Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i Kitchen Garden

Hands up if you always grow perfect veg. Me neither! No, even the best grower on the planet can always find a wonky carrot in the row or an embarrassing-looking tomato on the truss. Well now, rather than hiding your ugly roots and knobbly tubers at the bottom of the trug out of sight of friends and family, we want you to celebrate them with us this summer. We have launched two fun competitions – one for adults and one for kids – to encourage us to appreciate the less shapely, or even downright ugly, among our crops. After all, beauty is only skin deep, they are all just as tasty in the pot – and now, they could even win you a prize. Turn to page 66 to find…

HOW RECENT IS RECENT? You often read that ground should “not have been recently manured” especially if putting down lime. So, just how recent? Obviously, not last week or last month but two months ago? Longer? Jon Miles, Bedford Andrew Tokely, horticultural director, Kings Seeds ANDREW SAYS: The main crops this phrase refers to are root crops, as fresh manured ground can cause these crops to fork or bolt and run to seed. As a general rule to follow it means not manured within the last 12 months. So if a piece of ground was manured and used for brassicas one year, the following year that ground should be dug over without adding any more and can then be used for root crops. A lot also depends on the age…

My husband Bryan grew up helping his grandfather to grow vegetables at the family home in Sussex (during the 50s) when they frequently used sewerage sludge as a fertiliser – and they both thought nothing of pulling out a carrot and munching on it. I was brought up in Kenya with a climate that encouraged those wonderful fruits like paw paws (papinos), granadillas (passion fruit), bananas, pineapples and cape gooseberries. In later years, Kenya was to become an exporter of flowers and vegetables to other parts of Africa and beyond – with remarkable success. When we were first married, and living in Kent, we had a happy time with our own small garden, complete with herbaceous border, veggie patch and even a greenhouse for the tomato plants. Then followed many…

If there’s one veg that says ‘allotment’ to me, it has to be the runner bean. Up and down the country you see wigwams and canes covered in the iconic British summer staple as they twist themselves skywards at an incredible speed. In fact, if you ever find yourself on a train going past any allotment site, just have a look and see how many wigwams are covered in the classic red-flowered runner bean – it’s amazing! I must admit, I love the first runner beans of the season when they are hardly the length of my hand and perfectly stringless and tender – that’s when you know it was all worthwhile! HEIGHT AND COLOUR Originating in central America, runner beans have been grown and eaten in the region for…

A wonderful sense of achievement can be had from growing your own harvests from a packet of seeds, but it can also be quite time consuming and fraught with uncertainties. Seeds may fail to germinate for a number of reasons, pests and diseases might take their toll on your seedlings or a sudden cold snap put paid to all your hard work. If you prefer more certainty in your gardening life – or perhaps you just forgot to sow that essential batch of brassicas when you should have – then plug plants are for you. Plug plants are simply ready grown seedlings supplied at the perfect stage for you to plant out or pot on. Specialist suppliers will have a range of seasonal crops available each month all primed to…

STEP 1 Choose a pot about 40cm (16in) tall. A larger volume of compost means less watering in summer. STEP 2 Use a 50:50 mixture of John Innes No 2 and ericaceous compost. STEP 3 Improve drainage by putting a layer of crocks at the bottom and cover with some grit. STEP 4 Add the compost mix ready to take the rootball of the blueberry. STEP 5 Blueberries greatly benefit from the use of a mycorrhizal fungi product when planting, to encourage a strong root system. STEP 6 Once you have sprinkled the powder directly on to the roots, position the rootball in its planting hole and then back fill. STEP 7 Firm the compost in well with your fingers as you go to make sure the rootball is securely…

Most of the things we lovingly grow prefer full sunshine. You read the same advice time and again: ‘Grow it in a sunny, open spot in rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil’. I think those words apply to 90% of what we grow! So the question arises: What can be done about those shady corners or, trickier still, what can you grow if your entire garden lurks in the shade? My last garden was just that sort of garden – long and narrow, it was heavily shaded by a fence on one side, while the bottom half was overshadowed by a large tree in the neighbour’s garden. But I love a challenge and, despite the limitations, I managed to produce more-than-respectable harvests of fresh, garden-grown goodness. 50 SHADES There are many…

I tried sowing on to inert vermiculite and ordinary multi-purpose compost to see how they compared. Here’s how I sowed using vermiculite: 1. Add about 2.5cm (1in) of vermiculite to the base of the tray. Tap the tray on the bench to level it. 2. Water the vermiculite thoroughly using a sprayer. Always use fresh tap water for your seeds and seedlings. 3. Sow your seeds on to the surface of the vermiculite. You can sow a little more densely than for mature plants. 4. Cover the seeds lightly. Using the drainage holes in a pot as a sieve worked well for me. Water again with your sprayer. Most seeds such as the rocket being sown here are quite hardy, but benefit from a temperature of 7C (45F) or above…

POTS Pots can fit anywhere – you could place pots on the side of some steps although be aware that it is a potential hazard for younger or older members of the family. GUTTER GARDENS Long lengths of guttering can be fixed to a wall or attached to a specially made frame (pictured). The guttering should have holes drilled into the base. Fill with multi-purpose compost and maybe add some water-retaining gel to help conserve water. Gutters are ideal for shallow-rooted veg such as salad leaves, lettuce and strawberries. They will need to be watered regularly or you could set up a self-watering system. CONTAINER GARDENS Growing veg in containers is a great idea if you only have a small area. Use a variety of sizes so you can slot…

PN2 SUPERIOR BIRD NET This double stitch polypropylene net has a monofilament 18mm mesh. Black, UV resistant and stretchy, it can be used for a fruit cage roof net or can go directly over the crop. Various sizes available. SUTTONS www.suttons.co.uk TEL: 0844 326 2200 PRODUCT CODE: 594970 PRICE: FROM £15.99 KC VERDICT  This netting is of high quality. We liked its stretchability and the ease with which it fell into position over frames and raised beds. Quality ★★★★★ Effectiveness ★★★★★ Value for money ★★★★★ SOFT BUTTERFLY AND BIRD NETTING This soft butterfly netting mesh will protect against birds and cabbage white butterflies ruining your vegetables. Made from high-density polyethylene and UV stabilised. GARDENING NATURALLY www.gardening-naturally.com TEL: 01285 760505 PRODUCT CODE: SOFTBUTTERFLY PRICE: £1.78 PER METRE KG VERDICT A…

DT BROWN & CO tel 0845 371 0532 www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk SAMUEL DOBIE AND SON tel 0844 701 7625 www.dobies.co.uk MR FOTHERGILL’S SEEDS tel 0845 371 0518 www.mr-fothergills.co.uk JUNGLE SEEDS tel 01491 614765 www.jungleseeds.co.uk EW KING & CO tel 01376 570000 www.kingsseeds.com SE MARSHALL & CO tel 0844 557 6700 www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk MEDWYN’S SEEDS tel 01248 714851 www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk MOREVEG tel 01823 681302 www.moreveg.co.uk THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUE tel 01932 878570, www.organiccatalogue.com PLANTS OF DISTINCTION tel 01449 721720 www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk THE REAL SEED CATALOGUE (Vida Verde) tel 01239 821107 www.realseeds.co.uk W ROBINSON & SON LTD tel 01524 791210 www.mammothonion.co.uk SARAH RAVEN tel 0845 092 0283 www.sarahraven.com SEEDS OF ITALY tel 0208 427 5020 www.seedsofitaly.com SHELLEY SEEDS tel 01244 317165 SIMPSON’S SEEDS tel 01985 845004 simpsonsseeds.co.uk SUFFOLK HERBS tel 01376 572456 www.suffolkherbs.com SUTTONS tel 0844 922…

STARTING FROM SCRATCH MAY 12. Hyde Hall, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex. Beginner’s guide to growing fruit and veg. 10.30am-4pm. Book on 020 317 65830 www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall HOMEACRES OPEN GARDEN JUNE 2 AND 3. Alhampton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Charles Dowding’s garden open; see beds full of early season veg. 12-4.30pm. 01749 860292 www.charlesdowding.co.uk RHS MALVERN SPRING FESTIVAL MAY 10-13 The Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire. Show gardens, exhibits, cookery theatre, grow-your-own. 9am-6pm. 01684 584924 www.threecounties.co.uk MICROGREENS AND SPROUTED SEEDS MAY 25. RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate, Yorkshire. Herb and veg seedlings as flavour-packed baby edible crops. 10am-4pm. Book on 020 317 65830 www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr ROYAL WELSH SPRING FESTIVAL MAY 19-20. Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys. Smallholding, gardening and rural life. 9am-8pm (5pm Sunday). 01982 553683 www.rwas.wales/spring-festival For a full list of shows, festivals,…

“Gojis are native to bleak, near-desert conditions in Northern China, and have even been planted to stabilise sand dunes” I’ve never been very impressed by goji berries, although I knew them as a child. Until I was in my teens I thought they were a strange variant of the poisonous woody nightshade: after all, they had similar flowers, and vivid scarlet hanging berries, but the leaves were silver grey instead of green, and the plants seemed happiest growing out of walls. They were just one of the twiggy impediments to clambering up a section of drystone walling on the way to a favourite scrumping site. Apart from registering that they were prickly and both plants had the same scent, which a part of my mind filed away as “Solanaceae –…

10 MINUTE JOBS EARTH UP POTATOES Early varieties of potatoes planted last month should be growing well now and making new shoots. To encourage side shoots and more tubers, earth them up by pulling soil up around the plants to form ridges. Ideally, do this little and often as the stems develop. CHECK RHUBARB STEMS Rhubarb will be in full growth now and making plenty of sticks for pulling. However, a spell of dry or hot weather can cause the plants to form thick flowering stems from the centre of the clump. These should be pulled out as soon as they develop. COVER CARROTS The major pest of carrots is carrot root fly which is attracted by the scent of the carrot foliage. To protect the carrots from damage caused…

MICE Mice are fond of newly sown seeds and this can sometimes explain gaps in your runner bean row early on. SOLUTION: If this tends to be a problem, start seeds off undercover in Rootrainers or similar and plant out when established. FAILURE TO SET PODS Sometimes flowers refuse to set and consequently no beans are produced. This can have different causes. Sometimes variable weather (cold, wet, windy) reduces the number of pollinating insects and very hot weather can inhibit the pollination process. SOLUTION: Make sure the soil is not too acidic (lime in spring if necessary) and keep it moist. Adding plenty of organic matter to the runner bean trench over winter is important and mulch around the base of plants during the summer. Pick beans regularly to keep…

I have tried most methods of preserving produce, but not fermenting. It just sounded ‘bleaugh!’ Fermenting is, after all, controlled decay. I made yoghurt happily, but applying it to vegetables was not appealing. Then, at Food Connections in Bristol, I saw a demonstration by chef Matthew Pennington of a simple vegetables ferment. It took five minutes and was utterly non-scary. I tried it at home and discovered that lactofermentation is simple and quick to do, and the resulting pickles are very tasty: salty, sharp, and not the least challenging as a taste. The vegetables preserve more of their own taste and texture than through most preservation methods. CULTURE-SPECIFIC The funny thing about fermented food is that it is culture-specific. We love our Stilton, but find Japanese fermented fish gross. The…

■ NORTHERN HIGHBUSH Most blueberry varieties that you will find in nurserymen’s catalogues are classified as Northern Highbush. This means that they were bred from wild blueberries found in eastern North America – Michigan, New Jersey, Nova Scotia and Quebec. They generally grow to about 1.2-1.8m (4-6ft). It’s important to note that they naturally grow in areas where winters are cold and long and actually require this winter chill to stimulate growth and fruit. On average, most of these blueberries need at least 700 hours of exposure to temperatures below 7C (45F) during the winter months. There is no need to get bogged down in the exact science, but don’t be tempted to plant blueberries in a polytunnel, or move pots into a greenhouse to overwinter. If they don’t get…

Gardeners and seed trade colleagues often ask me the same question: “Do we really need all these different varieties of tomatoes?” My answer is always: “Yes we do!” I firmly believe that plant selection and breeding is a key human activity, developed since mankind first settled the Euphrates and Tigris valleys more than 7000 years ago. The focus of those early plant breeders was cereals whereas today we work on nearly all agricultural and horticultural crops. Recent developments in tomato breeding in all types, from bush cherries to ultra-beefsteaks, have generated many new varieties, but are they all garden worthy? FLAVOUR Many gardeners will agree that the most important characteristic of any new tomato introduction is flavour, ‘often assessed as the balance between acidity and sweetness’, which can divide opinion…

SOW: Mar-May/ Aug-Sep HARVEST: Jan-Dec Having its origins in the Middle East, it seems strange that this leafy vegetable is comfortable in the often cool and wet UK climate, but comfortable it is. Traditionally grown to full maturity, spinach is also now very popular as a baby leaf, added to salads and stir-fries. Spinach will grow in sun or partial shade, but avoid a very sunny spot as in hot weather it is prone to bolting. It likes a moisture retentive, fertile soil so digging in plenty of well-rotted organic matter or manure a few weeks prior to planting will provide the perfect foundation for strong and healthy plants. SOWING For plants you are growing to full maturity, sow seeds in drills 2.5cm (1in) deep and 30cm (12in) apart. When…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH POLARBERRY A true garden blackberry, the unique part being the white coloured berry! White blooms cover the plant in late spring to early summer and creamy white, sweet fruit grow from July. Larger than standard wild blackberries, these easy-to-pick fruit grow on thornless stems and are excellent for jams, juicing or freezing. Supplied in 9cm (3½in) pots. OUR OFFER: ■ 1 x 9cm Polarberry @ £9.95 ■ 3 x 9cm Polarberry @ £19.90 PATIO FRUIT COLLECTION Consists of one of the following three varieties of your choice, singly or in threes or buy one of each for £19.85, saving £8. All are supplied in 9cm (3½in) pots. ■ BLUEBERRY ‘BLUE SAPPHIRE’ This small and compact blueberry is one of…

WHAT TO DO IN MAY  ■ Plant cucumbers, sweetcorn and basil when nights are above 10C (50F) ■ Plant aubergines and peppers at the end of the month if 15C (59F) temperatures can be guaranteed ■ Water grape vines regularly for productive plants ■ Plant tomatoes early in the month: keep tying stems to supports and nip out side shoots while these are small ■ Keep on top of ventilation and damp paths down to keep daytime temps below 30C (86F) if possible ■ Water carefully so no plant stands in dry or soggy compost A NEW GREENHOUSE: WINDOWS & DOORS All greenhouses have at least one door and this is adequate for a 2 x 2.5m (6½ x 8ft) structure. For anything bigger than this you really need something…

REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT According to www.greeneatz.com growing your own fruit and veg is one way of reducing your carbon footprint, defined as “the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, rearing, farming, processing, transporting, storing, cooking and disposing of the food you eat.” It recommends the following: eating vegetarian meals, home-cooking, eating more raw food, taking up organic options, saving water, avoiding products with a lot of packaging, shopping locally, reusing and recycling! Created by Jane Richards, who originally hails from Brighton but now lives in California, the site contains such entries as Healthy Eating: For a Green Planet, tips on nutrition, and recipes for a healthy diet. Way to go! SCOTTISH ALLOTMENTS AND GARDENS If you live in Scotland, you’ll find the Scottish Allotments and Gardens (SAGS) site, www.sags.org.uk,…

Pronounced scorzon-era, these root vegetables have a slightly nutty flavour, quite subtle in fact, and are well worth the effort. Often referred to as ‘black salsify’, scorzonera has dark brown to black skin and a creamy flesh inside. Its name is likely to be a compounding of the Italian words scorza and negra (literally ‘black peel’). Sowing, aftercare and harvesting are the same as for salsify. VARIETIES You could try ‘Duplex’ (available from Mr Fothergill’s) or the distinctive ‘Long Black Maxima’ which produces very long roots and has some resistance to bolting (available from Kings Seeds). SCORZONERA IN A POT If you don’t have a lot of space, or just want to give them a try without committing too much space to them, you can sow scorzonera in a pot…

THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUE The Organic Gardening Catalogue brings you an exciting collection of seeds and supplies, all assured suitable for organic gardening and delivered direct to your home. www.organiccatalogue.com Tel 01932 253666 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. www.harrodhorticultural.com Tel 0845 402 5300 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. www.wolfgarten-tools.co.uk Tel 0845 894 1599 GREENHOUSE SENSATION This company sells a range of high-quality products that produce bumper harvests far greater than that from plants grown in pots or growing bags. The three prizes offered, Vitopod, Quadgrow and Duogrow, are just some of the…

If you believe the hype, the chokeberry or aronia is yet another miracle food, bursting with antioxidants and curing almost everything from diabetes to heart problems. I’d sooner think of them as just another striking shrub which just happens to have the bonus of edible fruits, which for once are better for us than for the birds. Why would you want to plant an aronia in the first place? They’re often found fringing car parks or other uninspiring places, although this just proves they’re tough, easy-growing and need little, if any, care except having plastic bags removed from their twiggy branches. Resilient to just about everything, they cope with sun, shade or the coldest exposed corner, so long as their feet are slightly soggy sometimes. “Chokeberries are self-fertile and can…

(From earliest to latest) ■ ‘DUKE’ – excellent early season variety, very productive. Although it ripens early, it flowers quite late so avoids damaging spring frosts. (Available from Pomona Fruits) ■ ‘PATRIOT’ – another early variety, and one that withstands slightly wetter conditions than most. The fruit is large and has an excellent flavour. A very decorative plant too, with superb white scented flowers and lovely autumnal foliage. (Available from Pomona Fruits) ■ ‘BLUECROP’ – mid season. Introduced in 1941, and still the industry standard. Probably the heaviest cropping variety, hardy and easy to grow. Leave the berries until they have turned completely dark blue for the best flavour. (Available from Ken Muir) ■ ‘COVILLE’ – late season. Super variety for extending the season, the delicious fruit hang on the…

French or African marigolds (tagetes) are like little rays of sunshine in your garden and flower for many months. French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are small flowered and make good compact bedding plants. They are ideal for containers and planting among your veggies. Also look out for the simple daisy-flowered wild-origin type, the signet marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia), such as ‘Golden Gem’. These will attract hoverflies and other pollinators more readily than some of the complex double bloom types. African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) tend to be much taller with big, blousy blooms. SOWING Sow March-April inside in pots or cell trays of seed or multi-purpose compost. Once large enough to handle, transplant into larger cell trays or small pots. You can also sow direct in the ground in May. GROWING ON Plant…

Some gardeners grow plants that are decorative; others aim to grow plants that taste really good. There’s no reason why a garden shouldn’t have some of both, of course, and many gardens are delightful mixtures of trees, shrubs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. For small spaces, plants may have to double up: they must not only taste good, but also look beautiful…and if they can tuck themselves out of the way while they are at it, then that just about covers all requirements. This lovely hanging basket is easy to make and perfect for growing tomatoes or strawberries. It holds a large volume of compost, so plants aren’t starved or dried out before they get to crop at their best. It looks lovely when filled with plants and it will produce…

FISHCAKES WITH WATERCRESS MAYO  Mix vibrant green watercress into mayonnaise and turn a simple fishcake recipe into something special. Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 25 minutes 300g10ozsmoked fish from a sustainable source 250ml/8fl oz milk 1 bay leaf 6 peppercorns 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying Large bunch spring onions, chopped 400g/13oz mashed potato ½ lemon, zested 2 eggs 125g/4oz breadcrumbs Salt and pepper FOR THE MAYO: 3 tbsp light mayonnaise A handful of watercress 2 tbsp capers, chopped Salt and pepper 1. In a small pan, poach the fish in the milk with the bay leaf and peppercorns for eight minutes, or until opaque and flaky. Remove from the heat and drain well. Flake. 2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan. Add the spring…