WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK | JULY 2019
VOTED BRITAIN'S GARDEN PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
SUMMER
GEMS
SNACKS WITH A CHILLI SIZZLE
Discover allotments Hungarian style
With our watering tips and product roundup
TASTES FROM THE MED
VISIT A UK GARDEN WITH ITALIAN FLAVOURS
UK Off-sale date – 27/06/2019
TRY MELON CUCUMBERS MAKE A SOLAR CHARGER ESSENTIAL JOBS FOR JULY
No. 262
July 2019
£4.99
EDITOR’S LETTER
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O ON DE O VI
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KitchenGardenMag
With the season in full swing and many of the faster-growing early crops being harvested, it is important to think about second sowings to keep your patch as productive as possible. Turn to our jobs pages (p6-11), which this month are packed with all the essential tasks to keep your plots, and freezers, full to the brim. In this issue Rob Smith brings you his growing guide to speedy and nutritious chard and perpetual spinach. I take a look at carrots and offer my top tips for growing this essential root veg while fruit expert David Patch turns his attention to tangy gooseberries, explaining why no plot should be without them (I certainly wouldn’t be without my home-made gooseberry jam!). You can never be sure of what the UK summer might bring, but assuming we do get some lovely sunshine, we have lots of advice to help you to make the most of precious water both indoors and out, including a roundup of self-watering y systems available to keep your undercover crops happy and healthy, come rain or shine. 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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Picture: Seeds of Italy
CHECK OUT OUR GREAT GIVEAWAYS AT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2019 | 3
EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
6 ✪ ON THE COVER
40 YOU
@GrowWithKG
YOUR PLOT
6 ON THE VEG PATCH ✪
KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag
This month intrepid plotter Joyce Russell tends to strawberries and rhubarb and harvests garlic
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE ✪
@GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15
Gardening expert Martin Fish is busy harvesting summer produce and sowing to fill the gaps
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
18 DISCOVER YOUR NEW KG SUBSCRIBERS’ CLUB
Discover the great features, money saving offers and competitions we have lined up for KG subscribers in July
20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER ✪
Our panel of experts help solve your gardening problems including those with radishes, tomatoes and asparagus
32 PASSIONATE PLOTTER ✪
In this issue we launch our search for the best
45 GROWING ON THE WEB ✪
The World Wide Web attracts gardeners from all over the world. This month we chat to a keen grower from Hungary
100 NEXT MONTH
Some off th he high hligh hts to be found in your August 2019 issue plus news of great free gifts
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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 2019
114 LAST WORD
Gardening is therapeutic… right? De eputy editor Emma Rawlings takes a lightheartted look at the highs and lows of our gre eat hobby
88 www w.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2019
26 106 Resident chef Anna Cairns Pettigrew brings you more great seasonal recipes fresh from her kitchen.
Pg 106
GET GROWING 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS
45 66 GROW A HERBAL HOME SPA ✪
More gardening fun with the KG team as they get busy on the KG plot
Stephanie Hafferty explains how to grow your own soothing body products
22 GROWING ONLINE
70 SUMMER CHILLI BAKES ✪
26 A GARDEN WITH AN ITALIAN FLAVOUR ✪
74 FIVE GO GROWING
Our pick of gardening social media and websites
We visit a garden in Hampshire which reflects its owner’s Italian roots
36 AT A GLANCE… CARROTS ✪
Our top tips for success with this essential root crop
40 THE CHARM OF CHARD ✪
Veg expert Rob Smith has some great advice on growing this colourful leafy crop
43 NEW VARIETY REVIEW ✪
We put a distinctive summer radish to the test
51 GARDENING MYTHS DEBUNKED ✪
Ben Vanheems examines some often quoted gardening ‘facts’ and puts them to the test
56 HERB OF THE MONTH… MINT
Everyone should grow mint, but which one to choose, asks deputy editor Emma Rawlings
60 BACK TO BASICS ✪
Read our guide to reducing watering indoors and out this summer www.kitchengarden.co.uk
Scan this, and we’ll tell you!
60
Cooking expert James Hillery offers his top recipes using home-grown chillies
An update on how our intrepid growers are progressing with their sowings
78 PONDS, POLITICS AND A WEDDING
Graham Strong builds a wildlife pond and enjoys a colourful marriage celebration
82 IN ANTICIPATION OF SUMMER HARVESTS
WHAT TO BUY 94 TRIED AND TESTED – SELFWATERING PLANTERS ✪ Staff writer Tony Flanagan brings you a roundup of some popular types
98 GREAT READER OFFERS – SAVE OVER £34 ✪
Rekha Mistry turns her harvests into delicious pickles
Claim your free* brassica collection worth £22.25, plus savings on a collection of herbs and many other young plants (*just pay p&p)
84 SOLAR POWER FOR THE GARDEN SHED ✪
102 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £1882 ✪
Ben Russell gens up on the latest off-grid kit to charge tools, lighting and more
88 GORGEOUS GOOSEBERRIES ✪
Fruit writer David Patch wants your help to start a gooseberry revival
92 CUCUMBERS, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW THEM ✪
Try these easy-grow heritage cucumbers, says Sally Cunningham
This month you could win Southport Flower Show tickets, watering kit, tools or a hamper of gardening skincare products
104 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS
News of some great new products and services and a chance for KG subscribers to bag a bargain
111 GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM JULY 2019 | 5
GET GROWING
TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH H IN JULY BY JOYCE RUSSELL PICK CURRANTS
Photos: Ben Russell
Harvest currants as they ripen. If the weather is wet, it is better to pick individual ripe fruits rather than wait for a whole bunch to ripen and risk the ripest ones bursting and falling to the ground.
SHAKE SWEETCORN
Sweetcorn plants rely on the wind to scatter pollen to nearby plants. This is why they are usually planted together in a block. In calm weather it is a good idea to give stems a gentle shake so pollen falls on to the silks (where cobs will form).
FEED FRUIT AND VEG IN CONTAINERS
Use a liquid feed to top up the nutrients in containers. Do this every 10 days or so and only apply liquid feeds to damp compost – this makes the feed more available for roots to take up.
PICK COURGETTES
Small fruits can hide under leaves and turn into marrows in a short space of time. Keep picking courgettes when they are small, dense textured, and delicious to eat. The small ones contain less water and are easier to cook without producing a mush. They are also easier to give away.
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JOBS FOR THE MONTH XXX
LIFT AND STORE GARLIC STEP 1: Choose a fine day and use a fork to lift one garlic plant when leaves start to yellow (or before that if you think the bulbs are a good size). If this bulb looks good, then lift the rest before any diseases strike. If it is small but healthy, wait a week and try again.
STEP 2: Spread the lifted plants in the sun to dry. Don’t cut off the tops. Remove any plants that show signs of disease and don’t add these to the compost heap. Dry garlic outdoors if the weather is warm and dry. Spread plants in an airy shed or garage if the weather is wet.
STEP 3: Feel the stems every couple of days. They need to be dry, but not brittle, if you want to twist into strings or plaits. Alternatively you can cut the stems around 3cm above the bulb and pack into a net bag for storage. Store in a cool, dark, airy place for the longest life and the firmest bulbs.
PEG STRAWBERRY RUNNERS
Tidy up the strawberry patch when plants finish fruiting. At its simplest this means removing any runners or discoloured leaves and clearing any debris around plants. Strawberry plants can crop well for three years, provided you keep them healthy. Don’t be afraid to cut off large yellowing leaves, but don’t remove smaller ones at the growing point. Leave runners in place if you want to produce more plants. A small new plant will form at the end of each long shoot. Peg this down into a pot of compost and leave it to root. The new plant can then be cut free from the parent plant. Ideally, save the first plant from each runner.
SOW NOW
RHUBARB Stop picking rhubarb in early July. It may be tempting to keep pulling off stalks, but plants will perform better next year if they are allowed to grow now and sink some energy into the crowns. Remove any weeds and add a layer of manure or compost
if soil is poor. This feeds the plants and it also helps to retain some moisture in the ground. Rhubarb hates dry soil, so water as needed to keep plants looking good. They will reward you with lots of juicy stems early next year and, for now, there are lots of berries and currants for you to enjoy.
Spinach, spinach beet, pak choi, Swiss chard, parsley, kohl rabi, winter cauliflower, kale and salad leaves (in rows for cut-andcome-again leaves), spring cabbage, winter lettuce varieties.
PLANT NOW Spring cabbage, calabrese, cauliflower and turnips sown last month.
HARVEST
Potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, beetroot, peas, beans, Swiss chard, spinach, salad leaves, lettuce, courgettes, blueberries, currants, raspberries, squash, herbs. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JULY 2019 | 7
GET GROWING
LOTS TO HARVEST ■ Check potato leaves for blight. Fungal spores proliferate in warm, humid weather. Be vigilant and remove individual leaves if you see greyish soft areas. Remove the tops altogether if these are badly affected and wait three weeks before digging roots to store.
Summer crops taste sweet and delicious if they are picked at their perfect best. There’s such a wide range of foods and flavours to enjoy that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by a glut, or forget to pick at the right moment. Invite neighbours in to help you pick and they may be happy to mind your plot while you take a holiday.
PUMPKIN SET Pumpkin plants ramble and they don’t respect the borders of beds. You can cut off a few leaves from strong growing plants, but take care not to damage any stems with flowers attached. Female flowers have a pumpkin-shaped swelling behind them. Male ones are on a straight stalk. If pollen is carried from one to the other, then there should be plenty of small fruits setting now.
■ Be sure to sow plenty of greens for the winter. Spring cabbage, chard and spinach can all produce large healthy plants if you sow in early July.
COMFREY LIQUID FEED
■ Trim hedges before they cast shade over garden beds. Limit root spread too by digging a trench. Crop size and quantity can be greatly reduced if plants suffer competition for light and nutrients.
■ Set weeding goals, like ‘a bucket of weeds a day.’ Big tasks seem easier to tackle if you break them down into regular and achievable aims.
■ Water in dry weather if restrictions allow. Use a watering can to recycle water and thoroughly wet the soil around thirsty or shallow-rooting plants. Onions and courgettes need lots of water, as do rows of peas and beans in flower.
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If you have a comfrey patch in the garden, then this is a good time to cut leaves down to a few centimetres above the ground. Comfrey makes an excellent liquid feed, so it is well worth growing a bed of Russian comfrey (Bocking 14). This doesn’t spread around the garden and it does grow lots of leaves. Wear gloves to handle comfrey and let leaves wilt overnight before packing them into a large bin. Cover them with water and put a lid over the top. You can stir the contents every day or two until leaves rot and the liquid turns dark brown. Dilute the liquid until it is the colour of tea before using to feed tomatoes, peppers, onions and other potash-loving plants. If you don’t need the feed straight away, just cover the bin and the contents will keep for months. You may even want to save a batch to feed overwintered crops in the spring.
WATCH OUT FOR PESTS Pest problems can be at a peak in July. Warm weather encourages proliferation and closee pllanting can make things worse. Take a goood look at plants on a daily walk arou und the garden and act as soon as you spot a problem. Try to use organic options that don’t harm beneficial insects. Slugs and snails are less of a problem in a warm dry summer, but they seem to emerge from walls and long grass any time there is a shower. Large plants will mostly be able to look after themselves, but do protect seedlings in wet weather. Carrot fly can be a nuisance in July
and August. Keep the bed covered with insect-proof mesh that has small enough holes to keep these tiny flies out. Weight edges down well so there are no gaps. Keep th he cover in place until the crop is lifted if you wan nt clean carrots that aren’t full of grub tunnels. Small caterpillars can make large holes, so turn leaves over and look close. Squash or remove any that you see – this can reduce further generations and reduce damage. Red spider mite can be a nuisance in hot dry weather. Look for fine webs and tiny crab-like creatures (these may be green rather than red). A good sp pray with water will usually help. Spraay all around leaves and stems and rep peat as often as needed. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
■ Keep picking cucumbers as they develop, otherwise the plant will stop producing flowers and more fruit. ■ Squash plants can grow very large in a polytunnel, so keep them under control by pinching out the tips of the long stems when fruits start to develop. ■ Feed plants on a regular basis to keep them growing and cropping. A weekly liquid feed is fast acting and supplies a steady supply of nutrients. ■ Bring pots of blueberries undercover as the fruits develop, to protect them from the birds. ■ Coriander tends to run to seed quickly, so sow seeds every few weeks for a regular supply of leaves.
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WITH MARTIN FISH
HARVEST SUMMER PRODUCE & SOW MORE As we enter July the polytunnel and greenhouse is starting to get very productive! Crops that we also grow outside are usually ready a month or so earlier when grown undercover, which helps to extend the supply of home-grown fresh vegetables from the garden. Of course, there’s still plenty to come with all the wonderful tomatoes, peppers and other tender crops, but for now it’s great to harvest fresh summer veg from the tunnel, such as salads, potatoes, onions, beetroot, carrots, beans and much more. We also need to carry on sowing to ensure we get another crop for early autumn. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JOBS THIS MONTH
INCREASE YOUR STRAWBERRY PLANTS Strawberry plants have a limited life and normally after three or four years they lose vigour and produce fewer fruit. This is particularly true of plants growing in containers and I only keep those for three years. Fortunately, they are very easy to propagate from runners that develop after the fruit has been picked. I usually root runners from plants in their second season, but only from healthy, productive plants. If the plants are weak and have distorted foliage, chances are they have a virus and you shouldn’t propagate from them. I simply peg the runners down using short pieces of wire, into cell trays of compost. Kept moist they root quickly and can then be snipped from the parent plant.
■ To make sure you have a fresh supply of mint through late summer and early autumn, take some tip-cuttings now from your existing plants and root them in small pots. Kept cool and moist, they root quickly and produce soft new growth for the rest of the season.
WATER ON A REGULAR BASIS
CHECK VINES & WATER IF NEEDED
All plants that are grown undercover rely on us for water, whether growing in containers or the soil. Add in the fact that temperatures in a greenhouse or polytunnels can be very warm, it means thorough and regular watering is needed to keep crops growing actively. Early in the season I try to water as much as possible from the water-butts, but when they run dry, I use the hose-pipe. Small pots are checked and watered daily, but with crops growing in the borders I tend to water every two or three days, by giving the soil a good soak.
■ You can grow lettuce and salad leaves undercover all summer long, but to grow well they prefer cooler conditions as in very hot weather they soon wilt. If planting out now, try to position the plants in an area where they will get some shade from larger plants through the middle of the day.
Grape vines should now be in full growth and the grapes developing well. When growing undercover it’s important that the new growth is trimmed back regularly to prevent the vine getting too large and taking over, but also so that energy is diverted to the fruit. Check the bunches and make sure they are developing properly and not too crowded. Where the root of the vine is planted outside, generally you don’t need to water, but if planted inside, it’s a good idea to water occasionally, say every couple of weeks, by giving the soil around the roots a good soaking.
TOP UP TOMATO POTS WITH FRESH COMPOST If you are growing tomato plants in large pots of compost, in warm weather make sure they are never allowed to dry out to prevent blossom-end rot (a sunken black spot on the fruit). Feed weekly with a high potash fertiliser to help the fruit develop and ripen. Over the summer the compost in the pots settles, so give the plants a boost by topping up with fresh compost. This supplies a few extra nutrients and it also encourages new roots to develop from the stem, giving the plants a much-needed growth spurt when they are carrying a crop of tomatoes. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
FOR MORE ON MINT SEE PAGE 56
■ Always try to keep your greenhouse or polytunnel as clean and tidy as possible through the growing season. Not only does this make it look better, more importantly by clearing away plants that have finished or any prunings and dead leaves, you reduce breeding grounds for many pests and diseases that could attack your healthy plants. ■ In hot weather, as well as regular watering, try to damp down paths with water through the day. This increases the humidity in the greenhouse which helps flowering plants to set fruit and it also reduces the air temperature by a few degrees.
JULY 2019 | 11
YOU
YOUR PLOT
ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
A nationwide experiment has confirmed that slugs really are attracted to beer, with lager and bitter proving to be the most effective. Members of horticultural charity Garden Organic have been testing slug trapping methods as part of its annual citizen science experiments. The results reveal that lager attracted 64 times more slugs than water but they showed no
preference when it came to brand or cost. Participants were asked to construct four slug traps, one containing lager, one bitter, one water and one ‘wildcard’ drink of their choice, then check them twice a week for catches. The results revealed that water very rarely attracted slugs (on average one slug every 30-40 days), while lager attracted and caught an average of six
GARDEN IN THE SKY
A 22-week project to create Nottingham’s largest intensive ‘sky garden’ has been completed on the fourth floor of a 26-storey apartment building. The design, by award-winning landscape design practice Hosta Consulting, was commissioned by Nottingham City Homes. The 316 square metre community garden is designed to provide a healthy, sociable environment for 400 residents of the Victoria Centre Flats, a high-rise apartment block in the centre of the city. None of the residents previously had access to any green space.
slugs every three to four days, and bitter attracted an average of five slugs over the same timeframe. Dr Anton Rosenfeld, project officer at Garden Organic, said: “Our volunteer scientists found that slugs showed little interest in water, orange squash, wine or even Cava!” For more information please visit www.garden organic.org.uk/membersexperiments
The scheme highlights the growing importance of green infrastructure within city centres, offering benefits to residents in urban areas, including: improved air quality, community cohesion, the encouragement of positive experiences and behaviour. Residents were actively encouraged to feed their ideas into the design with the result being the inclusion of roses, raised beds for vegetables, and fruit trees. Visit http://www.hostaconsulting.co.uk for more details.
HAVE A BALL!
If you’re looking for a unique way of growing a continuous supply of baby salad leaves, you might be interested in this Dip & Grow Lettuce Sphere, recently launched with home growers in mind. It produces five varieties, differing in colour, shape, texture and flavour. The ball contains organic fertiliser, moss from renewable farms and a waterwick for automatic watering from the transparent plant pot which functions as a water reservoir. Grow indoors or in a greenhouse from February to September, and from April onwards outdoors. For more information visit: https:// dipandgrow.com (available to purchase from wwww.bakker.com)
DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK 12 | JULY 2019
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WHAT’S NEW?
More than 472,500 people took part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch, in its 40th year. Thee house sparrow came top in the number of Th reported d sightings for the 16th year in a row, with thee starling second and the blue tit third. Howeveer, there was a decline in the number of According to a recent song thrushes, down by 77% since 1979, most study published in the Journal of the likeely due to loss of habitats and breeding American College of Cardiology, plantplaces. More positive is the increase in based diets are associated with a lower the number of goldfinches, up 70% risk of heart failure. Five different diets compared to the early 2000s.
were monitored over nearly nine years with the conclusion that those who adhered to a plant-based diet saw a 41% lower risk compared to those who had a diet high in fried food, processed meats, eggs, added fats and sugar-sweetened beverages. For more on this visit: https://www.acc.org
WORKING GROUP VISITS PLASTICS RECYCLING CENTRE Last March, representatives from the horticultural industry visited Viridor’s Plastics Recovery Facility in Rochester, Kent to find out more about the plastics recycling process and the demand for
polypropylene for recycling. Attendees included members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Nursery Working Group, plant pot manufacturers and representatives from the
In a recent survey of more than 1000 people conducted by Squire’s Garden Centres, 86% of respondents said that their earliest memory of gardening was when they were under 10 years old, with 31% remembering gardening when they were under five. The survey revealed that 75% of people loved gardening as a child, 21% were indifferent, and only 4% found it boring! A total of 71% of people questioned said that their parents taught them to garden, with 16% saying it was their grandparents who gave them the gardening bug.
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charity RECOUP. The visit allowed those businesses in the industry working with recycled and recyclable pots to see how the plastics recovery process worked and to track the journey of plastic through and back into circulation. Viridor is committed to advising all sectors on how to ensure greater recyclability. In addition, the Nursery Working Group is discussing next stages with local authorities and materials recovery facilities to increase the acceptance of plant pots at kerbside recycling.
SHOW GARDEN DEBUT Soft fruit plant and fruit tree supplier, Lubera, is joining together with Pennard Plants and Burpee Seeds to produce a show garden for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2019. The garden will include: a cooking demonstration area, sunflower meadow, formal vegetable garden, ‘forest’ garden with unusual edibles, greenhouse and patio area to show fruit and vegetables in pots and containers for urban gardening, and a Lubera soft fruit garden. The garden intends to be interactive so visitors will have the opportunity to wander through and around the many varieties of fruit, vegetables and blooms on display. The RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival will run from July 1-7. For further information or to buy tickets, visit www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt
As adults, 72% said that gardening with children makes them feel good, and 9% said that it makes them feel young. JULY 2019 | 13
YOU
YOUR PLOT T HAPPINESS IS A HAPPY PLANT!
AGE IS NO BARRIER
I have recently altered my greenhouse irrigation system with great success. The plants are so happy, which makes me happy too! I submerged items such as empty Tetra Paks/plastic milk containers on their side into the soil (with one side cut off) so to act as a reservoir for water. Additionally, I ran off a basic
Thought you might want to see this photo of my 101-year-old mom enjoying planting her free seeds. She has had a KG subscription for years and still enjoys it. She has grown her own organic vegetables all her life. She also has a beautiful rose garden and many of the roses she grafted herself Gabrielle Downey, Co Louth, Ireland
drip feed from my water butt to constantly fill the reservoirs under the soil for the plant roots to uptake water. The results are fantastic and I have a range of aubergine, tomatoes, cucumber, beans and basil all growing and thriving together. Here are the before and after photos. Jodie Cooper, Bristol
CONTACT US WITH YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS: TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK
UCHIKI KURI
SAVVY RECYCLING I read your article ‘Plastic is Not the Enemy’ (May issue) with great interest as last year I decided to have a ‘cull’! First I took the pots I had just purchased plants in from the garden centre back to them. What a waste of petrol (not environmentally friendly) only to find that they went to the tip for landfill. I took them home again and still have them. A lot has happened with regards to plastics in the last year and I now hear that some garden centres will reuse them.
We are great recyclers in our house and I never buy trays for seeds or for putting pots in. I just reuse any plastic food trays until they are so brittle they break down into smaller pieces. Some organic foods come on
Send us your tips and pictures and if your letter is published you will get a £10 Dobies voucher. If you are lucky enough to have yours chosen as our Star Letter you will get a £25 voucher. Your voucher will be sent out with a Dobies catalogue and you can choose to spend your winnings on a fabulous range of seeds,
14 | JULY 2019
cardboard trays and these are used to grow cress on. Paper bags are all used in the kitchen compost bin which keeps the bin relatively clean, so less washing using less water. Ann Martin, West Sussex
young plants and gardening sundries. You can get hold of a copy of the catalogue now by phoning 0844 701 7625 or go online to www.dobies.co.uk You can reach us by letter, email or via our Facebook page: FACEBOOK.COM/ KITCHENGARDENMAG
I much enjoyed reading my May copy of Kitchen Garden and in particular your article on squashes – I have grown uchiki kuri, the Japanese squash, and there is one thing that is worth mentioning. As well as being a very practical size for the kitchen (no waste), other than de-seeding and removing the stalk, it doesn’t need peeling. Butternut squash is notoriously difficult to peel but this one is divine. Simply wash, cut it up, add herbs and seasoning to taste and cover with water, blend when cooked – skin and all. The result is one creamy, smooth and tasty soup. I sometimes add an organic veg stock cube for extra oomph. The uchiki kuri also keeps extremely well. Jane Jones, via email
Email E il your letters l tt to tflanagan@mortons. co.uk or post to Letters, Kitchen Garden, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR
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YOUR VIEWS XXX
WINDBREAKS ARE A WINNER I thought readers would like to see how we have resolved our windbreak problem for early planted climbing peas this year. We sow our climbing peas in January and plant them out in March. They get whipped by the wind that blows across our allotment site and look very tatty and sorry for themselves until the weather improves and they take off. In the past we have struggled with a variety of screens made from canes and fleece, none particularly successful in keeping the cold wind off. This year we have repurposed a couple of beach windbreaks and brought the great British seaside to our plot. They make excellent windbreaks for the plants and despite some heavy winds they have stayed put and our peas are thriving. They also provide us with a much needed reminder of summer and give us a smile. Anita Macro, Croydon TONY SAYS: You just need a couple of deck chairs now, Anita.
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The head belongs to Paul, who grew the beetroot last year – he’s going to keep nurturing it to see what happens. Claire Whittenbury, Suffolk TONY SAYS: What a monster! And the beetroot looks quite scary too Claire!
HELPING THE BEES TIGERBURNIE: I am growing a lot more native wild flowers in my garden to try and help and our local farmers are also planting flowers in the field margins and set-aside land, it all helps. GEOFF: We had lots of bees and butterflies during fabulous February mainly on the heather bed; ericas are fantastic for early insects. We get lots of different species of bumble bees. I don’t think the problem is as bad away from intensive farming. I grow sweet peas, climbing annuals and flowers for cutting and drying in the vegetable area so it is buzzing all summer and the rest of the garden has lots of stuff they like, including a wild flower area (mainly dog daisies) and quite a few buddleia bushes. MATTW: I’ve got a little gardening Whatsapp group with some old school friends and I’m posting them all a wildflower envelope to get them to do their bit. I figure that’s five more people helping out.
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BEETROOT BEAST My husband and I share a veg plot with my mother and each year we have our seed planning meeting with another friend, Paul, taking into account the freebies from Kitchen Garden, thank you! We all share the responsibility for germination in plant groups, then distribute seedlings and finally exchange excess veg. It’s a good system which means we don’t waste seed or produce, especially as Paul also keeps chickens. His beetroot crop has been magnificent this year and once we’d all had our fill he decided to leave the biggest in the ground to see what happened. It just kept growing and is now providing new leaves for salads and topping up his chickens’ rations.
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NSALG recommends Kitchen Garden Magazine, the number one magazine for growers of fruit and veg
JULY 2019 | 15
When harvesting cutand-come-again salad leaves, don’t cut through the whole plant, take leaves off selectively to maintain the vigour of each plant.
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SNAKE IN THE GRASS Cobra, yes, but not the slithering sort. This month, the Muddies have been trying out these cordless Cobra garden tools: hedge trimmer, grass trimmer and mower. Here, they are – tools at the ready: Steve with the hedge trimmer, Tony with
the mower and Emma with the grass trimmer. Watch out garden, here they come! Verdict: Cordless tools are easy to use. There’s no cable to worry about as you get with electric mowers, or oil and petrol to think about with fuel-driven
models. All you need to do is charge the battery, slot it into place, press the button, and away you go! For more on Cobra’s wide range of tools, including petrol, electric and cordless models, go to: https://cobragarden. co.uk
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16 | JULY 2019
Despite a mild winter in my neck of the woods last year and predictions of poor apple crops as a result (apples like a cold winter to ripen fruit buds), my little trees look like being quite productive this season. However, my garden was once part of an old orchard and there are still many trees around in my neighbours’ gardens which date back to the 1920s. These old trees too can still be surprisingly productive and are beautiful, but they are also home to lots of pests and diseases such as codling moth. I have to make sure that I get my traps in place good and early in May. As you see I’ve managed to catch a few of the male moths in my trap, so hopefully I won’t be finding too many maggots in my fruit this year. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
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