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It may be cold outside, but many of us will start making the first tentative sowings inside or under cloches this month. OK it’s still a little early, but who can resist tearing open those packets of peppers, aubergines or tomatoes? In this issue, top gardener and KG regular Ben Vanheems brings you his four-page seedling survival guide packed with great tips to help you get the best from your sowings and to put things right when they don’t go according to plan. Professional fruit grower David Patch describes his favourite eating apples, all of which can be planted now, and I bring you my guide to growing delicious sprouts (yes, I said delicious) and also offer some top tips on getting the best from your free tomato and sweet pepper seeds. The Potty Plotters and stalwarts of BBC Radio Derby bring you the next instalment in the story of their starter plots. These are small plots that newcomers to allotment gardening keep for a year under the guidance of experienced plotters. Sounds like a great way to let folks have a go and to decide if it’s for them before taking the plunge with a full-sized allotment. We would love to know if this is something your allotment site offers and if it has proved to be a success.
Steve Ott, editor
Turn to p46 to meet a veg gardener who doesn’t play by normal veg gardening rules www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at: www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529
CHECK OUT OUR GREAT GIVEAWAYS AT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 3
EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
26 ✪ ON THE COVER
30 YOU
@GrowWithKG
YOUR PLOT
6 ON THE VEG PATCH
KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag
This month award-winning garden writer Joyce Russell brings you her top tasks for February, including sowing peas and beans
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
@GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15
Practical gardener Martin Fish is harvesting citrus, cleaning the polytunnel and sowing leeks
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 CONNECT WITH YOUR KG SUBSCRIBERS’ CLUB
NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...
£20
This month KG subscribers can save up to 20% on fleece, seeds and sundries, plus your chance to win a Cobra cordless chainsaw worth more than £324!
20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER
ON PAGE 24 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month
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34 102 LAST WORD
Our top experts help solve your gardening problems; this month involving onions, potatoes and leafmould
Music legend, radio show host and cookery author Cerys Matthews loves to grow and cook her own veg. She chats to KG about her love of gardening
22 GROWING ONLINE
104 NEXT MONTH
Our roundup of the best websites, blogs, vlogs and gardening socials
Some of the highlights to be found in your March issue plus news of more great free gifts www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
FEBRUARY 2020 KG regular Anna Cairns Pettigrew brings you seasonal recipes this month based on carrots, kale and leeks
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Pg 98
76 Scan this, and we’ll tell you!
60 GET GROWING 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS
This month the team discuss no-dig and introduce some romance to the polytunnel!
26 GROW LIKE A PRO! ✪
Horticulturist Rob Smith brings you all you need to know about grafted veg
30 ALL SOWN UP ✪
58 YOUR FREE SEEDS ✪
Simple top tips to help you get the best from your free seeds this month
60 THE START OF SOMETHING BIGGER ✪
Full-sized plots are not for everyone. We start a new series on one site which is experimenting with small starter plots as a way to ease newcomers into the hobby
65 ALL-YEAR HARVESTS FOR YOUR HENS ✪
Organic gardener Ben Vanheems has four pages of great advice to help you towards seed sowing success this spring
Garden designer and poultry enthusiast Steph Humes shows how to reduce the food bill for your flock with some home-grown treats
34 WINNING WAYS ✪
68 SMALL SPACE GROWING
Meet Iryna and Rick Smith from Lancashire, worthy winners of the KG Plotter Competition 2019
KG’s Emma Rawlings has some great ideas to help those with limited space produce some big harvests
37 ONE TO TRY
72 THE APPLE OF HIS EYE ✪
We 'road test' Carrot 'Malbec F1'
40 FROM BRUSSELS WITH LOVE ✪
Fruit expert David Patch reveals his favourite eating apples in time for planting
Do you love them... or hate them? KG editor Steve Ott brings you his growing guide to Brussels sprouts
76 A MOVING EXPERIENCE
46 THE REBELLIOUS GARDENER
79 TRY THIS COMPOST, FOR PEAT’S SAKE!
We visit gardening writer and campaigner Kim Stoddart in her high-rise garden in the hills of West Wales
52 SUPER SUMAC
Exotic veg lover Sally Cunningham has the low-down on this common garden shrub with tasty benefits
54 TURN UP THE HEAT
Green gardening expert Stephanie Hafferty shows how to use hot beds and propagators to boost early sowings www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
Editor Steve Ott looks at some equipment to help lighten your gardening loads
Wendy Pillar travels to Cumbria to visit a company which makes quality peat-free composts for gardeners
84 HOW GREEN IS YOUR GARDEN? ✪
Gardening journalist Becky Dickinson suggests ways to ensure that our hobby has a positive effect on the environment
88 PASS THE PARSLEY ✪
A concise growing guide to this valuable herb
46 WHAT TO BUY 64 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH £819 Our prizes in this issue include a top quality brushcutter from Stiga and Vegan Life Live show tickets
90 GREAT READER OFFERS – SAVE OVER £37! ✪
Claim your free* blackcurrant ‘Big Ben’ plant worth £11.95 when you order any of our bargain collections (*T&Cs apply)
92 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS
News of some great new products and services and a chance for KG subscribers to save up to 20% on big-name products!
94 PRODUCT ROUNDUP ✪
This we look at a range of soil testing kits and services
106 GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 5
GET GROWING
Photos by Ben Russelll
TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH IN FEBRUARY BY JOYCE RUSSELL SOW PEAS AND BEANS
Make new sowings of broad beans as soon as the soil temperature is above 6C/43F. Seeds can go in a double row around 5cm (2in) deep over a trench filled with compost. Sow a few extra to fill any gaps and cover with fleece or a cloche.
BUY ONION SETS AND SEED POTATOES
These may not go in the ground until next month but if you buy now you have a good choice of varieties and you can pick out firm and healthy planting stock. Avoid shrivelled and mouldy sets and look for egg-size potatoes with short sprouts.
FEED BLUEBERRY BUSHES
Scatter a good organic feed round the base of plants. Add a layer of ericaceous (lime free) compost too for these acidloving plants. This feed will last all year.
WATCH THE WEATHER FORECAST
Keep an eye on the weather and adjust your gardening plans if needed. There’s no point in planting into frozen ground or pruning if a hard frost is forecast. Consider what lies ahead as well as what is happening outside the window.
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JOBS FOR THE MONTH XXX
GROWING LEEKS FROM SEED
Sow seed in shallow trays
Sow autumn varieties in February and wait until March for winter and spring varieties. Sow seed thinly in trays of good potting compost and cover the seed. Thin shoots push through in around 14 days. They grow like thin spears of grass often with the seed shell at the tip.
Prick out into deeper container
When seedlings are around 10cm (4in) tall, they are ready to move to a larger container with 15cm (6in) depth of compost (you can use garden compost for this but remove any weeds that appear). Lift seedlings with care and plant them 5cm (2in) apart. Water well and keep compost damp.
Plant into holes
When plants are 20-25cm (8-10in) tall, they can go in a garden bed. Make 15cm (6in) deep holes 15cm (6in) apart in a row and add a pinch of organic fertiliser in each one. Drop a leek in each hole so leaves poke out of the top. Fill holes with water so roots settle down.
START BEETROOT IN CELLS You can sow beetroot directly into a garden bed in March and April, or you can get off to an earlier start by sowing seed in trays of cells in February. Fill each cell with damp compost and put two or three seed clusters in each cell. Some clusters grow individual seedlings; older varieties produce seed clusters that grow several seedlings. Cover with polythene and keep trays at 10-12C (50-54F) and seedlings will appear in around two weeks. Seedlings will lean towards the light if raised by a window. Thin to leave two strong seedlings per cell. Plant out in the garden in late March/early April.
SOW NOW
Early peas and broad beans, lettuce, some salad leaves, Brussels sprouts, beetroot, leeks, spring onion – all with some protection.
AUTUMN PLANTED ONIONS Plants may be a little straggly and battered after a hard winter, but that’s about to change from now on. Growth picks up in February and these hardy little plants can put on a spurt in any mild spell. Keep rows covered for extra protection if there’s still a lot of frost or snow in the forecast. Open the covers up and weed around plants on a fine day. Onions have shallow root systems and they suffer if surrounded by weeds. Scatter a potash-rich feed between the rows – wood ash is good if you have ash from a pure and untreated wood source.
PLANT NOW
Fruit trees, canes, and bushes if ground isn’t frozen. Garlic cloves and shallots.
HARVEST
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, leeks, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach, swede, Swiss chard.
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GET GROWING
WHEN TO SOW PARSNIPS ■ There’s still time to prune apple trees this month, but only if buds haven’t started to open. ■ Try to get all pruning finished by the end of the month and make sure to remove any branches that show signs of disease. ■ Buy as much potting compost as you think you will need. Sowing season comes round very fast and you don’t want to drive out for a bag every time you finish one. Think what you need for filling containers and topping up window boxes too. ■ Give used pots a scrub in soapy water then rinse in clean water and leave them to dry out on a fine, sunny day. This reduces the spread of disease problems from one year to the next and it’s nice to have a stack of clean pots for when they are needed. ■ Make sure machinery is in good order for the year to come. Change oil, filters and spark plugs and make sure the start mechanism does what it should. ■ Cavolo nero kale is hardy but you need to keep picking if you want more to grow. New leaves appear at the joints where older ones were removed.
Parsnip seed can take a month or more to germinate. If you sow in cold wet ground in February then it might be late March h before you realise the sowing has failed. There’s still plenty of time to sow again in March, but the question is whether or not there is an advantage to trying a February sowing. My answer would be that it depends where you live. In southern areas, or those a bit further north at sea level, then there can be great crops of parsnips grown from a February sowing. Grow in a raised bed with good drainage or make a raised ridge in a well-drained part of the garden if sowing on a flat bed. Sow four seeds every 15cm (6in) along the row – if more than one grows, then you can thin seedlings at a later stage. Cover the bed with horticultural fleece to keep things warm. Protect against slugs and snails when seedlings are small and re-sow into any gaps to give later, smaller roots.
TACKLE A PLANT PROBLEM Snails and slugs can become active in a mild February. Check under bricks, stones, wooden boards, sheet mulches on empty beds, or any piles of debris left lying around the garden. Remove the pests themselves, but also dispatch any eggs – if you prevent these small white balls from hatching then you can really reduce the number of adult munchers.
SHALLOTS
Shallots are frost hardy and can be planted this month if soil isn’t too wet or frozen. Sets do well if planted into soil enriched with compost and they benefit from the extra warmth if planted through holes in black groundcover or polythene mulch. Each set produces a cluster of bulbs in May or June. Allow 20cm (8in) between sets in rows 30cm (12in) apart.
WAKE UP YOUR COMPOST The contents of small plastic bins of compost are more likely to be inactive at this time of year than big bins that hold a large bulk of material. Neither will be working as quickly as in the warmer months but the aim is to keep microbes and insects ticking over until some spring warmth arrives. If we have had a severe winter and the contents have frozen solid, then it’s unlikely that there is a plentiful supply of bugs and beasts. This is a good time to look in the bin and decide how to get it working again. ■ Add a half-bucket of compost from an active heap. This should contain visible insects, worms etc. If these are alive then it is likely that microbes have survived too. Make a hole and drop the active compost into the middle of the contents of the bin. ■ Add a commercial activator. These usually contain a host of microbes in a pelleted medium. Some contain concentrated nitrogen – read the label so you know what you are buying. Nitrogen can help to speed decomposition if your bin contains mostly kitchen waste and plant material. ■ A triple layer of bubble wrap round the outside helps to keep things cosy.
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■ Providing you can maintain warm conditions in a propagator, you can start to sow tomato, pepper and aubergine seeds in small pots. ■ Continue to prepare borders by clearing old winter crops and spreading a layer of compost over the soil. ■ Sow dwarf varieties of broad beans directly into borders or start them off in cell trays. ■ As the soil warms up in the greenhouse or polytunnel, you can start to sow some veg such as lettuce, early carrots and spring onions. ■ When you get your seed potatoes, chit them in a light, frostfree place to start them into growth.
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HARVEST CITRUS FRUIT If you can maintain frost-free conditions in a greenhouse or conservatory over the winter, it’s worth growing some citrus fruits. It’s often recommended that they need a minimum temperature of 10C (50F) over winter, but they will tolerate slightly cooler conditions. My greenhouse heater is set to 6C (45F) and the lemon, orange, lime and calamondin are all fine. That of course is the minimum temperature and in mild weather or on sunny days the temperature increases. At this time of the year the plants are starting to blossom and last season’s fruits are ripening and ready to pick as and when you want them. We use them in drinks, marmalade and to make a soothing lemon, honey and ginger winter warmer! www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
JOBS FOR THE MONTH JO
GREENHOUSE HEATERS As the days start to lengthen in February we often get itchy fingers and want to start sowing and planting to get a head start. What we must remember is even though spring is hopefully just around the corner, February can be one of the coldest months of the year! Very frosty nights can cause temperatures under cover to plummet, so if you are over-wintering tender plants or starting off seedlings and young veg plants in a greenhouse, you need to check that the heater is working properly. Using a max-min thermometer in the greenhouse will enable you to check all is well!
■ When sowing seeds in small pots or trays, consider covering the seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite instead of sieved compost. The vermiculite retains warmth and moisture around the seeds and as they emerge, they push through easily, unlike some composts that form a hard crust.
SOW LEEKS IN PLUG TRAYS Towards the end of the month you can start leeks off in frost-free conditions to produce a batch of early seedlings to grow in the polytunnel as baby leeks to harvest in early summer. Rather than sowing directly into the soil, which can still be cold at this time of the year, I prefer to start the seeds off in plug trays of h multipurpose compost. The seeds are just large enough to handle individually to pop one into each plug. In a greenhouse propagator or on a heated sand bench theyy should germinate without too many problems.
CLEAN POLYTUNNEL
If not already done, make sure your polytunnel is given a thorough clean before the growing season kicks in. This not only allows more light through to the plants to encourage strong growth, it helps to clear away any pests and diseases that are lurking in nooks and crannies. Having used all sorts of products over the years to clean polythene and insect-proof netting, I’ve come to the conclusion that good old-fashioned Jeyes Fluid is as good as anything. I spray on a solution then use a car washing brush to loosen dirt, before rinsing with clean water.
SCALE & SOOTY MOULD ON CITRUS If you have citrus plants check them over for pests and diseases that can be evident at this time of the year. The main pest all citrus suffer with is scale insects that attach themselves to the stems and leaves and feed by sucking sap. Over time this weakens the plant and on the sticky honeydew the insects exude a fungus called sooty mould develops. This prevents light getting to the leaves, which also weakens the growth. Inspect the plants and rub off the tiny scales, and use a damp cloth to wipe the black sooty mould off the leaves. www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
■ In preparation for seed sowing and potting of young veg plants, bring a couple of bags of compost into the greenhouse or polytunnel to allow it time to gradually warm up. ■ On sunny days in February it can get lovely and warm undercover, but at night the temperature can suddenly drop to freezing, so keep some fleece handy to cover over young plants and give them a little protection. ■ A really simple way to provide gentle heat to start off a range of veg plants in an unheated polytunnel or greenhouse is to use a heated bench made using a soil-warming cable and sand. Before use, make sure it’s ready by levelling and topping up with fresh sand if needed and switch on to test the warming cable. ■ Pre-warm border soil in the polytunnel by covering it with a sheet of black material that will absorb warmth on sunny days.
www.kitchengarden.co.uk | 11
YOU
YOUR PLOT
ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
Long time and regular KG contributor Joyce Russell has won the 2019 Peter Seabrook Practical Book of the Year Garden Media Guild Award. Here she is shown receiving her award at the Garden Media Guild Awards event held at the Savoy in London in November. This annual event celebrates the talent, skill and inspiration of UK garden media professionals. Joyce will be well-known to regular readers of KG for her Jobs for the Month section and for the many practical garden projects she has shared over many years, with photographs by husband Ben Russell. Her awarding-winning book, New Vegetable Garden Techniques, is published by White Lion Publishing and is available to buy online from a range of outlets. The judges stated: “This was a well-structured book that enabled new growers to gain confidence in the garden through a number of practical projects that encompass new techniques and variations on some tried and tested methods. It’s fun, easy to use, imaginative, informative and well written. The book’s layout follows a modern approach and the overall design gives it a lively feel.” Joyce pictured here with Peter Seabrook
HEDGING IS BEST As part of its Greening Great Britain campaign, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is encouraging gardeners to swap their walls and fences for hedges. In an analysis of 44 of the most popular hedges, the RHS found that they can play a role in mitigating flooding, capturing pollutants and acting as a sound barrier. Hedges in urban environments were also found to provide a crucial resource for a wide diversity of animal species through the provision of shelter, nest sites and food resources. The best all-round performers suitable for UK gardens suggested by the RHS include beech, holly, privet, western red cedar and rose.
Picture: Ben Russell
LOVE AND SPICE The Organic Gardening Catalogue has several new seed varieties for 2020. Take a look, for example, at ‘Amoro F1’, a dark orange, heartshaped squash (hence the name ‘Amoro’), suitable for growing in small spaces and containers. In contrast, something that will give your salads, stir-fries, casseroles and soups a bit of spice is ‘Wasabino’, which has leaves with notched, wavy edges and a flavour reminiscent of horseradish. To view the full range of seeds for 2020, go to: www.organiccatalogue.com
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WHAT’S NEW?
CELEBRATE NATIONAL CARROT CAKE DAY! According to Days of the Year (www. daysoftheyear.com) February 3 is National Carrot Cake Day. The tradition dates back to medieval times when carrot pudding was popular. Apparently, carrots were used as a natural sweetener before sugar became available.
NEW DIGGING TOOLS Two new, rather unique digging tools have be een developed by Roamwild, a company sp pecialising in creating innovative products. Both spade and fork have two sets of grips and an air lightt handle han for erg gonomic digging. The Multi-Digg Digger Garden Fork includes wedge shaped, taperred dd diamond pointed tines and large surface ea area foot plates. This allows for digging through top soil and then breaking up anyy lumps with the lump-cutting bladess. The Multi-Digger Garden Spade hass an arro owheadshaped head witth large su urface area foot plates an nd root-cutting g edge, which facilita ates digging thrrough sods an nd roots – so a dig gging spade e and root cutter in one. For more on these prod F ducts and purchase information,, a visit: www.roam-wild.com m
WORKSHOPS AT EASTON Throughout 2020, Easton Walled Gardens near Grantham, Lincolnshire is offering a range of workshops which will be of interest to green-fingered folk. These include workshops on rose pruning and training; preparing your garden for a summer of colour; plant propagation – cuttings; success with sweet peas and roses; identifying and choosing plants; and planning and planting a spring display. For information on these and other workshops, visit: www.visiteaston.co.uk/shop p/workshop ps
NOT FIVE A DAY! A survey of nearly 25,000 adults – conducted by www. thego2brand.com – found that just 21% of the UK population eat five portions of fruit and veg a day. The survey also revealed that 34% take a week to eat just one day’s worth.
CORRECTION
Last month we ran an item on a new cherry tomato variety named ‘Consuelo F1’, bred by Burpee Europe. Please note, however, that seeds for this variety cannot be purchased directly from Burpee Europe itself as stated, but are available from Pennard Plants (www.pennardplants.com) and Just Seed (https://justseed.com). KG subscribers can win a packet of seeds to grow this lovely tomato. See page 18 for details.
YOU
YOUR PLOT
BEFORE AND AFTER My wife and I acquired our first allotment 12 months ago. We were informed it had been neglected for about four years, but we love a challenge and decided to give it a go. Lots of weeds and rubbish to remove (including old tyres!) and dead trees to chop down. All the soil has been sieved and replaced. Through summer and into autumn, we had our first crops of vegetables and planted blueberry, cherry, plum and pear trees, and also followed the hints and tips from Kitchen Garden. James Gallagher, Tyne and Wear TONY SAYS: What a job you’ve done, the two of you. Hard graft but it has paid off!
CONTACT US WITH YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS: TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK
LOVE AT FIRST BITE In 2019 I grew my first cucamelon plant from seed and while I only had one plant I thought it had potential. I used the remainder of the seeds and planted five plants outside. The plants romped away up some mesh and in a not very sheltered part of the allotment. Every visit I was rewarded! The fruits didn’t always reach home as they are incredibly edible in situ. As with all new plants, I was also presented with the problem of what to do with them and how to extend the life of the fruit. Naturally enough, I ate them raw and they often found their way into a vegetable stir-fry. I then found a decent cucumber, onion and dill pickle recipe which I adapted. The fruits were bountiful and 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,
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one visit I picked over a kilo of fruit, which isn’t bad going as they are really quite small and light. The fruits are crisp, flavoursome and, I find, more enjoyable than cucumber. Julie Freeman,, Oxford
CARROT HORIZONTALIS While harvesting some vegetables to make what I simply call an allotment soup I pulled up this carrot. Everyone on site found it highly amusing. One of our youngest site members, who we think never listens to anything we say (Jack aged 8), piped up: “I think it’s hit a stone and forked.” We were shocked into silence for a moment and all agreed with him. Tracey Hadlington,, n Bilston TONY SAYS: Would do well in the ballet Tracey, that carrot!
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
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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CONTACT US:
STEVE OTT sott@mortons.co.uk
EMMA RAWLINGS erawlings@mortons.co.uk
TONY FLANAGAN tflanagan@mortons.co.uk
YOUR VIEWS XXX
MY FIVE GROW LIVE I’ve enjoyed reading the Five Grow Live articles this year and tried some of the crops. Here’s how I did. Spinach – like others, mine went to seed. I was a bit slow in starting to give it enough water I think. ‘Cherry Belle’ radish – I really enjoyed these, juicy and not too hot. Butternut squash – each plant produced only the one fruit, but they were big ones. Courgette – the success story! We had six plants which produced 45.2kg and 155 individual courgettes! Again, in common with others, we found they produced randomly coloured courgettes. Helen Balawajder, York
EDITORIAL Tel 01507 529396, Fax 01507 371075 EDITOR: Steve Ott, sott@mortons.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR: Emma Rawlings,
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TONY SAYS: My goodness Helen, that’s a courgette cornucopia if ever there was one!
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JOINING FORCES I discovered Kitchen Garden magazine this year and I enjoy reading about your readers’ creative solutions on their allotments. I thought I’d write in too and share my solution to a run of bad luck. My dad and I have had a half plot each for the last five years, but due to bad health, a shed burglary and wind destroying his new polytunnel, my dad has rather lost his enthusiasm. So we have decided to join forces and he will be giving up his plot to help me on mine (hurrah say the 90,000 on the waiting list!)... which means I get to use his broken polytunnel frame as an attractive arch to grow
runner beans over next year, and there’s plenty of room on my plot for him to keep growing carrots in his recycled water tank. Win win. Naomi Graham, Orpington. TONY SAYS: We look forward to seeing those runner beans later in the year, Naomi.
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GREEN MANURE ADVICE The Professional Publishers Association Member
BARRY: I planted several types of green manure last autumn for overwintering. The advice is to cut the plants down in early spring then dig them in. Apparently, in order to release the goodness in the plants, you have to cut them up first, using shears or a strimmer. I operate no-dig raised beds.
PLUMPUDDING: If you give the chopped-up tops time to wilt before covering them with anything they are more likely to start breaking down.
KG AND THE ENVIRONMENT Once you have read and enjoyed your copy of Kitchen Garden magazine, why not recycle it? Simply remove the glossy cover and shred the rest before adding to your compost heap or bean trench. The polythene sleeves in which KG is supplied are recyclable. Simply look out for the advice label printed on yours and follow the instructions:
If I cut off the tops of the green manure, the roots should still continue to produce shoots come the spring. How do you therefore get the greenery to be incorporated into the bed without digging it in? MONIKA: A sharp Dutch hoe will sever the roots which will then rot down.
TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE FORUM VISIT: HTTP://FORUM.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.youtube.com/kitchengardenmagazine
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This is a good time for raking lime into acidic beds where you are planning to grow brassicas
Illustrations: Let’ss Face It
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The KG team offer chat, tips and gardening gossip
3 Mudketeers eteers NO-DIG DIGGERS The Muddies have been out on the plot busy preparing for spring sowing and planting. Well, Emma has. The two other Muddies, I’m afraid, have turned up but seem more interested in watching Emma do all the work (or maybe they are just admiring Emma’s digging technique?) than getting stuck in themselves. Make your own mind up. Whichever, Tony
and Steve have clearly brought a new meaning to the term ‘no dig’. The real no-dig master, of course, is Charles Dowding, who for decades now has been extolling the virtues of the no-dig gardening approach to produce wonderful fruit and veg. To find out more visit: https:// charlesdowding.co.uk/
WRAP UP YOUR RASPBERRIES I love fresh raspberries, but don’t have masses of space for the posts and wires necessary for the summer types. Thankfully, autumn varieties don’t need nearly as much space since the canes that fruited last season are cut back to ground level this month. After cutting back I add a mulch of well-rotted garden compost (or you could use manure) and place a thick mat of straw around the base of the plants. Then it is just a matter of waiting for those delicious fruits to appear again in September. 16 | www.kitchengarden.co.uk
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