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No. 273
June 2020
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EDITOR’S LETTER
This is officially a coronavirus-free zone. We can’t claim that reading KG or even growing your own veg makes you immune from the virus, but we can promise not to talk about it (much)! Instead we will focus on the fact that the June issue marks the long-awaited start of summer and the hope that your veg plot or allotment is proving to be a haven away Turn to from the worries of a p ge 79 for the world. To help the our pick of the feeling along we turn best lawn the spotlight on lots of edgers! like-minded gardeners who have found just how gardening, and growing your own in particular, can n help keep us all happy and healthy. This month for example, we welcome Annabelle Padwick, also known as blogger ‘Life at No.27’ to the team. Annabelle is a great example of how gardening can help boost your well-being and self-esteem and will be writing on this topic for us in her fascinating monthly features. We also have news of a great project instigated by young plotters in Derby, and visit some more KG readers’ plots. If it is pure growing advice you’re after, you won’t be disappointed this month. KG regulars David Patch and Rob Smith bring you some great advice on growing mangetout peas and passion fruit while I turn the spotlight on chard and turnips, two vastly underrated crops that deserve a place on any plot. Finally, a reminder to visit our social media pages and website for all the up-to-the-minute news and views on veg gardening. You’ll find the KG team’s video diaries on our YouTube channel; the diaries are being updated regularly and we’d just love to chat and answer your questions via the comments section. Stay well.
Steve Ott, editor
Grow a rainb bow off heallth hy veg (p70-72) www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529
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EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
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6 ✪ ON THE COVER
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YOUR PLOT
6 ON THE VEG PATCH
KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag @GrowWithKG
Out on the plot this month practical gardener Joyce Russell is digging early potatoes, picking courgettes, sowing kohl rabi and tackling blackfly
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
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Greenhouse and polytunnel gardener Martin Fish is lifting carrots, feeding citrus and sowing basil
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
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40 49 BOOK REVIEWS
This month KG subscribers can save pounds on gardening essentials plus win a hand fork and trowel set worth £22.50!
Some great new titles that have landed in the KG office
20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER
94 NEXT MONTH
Our top experts help solve your gardening problems; this month including squirrels, weeds and maggoty apples
22 GROWING ONLINE
Our roundup of the best websites, blogs, vlogs and gardening socials
Some of the highlights to be found in your July issue plus news of more great free gifts
95 LAST WORD
KG reader Peter Dean explains why hybrid and AGM award-winning seeds are worth the extra cash www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
JUNE 2020
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59 Scan this, and we’ll tell you!
Chef Anna Cairns Pettigrew with mouth-watering recipes using your summer harvests
Pg 90
GET GROWING 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS
This month the KG team are planting tomatoes, sowing basil and building bean supports
26 SNAP TO IT! ✪
52 SUMMERTIME AND THE HARVESTS ARE EASY ✪
Gardening expert Stephanie Hafferty is harvesting the first fruits of summer
56 DOWN TO EARTH PROJECT STARTS UP ✪
Gardening writer Rob Smith offers his top tips for growing snap and mangetout peas
We visit a new project in the heart of Derby designed for and by young gardeners
29 THE LOW-CARBON GARDEN ✪
59 THE CROP THAT KEEPS ON GIVING ✪
Ben Vanheems helps you to be more environmentally friendly on your plot
35 ONE TO TRY… GARDEN LADDERS
Obtain year-round harvests from colourful and tasty chard
62 ROOTED IN HISTORY ✪
90 WHAT TO BUY 79 PRODUCT REVIEW – LAWN EDGERS ✪
KG’s Steve Ott climbs the heights to put a pruning ladder through its paces
Our growing guide for the humble turnip – a mainstay down the generations
We try a range of tools designed to give your lawn the edge
36 DOWN TO EARTH, FLYING HIGH!
64 A PASSION FOR FRUIT ✪
84 GREAT READER OFFERS – SAVE OVER £32!✪
40 MAKE ROOM FOR BLOOMS ✪
Exponent of unusual crops Sally Cunningham tracks down an elusive herb
We visit a blogger who left her life in the skies to get her hands into the soil
Deputy editor Emma Rawlings explains why we should grow more flowers among the veg
46 KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
We chat to KG competition runner-up, Rachel Dunn, on her lovely Somerset allotment
50 HERB OF THE MONTH…BAY ✪
Simple steps to success with this essential herb
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Fruit expert David Patch explains how this exotic climber can be fruitful in the UK
68 THYME FOR SOMETHING NEW?
70 GROW YOURSELF HEALTHY ✪
Head gardener Beth Marshall encourages us all to grow a rainbow of veg
74 FINDING SANCTUARY AMONG THE VEG
Gardening is great for the soul, as ethical gardener Annabelle Padwick proves in the first of her new features for KG
Claim your free* blackberry plant worth £10.95 when you order any of our bargain collections
86 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £1704 ✪
Our prizes in this issue include sprayers, raised beds, wildlife cameras and more
88 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS
News of some great new products and services and a chance for KG subscribers to save on big-name products!
98 GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 5
GET GROWING
TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH IN JUNE BY JOYCE RUSSELL PROP UP PEAS
Pictures: Ben Russell
Some varieties of peas will grow super tall and often much taller than the packet states if conditions are favourable. Keep adding extra supports so the tops don’t tumble over in the first strong wind. And you may need a stepladder for harvesting.
FEED PLANTS IN CONTAINERS AND GROWBAGS
There are usually enough nutrients in fresh compost to feed growing plants for around six weeks. Use a liquid feed every seven to 10 days for the next few months to keep fruits swelling and plants growing happily.
PLANT PUMPKINS
Plants raised in pots can go into the garden after all frost has passed. Fill a hole with compost and settle a plant in the middle. Mark each planting point with a stick and allow 90cm (3ft) between plants.
HELP BEANS
Climbing bean shoots will twist anti-clockwise around supports and keep growing upwards. They just may need a hand to find the support in the first place so be prepared to point any wandering shoots in the right direction.
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JOBS FOR THE MONTH XXX
HOW TO GROW KOHL RABI STEP 1: Choose a mix of purple and
light green-skinned varieties if you want to sample two types of these attractive plants. The taste is a bit like a nutty sweet turnip. Sow seed thinly in a pot or tray and just cover with compost. Germination takes 6-8 days.
STEP 2: Ease out individual plants when
they are around 12cm (4¾in) tall. Plant out at 15-20cm (6-8in) apart in a row. Plants grow quickly in a soil that has been dug and enriched with some well-rotted garden compost. Add a little lime to acid soils and firm gently when planting.
STEP 3: Keep soil damp so plants don’t
bolt in dry conditions. The stem starts to swell above ground level and this forms the part that will be eaten. Lift when a plant has a swelling about 6-8cm (2½-3in) in diameter. Peel and eat either raw or cooked.
FIRST POTATOES It’s always a treat to eat some first early potatoes in mid-late June. The roots may not be huge but they will be delicious. Flowering can be an indicator that a plant has produced some large enough potatoes, but not all early varieties flower. If stems are tall and healthy, then feel in around the base before digging. If you find some large enough roots then it is worth lifting the whole plant. If potatoes are very small, you may want to wait a week before lifting another plant, but don’t wait too long to enjoy some small and delectable potatoes.
SOW NOW
PICK COURGETTES
Whether you grow green or yellow ones, striped ones, round or long, plants should be producing well from the middle of June onwards. All types are delicious and particularly so if they are picked small when the flesh is dense and any seeds are soft and tiny. Of course, some monsters slip through the net eventually – usually hiding under large leaves while they turn to marrows – but aim to be vigilant so you can pick, eat and enjoy while fruits are at their best. Don’t let soil dry out if you want to avoid powdery mildew and if you want to keep plants producing. Cut off any early mouldy fruits and more will set in fine weather.
Kohl rabi, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, swede, runner beans, climbing French beans, Florence fennel, salad leaves, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, pak choi.
PLANT NOW
Kale, cabbage, sprouting broccoli, leeks, cauliflower, celery, peppers, pumpkins and squash, sweetcorn.
HARVEST
Peas, broad beans, beetroot, strawberries, potatoes, rhubarb, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach, Swiss chard, courgettes, first currants and raspberries, autumn planted onions and garlic.
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CARROT CARE
■ LOOK AFTER STRAWBERRIES Cover fruiting plants with a net to keep birds off and protect against slugs and snails. Trim a few leaves if plants are crowded and mould affects fruit. Keep plants watered and fed so they crop at their best. Pick, relax, and enjoy the delicious ripe fruits. ■ SUMMER PRUNING Cherry and plum trees can be pruned now to avoid silver leaf disease. Prune just before you pick the last harvest so you can see where fruit is hiding and which shoots should be removed. ■ PLANT LEEKS Get young leek plants into holes in the ground so they can grow big enough through the summer and autumn months. A few broken roots are fine but do water plants into each hole and don’t let the soil dry out. ■ LIFT OVERWINTERED ONIONS Autumn-planted onions should be a good size by the end of June. Lift the whole crop to dry when leaves start to discolour and flop, or sooner if any show signs of white rot at the base of the bulb. ■ KEEP MOWING AND MULCHING Grass clippings make a great weed-suppressing mulch if they are spread at around 3cm (1in) deep and provided they don’t contain viable seeds.
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Thin small carrot plants to leave the strongest ones about 8cm (3in) apart in the row. The small carrots that you remove are delicious to eat. Rows of carrots should be covered with fine insect-proof mesh so carrot fly doesn’t attack and lay eggs near the roots. Lift the cover to thin or weed rows on a dull damp day if possible. This reduces the distance that carrot scent spreads and will be less likely to attract flies from other gardens. Lift the cover carefully when you want to harvest a few roots. Remove as many carrots as you need and then weight down the edges so there are no gaps where a fly can get in. Make sure there are no leaves sticking out at the base. Bury unwanted carrot foliage in the heart of a compost heap, or put leaves on top and cover with a thick layer of fresh grass clippings. Both of these techniques will cover the scent of crushed foliage.
TACKLE A PLANT PROBLEM: BLACKFLY Blackfly are dark-coloured aphids that attack plants in June and July. They show a fondness for broad bean plants where they form dense clusters at the top of shoots. Springsown plants are more likely to be affected than autumn-sown ones. Cut the tops off plants as soon as this problem is spotted and try to remove all the pests. Put the tops in a sealed container until no viable pests remain.
CLIP HEDGES Tall hedges can divide up a garden and protect plants from wind, but they can also steal nutrients from garden beds and they may keep growing crops in shade. Decide on a sensible height and clip as needed so the garden gets the best benefit. Hedges can grow fast and may need two or three clippings a year. Aim to do one now and repeat in the autumn if needed. You may do another cut in the winter to maintain shape.
PLANT BRASSICAS April-sown kale, cabbage, cauliflowers and broccoli will be large enough to go into their final planting position. Plants may be quite large if you have waited for a patch of ground to clear after early potatoes are lifted, but brassicas don’t seem to mind a bit of root disturbance. Trim off one or two large outer leaves if these start to flop after planting. Most brassicas do best on the nutrients left in the soil from a previous crop. Firm the ground lightly if planting sprouts. Mark each planting position with a stick and dig a small hole for the plant to go in. Fill and firm the soil back around the stem. Water well so roots are settled in a damp environment. You may want to add a square of plastic or felt around the stem if root fly is a problem in your area. Add a scatter of wood ash or lime over the bed for these alkaline-loving plants and cover with woven crop cover to keep the sun off, and moisture in, if the weather is warm and dry. Keep plants watered well until they are established and protect from slugs and snails while plants are small. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
■ Feed tomato plants weekly with a high potash fertiliser to encourage flowers and fruit development. ■ Basil germinates much better in warm conditions, so now is the perfect time to sow in pots or cell trays. ■ Sow pak choi in modules and start them off undercover to produce young plants ready for planting out in July. ■ Cucumbers grow quickly at this time of the year in warm conditions, so make sure new stems are tied to their supports. ■ Weed polytunnel borders regularly to keep weeds under control as they not only compete for water and nutrients, many are also hosts of pests and diseases.
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WITH MARTIN FISH
HARVEST POTATOES AND PLANT MORE Fresh, homegrown potatoes cooked straight from the ground are always a welcome delight at this time of the year. Tubers planted back in late February or early March will be ready to harvest from the end of May into June and should be harvested while small and tender. Growing new potatoes is very easy and they can be grown successfully in pots or in the ground. If you want to enjoy new potatoes all through the summer and into autumn, the secret is to plant little and often. I aim to plant a couple of pots every few weeks, with one tuber per 10-litre pot. In the polytunnel they grow well and avoid blight that can be a problem outside in late summer. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
JOBS FOR THE MONTH
LIFT BABY CARROTS Early carrots that were sown directly into the polytunnel border in February should now have produced small but very tender roots that are delicious to eat. You can start to pull them as soon as they are large enough and by pulling every other one, it allows room for those that remain in the soil to develop and grow more. To extend their life, make sure you keep the soil moist at all times, as when allowed to dry out the skins will split and the roots become woody and lose their freshness. Remember also that there is still plenty of time to sow more carrots to provide you with a crop in late summer and early autumn.
■ As the weather warms up outside, it can get very hot undercover, which can cause some plants such as chard and beetroot to prematurely flower and run to seed. Once this process starts, you can’t reverse it, but by pinching out flowers as soon as they start to develop, it will slow the process down and allow you to harvest the crop.
KEEP IRRIGATION TANKS TOPPED UP
FEED CITRUS PLANTS IN POTS
Watering through the summer can sometimes be a problem, especially if your greenhouse or polytunnel is on an allotment or when you are away on holiday. An easy way around this is to use a simple self-watering system that uses a reservoir to keep plants watered and growing without a check. It can be a very simple system where plants sit on a trough with the water being absorbed through a wick, to a larger tank filled with water and nutrients that are supplied to the pots through a float valve to control the flow. When all set up, they are easy to use and depending on the size of the tank will keep your p plants watered for at least a week.
In warm areas of the country citrus plants can be stood outside for the summer, but they can also be left undercover where they will benefit from the warmer, protected environment. Commonly grown citruses, such as lemons, oranges, limes and calamondin oranges, grown in large pots will all produce fruit as long as you can keep them frost-free over winter. At this time of the year they are in full growth with developing fruits so it’s essential to keep them watered and fed. The compost must be kept moist at all times and I feed weekly with a high potash fertiliser such as Phostrogen that also contains all the other essential major and minor nutrients needed for healthy growth.
GREY MOULD ON STRAWBERRIES A polytunnel or greenhouse is an ideal place to grow an early crop of strawberries. The extra warmth undercover really brings the plants on early, but it can also cause problems, especially if combined with high humidity. Warm, moist conditions are the perfect breeding ground for many fungal diseases and one that can be a problem on strawberries is botrytis or grey mould. It’s very easy to spot as the fruits and stalks develop a grey furry mould and start to rot. There are no sprays available, but keeping the atmosphere drier by not wetting the fruits and foliage when watering will help. Spacing plants to allow a good air flow between them also helps prevent the disease. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
■ Remember that many salads and vegetables grow perfectly well in pots and containers, so when the soil borders in the polytunnel are full, carry on sowing and planting in containers that you can stand on the path or staging. ■ If you intend to propagate some strawberry plants later in the summer, don’t remove all the runners as they start to develop. Either allow all the runners to grow on a few parent plants or limit the runners to just a couple per plant. ■ On warm sunny days keep the vents open to try and maintain a constant temperature and prevent plants from over-heating. ■ If planting out young seedlings, after watering them in, cover them over with fleece for a few days to keep the hot sun off them to help them settle in and establish.
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ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
CORONAVIRUS SHUTS DOWN SHOWS The coronavirus has had a major impact on this year’s flower shows, seeing events such as the Harrogate Spring Flower Show, the RHS Cardiff, Chelsea, Chatsworth shows and BBC Gardeners’ World Live all cancelled. The National Trust has closed its gated parks and gardens, houses, shops and cafes to help restrict the spread of the disease, and all National Garden Scheme (NGS) gardens have also been closed. For the most recent updates visit:
According to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland, children aged between three and five will have a positive approach to the consumption of vegetables, fruit and berries if their parents set a good example.
RHS: www.rhs.org.uk National Trust: www.nationaltrust.org.uk National Garden Scheme: https://ngs. org.uk
ADVICE FOR ALLOTMENTEERS At the time of writing, allotments are still open to allotmenteers, providing Government guidelines are strictly followed. The National Allotment Society offers advice for growers and allotment associations, what they need to be aware of and what precautionary measures should be implemented. For up-to-date information visit: www.nsalg.org.uk/news/covid19-information
WHAT’S ON THE MENU CHEF? Soft fruit plant and fruit tree supplier Lubera has added ‘Summer Chef’ to its range of raspberry varieties. It has relatively compact canes which overwinter well, few thorns and matures in July. It produces large, conical berries that have a strong aroma and a unique fruity flavour. Prices start from £7.40 for a 1.3-litre pot, with well-rooted, vigorous plants. For more information visit: www.lubera.co.uk
RACHEL DE THAME JOINS NGS Gardening media personality Rachel de Thame, one of the country’s favourite gardening media personalities, has joined the National Garden Scheme (NGS) as its new ambassador. George Plumptre, CEO of the National Garden Scheme, said: “We are all thrilled that Rachel has agreed to join us as an ambassador. Her passion for plants and enthusiasm for the promotion of gardens for health and well-being fit seamlessly with our work at the National Garden Scheme. Having Rachel on board will help to raise the profile of our gardens and encourage more people to discover the pleasures of visiting gardens.” In her new role Rachel will champion the charity’s promotion, helping to promote the National Garden Scheme’s extensive range of 3700 gardens.
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