Kitchen Garden September 2018

September is traditionally a time for harvesting summer crops of fruit and vegetables and preserving any gluts so we can enjoy them through the long winter. However, there is still plenty we can do to stretch the growing season to ensure an early and productive start next year. A cold frame is helpful to extend the growing season and in this issue Joyce Russell shows you how to make one. Soil is our most precious commodity in the garden and after a year of hard work it deserves a bit of TLC. So this month we have two features, starting on pages 42 and 73, dedicated to helping you keep your soil fighting fit. There is plenty of info on crops, too; expert grower Rob Smith has some great top…

10 MINUTE JOBS PICK APPLES The first apples of the season are ripening now and need to be picked as soon as the fruits leave the trees when given a gentle twist. The exact time of ripening varies on location and the fruits on the sunny side of the tree ripen first. PREPARE SOIL Before you plant spring cabbage plants, prepare the ground by forking it over lightly and tread the area to firm the soil. Sprinkle a light dressing of general fertiliser such as Growmore or pelleted poultry manure to give the plants a good start. DRY ‘BORLOTTI’ BEANS If you intend to pick and dry beans such as Borlotti for winter use, pick the beans when they are fully formed and the pods are dry. Do this on…

WHAT TO DO IN AUGUST ■ Reduce watering a little and aim for a less humid atmosphere ■ Support stems and pick peppers as soon as they reach a good colour ■ Watch out for moulds and blight: remove affected leaves as soon as you spot them ■ Plant out and make sowings for the winter ■ Remove lower tomato leaves ■ Close doors and windows on cold nights ■ Remove crops that have finished and get new ones into the space ■ Keep harvesting and use the glut well! A NEW GREENHOUSE: SHAPE & HEIGHT Glass greenhouses tend to have pitched roofs and polytunnels tend to have curved ones, but there are exceptions. Some plastic covers fit over pitched frames and domes are common enough with both plastic or…

SHROPSHIRE GIRL WINS TOP PRIZE The winner of the RHS Young School Gardener of the Year competition for 2018 is 15-year-old Ellie Micklewright, of Newport Girls’ High School Academy Trust in Shropshire. Skilled gardener Ellie started her school’s gardening club from scratch, galvanising an eager army of around 40 students and staff to transform the grounds of the school. As well as researching, planning and designing the garden, Ellie secured funding from local businesses to help create wildlife habitats, a sensory zone and an orchard. The RHS School Gardener of the Year competition forms part of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, which aims to get young people gardening by providing free resources and advice. For more information visit: www.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening HEATWAVE SPARKS GARDEN WORKOUTS A survey of 1,331 adults carried…

THE VEGETABLE FAIRY The soil in my garden is not suitable for growing vegetables, but I have still managed to grow my favourites – runner beans. I grow them in large tubs and had such a successful crop last year, I am doing the same this year – proof that you can still grow vegetables even if your garden soil is unsuitable. I didn’t even buy the seeds, I just dried a load of the seeds from last year’s crop. Free food that’s healthy too. Any spare beans I have, which is usually a lot, I give them to my neighbours. They call me the vegetable fairy, lol. I think this is a great tip for gardeners like myself who have to stick to pots! Angharad Meyrick, Llanelli TONY SAYS:…

GIANTS AMONGST DWARVES Big isn’t always better and if you don’t want to bother with bean poles and all that goes with growing taller varieties, in future why not try some dwarf bean varieties like the Muddies did this year? Here they are – shirking again, no doubt – behind these colourful dwarf beans. There’s ‘Jackpot’ runners in there plus a rather attractive purple French bean variety called ‘Velour’. These were started off in cell trays and then transplanted in late June for early autumn picking. Dwarf varieties grow well in large pots too, so a great option if you want to bring something both edible and ornamental to the patio. There are plenty of flowers on them which are setting well so the Muds are hoping for a bumper…