnips. The others will be left uncovered to see if there’s any appreciable difference. This month I’ll also be giving all my herbs a cut back. I do this to encourage the production of fresh material which will be harvested once it has reached a suitable size. In past summers I’ve also frozen a lot of the leaves to use in

casseroles and other dishes during winter. I use the ice cube method because I only cook for one and find that a single cube gives just the right amount of herbal boost to a recipe.

Of course, I pick and use the foliage fresh during the earlier part of the year but it’s great to set aside some of those exciting flavours to brighten up a cold winter’s evening. I was disappointed in spring to find out that the planned Edible Garden Show has been postponed until next March. These events are great for inspiring gardeners to try out the new ideas and new varieties revealed at the shows. I am now looking forward to travelling up and down the country where I will be judging or opening small village shows right through to autumn. It’s really satisfying to see what local gardeners are up to and which varieties they have been using. What a pity more of the exhibitors don’t share their secrets with beginners. What, for example, do they think of the competition? How do they grow such long and perfectly white leeks? What’s the secret behind the fine root texture and colour of their beetroots? These, and all the other little things that go on at such shows, are what make these visits so fascinating. I must admit, however, that I am jealous of the judges of two particular classes: cakes and winemaking. They get to taste the produce on display, while all I get to do is saturate my visual senses. Perhaps I should go and re-train! ■

98 July 2010 P98 Last wordBV.indd 98

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