WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK | JULY 2018
BRITAIN'S BEST READ FOR FRUIT & VEG GROWERS CELEBRATING THE 250TH ISSUE & OUR 21ST YEAR OF VEG GROWING ADVICE
SWEET SUCCESS CLIMBING BEANS SWEETCORN BLACKCURRANTS
meet the kids that know their onions BUILD A BAMBOO WALL FRAME MAKE YOUR OWN DELICIOUS SUMMER CORDIALS
Veg in the Garden of Eden (Cornwall!)
EDITOR’S LETTER
WELCOME
After all the sowing and planting of previous months July gives us the opportunity to slow up a little and just get on with the lovely job of growing our crops. Assuming the sun will shine this month we asked cookery expert Anna Pettigrew for some ideas for cooling home-made cordials; just the thing to enjoy while taking a break from the weeding. One of those uses blackcurrants as its main ingredient and starting on page 68 you’ll find fruit expert David Patch’s own recipe for growing success with this delicious fruit. Beans are great freezer fillers. Veg expert Rob Smith reveals his favourite varieties and offers some great growing tips, plus on page 92, Joyce Russell has a simple idea for giving these climbers the support they need. We celebrate a milestone this month – our 250th issue – and on behalf of the team I wanted to thank you all for your wonderful support. Here’s to the next 21 years of growing delicious freshpicked fruit and veg together!
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Steve Ott, editor Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529
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CHECK OUT OUR GREAT GIVEAWAYS AT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2018 | 3
CONTENTS
EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
40
32 YOU ✪ ON THE COVER
YOUR PLOT
6 ON THE VEG PATCH
Martin Fish feeds onions, layers fruit, makes a bird scarer, takes care of blueberries, thins apples and has tips on growing fennel
@GrowWithKG KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag @GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
68
Tend to grape vines, tomatoes and pumpkins. Damp down paths, sow autumn crops, watch out for pests
12 WHAT’S NEW?
The latest news, comment and advice from the world of kitchen gardening
14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS
Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice
20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER
This month our experts solve your problems on plum trees splitting, cauliflowers ‘blowing’, sweetcorn problem solver
NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...
110 DIARY DATES
£20
See what’s on in your neck of the woods and make a note to book yourself on to a course or visit a great event
111 LAST WORD
ON PAGE 24 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month
4 | JULY 2018
Part one of our home-grown mystery; just who is the elusive gardener who tends to pristine plot 4B?
114 NEXT MONTH
Some of the highlights to be found in your August issue plus news of great free gifts
26 www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2018
36 Scan this, and we’ll tell you!
GET GROWING
Our resident chef Anna Pettigrew has some delicious recipes for blueberries, cucumber and cherry
16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS
Meet a new member of our gardening team
18 FLOWERS FOR YOUR PATCH
This month – gladioli, favoured by Morrissey!
22 GROWING ONLINE
Our pick of gardening social media and websites
26 THE GARDENS OF EDEN ✪
We take a tour of the spectacular Eden Project in Cornwall with head of their outdoor horticultural team, Julie Kendall
32 VEG AT A GLANCE – SWEETCORN ✪
KG's Tony Flanagan offers his top tips for growing this tasty crop
36 LIFT LETTUCE ALOFT ✪
Deputy editor Emma Rawlings has a great space-saving way to grow lettuce
Pg 106
106 61 INCREASE YOUR HERBS ✪
Ben Vanheems explains how to multiply your herbs using softwood and semi-ripe cuttings
65 MEET THE BLOGGERS
In this new series we look to the internet to meet the cream of the crop of modern day gardening diarists
45
68 BLACK MAGIC ✪
Fruit expert David Patch explains how to care for blackcurrants and reveals his favourite varieties
WHAT TO BUY
74 MAKE A SUMMER CORDIAL ✪
82 INSTANT SAVERS
40 FRENCH BEANS JE T’ADORE ✪
Anna Pettigrew makes some thirst-quenching seasonal drinks
45 ROSES FOR FLAVOUR ✪
79 ‘QUICK RETURN’ COMPOSTING –DEVELOPMENTS AND ADAPTATIONS
84 GARDEN STORE
Heritage veg expert Rob Smith looks at growing climbing and dwarf French beans
Sally Cunningham on roses that taste lovely as well as being beautiful
48 RAISED AND READY
Emma Rawlings looks at the pros and cons of growing in raised beds
52 GROWING IN HARMONY ✪
Biodynamic gardener Julie Moore visits a school in Walton-on-Thames where growing their own food is central to the curriculum
57 GARDENING FOR THE TIME POOR
Allotment enthusiast Becky Dickinson offers some time-busting tips www.kitchengarden.co.uk
In part two of this series, gardening expert Andrew Davenport takes an in-depth look at the new developments in Quick Return composting
86 HAPPY FOOD
Cookery writer Bettina Campolucci Bordi shares her favourite vegan recipes
89 THE INVISIBLE ALLOTMENT ✪
Gardening author Mat Coward plants unusual edibles in his front garden
92 MAKE A WALL FRAME FOR CLIMBING BEANS ✪ Joyce Russell shows you how
This month make some great savings on outdoor rugs, garden sundries and crop protection
More great new products and services to help boost your harvests
96 TRIED AND TESTED – WATERING CANS
This month the KG team puts a selection of models to the test
100 GREAT READER OFFERS ✪ Plus claim your free summer brassica collection* (*Just pay p&p)
102 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £2909 ✪
This month you could win WoodBlocX, Flower Show tickets, a Plantpak grow house, Cobra mower, Karcher pressure washer JULY 2018 | 5
GET GROWING
TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH IN JULY BY MARTIN FISH FEED ONIONS
Give onions a feed with a fertiliser rich in nitrogen to keep them actively growing through July, which is when the bulbs really start to swell out. In dry weather keep the plants watered to prevent any checks in growth, which can cause them to bolt.
PICK YOUNG COURGETTES
Check courgettes in the garden which should be growing well now and producing plenty of fruits. To keep them fruiting all summer long, pick the courgettes while they are small and tender. If allowed to grow large into marrows, the plant will stop producing new flowers and fruit.
CHECK LEEKS
Check young leek plants to make sure that they are establishing and starting to make new growth. If you planted in deep holes made with a dibber, it’s worth occasionally filling the holes with water to ensure the roots have plenty of moisture around them.
WATCH OUT FOR BLIGHT
Keep an eye out for any signs of blight on potato foliage, especially if the weather has been warm and humid for a few days. Tell-tale signs are watery rots on the leaves that soon spread and turn brown, followed by brown patches on the stems.
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JOBS FOR THE MONTH XXX
LAYER FRUIT STEP 1: Blackberries and hybrid berries that produce long new growth at this time of the year can easily be propagated by tip-layering. This is exactly how wild blackberries spread naturally to form a thicket of growth. Start by preparing an area of ground around the base of the plant by digging it over and mixing in some compost.
STEP 2: Bend one of the new shoots down to soil level and where it reaches to, scoop out a shallow depression just a couple of inches deep. Place the tip of the blackberry, loganberry, tayberry or any other hybrid berry into the hole. You can if you wish at this stage peg the tip down with some bent wire to hold it into place, especially if the main stem is strong and springy!
STEP 3: Pull the soil back over the tip so that it is buried in the hole and then water to moisten and settle the soil around the shoot. It’s then a case of waiting and being patient. Over autumn and winter, roots will develop from the buried tip and next spring a strong new shoot will grow. By autumn it will be established and can be lifted and replanted in its permanent position.
SOW NOW
WATER CARROTS IN DRY WEATHER Carrots are a fairly easy crop to grow in a sandy or light, loamy soil. What they don’t like is a heavy clay, very stony, or recently manured ground. For the best carrots, always sow directly into the soil so that the taproot can grow straight down without being damaged. What is important is to make sure the soil around the developing roots remains moist through the summer. If the soil dries out, followed by rain, it can cause the roots to split. To prevent this from happening, check the soil and if it is starting to dry out, water along the rows to maintain moist conditions around the roots. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
TRY SOME DIFFERENT LETTUCE You only have to look through a seed catalogue to see the large choice of different lettuce such as cos, butterhead, iceberg and the leafy, cut and come again types. Some are modern varieties that were initially bred for commercial growing, but there are still lots of old varieties available, many from the Victorian
and Edwardian era. For something a little different, why not grow a few old varieties such as ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’, ‘Bloody Cos’ or ‘Fat Lazy Blonde’ – named because the heads are fat and the inside leaves are pale! Sow a few seeds every few weeks and you’ll be able to enjoy them through until autumn. (See p page g 38 for more)
Dwarf beans, peas (early varieties), beetroot, lettuce, salad leaves, land cress, kohl rabi, carrots, basil, coriander, radish, spring onions, spinach, turnips, chard, Florence fennel, corn salad, chicory, Chinese cabbage.
PLANT NOW
Brussels sprouts, winter cabbage, kale, sprouting broccoli, calabrese, leeks, runner beans, lettuce, dwarf beans, courgettes, marrow, squashes, tomatoes,
HARVEST
Make a simple bird scarer out of an old plastic bottle by cutting around the sides to create wings that stick out. When placed on a cane, it will spin round to scare away hungry birds!
Broad beans, dwarf beans, early summer cabbage, rhubarb, lettuce, radish, spring onions, chard, carrots, beetroot, courgettes, turnips, spinach, herbs, globe artichokes, lettuce, gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, cherries, raspberries, strawberries. JULY 2018 | 7
GET GROWING
KEEP BLUEBERRIES WATERED AND FED ■ Brassicas are in full growth now and cabbage white butterflies are also very active. If growing in the open, check the plants every few days for clusters of orange/ yellow butterfly eggs on the underside of the leaves and squash them m!
In Julyy the fruits on blueberries should developing and swelling nicely and be d depending on the variety you are growing, tthey will soon start to ripen. Blueberries naturally come from areas of high rainfall, so in order to get plump, juicy fruits, make sure the plant is watered regularly through the summer to maintain moist compost. A liquid feed with a high-potash fertiliser every two w eeks will also help the fruits to ripen. we
GOOSEBERRY SEASON
■ First early potatoes planted in late March or early April are ready for lifting now as you need them. Once the tubers have developed, consider cutting back the foliage to prevent a possible blight attack.
■ Check strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants on a regular basis and pick the fruits when they are ripe and at their best.
■ As the stalks and foliage (haulms) of maincrop potatoes grow, earth them up on a regular basis to firm ridges along the row. This encourages a heavier crop of spuds.
■ Pull out old cauliflowers and calabrese plants that have blown or started to go to seed, so you can clear the ground for other crops.
8 | JULY 2018
July is the start of the gooseberry season and it will often carry on well into August, with different varieties ripening at different times. Many modern varieties such as ‘Invicta’ are dual purpose and early in the season the green fruits can be picked for cooking and preserves. If left on the bush the fruits will change colour to a much paler yellow/green and will become sweeter to be used as dessert fruits.
THIN APPLES If you want to produce a crop of good-sized, quality apples it really does pay to thin the clusters of fruit in July after the ‘June drop’ has finished. This is when the tree regulates the amount of fruit and a percentage of small fruits will naturally drop to the floor. It normally happens through June, but in northern areas it extends into July. Once the drop has finished, you can then assess the amount of fruit on the tree and if you think it’s still carrying too much, some of the fruits can be picked off. As a guide, on eating varieties we aim for two or three fruits per cluster and on large cooking varieties one or two. Also, any damaged or split fruits should be removed. The fruits that remain will then grow much better in size and shape and you should get a good crop in the autumn.
GROW FLORENCE FENNEL If you’ve had a holiday in the Mediterranean region and eaten in local restaurants, you may have been served Florence or bulb fennel. It’s an interesting vegetable to grow for its swollen bulb-like base that can be eaten raw in salads, braised as a warm vegetable with cheese or fish dishes or used in soups. It has a mild aniseed flavour and as well as the white fleshy bulb, the ferny foliage can be used to flavour food. To grow in the UK, Florence fennel needs a warm, sheltered, sunny spot. It likes a well-drained soil, but at the same time it needs plenty of water when growing to prevent it from bolting. Seed can be sown from midspring as long as the soil and air temperatures are warm. It can also be sown in July to produce a crop in early autumn and very often the later sowing does the best because the temperatures are more stable. When growing the aim is to reduce the risk of growth checks as much as you can, so where possible sow the seed directly into prepared
soil. Take out a shallow drill approximately 1.5cm (½in) deep, water along the base of the drill and sow the seed very thinly, before covering over with soil. As for varieties, go for modern ones that have a better resistance to bolting such as ‘Amigo’, ‘Di Firenze’ or ‘Canton’. In warm, damp soil seedlings soon appear and when an inch or two tall can be thinned to 10cm (4in) apart. Keep the soil around
the plants moist at all times, but don’t over-water. In good growing conditions the plants will grow quickly and soon start to swell at the base. At this stage you can pull every other plant and use them in salads, to allow the remaining plants more room to mature. Traditionally, soil is drawn up around the stem as it swells to blanch it, but even if you don’t do that you will still get a perfectly edible and tasty bulb.
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WITH JOYCE RUSSELL Pictures by Ben Russell
A NEW GREENHOUSE: WHAT SIZE? ■ Start sowing for autumn and winter crops ■ Keep nipping side shoots from cordon tomato plants ■ Leave doors and windows open and secure them against winds ■ Shake corn stems gently so pollen falls on silks ■ Harvest regularly to keep plants producing
10 | JULY 2018
■ Tap pepper stems lightly to help fertilise their flowers ■ Water each day in hot weather and don’t let roots dry out ■ Peg down strawberry runners into 8cm (3in) pots to grow on ■ Thin plants out if overcrowding is likely to impact on their health
Don’t rush the decision! A big greenhouse is wonderful if you are able to tend it and have an outlet for all the produce. It can be a lot of work, however, and gardeners can be daunted by too big a structure. Water restrictions can also be an issue. Make sure the frame is strong enough for the size. Opt for toughened glass if children share the garden. And if you really want a small greenhouse, don’t be persuaded otherwise. If you have a greenhouse that’s too big for your needs, a neighbour may be delighted to take on half. Or you can cover a portion with black polythene. Another option is to consider
the greenhouse an addition to indoor space: pave a part and make a small pond. Add a few deckchairs and a table and you can extend the summer feeling for months. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JOBS THIS MONTH
AUTUMN SOWINGS The greenhouse may be full of summer fruits, but this is the time to think about crops that will feed you through the autumn, winter, and into spring. Start some sowings in July and do more in the next couple of months. It can be hard to say what the weather will bring and how fast any particular sowing will come to maturity. Repeat sowings cover the gaps: you may get too much at some points, but you should avoid a ‘hungry gap’. Sow for autumn and early winter use: spinach, spinach beet, pak choi, lettuce, rocket, mizuna, purslane, second cropping potatoes, turnips and mustard greens.
■ Watch out for pests and diseases. Red spider mite, blight and botrytis can all get a hold in July. Plenty of ventilation and correct watering are important: wet leaves to get rid of red spider mite and keep leaves dry to help combat blight.
Sow for winter and early spring: Swiss chard, spring cabbage, beetroot, Florence fennel, parsley.
GREENHOUSE GADGETS: AUTOMATION
It might seem hard to run a greenhouse if you are out at work all day. How do you know whether to leave doors open and how do you shut them if temperatures drop? And how do you water every day when you are away and a neighbour can’t? Automation is the answer, of course, and what may once have seemed impossible, technology has made a reality. Vents can be opened remotely, or they respond to temperature. Watering devices can be set on timers and fans can too. This is a rapidly changing market: look at what is available and what you need to make a greenhouse work with your lifestyle. You can’t automate all growing, but every bit helps!
GRAPE VINES It is only worth growing a vine in a greenhouse if you keep it pruned and under control. A plant left unpruned will produce lots of foliage and poor fruit. Cut sideshoots back to one or two leaves after two clusters of fruit. Keep doing this regularly as the vine keeps producing more shoots. Vines must be fed if the ey are to carry a lot of grape es and it’s worth removing some bunches from a laden vine. Remove any small bunches and those that have tight small fruits. Remove any that show the first signs of mould because this soon spreads. Leave the biggest and best to grow on. There should be plenty of air and light reaching all bunches: avoid overcrowding for the best chance of healthy, ripe grapes.
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TOMATO CARE Keep tying plants in to supports as they grow, or twist stems round strings tied up to the structure above. Heavy trusses of fruit should be ripening well. The lowest ones may benefit from some twiggy sticks to lift them up off the ground: slugs and snails will eat low hanging fruit. Birds may be a problem too, so net doors if it’s the only way to prevent pecked tomatoes. Pick, eat and enjoy these glorious greenhouse fruits.
LIQUID FEEDS Keep making liquid feeds to support heavily cropping plants. You can simply dilute a commercial tomato feed of course, or you can make your own. Pack comfrey leaves in a bin and cover with water. Stir each day and the brew will be ready to dilute for use in a week. You can use manure, seaweed, or compost to the same effect. Feed tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, melons and cucumbers every week while fruits are swelling.
■ Keep picking basil before shoots flower; this affects the taste and leaves may become bitter. ■ Damp down paths by spraying with water. This keeps the atmosphere damp, which is important for good cucumbers, melons and squashes. Aim for a less humid environment if only growing tomatoes. ■ Strawberry plants in pots should be outdoors at this point. Peg down any runners into small pots of compost if you want to propagate new small plants. Only use one plant from each runner even if there are more. ■ Second cropping seed potatoes can be planted now. Buy fresh seed if available or use any left from spring that was slow to sprout. Grow these potatoes in large bags or containers outdoors at this point: space is short in the greenhouse and they prefer a cooler environment. Bring them indoors in the autumn and you should harvest roots from late October on.
UMPKINS PU Plaants can get unruly and may grow to fill a small greenhouse. Be a bit ruthless and cut off leaves or trim unwanted shoots. You should have fruits swelling by now so it is easy to see what can s be cut and what should be left. If there’s no sign of flowers or fruit by the end of July, consider removing plants. Outdoor ones will soon catch up and greenhouse space is valuable valuable.
JULY 2018 | 11
YOU
YOUR PLOT
WHAT’S NEW?
ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
NATIONAL TRUST TAKES ACTION ON PLASTIC The National Trust is to phase out selling single use plastics at its places by 2022. The conservation charity has already eliminated plastic from its disposable cups and cutlery, instead choosing plantbased, biodegradable products. The trust, which cares for more than 500 historic places, 775 miles of coastline and 250,000 hectares of countryside, is committed to ensuring all its shops are free of single use plastic by 2022; removing all single use plastic
bottles in its cafes by 2022; and swapping them for glass bottles in all sit-down cafes by the end of 2018. Lizzy Carlyle, head of environmental practices at the National Trust, said: “As an organisation committed to creating and maintaining a healthy and more beautiful natural environment, we are committed to using every opportunity to minimise our use of non-renewable resources and cut down our waste.”
WEEDING FOR R WELL-BEING According to new research by Argos, British gardeners spend 35 minutes a week on average tackling the weeds in their gardens. This equates h, to 632 calories burned a month almost the equivalent of two Big Macs. Overall, gardeners are burning 51,428 calories a year through gardening. As a result of the findings, a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) has been developed by TV gardening expert David Domoney in partnership with Argos. Inspired by the Government’s five-a-day guidelines for eating, the RDA for gardening is 30 minutes a day. David Domoney said: “Most people enjoy working in their garden because it gives them a mental boost. Digging, tilling and planting can be extremely therapeutic, and gives people a chance to think while working outside, which is enjoyable in its own right. But we were surprised to see just how much physical exertion it takes to do certain garden tasks, particularly things like pushing a lawnmower or digging.” For tips and inspiration visit: www. argos.co.uk/features/garden-inspiration
As much as we associate the kiwi fruit with New Zealand, it originally came from China and was known as the Chinese gooseberry. To make it more commercially appealing to US importers, its name was changed because gooseberries were not particularly well-liked and they wanted to avoid negative connotations. The name ‘melonette’ was also considered.
SPARROWS ON TOP The results of the Big Garden Birdwatch 2018 are now available, showing house sparrows on top! Overall, there was an increase in sightings of smaller birds, such as goldfinches, long-tailed tits and coal tits and it was a good year for greenfinches too. There was a drop, however, in the recorded sightings of blackbirds (down by 18%) and robins (down by 12%). This could have been due to the mild winter, which meant that food was more readily available in the countryside and so they didn’t need to rely on our gardens. Also, unlike smaller birds such as goldfinches and greenfinches, blackbirds and robins didn’t have such a good breeding season. For the full results visit: http://bit.ly/Bigbirdwatch2018
DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK 12 | JULY 2018
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