Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i Kitchen Garden

So it’s the start of a new year: a great time to make plans and to decide what you are going to try in the fruit and veg garden this season. You’ll have your old favourites and maybe some plans to try something new. Very exciting times, and to help you make your decisions in this issue we’ve included a roundup of some of the best new varieties of fruit and veg from the 2017 seed catalogues. There are some interesting new introductions this year, including several strawberries, a blackberry for hanging baskets and countless new and improved veg varieties. Fed up with battling weeds? Then why not make a resolution to see them in a different light? Organic gardener and environmentalist John Walker encourages us to look at weeds…

HARVEST KALE Kale is one of the toughest brassicas and will stand any amount of frost. To add a little colour to the garden ‘Redbor’ is a good choice and very easy to grow. Spring-sown plants will be ready to harvest from autumn onwards, although they really come into their own in the depth of winter when the choice of fresh vegetables is more limited. It’s also very tasty and good for you! LIFT LEEKS Leeks form part of the staple diet through winter – they can be cooked in many interesting ways and often feature on our dinner plates! By growing several varieties it’s possible to have fresh leeks from the garden from September through until the following May. For me though they are a true winter veg and…

GROW YOUR OWN NUTS We all know nuts are nutritious and bring with them many health benefits but how many of us ever grow them? And if we want to, how do we go about it? How to Grow Your Own Nuts by Martin Crawford tells you just about everything you need to know, from the basics of growing nut trees, maintenance and propagation through to the harvesting and processing of nuts. Included in all of this is guidance on site, soil, feeding, irrigation, pruning and pests. The A-Z of nuts section contains entries on all the familiar varieties such as chestnuts, hazelnuts and walnuts as well as lesser-known varieties such as bladdernuts, monkey puzzles and trazels. Each entry is comprehensive, filling you in on all you need to know…

QUINTESSENTIALLY QUINCE MARKEN: I’m thinking of planting a quince tree. Some varieties of quince turn a beautiful rose pink colour when baked. Does anyone know a variety that will do this? Also, can they be grown on a rootstock that will moderate the eventual size? Any ideas? MRS L: ‘Vranja’ is a good one, it’s the one I have. I think most are grown on rootstocks these days. The most beautiful blossom too. MARKEN: Have you found that this variety does indeed turn that lovely pink colour? MRS L: Yes it does, and makes a very beautiful jelly and wine. MARKEN: I have used quince to make membrillo or even better baked them as they do in Turkey. To have your say on the forum visit: http://forum.kitchengarden.co.uk…

Our Star Question winner will receive vouchers worth £25; the writers of all other questions printed will receive a £10 voucher. They can be redeemed against any products in the latest Mr Fothergill’s catalogue, which will be sent out with the vouchers so you can choose from the massive range of quality products including seeds and garden equipment. To receive a free catalogue call 08453 710518 or visit www.mr-fothergills.co.uk Email questions to tflanagan@mortons.co.uk or post to Question Time, Kitchen Garden, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. Please include your full address on letters and emails. We do not publish full addresses.…

It was a difficult job judging the Passionate Plotter competition because clearly all who enter are passionate about their plots. We had to pick some winners and this month we feature the second and third prizewinners in the Best Plot category. 2ND BEST PLOT JOHN HILLS FROM THE ISLE OF WIGHT What the judges thought John’s pristine plot and beautiful quality veg just really impressed us. A good productive veg plot does not have to be perfectly tidy but when you see one that is you do appreciate the work and passion that must go into creating it. JOHN’S PLOT Do you have help tending your plot? My dog Bailey helps to dig up my potatoes. How long have you been growing veg? For about 25 years since I left…

I would guess that most of you are like me and you’ve eaten at least one potato in the last few days. This joy of it is that it can be prepared in countless ways, from boiled, mashed, chipped, roast, baked, fried and my favourite: the gratin. It’s just such a wonderful, multifunctional vegetable. ORIGINS Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) originate from the Andes, in South America. There are many edible tubers from the region, yet potatoes have not only spread throughout the world, they are the only tuber that has fed billions of people worldwide. Like most heritage vegetables, potatoes started off life as a wild plant. Then gradually, over time, our ancestors selectively bred them into a more productive and useful plant. Don’t be confused, it wasn’t like today where…

Anyone who has planted an apple tree will have almost certainly benefited from work done at East Malling Research (EMR). When it was established in Kent in 1913 as a fruit experimental station, some of the very first work undertaken was on apple rootstocks – started on a few acres of land with a small laboratory and a single scientist (plus a stable for his horse). Now, however, the Malling rootstocks (M27, M9, M26...) are used worldwide and the busy research site covers around 200 hectares (495 acres). Fruit research is still a major part of the organisation’s work, but today’s concerns – climate change, waste reduction and minimising water and pesticide use, for example – give it a different slant compared to 100 years ago. The tools the researchers…

GROWING ADVICE Easy to maintain and available when fresh veg is relatively scarce, this member of the onion family is definitely one to make space for on the veg patch. With successional growing it is possible to have leeks available almost all year round. Leeks also offer amazing versatility in the kitchen, bringing their distinctive flavour to soups, stews, sauces, savoury tarts, pastas, risottos and roasts. SOWING Leeks can be sown outdoors in March-April in a prepared seed bed but it’s probably better to start them off in seed trays or modular cell trays indoors, January-February. Fill trays with multi-purpose compost and then sow the leek seeds thinly. Cover with about 1cm (½in) of fine compost and then water in gently. Initially, you’ll need to provide a temperature of 10-15C…

PREMIER POLYTUNNELS There is nothing more tranquil than listening to the rain clatter down on your polytunnel while you relax and tend your plants inside. Polytunnels are the structure of choice for growers as they produce increased yields and reduce diseases that can damage plants. A simple and economical way to cover a large area, a polytunnel puts you in charge of nature –weather, pests, watering and ventilation are all under your control. In a ‘Premier’ polytunnel spring begins earlier and winter is kept outdoors, so don’t delay – order your free brochure today. Call: 01282 811250 Visit: www.premierpolytunnels.co.uk GARDENING NATURALLY Gardening Naturally is a family-run business based in the Cotswolds. We provide a lovely range of netting, fleece, traps and barriers which allows gardeners to enjoy clean crops free…

MR FOTHERGILL’S NEW 2017 SEED CATALOGUE OUT NOW! Featuring a massive choice of more than 1700 flower and vegetable seed varieties – our BIGGEST EVER SEED CATALOGUE! • UP TO 20% OFF SEED when you buy any 5 packets • GET 2 PACKETS OF SEED FREE with every seed order • FREE GROWING GUIDE with every seed order • FREE P&P on all orders over £45 REQUEST YOUR FREE CATALOGUE TODAY! www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/F17RKG  Or call 0845 371 0518 (Open 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week). Calls cost 3p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. D.T. BROWN SEEDS Request your free, new season catalogue from the seed experts at D.T. Brown Seeds. At over 200 pages, it’s the most comprehensive offering of vegetable seeds and plants,…

CARROT ROSTI Surprisingly easy to make and so tasty, these carrot and potato rostis make a wonderful cooked lunch or a light supper if served with an egg. SERVES 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes 800g1lb12ozpotatoes(‘King Edward’ or ‘Maris Piper’) 2 medium carrots 1 medium onion 1 large egg, lightly beaten 4 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tbsp self-raising flour ½ tsp smoked paprika Salt and pepper Oil for frying 1. Coarsely grate the potatoes, then squeeze out the excess liquid. 2. Peel and finely slice the onion. 3. Peel and coarsely grate the carrot. 4. Combine the potatoes, onion, carrot, egg and flour in a large bowl, add the paprika and season. 5. Use your hands to shape into patties. 6. Heat the oil in a…

If you have never grown vegetables before it is very exciting and you will be raring to get going. The idea of sowing a seed and nurturing the young plants to maturity is magical and so rewarding. Our supplement is a short guide for you if these are your first tentative steps to growing your own. We show you that you don’t need acres of space, expensive gadgets and tools or oodles of time. You just need a passion for it, a little guidance, good growing conditions and a little bit of luck! So follow our guide to get you started then keep reading Kitchen Garden magazine regularly and you will soon be expanding your plot and growing lots of delicious home-grown produce for you, your family and friends. So…

As shown on the previous pages, you can grow just a few crops in pots on a patio or anywhere in your garden that has a bit of sun during the day. If you want more space you could build one or two raised beds or if you want to be ambitious turn over some of your garden to vegetable beds. If you have never grown vegetables before start small and just grow one or two crops (see page 10 for some ideas on what crops to start with). Gradually increase the veg growing space as you gain confidence and if you have time. SOWING ON THE PLOT If you are sowing direct it is handy to have a line or straight edge so you can sow in a straight…

ANNE SWITHINBANK This month Anne brings you the lowdown on growing celeriac. It may not be pretty but it offers an easier way to get that great taste of celery into your salads, soups and many other dishes. TONY FLANAGAN KG’s staff writer Tony brings you his top tips on growing that great hardy winter veg, leeks. He has also been testing some popular raised bed kits designed to make growing your own easy. EMMA RAWLINGS Recently, Emma has been putting together the excellent supplements that you have been receiving free with your copy of KG. This month she explains how to start a new plot from scratch. JOHN WALKER John, an award-winning writer on gardening and environmental issues, joins the team this month to bring us some insights from…

Sort out and wash plant pots and seed trays ready for the main seed-sowing season in spring. A bucket of warm soapy water with a small amount if disinfectant is ideal. Keep planting bare root fruit trees and bushes when soil conditions are good. Never plant when the soil is waterlogged or frozen solid. If the plants arrive and you can’t plant, stand the roots in a large pot and cover them over with compost and fleece. Check fruit trees growing in large pots to make sure the compost isn’t too wet. To help drainage, lift the pot slightly off the ground to allow better drainage. Examine dormant apple trees for signs of canker on the stems. It’s easy to recognise as scabby growth on the bark. If possible cut…

ANYONE FOR SQUASH? This year we have enjoyed creating a new vegetable plot with our family, complete with a greenhouse for our daughter-in-law, and a polytunnel for my husband. It has been an interesting year and one of learning. Along with all the usual vegetables we have tried new varieties, including this ‘Tromba D’Albenga’ in the greenhouse. Just two plants have totally taken over the greenhouse, spilling out of the door to the extent that the fruit cannot easily be seen. Imagine our daughter-in-law’s surprise (more like shock) to discover this monster lurking under the abundance of leaves! Linda Stollery, Herefordshire TONY SAYS: What amonster indeed! CHUFFED WITH ACHOCHA I got a few seeds of ‘Giant Bolivian’ achocha from the Real Seed Company and grew them as I would grow…

HEAT-TREATED ONIONS Why don’t we have heat-treated autumn planting onion sets as autumn planted onion sets generally run to seed late spring. R J Littler, Merseyside ANDREW SAYS: Autumn and spring onion sets are different types of onion. All onions are photothermoperiodic, so sensitive to temperature and day length. Sets for spring planting are long-day onions which require 14-15 hours’ daylight to bulb. Non-heat-treated spring sets, if planted too early and then subjected to a cold spell, can have a check to growth and make the bulbs bolt as they develop. Heat treating is only used on spring planting sets to kill off the flower embryo and help prevent them from bolting. Autumn onion sets are short-day onions and only require 10 hours’ daylight to form a bulb. Ideally, these…

We are very grateful to the sponsors of our competition this year. HARROD HORTICULTURAL This company has been producing top-quality garden products for 60 years and is innovative in bringing new designs on to the market. It offers an excellent mail order service as well as being renowned for its sturdy fruit and vegetable cages and raised beds. Harrod Horticultural also sells a huge range of other gardening sundries. Tel 0845 402 5300 www.harrodhorticultural.com WOLF-GARTEN The WOLF-Garten gardening tool collection offers the total solution for soil and cultivation, lawn care, tree and shrub care and general garden maintenance. The WOLF-Garten philosophy is to provide gardening tools and machinery of premium quality and performance. Its garden tool range includes the multi-change® system which is lightweight and comfortable to use, so whatever…

• ‘INTERNATIONAL KIDNEY’ One of the most famous and tastiest potatoes has to be the ‘Jersey Royal’. More than 28,000 tonnes of the potato were exported from Jersey in 2012, yet you can grow them at home for yourself. ‘Jersey Royal’ is the name given to the potatoes we can buy in the shop. To be called that, they have to be grown on Jersey. However, the variety they use for this famous spud is ‘International Kidney’, which originated in Berkshire back in 1879. Even though we know them as ‘new’ potatoes, and think of them as small, waxy potatoes, they are actually an early maincrop which will go floury as they mature. When you grow them yourself at home, don’t forget to pick them small if you want them…

DOBIES The new-look Dobies catalogue is now available, including over 70 new seed varieties. Awarded the ‘Best Buy Seed Supplier’ by Which? Gardening, we’re building on our competitively priced ‘no frills’ ethos. Within the 150-page catalogue you’ll find quality seeds, plants and a range of gardening essentials at down-to-earth prices! Perfect for keeping all your seeds in top condition. Call 0844 967 0303 or visit www.dobies.co.uk SPECIAL OFFER Free collectable Seed Tin when you buy any 5 packs of Dobies seeds and use the code AXA16 SUTTONS Unsurprisingly, as seed purveyors since 1806 we have all the gardener’s favourite seeds and have been introducing new and exciting varieties ever since. We have a reputation for quality and service that is second to none, and a remarkable history that goes back…

During the colder months you’re likely to see more birds in the kitchen garden as they roam the country in search of food. You may even receive some new guests as birds from the far north and east arrive to forage for seeds or berries. Even the blackbirds hopping across the lawn might not be the same birds who were heralding spring a few months back. Our blackbirds move west and are replaced by seasonal visitors from Europe. PECKING ORDER Birds bring a garden to life in the grey, damp days of winter. Take this opportunity to enjoy their presence and be fascinated by their behaviour. You’ll notice when they’re squabbling at the bird table that there’s always a ‘pecking order’, with some birds more assertive than others. Smaller birds…

LOOSE THE JUICE – FOR LESS Get all the health benefits of juicing without any of the fuss! Awarded ‘Best Buy Juicer’ in The Independent in January 2016, the L’Equip 215 XL Juicer outperforms some models costing twice as much. Its extra-large circular feed tube takes whole fruit – even apples. It has a heavy-duty 600-watt motor and high-quality stainless steel juicing parts, and comes with a six-year warranty. Assembly and operation are quick and easy and clean-up is painless, with dishwasher-safe juicing parts. The L’Equip XL Juicer is available from UK Juicers and normally costs £99, but KG readers can claim a 20% discount by quoting code ‘KGXL’. Go to www.ukjuicers.com  to order. Offer valid until December 29, 2016. GROW UPWARDS Add height,…

TWO-DAY WINTER FRUIT PRUNING FEBRUARY 20 & 21. Brogdale Farm, Faversham, Kent. Formative and restorative pruning, theory and practical. 10am-4pm. Book on 01795 536250 www.brogdalecollections.org SHROPSHIRE POTATO DAY FEBRUARY 4. Montford Village Hall, Montford, near Shrewsbury. Fifty varieties seed potatoes, seeds, sets, fruit, advice. 9am-3pm. 01939 260935 www.shropshireorganic gardeners.org.uk MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN FEBRUARY 24. Barnsdale Gardens, The Avenue, Exton, Oakham, Rutland. Grow the finest fruit and veg the organic way. 10am-4pm. Book on 01572 813200 www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk FRUIT PRUNING WORKSHOP JANUARY 25. Waterperry Gardens, near Wheatley, Oxfordshire. Practical course for those who know the basics. 10am-3.30pm. Book on 01844 339254 www.waterperrygardens.co.uk SIMPLIFYING THE RULES FEBRUARY 4.West Dean College, West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex. Essential fruit and veg tips from Charles Dowding. 9am-5pm. Book on 01243 818300 www.westdean.org.uk…

10 MINUTE JOBS PLAN AHEAD Now is a good time to sit down and plan what you intend to grow in the garden this season. It’s well worth working out some sowing dates for a continuous supply of salads and vegetables and also work out about numbers of veg plants needed. CLEAR CABBAGES As you harvest winter cabbages and savoys, their old stems can be pulled out of the garden to gradually clear the ground. The stems can be added to the compost heap, but as they are tough and woody, it helps to chop them up with a spade first. BUY SEED POTATOES Buy seed potatoes as soon as possible to make sure you get the best choice of varieties. I prefer to buy from where the tubers are…

You may not feel much like working in the garden on a cold winter’s day, but a greenhouse offers a sheltered environment. Temperatures rise a little in any sun and it can be very pleasant to potter and pick, to dig over beds, or stir up the soil a bit with a hoe. The real work of the year doesn’t start for a few more weeks, but there is always something to do that will put you ahead for when the busy times come. SOW & GROW IN JANUARY • Choose early varieties of aubergine, and sow seed at 20C (68F). This gives the best chance of a good crop in an average summer in an unheated greenhouse. • Plant a few sprouted seed potatoes for the earliest crops. •…

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, 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 your letters to tflanagan@mortons.co.uk  or post to Letters, Kitchen Garden, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR…

WITH BOB FLOWERDEW & ANNE SWITHINBANK KG EXPERTS & REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS TO RADIO 4’S GARDENERS’ QUESTION TIME RAISING THE BED I have a wonderful raised bed I made out of railway sleepers. Could you please tell me what I do about soil for the coming season? Do I add compost or could I mix in a grow bag? I want to again grow dwarf beans, carrots, lettuce and leeks. Sue Costar, Oxford ANNE SAYS: You’ve already filled the bed and grown the above crops in there but need to know how to rejuvenate the soil between crops. I would treat the beds like no-dig ground and top-dress them with a minimum 9cm (3in) layer of well-rotted garden compost or manure during autumn or winter (but add it between and around…

BULLFINCHES These are very partial to gooseberry buds so erect some bird netting around your gooseberry bushes to keep them out. SLUGS AND SNAILS Hunt the slug is a good winter activity to reduce problems later in the season. Check under trays, pots and greenhouse staging and remove any slugs or snails you find overwintering. COLD SNAPS Though broad beans are very hardy and can endure the cold quite well, during very cold snaps protect them with horticultural fleece to prevent them from wilting.…

A garden line is an essential piece of kit for the vegetable plotter, being perfect for ensuring your lines of seeds and young plants are straight and well spaced. This garden line may not be elegant but it is very easy to make, requiring few DIY skills or tools. It can be made from reclaimed wood or wood that you may have lying around already, but in case you need to buy it from scratch I have given an indication of the cost. If you don’t have the necessary screws the timber can all be glued together. You will need a 14mm wood drill (or one a little larger than the dowelling you have selected) to make the hole through the wooden block. The wooden dowel on which the block…

1.‘ARRAN VICTORY’ – My all-time favourite. This late maincrop variety originating from 1918 was bred on the Isle of Arran to celebrate the end of the First World War. Bright purple/blue skinned, this dry potato makes for the BEST roast potatoes. Snow white in the middle, the large plants are good at smothering weed growth too. 2. ‘KING EDWARD’ – Still the nation’s favourite potato. This main crop variety actually started off life as ‘Fellside Hero’, with a savvy seed merchant changing the name to ‘King Edward’ as the coronation of the new king approached. This helped the regal potato to become so popular... that and its lovely taste and multifunctional use! 3. ‘BRITISH QUEEN’ – Sometimes known as ‘Queens’ in Scotland and also very popular in Ireland, this second…

STEP 1 In late winter fill module trays with multi-purpose compost then sow a pinch of seeds into each cell. STEP 2 Maintain a temperature of 16C (61F) until the seedlings emerge. Keep the compost moist but not wet. STEP 3 Grow the seedlings on, if necessary potting them on into larger cells or pots. Do not thin the seedlings. STEP 4 Plant the onions out from mid to late March having hardened them off. Keep weed free and water in dry weather. STEP 5 As the onions grow the swelling bulbs will naturally push themselves apart to grow out in different directions. STEP 6 Harvest the bulbs once they have reached a desirable size. The bulbs won’t be massive, but there’ll be lots of them!…

SIMPLY SALADS • RADISH ‘ACCORD’ A large, turnip-sized radish of the type previously more popular on the Continent and used for slicing and eating raw with a pint! Also good for stir-fries and grating into salads. 200 seeds for £1.75 from Marshalls • SPINACH ‘RUBINO F1’ ‘Rubino F1’ is a round-leaved, mid-green variety with distinctive bright red stems and leaf veins, ideal for use as baby leaves. Best suited to spring and autumn sowings. Good resistance to mildew. 200 seeds for £2.79 from Dobies • SPINACH ‘TROMBONE F1’ A smooth-leafed variety with good tolerance to bolting and mildew. Ideal for sowing from March to October for May to December harvests. Use as a mature or baby leaf veg. 200 seeds for £1.20 from Kings • LETTUCE ‘RELAY’ An attractive red…

KNOW YOUR SOIL! “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil.” So wrote Mr Kellogg, not he of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes fame but Charles E Kellogg, an American soil scientist. He’s right, of course. One of the basic prerequisites of good fruit and veg is getting the soil just so. Ideally, aloam soil is best but depending on where you live in the country you may be at the mercy somewhat of the soil Mother Nature has bestowed on you. Clay soils, for example, are slow draining; chalky soils are very alkaline; sandy soils drain well but this means that nutrients are leached quite quickly. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers some great information on soil types and what you can do to improve your soil: http://bit.ly/2egcZ1. Also very interesting is…

POTATOES 1.5KG TUBER PACKS Nothing beats the taste of freshly dug spuds, and it’s always good to grow a row or two of your favourite varieties. Pick from our top-selling varieties: • ‘CASABLANCA’ (extra early) – The perfect kitchen all-rounder with long oval, white-fleshed tubers. Harvest from late May. • ‘ACCENT’ (first early) – A popular variety famed for its firm, pale yellow flesh which lends itself well to boiling. Harvest from June. • ‘INTERNATIONAL KIDNEY’ (second early) – The famous ‘Jersey Royal’, an outstanding salad type. Harvest from early July. • ‘ANYA’ (second early) – Another great salad type with a distinct nutty flavour which is very highly regarded. Harvest from early July. • ‘DESIRÉE’ (maincrop) – This red-skinned type performs well in any soil and the waxy, yellow…

‘ONLY GOOD THINGS FOR YOUR GARDEN’ The Organic Gardening Catalogue’s 2017 Seed Catalogue will be available from the end of December – perfectly timed to hit gardeners’ doormats ready for January seed shopping! It’s packed with lots of exciting new organic seed varieties, and one particular highlight is a new selection of seeds from the Heritage Seed Library (HSL), varieties that were once held in the HSL Collection and are now available for sale. We’ve got 10 OGC prize packages to give away. Our lucky winners will receive a Waxy Salads Potato Collection, comprising 1.5kg organic seed tubers of each of ‘Charlotte’, ‘Nicola’, ‘Maris Peer’ and ‘Milva’. They’ll also get a Kitchen Garden Herbs Seed Collection, containing eight packets of organic seed – basil, coriander, chives, chervil, parsley, rosemary, sage…

Say hello to Uuni 2S, the world’s first portable wood-fired oven. Uuni 2S reaches temperatures of 500°C and cooks amazing pizzas in less than 60 seconds. Uuni fits in any outdoor space and is portable. It runs on fire and wood pellets, creating a genuine wood-fired taste and experience. Not just for pizza, Uuni is great for meat, roast veggies, fish, desserts and more. Uuni is leading the trend in outdoor entertaining and what’s more, for each Uuni and bag of pellets sold a tree is planted. For more information visit uuni.net TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THIS FANTASTIC PRIZE, VISIT THE COMPETITION PAGE AT W W W.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK Terms and conditions apply. For full terms and conditions, please see www.kitchengarden.co.uk. The winner will be the…

On the KG Question Time pages Bob Flowerdew stated not to grow supermarket potatoes, garlic and onions. All my potatoes and garlic are grown from the supermarket ones. Is it actually as bad as Bob suggests? Dan3008, Sheffield My experiment last year with garlic grown from a farmer’s market in Spain didn’t go well. They looked promising at first (really big plants) but all got rot which I can’t help but think was introduced by the garlic..... So never again, and back to buying the seed from a supplier from now on. Pawty, Hampshire If you buy some good cloves of a variety that you like and save your own you won’t have any problems. I bought mine from Marshalls over 10 years ago and haven’t needed to buy any…

Salad leaves Growing salad leaves is great for first-time growing. Most seed companies sell varieties that can be grown as cut-and-come-again salad leaves which means that they can be cut when they are about 10cm (4in) long. This can be done up to four times so they are good value. Lettuce seeds are very small. One way of sowing them is to pinch a few between thumb and forefinger and then simply rub together as you move across the surface of the compost. All you need is to fill your container with multipurpose compost, sprinkle some lettuce seeds thinly over the surface (make sure you use the whole surface and don’t let the seeds concentrate in the middle) and then cover with 1cm (½in) of compost. Make the compost less…

SPADE AND FORK: A good spade and a fork are must-have tools for general cultivation of the soil. You could get away with just a fork but a spade is useful at times. HOE: As mentioned above. This is needed to weed your plot. Hand hoes are a luxury and not vital but good if you have raised beds. RAKE: Needed to smooth cultivated soil so a good solid one with strong teeth is ideal. Avoid the multi-pronged flimsy rakes used for leaf gathering. TROWEL: Needed to dig holes to plant veg plants such as cabbages, sweetcorn etc. A LARGE BUCKET OR TRUG: Really useful when you hand weed or need to clear a patch of ground. WATERING CAN: Useful for newly sown seeds or young seedlings and for watering…

Whether you have just taken on an allotment or just made a veg bed in your garden you will be wanting to get sowing and growing. If you are ready to go in... Spring The perfect time to sow and plant and it is the peak time for veg growers so their busiest time. If you can keep plenty of time spare between April and early June this is the main period for getting a lot of crops in the ground. Kitchen Garden magazine has a list every month of what and when to sow and plant and this will be a great help in knowing what to do when. Summer In early summer there is a lot of planting out to be done. Tender veg crops started off in…

It is daunting starting a new veg plot and wondering what you can grow. It is difficult to say which veg are easy to grow because some gardeners will find what should be easy difficult and vice versa. That said there are a few staple veg that you should perhaps give a go first to get you started. POTATOES A relatively easy crop to start with especially if you choose early varieties. (See container section for more information). They are planted on to the plot from March to early April and harvested from about mid-June onwards when small, about egg size. Different varieties may suit different plots so it is worth buying small packs or going along to a potato day, usually held in January or February, and buying small…

WHERE TO FIND AN ALLOTMENT? If you spot an allotment site near where you live check if they have an information board at the entrance. Many do and usually they include a contact telephone number. The other place to try is your local council. Try your parish council, district or city council. If you go to the Government website www.gov.uk/apply-allotment this will take you to a search box. Input your postcode and it will direct you to the appropriate local council websites. There are also private allotments or community ones which are self managed and not under local authority control. These may be listed in libraries or maybe on village or town websites or notice boards or the council may refer you to a contact in charge of these. “You…