Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2017 i Kitchen Garden

With things hotting up on the veg patch now (hopefully!) in this issue you’ll find some great ideas to help you cut watering and water waste. We show you how to become a mulching master and reveal some of the latest irrigation kit, which targets water directly to the roots of your crops. Pests and weeds can be a perennial headache, so wouldn’t it be nice to have some ideas as to how to keep them under control? Well that‘s just what we bring you on pages 44 and 68 where our experts Julie Moore and Mike Hedges offer their thoughts on how to keep these combined terrors in check without resorting to chemicals. Fancy your chances as the next local show champion? Then turn to page 61 for some…

TAKE A TOUR Sarah Raven shares an August veg patch, including quinoa, runner beans growing up sweetcorn and sunflowers, plus cosmos, dahlia, sweetpeas and nasturtiums. http://bit.ly/2qjYFIF Social media TWITTER CLEAN VEG? Ryan Topham @BurglerBooks How many vegetables does this hotel expect me to wash? FACEBOOK FAVES EDIBLE GARDEN Wendy Pearson August is a good time to plant strawberries for a crop next year. I started out with six plants three summers ago, and now have three strawberry beds – all propagated from those plants. STRING ‘EM UP! If you’ve been growing onions, you’ll be looking to store them once you’ve let them dry. After all, you’re not looking to eat them all in one go, are you? Many gardeners tie them together and leave them to hang in a dry,…

Cabbages are believed to have evolved from the humble sea kale, a plant that grows wild in Northern Europe, ranging from the North Atlantic to the Black Sea. This primitive member of the brassica family is actually a perennial with a unique cabbage/asparagus/samphire taste. You can still find sea kale growing wild on the coastline and you can even buy seeds to have a go at growing yourself, though it’s not this plant I want to talk about but its suspected offspring… cabbage. A staple diet of the Romans, cabbage was used for everything from feeding cattle to gracing the banquets of the emperor. In fact, there are records of cabbages being used for the most wonderful and weird things, from mixing cabbage juice with honey to relieve bee stings,…

Growing for the Show At any village show you’ll see super-keen gardeners with entries in every category alongside first-timers tentatively offering up one or two exhibits. All are welcome, whatever their experience. Plan early to boost your chance of winning. Do think carefully about the classes you want to enter and work out how much time you can realistically spend on nurturing your crop – beware of being overambitious. Unless you have your own favourites already, it’s generally a good idea to grow cultivars that are proven show-winners show winners. Attention to detail can be key. Give your plants what they need to thrive, then keep a constant eye on them, and stay one step ahead of pests and diseases. Experienced growers prepare raised beds for their root veg, devise…

COPPER BANDS & RINGS Copper bands create a barrier around susceptible plants, repelling them with a natural mild electrical charge. The ends of each band clip together to form a ring, and multiple bands can be used to protect larger areas. Unlike adhesive tapes, copper bands can be moved around the garden, they are reuseable and can be cleaned and stored when not in use. Copper rings come in a range of sizes to allow you to protect young seedlings and more established plants. Using traps, repellents, deterrents, predators, crop covers, nets and cages to stay one step ahead is an essential part of organic gardening to prevent crops succumbing to pest attacks. Here we focus on a variety of traps and barriers available to buy that are completely safe…

PROTECT AGAINST SLUGS Ecofective Slug Defence contains non-toxic granules which provide a physical barrier around edible and non-edible plants. These granules deter slugs and snails from reaching the protected plants throughout the growing season. Child and pet safe. PRICE: £5.99 (2L) http://ecofective.uk.com GET NETTED This New Tunnel Netting system from Popadome keeps out pests but allows bee pollination. With a copper edge it also deters slugs and snails. Sturdy, lightweight and with an easy double zip for access, the tunnel is easy to assemble and move around. It comes ready assembled with three accessory covers available: Fleece, Cloche and Extra Fine netting. Size: L 1.8m x W 60cm x H 45cm (6x2x1½ft) PRICES: Tunnel from £23.99 (accessories from £11.99) www.popadome.co.uk GROW SELF SUFFICIENT Growing Self-Sufficiency by Sally Nex is a…

WORTH OVER £1682 MAKE LIGHT WORK OF LAWNCARE With more than 115 products in the range, Cobra gardening equipment offers something for everyone. Its 50 mowers cover all spectrums from electric to petrol to lithium-ion battery, with cutting widths from 33 to 59cm (13 to 22in). Cobra boasts the UK’s largest range of powered lawnmowers and to celebrate, it is giving away a fantastic 51cm (20in) petrol-powered M51SPC lawnmower (RRP £319.99). This has a self-propelled function that ensures exceptional performance as well as maximum user control, particularly on more uneven grass and slopes. Its single-lever height-of-cut adjustment lets you select from 10 cutting heights. A four-in-one feature gives the option to mulch, side-discharge, rear-discharge or collect the cuttings in the capacious 60-litre grass bag. It is powered by a Cobra…

Tasty Tex-Mex burritos CHILLI BEAN BURRITOS These Tex-Mex burritos are delicious, filled with beans, rice and plenty of hot chilli. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes FILLING ▪ 1 tbsp olive oil ▪ 1 small onion, finely chopped ▪ 2 cloves garlic, minced ▪ 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced ▪ 400g/14oz cooked pinto beans, black beans or kidney beans ▪ 1 to 2 small fresh hot chilli peppers, seeded and minced ▪ 2 to 4 tbsp fresh coriander, to taste ▪ 1 tsp ground cumin ▪ 100ml/3½fl oz stock ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS ▪ 200g/7oz cooked rice ▪ 6 flour tortillas ▪ 100g/3½oz cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese ▪ 1 small jar of salsa ▪ Lettuce, shredded ▪ Salt to taste 1. Heat the oil…

SOW: March-August HARVEST: May- September The radish is actually a member of the brassica family (cabbages, cauliflowers and Brussels sprouts) and has been cultivated for centuries, arriving in England at the beginning of the 16th century. It is often one of the first vegetables that children are given to grow as it germinates so quickly, is a colourful vegetable and is easy to pick. It has long been a key ingredient in basic salads but in recent years its use in the kitchen has become much more adventurous. GROWING Grow radishes in a sunny site if possible, or at least light shade if planting during the summer months. Radishes like a fertile soil but if your soil is acidic, add a little lime prior to sowing. Unlike some seeds, radishes are…

10 MINUTE JOBS FEED ASPARAGUS At this time of the year asparagus should be in full growth and producing tall, ferny foliage. To help build up the roots for next spring feed the plants with a general fertiliser and water thoroughly in dry weather to keep the plants actively growing. CHECK COMPOST HEAP Check the compost heap and keep adding garden waste and grass cuttings to it. If the contents are very dry they won’t start to break down, so add some water and give everything a good mix-up to get the heap working again. TAKE MINT CUTTINGS For fresh, young mint shoots in early autumn take a batch of short cuttings now. Insert the cuttings around the edge of a pot and keep them moist at all times and…

B&Q GOES BEE FRIENDLY To help support wildlife and address the declining bee population, retailer B&Q has announced its flowering plant range, available from February 2018, will be grown free from all neonicotinoid pesticides. “As part of our commitment to supporting Britain’s wildlife, in 2013 we reviewed the use of neonicotinoids in our garden chemical products,” said Rachel Bradley, B&Q’s sustainability manager. “As a result of the findings, and ahead of EU restrictions, we will ensure that none of the flowering plants we sell will be grown using any pesticide containing any of the nine neonicotinoids.” GARDENING LIFE AT 41, SAYS SURVEY According to research carried out by Fiskars, a leading supplier of garden tools, Brits officially get into gardening at the age of 41. The survey found that up…

“All for onions and onions for all” Top tip If you’re more of a courgette person than a marrow one, check plants regularly and pick courgettes when they are still young. You’ll be surprised how quickly they can grow. CORDIAL COMPANY This month Mudketeers were joined by Lincoln University student Andrew Shaw, who brought some much-needed refreshment with a delightful raspberry cordial: The team gave me a recipe which thankfully had just two instructions to remember – chuck everything in a pan of boiling water and stir. That didn’t stop me from forgetting the first one though! Fortunately, I managed okay after that slip-up. Before too long the mixture had turned from a clump of wet berries to something more similar to jam. From there, I strained the mix and…

I arrived in the walled garden at Floors Castle to glorious August sunshine and an apologetic message from head gardener Andrew Simmons, who had been waylaid by an urgent request for more French beans. Floors, just outside Kelso in the Scottish Borders, is Scotland’s largest inhabited castle, and the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe had unexpected guests for lunch The garden at Floors dates from 1857, when it was moved to its present site to replace an earlier walled enclosure. It originally comprised a four-acre walled kitchen garden and an adjoining three-acre ornamental Pleasure Garden. In its Tropical Corridor – seven large glasshouses ranged along one wall – every conceivable kind of exotic fruit and flower were grown. One lovely surviving feature is a stone summerhouse which was built specially…

GOGRO SELF-WATERING POT SYSTEM Whether you’re new to hydroponics or an expert grower, GoGro’s self-watering pot system redefines minimal upkeep. Key features include GoGro’s patented valve which automatically controls optimum water level, a versatile tray design which holds both 15L and 25L pot variants, and extra deep tray grooves for better nutrient circulation. Plus, innovative modules allow you to achieve endless layout possibilities to suit your available growing space. Visit gogro.co.uk to learn more about the system W t t V CLICK & DRIP WATERING KITS Keep grow bags, raised beds and veg plots automatically watered without wasting a drop. These clever kits are so water efficient they can even be used during hosepipe bans. The Click & Drip clicks on to an outdoor tap or water butt and releases…

GOLD-STANDARD SPADE Incredibly strong, extremely sharp, surprisingly light – and golden. What more could one ask of a spade The Golden Spade from Japanese tool specialist Niwaki is ideal for general-purpose digging, tree planting and root-balling. It weighs in at only 1.8kg (4lb), but won’t flex or break under heavy use. It has a comfortable handle of tubular steel, a rigid steel pipe shaft welded to the blade and handle, a solid tread for digging and a pointed blade that cuts through heavy ground. The Golden Spade normally costs £34 (plus £4 p&p), but KG readers can save 10% by quoting code ‘KGSPADE’. Order at www.niwaki.com or by calling 01747 445059. Offer valid until July 31, 2017. AFFORDABLE COVER The Walk-In Wonderwall provides protection against the elements and garden pests,…

PICK LETTUCE For me, lettuce is an essential ingredient in a salad and there is nothing nicer than a freshly picked lettuce straight from the garden. The crisp leaves are so much better than limp lettuce from a supermarket! There are so many different types that can be grown and you can carry on sowing a few seeds of your favourite types every couple of weeks to keep you supplied with fresh lettuce. Take this month HARVEST APPLES August is when the first apples of the season are ready to be picked. Varieties such as ‘Discovery’ and ‘Irish peach’ are just two that will ripen from the middle of the month. The early types tend to be sweet and need eating soon after picking as they don’t store for long.…

Within minutes of picking up Holly Farrell’s The Jam Maker’s Garden, I felt an insatiable urge to get out into the garden and start picking all the fruit I could find. This is truly the book to read if you have an interest in jams. Weighing in at just over 170 pages, you might at first find it hard to believe that so much could be written about what you smear over your toast on Sunday mornings. But that is the beauty of The Jam Maker’s Garden – it covers everything, from preparing your soil to the right fruit tree to buy, and that’s before Farrell even begins talking about jam itself. It’s well worth that wait, however, especially the fantastic looking page defining the various preserves listed later on.…

GET IN TOUCH by post, email or via our Facebook page Facebook.com/kitchengardenmag THIS MONTH’S EXPERT PANEL: COLIN RANDEL Vegetable product manager at Thompson & Morgan JOYCE RUSSELL Author of the Polytunnel Book and contributor to KG DAVID PATCH Professional nurseryman, R V Roger Ltd ANNE SWITHINBANK Contributor to Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time STEVE OTT Editor, Kitchen Garden magazine ⋆STAR⋆ QUESTION WINS £25 VOUCHER FLAT ASPARAGUS I visited my allotment today to cut some asparagus. I have grown asparagus for a few years now and it’s always delicious. However, on this occasion I noticed that I had an odd-shaped vegetable. It is flat as well as wide. Do you know how this may have happened? I am intrigued as I am an avid allotment grower and always curious when things…

“Wheat and barley are divided into ‘winter’ – actually late autumn – or spring-sown crops” Most of you will have had the feeling of satisfaction which comes from proudly contemplating a well-stocked autumn pantry in which you’ve grown almost all of it – onions in neat ropes, a sack of spuds and pumpkins stacked below shelves of glistening jars of jam, pickles and chutney. More in the freezer, while outside parsnips, cabbage and leeks grow on as the days shorten. You might well think, I can’t get much more self-sufficient, especially if there’s a trio of chooks clucking round the back yard. There’s something obvious missing you probably haven’t tried. What is it we eat daily, yet you almost never see growing in a domestic garden? I’m not talking about…

ARE YOU A PMIOMRE PLORRERI Enter our competition and win some great prizes YOU COULD WIN The WOLF-Garten multi-change® 15cm push-pull weeder features a wavy, dual edge blade enabling you to work both forwards and backwards below soil level, cutting through weeds at the root level while the side guards let you work close to plants without damaging them. It easily attaches to all multichange ® handles including the lightweight ZMI15. First place winner will receive a Harrod Metal Raised Bed in Heritage Green or Anthracite Grey (pictured below left). The second place winner will receive two Tall Circular Rust Plant Supports. The third prize winner will receive a Harrod Lichen Green finish Lobster Pot Plant Support (pictured left). This traditional style grow-through plant support is ideal for supporting all…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH SAVE OVER £30 FREE FOR EVERY READER ‘POULTON’S PRIDE’ RHUBARB WORTH £13.90 Our exclusive ‘Poulton’s Pride’ rhubarb is a British-bred variety, with deliciously sweet rosy red flushed stems that burst with a totally unique flavour. With a taste so refreshing, you’ll be delighted that our rhubarb keeps on cropping for 10 months, from February to November. Supplied as strong young plants in 9cm (3½in) pots, plants will establish over winter to start cropping from February. Delivered from mid to late August. SAVE £14.95 on individual prices! LONG CROPPING BLUEBERRIES This blueberry collection has been selected to give you a long season of cropping. Making great container plants in ericaceous (lime-free) compost, our all-season collection contains (each 2 litre): • ‘DRAPER’ – This variety…

We hope you are enjoying your summer of gardening and that your plot is burgeoning with wonderful produce. If, however, you feel that you are in need of some more advice or are new to kitchen gardening and feel a little adrift, we hope that this useful 32-page guide will help you. We’ve packed it with 11 handy growing guides for many favourite UK crops and you will find all the essential basic information you need to get you started. Alternatively, if you already dabble with home-grown veg, we hope that this guide will help you improve your results. Keep it handy in the shed or on the bookshelf and, together with the more detailed advice you’ll find in the main magazine each month, you’ll soon be enjoying more of…

SOW (OUTDOORS): April-July HARVEST: June-October Did you know? Carrots are packed with healthy goodness. They contain beta-carotence which is a natural precursor for vitamin A, essential for healthly skin, eyes and the immune system FAVOURITE VARIETIES ▪ ‘AMSTERDAM FORCING 3’: This is one of the earliest varieties and good for pots, tubs, raised beds or under cloches. The roots are orange, cylindrical and round at the end. A good variety for freezing. ▪‘ESKIMO’: A cold-tolerant variety, this produces orange, cylindrical roots and can be left in the ground over winter, tolerating -10C (14F). ▪‘FLYAWAY’ F1 HYBRID: A carrot flyresistant variety, the roots are smooth, broad shouldered and blunt ended. ▪‘PARMEX’: This variety is good for containers and, because they are small and round, do better in clay soils than their…

SOW: April-May HARVEST: July-October Unlike wine, sweetcorn doesn’t improve with age. The longer it’s left from plot to pot (or eaten raw if you prefer), the more its sugars turn to starch, making it far less delectable to the palate. Providing you have a little space to spare for it on your veg patch, there is no reason not to grow it and enjoy the delicious harvest you can expect. GROWING We prefer to start ours off undercover in Rootrainers (loo roll inners are good too) filled with multi-purpose compost in late March-early April, one per cell. Sow to a depth of 2.5cm (1in) with a temperature of 18-20C (64-68F) for germination in 7-10 days, after which a temperature of 13C (55F) or above will suffice. Plant out when the risk of…