Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Kitchen Garden

With the season in full swing and many of the faster-growing early crops being harvested, it is important to think about second sowings to keep your patch as productive as possible. Turn to our jobs pages (p6-11), which this month are packed with all the essential tasks to keep your plots, and freezers, full to the brim. In this issue Rob Smith brings you his growing guide to speedy and nutritious chard and perpetual spinach. I take a look at carrots and offer my top tips for growing this essential root veg while fruit expert David Patch turns his attention to tangy gooseberries, explaining why no plot should be without them (I certainly wouldn’t be without my home-made gooseberry jam!). You can never be sure of what the UK summer…

PEG STRAWBERRY RUNNERS Tidy up the strawberry patch when plants finish fruiting. At its simplest this means removing any runners or discoloured leaves and clearing any debris around plants. Strawberry plants can crop well for three years, provided you keep them healthy. Don’t be afraid to cut off large yellowing leaves, but don’t remove smaller ones at the growing point. Leave runners in place if you want to produce more plants. A small new plant will form at the end of each long shoot. Peg this down into a pot of compost and leave it to root. The new plant can then be cut free from the parent plant. Ideally, save the first plant from each runner. RHUBARB Stop picking rhubarb in early July. It may be tempting to keep…

■ Keep picking cucumbers as they develop, otherwise the plant will stop producing flowers and more fruit. ■ Squash plants can grow very large in a polytunnel, so keep them under control by pinching out the tips of the long stems when fruits start to develop. ■ Feed plants on a regular basis to keep them growing and cropping. A weekly liquid feed is fast acting and supplies a steady supply of nutrients. ■ Bring pots of blueberries undercover as the fruits develop, to protect them from the birds. ■ Coriander tends to run to seed quickly, so sow seeds every few weeks for a regular supply of leaves.…

HELPING THE BEES TIGERBURNIE: I am growing a lot more native wild flowers in my garden to try and help and our local farmers are also planting flowers in the field margins and set-aside land, it all helps. GEOFF: We had lots of bees and butterflies during fabulous February mainly on the heather bed; ericas are fantastic for early insects. We get lots of different species of bumble bees. I don’t think the problem is as bad away from intensive farming. I grow sweet peas, climbing annuals and flowers for cutting and drying in the vegetable area so it is buzzing all summer and the rest of the garden has lots of stuff they like, including a wild flower area (mainly dog daisies) and quite a few buddleia bushes. MATTW:…

TOP TOMS I live in the south-west of Scotland and I am looking to grow tomatoes outdoors. Any types and tips? Gordon Walker, Ayrshire Andrew Tokely, horticultural director Kings Seeds ANDREW SAYS: The best tomatoes to grow outside in whichever part of the country you live are those that have been bred to show good blight resistance. My favourites are ‘Mountain Magic F1’, which crops well, has a lovely flavour and is very blight resistant. Another is a new variety, ‘Cocktail Crush F1’, sweet to the taste with a slight acid tangy flavour and similar in habit and flavour to that old favourite ‘Ailsa Craig’, but with the added benefit of showing good blight resistance. When growing outdoors always plant in a sunny position in fertile soil, allowing at least…

SEEDS OF ITALY, BY REGION If you’re interested in growing some crops that have an authentic Italian provenance, take a look at what Franchi Seeds has to offer. The site also lists seeds and products by region. From Tuscany, for example, you have lettuce ‘Pesciatina’, a crunchy variety with dimpled leaves with red and green edging; from Venice there’s black eye bean ‘Dolico Dell’Occhio’, producing sweet and tender pods which can be eaten fresh or dried; or how about some radish ‘Rosso Gigante’ from Sardinia? To explore the full repertoire go to: www.seedsofitaly.co.uk @GrowWithKG KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag @GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine…

Do you tend your plot on your own? My partner Gavin helps and sometimes my grandchildren help a bit. Do you have an allotment or veg plot in your garden? Yes, we have two greenhouses and two polytunnels at home, roughly 26ft x 30ft. How long have you been growing veg? On and off, more than 20 years. Do you grow veg in containers? We have squashes, sweetcorn, peas, salad crops, runner beans, flowers, blueberries and herbs in tubs recycled from old water butts. Most things have been successful, growing in a mix of compost and horse dung with occasional tomato feed. Yes, we will do it again but not put so many squashes together. How do you grow one particular crop? We start our seeds in March in heated…

If you want to grow a veg that can be used for salads, as a cut-and-come-again vegetable, can be harvested in as little as 10-12 weeks, can be used as a replacement for spinach and can last through the winter while it produces beautifully coloured stems, you can’t go wrong with chard! A relative of beetroot and in the same family (Beta vulgaris), chard always seems easier to grow and it has the benefit of lasting through the winter, especially if you give plants a little protection from the elements and pests. There are many types of chard available to the home gardener. Some are more suited to growing for salads and baby leaves as they produce tender new growth that would rival any lettuce. In fact, if you ever…

“Every year or two it is best to lift the mint and split it up replanting a section of the plant” A basic mint is offered as seeds by a few seed companies, but is more often bought in as young plants. Most garden centres will sell spearmint also known as the common garden mint, but if you want a more unusual mint then you will need to try specialist herb nurseries. Mint can be invasive and so it is quite a common practice to grow it in a large pot sunk in the ground. The lip of the pot should be a bit proud of the soil and as they are fairly shallow rooters you may get away with an open bottom pot or you could cover the holes…

Sadly this year we are without chickens, but that has freed up a spot on the allotment for our first polytunnel, which will look like a tropical jungle with all the crops we never could quite fit in our home greenhouses. Every year without fail I find a spot in the greenhouse to grow a selection of chillies. While they are great to spice up dinners, I am a baker at heart, so am constantly finding ways to include chillies in my baking. Chillies are so versatile; using them in baking you can really pull out their fruity flavour and, if balanced right, can add a lovely lingering heat. Here are three of my favourite recipes. STRAWBERRY AND HABANERO JAM It is always good to pair what’s in season at…

Four of our gardeners have social media pages and you can follow them here: BILL LOVE: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billagardener/365745710489361/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billsallotmentbelfast/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/billgardener RACHAEL SMITH: https:/wwwyoutube.com/channel/UC_RGKS5btt2A3RW8DxvceQ (or search YouTube for Colliery Garden) Instagram @collierygarden REKHA MISTRY: Instagram @rekha.kitchen.garden@rekha18rekhagardenkitchen.com MARTIN JORDAN Search for Hanley Plotter Allotment on YouTube…

HERITAGE ■ ‘CARELESS’ – Another heritage variety from the mid-1800s, producing heavy crops of light green fruit. ■ ‘LANGLEY GAGE’ – Bred in 1824, this is possibly the sweetest of all the dessert berries. Small, silvery-white fruit, absolutely delicious. ■ ‘LANCASHIRE LAD’ – One of the best red berries, great flavour and with some mildew resistance. ■ ‘LEVELLER’ – Originating in 1851. Very large yellow-green fruit, outstanding flavour. Slightly more prone to mildew than most other varieties, but the flavour makes this fruit still the first choice for many. ■ ‘WHINHAM’S INDUSTRY’ – From 1835, this is one of the latest gooseberries to ripen and produces large red fruit with an excellent flavour. ■ ‘YELLOW CHAMPAGNE’ – Probably my personal favourite, as it was the first variety I grew. Small,…

SALAD PLANTER This salad planter will accommodate 37 litres of compost for growing a wide range of vegetable crops. Feeder mats pull water from the reservoir, keeping the compost suitably moist. Dimensions: 55x55x25cm depth (22x22x10in). GREENHOUSE SENSATION www.greenhousesensation.co.uk TEL: 0845 602 3774 PRODUCT CODE: N/A PRICE: FROM £36 * Prices correct at time of publication KG VERDICT With a good surface area, this planter offers a lot of growing options, including radish, spring onion, lettuce, chard, garlic or strawberry. We found the feeder mats very effective at keeping the soil suitably moist. At an extra cost, you can turn it into a mini-greenhouse with a transparent cover. We liked the versatility of this, especially with the cover option. SELF-WATERING GROW TABLE This freestanding, 40-litre Self Watering Grow Table…

Call the credit card and debit card order hotline on 0845 371 0532* (open 8am to 8pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm weekends). Only orders above £10 by phone please. *calls cost 3p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. Or send a cheque made payable to D T Brown Seeds to Kitchen Garden JULY Offers (KG19JUL), D T Brown Seeds, Bury Road, Newmarket, CB8 7PQ. Items will be despatched from late June (unless otherwise stated). Offer subject to availability, only one, FREE collection per household. D T Brown reserves the right to substitute with a product of equal or greater value. Please note that a £5.95 p&p charge will apply should you not take up the free item. ORDERING ONLINE? VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDENSHOP.CO.UK AND ENTER CODE KG19JUL WHEN PROMPTED TO…

APPLE & LOGANBERRIES MUESLI CRUMBLE Loganberries are a hybrid variety and a prolific cropper that will no doubt give you a glut to use up. Freshly picked berries can always be frozen for later use in the season or, as here, popped into a tasty pudding. Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes SERVES 4 FILLING ■ 4 cooking apples ■ 100g/3½oz loganberries ■ 50g/1½oz caster sugar CRUMBLE ■ 50g/1½oz spelt flour ■ 75g/2½oz good quality muesli ■ 50g/1½oz unsalted butter ■ 30g/1oz coconut sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. 2. Peel and core the apples, then quarter and cut into chunks. 3. Put the apples into a saucepan together with the caster sugar and one tablespoon of water, then cook over a low heat for five…

10 MINUTE JOBS PICK CURRANTS Harvest currants as they ripen. If the weather is wet, it is better to pick individual ripe fruits rather than wait for a whole bunch to ripen and risk the ripest ones bursting and falling to the ground. SHAKE SWEETCORN Sweetcorn plants rely on the wind to scatter pollen to nearby plants. This is why they are usually planted together in a block. In calm weather it is a good idea to give stems a gentle shake so pollen falls on to the silks (where cobs will form). FEED FRUIT AND VEG IN CONTAINERS Use a liquid feed to top up the nutrients in containers. Do this every 10 days or so and only apply liquid feeds to damp compost – this makes the feed…

■ Check potato leaves for blight. Fungal spores proliferate in warm, humid weather. Be vigilant and remove individual leaves if you see greyish soft areas. Remove the tops altogether if these are badly affected and wait three weeks before digging roots to store. ■ Be sure to sow plenty of greens for the winter. Spring cabbage, chard and spinach can all produce large healthy plants if you sow in early July. ■ Trim hedges before they cast shade over garden beds. Limit root spread too by digging a trench. Crop size and quantity can be greatly reduced if plants suffer competition for light and nutrients. ■ Set weeding goals, like ‘a bucket of weeds a day.’ Big tasks seem easier to tackle if you break them down into regular and…

■ To make sure you have a fresh supply of mint through late summer and early autumn, take some tip-cuttings now from your existing plants and root them in small pots. Kept cool and moist, they root quickly and produce soft new growth for the rest of the season. ■ You can grow lettuce and salad leaves undercover all summer long, but to grow well they prefer cooler conditions as in very hot weather they soon wilt. If planting out now, try to position the plants in an area where they will get some shade from larger plants through the middle of the day. ■ Always try to keep your greenhouse or polytunnel as clean and tidy as possible through the growing season. Not only does this make it look…

I have recently altered my greenhouse irrigation system with great success. The plants are so happy, which makes me happy too! I submerged items such as empty Tetra Paks/plastic milk containers on their side into the soil (with one side cut off) so to act as a reservoir for water. Additionally, I ran off a basic drip feed from my water butt to constantly fill the reservoirs under the soil for the plant roots to uptake water. The results are fantastic and I have a range of aubergine, tomatoes, cucumber, beans and basil all growing and thriving together. Here are the before and after photos. Jodie Cooper, Bristol…

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.…

The first thing to consider is what you’re growing and what stage they are at. Young plants need plenty of water initially but once they are established, less so as the roots will nudge deeper and deeper into the soil for replenishment. If you give too much nitrogen to plants that don’t need it, you end up with a lot of leaves but not much produce – broad beans for example. With vegetables like cabbage and lettuce however – where we eat the leaves – nitrogen is good. There are lots of different feeds available, from general purpose to specialist ones. Look at the back of the packaging to see what the balance is between nitrogen (for leaves), phosphorous (P) for root development and potassium (K) for the production of…

STUFFED TOMATOES ■ 8 tomatoes ■ 500g ground beef ■ 1 cup pecorino romano, grated ■ 1 cup breadcrumbs ■ 2 eggs, beaten ■ 4 slices unsmoked bacon, chopped ■ 2 tablespoons chopped parsley ■ 2 tsps basil, chopped ■ 2 tbsps oil ■ Salt, pepper METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) 2. Cut tops off tomatoes and reserve 3. Using a small teaspoon, scoop out seeds and core from each tomato, set upside down to drain 4. Combine the filling ingredients and fill the tomatoes 5. Position the tops like hats 6. Put tomatoes in an oiled roasting pan 7. Bake for about 40 minutes, until filling is cooked through TOMATO BRUSCHETTA ■ 6 slices crusty bread ■ 1 clove garlic ■ Olive oil ■ Salt, pepper ■…

CATEGORY 1 KG PLOTTER OF THE YEAR 2019 We invite you to send in a few pictures of your plot and yourself and we will judge this on many different aspects, including how you have overcome all the usual plot challenges to grow great veg and fruit. WINNER RECEIVES: Mountfield battery Tiller, WOLF-Garten bundle of tools, Harrod Horticultural metal raised bed, Hozelock Biomix, Neudorff products and a Lubera voucher for £150. Total value: £1219 CATEGORY 2 PLOTTING COMPANIONS We are looking for three to six pictures of people enjoying their plot. Anything goes here. Grandparents and grandchildren, a couple and their dog, parents and children, aunts and cousins, or even a group of friends that work a plot – basically, more than one person tending a plot. We’d…

Carrots adapt very well to containers and although the roots may be smaller, there are several advantages in doing so: ■ You can sow earlier when the soil outside is too cold ■ You raise the crop higher and this helps to deter carrot fly, plus thinning is almost eliminated. ■ You can produce a good crop even if your garden soil is stony or poorly drained. ■ The roots need very little cleaning after harvest. Choose a container that suits the length of root your particular carrot variety produces. Exhibitors might use old juice barrels or drums for this, but for most of us a large patio pot will be fine when growing long or intermediate-rooted types such as ‘Early Nantes’. Any good multi-purpose compost or growing bag compost,…

We’re continuing to follow the fortunes of five intrepid gardeners. As Rachael Smith isn’t taking part this month, it fell to KG’s editor Steve Ott to step in and share his growing news. Guess what? He’s doing okay… BILL LOVE FROM BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND ■ Small garden veggie grower and blogger ■ Bill says you don’t need an allotment to grow veg ■ Fan of raised beds MARTIN JORDAN FROM CHEPSTOW, MONMOUTHSHIRE ■ First place winner in our Passionate Plotter competition last year ■ Has two allotments ■ This is only his third season growing fruit and veg CAROLE BLYTH FROM FIFE, SCOTLAND ■ KG reader and allotmenteer. Her partner Gavin helps on the plot ■ Been growing veg for about 20 years ■ Likes to do things a bit…

“Most gooseberry varieties are descendants of the European gooseberry (Ribes uvacrispa)” Fads and fashions are as much a part of gardening as they are many other areas of our lives. The most spectacular example is probably tulip mania – the period in the 1630s when tulips became so fashionable and sought after that single bulbs of a new variety would sell for several years’ salary. On a more personal note, I remember my father completely replanting our garden in the late 70s with heathers and dwarf conifers, made popular by Adrian Bloom and his Foggy Bottom garden. And who can forget the decking craze of the late 80s, fuelled by Alan, Charlie and Tommy, the Ground Force team? It’s unfortunate, therefore, that the heyday of the gooseberry was more than…

After my first infatuated infanticide of radishes, the welcome brown-tinged leaves of ‘Marvel Of Four Seasons’ lettuce which have sailed through winter without serious damage came as a welcome break. These were followed by biting land cress, the last lamb’s lettuce and a few pea shoots. Now my second and third lettuce sowings are ready to eat or transplant, and I’m setting my cucumbers. Naturally, with my passion for the peculiar, these aren’t your usual cucumbers – they’re melon cucumbers from Italy, genetically Cucumis melo not C. sativus, the normal cue to you and me. What’s the difference? Well, melon cues like it a bit warmer (they loved last year) and don’t usually do well outdoors, needing a frame or tunnel to succeed. The young fruits have a light, bristly…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH DWARF FRENCH BEAN PLANT COLLECTION Consists of 30 plants, 10 plants each of: ■ ‘AMETHYST’ – These compact plants produce an excellent crop of stringless, quick-maturing beans over a long picking season. 15cm (6in) long pods that turn green once cooked. An attractive addition to any vegetable plot. ■ ‘FERRARI’ AGM – Slim, fleshy and stringless fine ‘Kenyan’ type beans with a good flavour and colour. Produces high yields of 15cm (6in) long beans. Disease resistant. ■ ‘SONESTA’ AGM – The waxy yellow pods make a great addition to summer salads but are also enjoyable lightly cooked as a vegetable. Another stringless variety on neat and compact plants. Height: up to 60cm (2ft) Harvest from August. 1 collection (30 plants, 10 of each)…

STEP 1: Choose a fine day and use a fork to lift one garlic plant when leaves start to yellow (or before that if you think the bulbs are a good size). If this bulb looks good, then lift the rest before any diseases strike. If it is small but healthy, wait a week and try again. STEP 2: Spread the lifted plants in the sun to dry. Don’t cut off the tops. Remove any plants that show signs of disease and don’t add these to the compost heap. Dry garlic outdoors if the weather is warm and dry. Spread plants in an airy shed or garage if the weather is wet. STEP 3: Feel the stems every couple of days. They need to be dry, but not brittle, if…

GLUG GLUG GOES THE SLUG A nationwide experiment has confirmed that slugs really are attracted to beer, with lager and bitter proving to be the most effective. Members of horticultural charity Garden Organic have been testing slug trapping methods as part of its annual citizen science experiments. The results reveal that lager attracted 64 times more slugs than water but they showed no preference when it came to brand or cost. Participants were asked to construct four slug traps, one containing lager, one bitter, one water and one ‘wildcard’ drink of their choice, then check them twice a week for catches. The results revealed that water very rarely attracted slugs (on average one slug every 30-40 days), while lager attracted and caught an average of six slugs every three to…

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…

SLUGS AND SNAILS Radishes are a frequent target for slugs and snails, nibbling away at the leaves and the roots themselves. HOW TO CONTROL: Various deterrents are available such as beer slug traps, but you might want to try spreading SlugGone (pure wool slug pellets) or Slugless (straw pellets) around the crop. FLEA BEETLES These create little holes in the leaves and can affect the development of the crop, especially very young plants. HOW TO CONTROL: Protect the crop with insect-proof netting and water well during dry periods. Moving a yellow sticky trap through the foliage will also reduce numbers. SPLITTING Though still edible, the radishes show signs of splitting. This usually comes after a dry spell followed by a period of rain. HOW TO CONTROL: Make sure radishes are…

If you’re looking to buy organic seeds, The Seed Co-operative is a fantastic resource. It grows, processes and sells open-pollinated seed for the UK and also works on developing new varieties through organic plant breeding. Set up in 2014, its mission is ‘to sow the seeds of a healthy and resilient organic food system that promotes diversity, democracy and a closer relationship with our food, and those who grow it’. A comprehensive range of flower, herb and vegetable seed are all available. You can also become a member, make a donation or volunteer – the Co-operative is located on a 24-acre site at Gosberton Bank Nursery in Lincolnshire. For more information visit: https://seedcooperative.org.uk…

■ It’s important to grow fresh organic produce that inspires you to want to cook; to stop and think about what you could do with it – that’s the key. It has to draw you in and get your creative juices flowing, which you can then transfer to the plate. Though, above all else, it has to be fresh – it must have ripened naturally, in the sun, allowing the flavours to fully develop. The taste you create from fresh vegetables is completely different from a British supermarket’s fare. ■ Good suppliers of seeds – for me, Franchi Seeds of Italy, wwwseedsofitaly.com, are the best and they have a wonderful range from which to choose. Johnsons Seeds also do a good range, see website for stockists, www.johnsons-seeds.com ■ The longer…

MOUNTFIELD Mountfield has been one of the UK’s leading lawnmower manufacturers for more than 50 years and its lawnmowers, lawn tractors and garden care products all share a reputation for outstanding quality and reliability. Why not view all the ranges on the Mountfield website: www.mountfieldlawnmowers.co.uk 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. Tel 01869 363674 www.wolfgarten-tools.co.uk 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 and, as well as being renowned for its sturdy fruit…

■ KG writer Martin Fish says: “I like all carrots, but my favourite is ‘Amsterdam 2’ which I usually grow in pots in the polytunnel for a very early crop of sweet, tender roots.” ■ Practical gardener Joyce Russell says: “I have grown lots of varieties over the years, but two are hard to beat as favourites: ‘Amsterdam Forcing’ for small sweet roots from the earliest sowings and ‘Autumn King’ for larger delicious roots that store well through the winter.” ■ KG’s Rob Smith says: “I absolutely love ‘Oxheart’ because they are big, beefy carrots with a great taste and extremely crunchy texture; they don’t produce that many leaves and so don’t seem affected by carrot fly. Win/win for me!” (Dobies) ■ KG editor Steve Ott says: “I like to…

1 Attract pest predators such as lacewings and hoverflies. Umbellifers such as fennel and bupleurum are great for this, as well as self-seeding calendula and easy-growing French marigolds. 2 Erect defences around vulnerable crops. Horticultural fleece or insect mesh is great for protecting the likes of carrots from root fly but cover the whole crop rather than just a fence of the stuff around the crop. Fine netting will also keep brassicas safe from cabbage white caterpillars. 3 Be observant and act quickly on the first signs of attack. Pick off grubs, crush eggs or nip off the first clusters of aphids. Watering by hand gives you time to scout about and around your plants. 4 Rotate crops as best you can, at the very least avoiding growing the same…

The following seeds were kindly given by Kings Seeds, who also supply the seeds that are given away with Kitchen Garden magazine. Three of the trial seeds – sweetcorn ‘Golden Bantam’, kohl rabi and butternut squash – were given away free with the April issue. So if you had these, we hope you are growing along with the Five Grow Live; please let us have your feedback on how they do. Other seeds being tested are snap pea ‘Purple Magnolia Snap’, radish ‘Cherry Belle’, dwarf French bean ‘Mistik’, tomato ‘Honey Moon’, spinach ‘Matador’ and courgette ‘Zucchini’.…

1. Choose an open site, not a gloomy area overhung by trees. 2. Make the pond fairly big – if it’s too small it will overheat and be quickly overgrown with plants. 3. Don’t have exposed liner above the water line that looks unsightly and breaks down in the sun. This is made worse if the levels are out and one side has more liner showing than the other. 4. Avoid poor or unnatural-looking edge details like rocks or broken slabs piled up on the liner edge at ground level. 5. Make sure there is plenty of shelving where marginal plants can grow and slug-devouring frogs and toads can get in and out easily. Don’t add fish, as they will hoover up your tadpoles in no time!…

MILDEW American gooseberry mildew is the main disease to affect plants, and the effects can be devastating. It won’t kill the plant, but can quickly spread from the leaves on to the fruit and ruin the entire crop. It thrives in humid air conditions, and attacks new, sappy growth and normally takes hold when a plant is stressed due to drought. Regular winter pruning will help with air circulation. Correct feeding (lots of potash and very little nitrogen) will limit the potential for attack, but most of all keep your gooseberries well-watered during dry periods. Mulching in spring is particularly effective as it helps conserve moisture and also stops any mildew spores in the soil from escaping and infecting the plant. If the plant is attacked by mildew, the traditional…

GROWING MELON CUCUMBERS Start the seed indoors, two per 9cm (3½in) pot and remove the weaker one once both are past the first leaf. Alternatively, sow one per smaller cell. Place in a heated propagator set to 15-18C (60-65F). As the seedlings grow on, harden them off and plant out undercover at least 1m (3ft) apart in well-manured soil, preferably on a slight mound so you can create a moat all around them to water into. My plants never need hand pollinating if there are lots of bees but if you prefer to, just in case, use a brush to dab pollen from one plant to the next, ideally between 9am and noon! SUPPLIER Seeds of Italy: www.seedsofitaly.com…

SUMMER HARVEST BRASSICA COLLECTION As you start to harvest some of your earlier crops and space becomes free on your plot, now is the perfect time to start plugging the gaps. Our Summer Harvest Brassica collection offers some of the best brassica varieties, to give you an extended harvest and tasty supply throughout the coming months. The collection contains 50 plants, each one grown individually in cells of compost. When ready, we hand select, grade and despatch them direct to you, guaranteeing the best possible quality. Each Summer Harvest Brassica plant collection contains: 10 x cabbage ‘Dutchman’, 10 x Savoy cabbage ‘Savoy Serve F1’ AGM, 10 x cauliflower ‘Sapporo’, 10 x kale ‘Nero di Toscana’ and 10 x calabrese ‘Marathon F1’ plants.…

Gardening is allegedly good for your mental health and apparently it is recommended to those who have milder forms of anxiety or depression. Gardener’s World presenter Monty Don has said that getting in touch with nature has been very beneficial to him. Well, I have to say it isn’t always good for me. I spend hours sowing, watering, checking seedlings daily and generally nurturing and talking to them before planting them out in the big wide world. Overnight some nasty little (or big) slug devours the lot. Weeks of work destroyed in perhaps an hour! My mood at the moment of discovering such devastation is not good, I can tell you. I suffer angst, frustration, sadness, irritability and generally defeat. Not great if you are naturally a glass half empty…