Kitchen Garden November 2016 preview

2PACKETS OF SEEDS&3 RASPBERRY CANES * just pay p&p

WWW.KITCHENGA ARD EN.C CO .UK | NOVEMBER 2016

DOWN-TO-EARTH ADVICE FOR GROWING FRUIT & VEG

AUTUMN DELIGHTS

3 pages of pumpkin tricks & treats 18 seasonal top tips for beginners Plant onions & garlic for early crops

WIN PRIZES

WORTH £1391 including welly boots, seed vouchers & more

Grow grapes & sweet peas Build a folding potting bench & leaf bin Help bees

of the BEST

HARDY KALES

A growing work ofart

Meet the gardeners making an exhibition of themselves

MONEY-SAVING OFFERS & READER DISCOUNTS EXCLUSIVE RECIPES  7 LEAF PICKERS TESTED

CONTENTS

EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

SAVE £24

...on great fruit collections including strawberries, gooseberries and currants Pg 90

6

50

✪ ON THE COVER

YOU

@GrowWithKG

YOUR PLOT

6 ON THE VEG PATCH

KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15

Plant garlic, pick courgettes and Swiss chard, feed brassicas, take cuttings from fruit bushes

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE

Sow peas and salads, harvest the last tomatoes, protect tender plants

12 WHAT’S NEW

The latest news and advice from the world of kitchen gardening

14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...

£20

ON PAGE 20 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month

4 | NOVEMBER 2016

30

Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice

97 NEXT MONTH

18 QUESTION TIME

106 LAST WORD

38 GROWING ONLINE

63

Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank answer your fruit and veg growing conundrums

Our roundup of some of the best gardening info from the web and social media

46 YOUR FREE SEEDS ✪

How to get the best from your free gifts

50 MEET THE PLOTTERS

Visit some KG reader plots and pick up top tips for your own patch

Some highlights to be found in your December issue plus details of great free gifts

With deputy editor Emma Rawlings

NOVEMBER 2016

RECIPES

Scan this, and we’ll tell you!

Looking for some inspirational new ways to use your seasonal pickings this month? KG chef Anna Pettigrew has the answers

Pg 98

98

42 GET GROWING 22 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS

Learn what the KG team have been up to this month and pick up some great top tips

24 ALLOTMENTS FOR ALL

Gardening writer Steve Neal visits some thriving plots in Bristol and discovers why they are so valuable to the local community

30 BEGINNERS’ GUIDE TO ONIONS

Keen veg gardener Rob Smith brings you his top tips for success with this essential crop ✪

35 VEG AT A GLANCE – PUMPKINS Staff writer Tony Flanagan has some great growing advice and top tips for this iconic squash ✪

40 OKAHIJIKI ON TEST

58 54 SWEET PEA HEAVEN ✪

Head gardener Stephen Marsland encourages us all to try this quintessentially English cut flower

58 FRUIT AT A GLANCE – GRAPES Every garden should have its vine. KG editor Steve Ott takes you through the basics of producing a good crop ✪

63 BEES IN CRISIS ✪

Organic gardener Julie Moore explains how you can help your garden bees to the benefit of future harvests

68 SPACE SAVING IN THE POTTING SHED ✪

Writer and broadcaster Martin Fish has a great idea for upcycling some old timber to make a collapsible potting bench

74 CRACKING KALES ✪

KG’s Emma Rawlings gives her verdict on this trendy ingredient

RHS trials forum member Colin Randel brings us the results of the latest trials to find the very best kale varieties for your plot

42 GLORIOUS GARLIC! ✪

76 A GROWING WORK OF ART ✪

48 AUTUMN INSPIRATION ✪

80 MAKE YOUR OWN LEAF BIN & SALAD BAR ✪

Gardening expert Ben Vanheems explains how to get the best from your newly planted cloves this autumn

KG editor Steve Ott helps you to prepare your plot for the colder months and suggests some crops to sow now www.kitchengarden.co.uk

Gardening writer Alice Whitehead visits some very select plots in Edinburgh which are as pretty as a picture

Gardening expert Andrew Davenport makes a handy leaf bin with a difference

54 WHAT TO BUY 84 TRIED AND TESTED ✪

It’s autumn! Time for the KG team to put a range of leaf grabbers and pickers to the test.

Discover our best buy

88 GARDEN STORE

News of the best new products and services to reach the KG offices this month

90 READER OFFERS ✪

Claim your three free raspberry canes worth £9.95 plus save on strawberry runners, gooseberry bushes, heavy yielding raspberry ‘Polka’ and colourful currants

92 KG INSTANT SAVERS ✪

Save up to 15% on a range of great gardening products with our exclusive deals including fruit trees and bushes, garden lighting, winter salad collections and top quality cold frames

94 GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £1300 ✪

This month you could win top of the range wellies, a log splitter, rock dust soil remineralisation, wood treatment and seed vouchers

102 DIARY DATES

Discover a gardening event or enrol on a course at a venue near you. (Many more online at www.kitchengarden.co.uk) NOVEMBER 2016 | 5

YOU

YOUR PLOT

WHAT’S NEW?

ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING

‘GREENFINGERS’ FOR THE GREEN-FINGERED

If you don’t have a lot of space, or even a garden as such, you can grow lots in pots, and turn that balcony, backyard or paved area into a fruit and vegetable cornucopia. Crops in Pots

by Bob Purnell will give you plenty of ideas of what to grow – 50 to be precise – including vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers.

Each entry shows you what to grow and has an accompanying recipe for when the fruits of your labour are ready. It also contains lots of useful growing advice and is attractively designed too. This book will inspire!

(Enter our Spot the Difference Competition on page 21 for your chance to win Crops in Pots, published by Spruce at £12.99)

Pledging its support for Greenfingers (www. greenfingerscharity.org.uk), seed company Mr Fothergill’s has launched a brand new sweet pea for the 2017 season. Well suited to both garden display and as a cut flower, sweet pea ‘Greenfingers’ is rich cream with pale violet edges on the petals, a grandiflora flower form and a strong scent redolent of Victorian varieties.

Greenfingers is a charity which creates inspiring gardens for children’s hospices. Mr Fothergill’s Tim Jeffries has pledged 25p to Greenfingers for every packet of 20 seeds priced at £2.45.

Tim said: “We are delighted to support such a worthwhile charity and a cause close to so many hearts. By launching sweet pea ‘Greenfingers’, we hope we can raise the charity’s profile with our customers, Britain’s gardeners and the garden trade.”

See more at www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

FACT!

WIN THIS BOOK

Though thought of as a vegetable, peas are technically a fruit as the pods contain seeds (the peas we eat). Aubergines, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers are actually fruit too because those parts we eat contain seeds.

According to a survey of 1602 shed owners across the UK the humble garden shed may hold the key to contentment.

Of those questioned, 96% say their shed makes them happy.

For ‘sheddies’ (people who love their sheds) the shed is much more than a place to store gardening tools – it’s the ultimate retreat. More than 48% of people surveyed say they love sheds so much they’d happily spend a country break staying in one, and 19% say they would even live in their shed.

Indeed, shed owners eagerly anticipate the time they spend in their sheds: 28% say it’s better than going to the pub, 49% say it’s better than doing almost anything in the house, and 6% prefer ‘shed time’ to sex. The survey was conducted by Waltons Garden Buildings, www.waltons.co.uk.

DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK 12 | NOVEMBER 2016

www.kitchengarden.co.uk

ALLOTMENTS Allotments often have a vital function in the life of a community, serving diverse groups and creating a positive environment, as allotment champion Steve Neal found out when he visited Springfield allotments in Bristol

KITCHENGARDEN

GROWINGGUIDE

XXX

PUMPKINS A must for all that Halloween spookery, a fun-filled opportunity for creative carving with the kids, or as a seasonal kitchen treat, if there’s one veg that captures this time of year, says Tony Flanagan, it has to be the pumpkin

SOW:

April-May

HARVEST: OctoberNovember

G GROWING ADVICE A SOWING S Sow seeds on their side rather than flat to avoid the risk of them rotting

1 For pumpkins ensure that the 1. ssoil is well-draining and rich in o organic matter/well-rotted manure.

A sunny spot is best and you will

need plenty of space if you intend to grow more than one plant.

2. Sow seeds on their sides (rather than flat) to avoid rotting.

Although they can be sown directly into the soil in late May or early June it is probably better to start them off indoors in April.

3. Fill 7.5cm (3in pots) or suitably deep modular cell trays with multipurpose compost and sow seeds to a depth of 2.5cm (1 in).

4. Place in a propagator if you have one or seal in a plastic bag – they will need temperatures around 18-21C (64-70F) to germinate. ➤

GET GROWING

AUTUMN Simple advice to help you stretch the growing season and get the best from your winter veg from KG editor, Steve Ott

GETTINGAHEAD

There are plenty of things you can sow and plant now in preparation for 2017 and beyond. Growth will be slow outside at this time of year but the soil, although reluctant to heat up in spring, is slow to cool in the autumn. This makes it perfect for establishing new roots on longer term crops.

Onions and garlic are masters at making the most of the heat stored under our feet at this time of year.

Planted now and just buried, the baby bulbs and cloves will be cosseted against the worst of the winter weather. Nothing much will appear to be happening above the soil, but below ground the roots will be forming, growing and preparing to support growth just as soon as the spring weather allows.

48 | NOVEMBER 2016

TIME TO DIVIDE RHUBARB This popular crop benefits from warmer autumn soils if divided and replanted at this time of year. Division, and the replanting of only the best, most vigorous parts of the old crown ensures a great start in the spring and beyond. Divide every three years for best results.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk

ON TEST

KALES!

This month Colin Randel, member of the Royal Horticultural Society’s vegetable trials forum, turns his attention to this popular hardy and nutrient-packed leafy crop

K

ale (or borecole as it was once widely known) has always been a mainstay winter vegetable for fresh greens at a time when other vegetables can be in short supply. In more recent years their appeal has soared dramatically due to their well-publicised nutritional and health properties. Kales can provide fresh greens all the year round as salad leaves, mid-sized plants and as fully mature plants in the traditional way.

Modern breeding has increased the range of leaf colours and shapes, textures and sweetness levels and as ornamental edibles to be utilised in both the vegetable and flower gardens and as container plants.

The previous RHS Wisley Garden trial was way back in 1999/2000 and the many varieties introduced since provided some eye-catching visual differences. There were 20 varieties in this trial, which took place in spring and summer 2015.

SOWING AND PLANTING

The latest trial included 20 varieties. Five received a prestigious AGM

74 | NOVEMBER 2016

Seed was sown singly into cell trays on May 12 to produce sturdy plants for planting out after six weeks. The area was rotavated and prepared beforehand – 50g/sq m sulphate of potash and www.kitchengarden.co.uk

WHAT TO BUY | GIVEAWAYS

GIVEAWAYS

WORTH OVER

TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAYS SEE PAGE 103 OR VISIT THE KG WEBSITE

£1391

STEP OUT IN STYLE! Premium boot brand The Original Muck Boot Company is launching a new print for autumn in association with the Royal Horticultural Society.

This limited-edition boot, in the classic ‘Tremont’ style, comes in three beautiful flower- and vegetable-inspired prints, offering a fashionable, fun design for those seeking something a bit special.

The RHS Tremont has a 4mm (1/8in) CR Flex-Foam interior, backed with a fleece liner, and offers a tall, slimming look with a matt finish that is easy to maintain. The generous pull-tab makes the boots smooth and quick to pull on, and they feature a shock-absorbing dual-intensity EVA insole ensuring ultimate comfort over long periods – so they’ll take you from the garden to the streets in style!

To find out more or order online, go to www.muckbootcompany.co.uk

3

PAIRS TO GIVE AWAY

We have three pairs of RHS Tremont boots in the print of the winners’ choice, each worth £100, to give away.

OPEN SEASON ON SEEDS The first 2017 seed catalogues are out and, as ever, Thompson & Morgan heads the pack. Its vegetable introductions include pea ‘Eddy’, perfect for a late harvest thanks to new breeding in mildew-resistance. ‘Artisan Mix’ features two varieties from a new class of elongated mini-plum tomato, while ‘Indigo Cherry Drops’ offers all the health benefits of tomato

‘Indigo Rose’ but with higher yields and better flavour.

Kale ‘Duo Collection’ promises ‘the best eating quality of any kale’ in a stunning combination of colours. Climbing bean ‘Mamba’ consistently produced double the yield of ‘Cobra’ in T&M’s trials, with no reduction in flavour or quality. And ‘Wasabi rocket’, launched last

year, has been crowned T&M Veg of the Year 2017, following high demand for the chance to grow a taste of Japan in easy salad leaf form.

Call 0844 573 1818 for your copy of the 2017 catalogue, or visit www.thompson-morgan. com to browse and buy online.

We have 20 T&M vouchers ay. worth £15 to give away.

20

VOUCHERS TO GIVE AWAY

94 | NOVEMBER 2016

www.kitchengarden.co.uk

butternuts With the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness well under way, Anna Pettigrew serves up some sensational recipes, featuring all the wholesome goodness of leeks, beetroot and butternut squash

WHAT FRUIT & VEG TO HARVEST THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FREE ONLY WITH

Guide to seasonal fruit and veg with top tips on cooking and growing RECIPES AND STORAGE IDEAS SEASON BY SEASON SOWING TIPS TO TIME YOUR HARVESTS

KALE & BEETROOT SALAD  BROCCOLI & SPINACH PASTA  MACKEREL & PEA SALAD  TURKEY & LEEK BAKE 

CROPS TO HARVEST Salad leaves, kale, lettuce, radish, potatoes, globe artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, runner beans, French beans, broad beans, courgette, marrow, carrot, beetroot, leaf beet, spring onions, bulb onions and garlic, salsify, scorzonera, autumn raspberries, Swiss chard, herbs, celery, celeriac

FROM STORE

Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, squashes, celeriac, turnip, apples, beetroot, swedes, pears, garlic, onions

TIPS ON GROWING ■ A few crops can still be sown during the autumn months, including hardier lettuce varieties, spinach, oriental leaves, pak choi, hardy salad leaves, turnips, hardy green manures.

■ Plant onion and shallot sets (small bulbs) in September and garlic cloves in October /November.

■ Time to clear away any dead or dying vegetable material from the plot. Tough woody stems can be shredded or bashed with a hammer to

break them down first before adding to the compost bin.

■ Tie special grease bands (available from garden centres or mail order) around the trunks of trees to help control moths that climb the trees in autumn to lay their eggs.

(September-November) It is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, as poet John Keats beautifully wrote. Time to bring in the harvest and store