Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Kitchen Garden

This month officially marks the end of our long, dark winter and the start of spring. It’s always great to reach March, but more so this year when it is even more important to be able to get outside into the fresh air, grab some vitamin D-packed sunshine (we hope) and see those green shoots emerging all around, whether from spring bulbs or overwintered crops. Of course, it’s still very early, especially for readers living further north, and while we may still have to wait a while until the soil is warm enough to sow much, for those lucky enough to have a greenhouse or cold frame, dreams of sowing the new season’s crops are brought just that little bit closer. If you don’t have any protected growing space but…

So you want to start growing veg or expand an area you already have but you’ve no idea where to start. Or are you about to take on an overgrown allotment? Emma Rawlings offers some tips Starting to grow your own vegetables is a really exciting project but can seem a bit overwhelming at first. The best way is to start small and keep adding more areas and crops as you build up confidence. So the first question is: what type of plot are you planning? Is it a veg plot from scratch in your back garden? Do you want a few containers on a patio or maybe you are just about to take on an allotment? Here are a few pointers to help you get going. 1: PLOT FROM…

■ Thin or weak growth is usually a result of lack of watering. Asparagus plants like to be kept moist while they are growing and this is the best way to get thicker spears. Mulching plants well can help keep them moist and prevent excess water evaporation, plus if you are mulching with compost or manure, you are feeding the plants at the same time! If you find your spears are weak, make sure to harvest for only four weeks instead of eight, otherwise you will weaken the plants even more. ■ If your asparagus bed is too dry, not only can you have thin or weak spears, but those that you do harvest will be tasteless! Improve taste by watering well. ■ Sometimes the first spears of the season…

■ CARROT FLY: Small white larvae nibble the roots, causing surface damage and allowing diseases and slugs to enter. Erect barriers to deter the adult flies, remove thinnings from rows and treat with a nematode-based biological control. Try a resistant variety (see favourite varieties below). ■ SLUGS: The little black keeled slugs that live underground are particularly troublesome on heavy ground. Treat with a biological control and lift roots as soon as they are ready. ■ APHIDS: Carrot-willow aphids spread viruses as they feed, often turning the foliage yellow with reddish tints. Spray with an organic insecticide as seen.…

There are some crops that can make you feel the weight of gardening history very keenly indeed and the perennial veg, Good King Henry, which glories in the botanical name of Blitum henopodium bonus-henricus (formerly Chenopodium), is a perfect example. It has been grown as a food and medicinal crop for thousands of years and was popular with the Saxons, Romans and widely grown in the Middle Ages. You only need to see the long list of common names it has accumulated to know that it has been in cultivation for a very long time indeed. To name a few: King Henry, mercury, goosefoot (a reference to the shape of the leaves), friar’s pot herb and fat-hen (it is related to C. album, a common weed and also a prolific…

■ Location, location: Position your cold frame in a sheltered, sunny position. Make use of an existing wall for extra thermal mass. ■ Pile on the blankets: Lay old blankets on top of the lids on cold nights. You could also pack the insides with dry leaves or cover plants with layers of horticultural fleece. ■ Warm water bottles: Fill empty bottles with water and pop them in the frame. They will absorb heat during the day then radiate it back out at night. ■ Warmer walls: Walls can be insulated by simply banking up the soil against the sides. You could also try lining the inside walls by recycling polystyrene. ■ Keep a lid on it: A single polythene sheet won’t be as effective at trapping warmth as glass…

I have always been an avid grower. Dating back to when I was a child, I was given a small piece of garden which I proclaimed was “my vegetable plot”. From those early days I was hooked and from that moment my passion for growing has stayed with me. However, last year’s growing season, as I was going to discover, was to be totally different and somewhat of a challenge in more ways than one. A frisson of excitement enveloped me as I cleared the dining table, covered it with a plastic tablecloth and set down my bag of seed compost, cell trays, flower pots and a variety of seed packets: sowing red and yellow tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, aubergine, runner beans, courgette, basil, lemon basil, thyme and various flower seeds.…

If there’s a plant on a plate that demands attention, it has to be beetroot. The deep red varieties, especially, refuse to be ignored. And there’s that smooth moist texture and its distinctively earthy flavour that shouts wholesome. Of course, these days beetroot amazes us in many ways with its different shapes, colours and nuances of flavour and, on top of that, it’s easy to grow and a great starter crop for beginners. SOWING Beetroot seeds are easy to handle and often come in multigerm form – essentially a cluster of two or three seeds – so germination is good, though the resultant seedlings will need thinning out. Sow to a depth of 13mm ½in), 2cm (¾in) apart and with 30cm (12in) between rows, late March to July. To avoid…

SAVE UP TO £42.90 BLACKBERRY ‘LITTLE BLACK PRINCE’ 2LTR FRUIT PLANT Summer wouldn’t be the same without a home-grown crop of blackberries. Eaten straight from the bush, used in a fruity jam or frozen to be used another day, the sweet and tangy flavour is wonderful! Blackberry ‘Little Black Prince’ is a fairly recent introduction to the range but is already proving to be a favourite for the fruit garden! This compact and thornless variety grows no more than 1m/40in high – perfect for a sunny patio! It produces a bumper crop of sweet and juicy, glossy black berries on an easy-to-grow plant. Fruiting from early July on old wood, but continues on new season growth from August until the frosts -a true everbearing blackberry! **You can claim this item…

LIFT LEEKS Some winter crops need to be lifted to make room for new plantings. Dig any leeks left in the ground and heel them back in as a bunch at the edge of a bed. They need to be used fairly soon but this keeps them fresh and slows bolting. PLANT EARLY POTATOES First early and salad potatoes can go into the ground around the middle of the month. In colder areas, planting will be delayed until the ground is warm enough for growth. These first potatoes grow fast to make some early delicious roots. PREPARE BEDS Dig over any empty beds when the soil is dry enough that it doesn’t clump and compact. Prepare beds to suit what you plan to grow in them. Add lime to reduce…

■ Continue to sow tougher root and leaf vegetables directly into the soil borders in the polytunnel or greenhouse.■ Check on seed potatoes that are being chitted and when shoots are developing, pot a few into large pots to start them growing.■ Gradually increase the amount of water you give to potted strawberry plants as they start to make new growth.■ Tomato seedlings from an early sowing should be pricked out at the two-leaf stage and grown on in light, warm conditions.■ Give spring greens a boost to encourage new, fresh growth with a high-nitrogen fertiliser sprinkled on to the soil.…

OOPS! WRONG SEEDS! Last June I sowed autumn caulis for planting in August. However, at planting time I found that I had used the wrong seed and used summer cauli seeds. I thought: “Well, it’s too late to start more off now so plant these and see.” I knew these would need protection from the cold so in late September I swapped the net tunnel for polythene, and they grew on quite well. The trouble is we have now had a couple of frosts and checking on them I found a couple had blown and the rest are ready all together, as you can see from the photograph. Still an edible crop but very small. The moral of the story here is, to check the planting and harvest dates on…

If you feel your soil is not that good then it may pay to do some extra preparation before sowing. You could double dig at this stage, incorporating well-rotted garden compost or manure if you can source some. Double digging is digging deeper (over a spade’s depth) than you normally would and starts with a trench. The soil from the first trench can be put to one side or in a barrow or at the far end of where you are digging. Then add some compost or manure to the trench, fork in and then start the next row, piling the soil on to the manure in the first trench. Work your way back, adding some compost/manure as you go. It is hard work and it is a deeper working…

POSH SHED BIG PLANTER This brand new planter from The Posh Shed Company comes in nine sizes. It has fully pressurised treated timber walls and a base that will not rot, made from recycled plastic board. www.theposhshedcompany.co.uk EMPATHY GROW YOUR OWN PACK This pack contains everything needed to grow delicious crops naturally. The pack contains Rootgrow, two packs of Tomato Starter, After Plant Tomato Feed, After Plant Grow Your Own and complimentary RHS bird feed.www.rootgrow.co.uk HOZELOCK BIOMIX Make your own natural and organic plant feeds in this Biomix. Just add the leaves of comfrey or nettles and water and seal the unit. There is no smell and you can mix the solution using the handle on the top. You extract the plant feed from the tap at the base. Tel:…

Carrots must be among the top five must-grow veggies in the UK and to be found on most veg plots across the land. Yet they are relatively cheap in the shops, so why the fascination with growing them? Perhaps it’s the challenge of growing nice long straight roots, or the freshness of home-grown crops and the fact that they are not produced using lots of chemicals to keep away pests. Mostly for me it is the great range of varieties available, each with its own unique carroty flavour – some so sweet they are delicious raw in salads or whole in a lunchbox when picked young, others larger and meatier – just the thing for hearty stews. Then there are the colours – ‘wild carrot white’, through yellow to shades…

There are many varieties of carrots, but most can be grouped together as early or maincrop with earlies being great for early sowing and harvest. These are sometimes used for ‘forcing’ – sowing very early from February onwards under cover, but are equally good outside. Maincrops tend to be slower growing but bigger and better for storing into the winter. These characteristics are sometimes reflected in the names such as ‘Early Nantes’ or ‘Amsterdam Forcing’. Varieties can be further grouped loosely by the length of their roots, stump or round, short, intermediate and long.…

Worms are a natural part of the composting process, invading heaps after all the heat and excitement generated during the hot phase of composting, which also releases masses of liquid from the decomposing materials. The worms that colonise compost heaps are native species, which live on the surface, in the litter layer of the soil. In a compost heap they feed away immediately under the fresh layer of waste, and so the larger the surface area in a wormery the better. However, the wormeries on the market tend to be fairly vertical in shape, which makes them more convenient to fit into small spaces, but remember it is the surface area that limits how much you can add at any one time. Whenever I take my portable wormery into a…

With spring propagation in full swing I quickly run out of growing space for my pots and trays. Most seedlings benefit from some protection from the elements in March, and cold frames and cloches are ideal for plants which are not frost sensitive. Although they do not prevent freezing if the weather is very cold, these simple protective measures keep off heavy rain, wind and most pests, encouraging healthy growth and earlier cropping. They are very easy to make yourself from odds and ends. COLD FRAMES I like to have cold frames that are simple to make and take apart in the summer when I want to use that space for large pots of vegetables on an area of concrete in my back garden. They can be whatever size suits…

Have you ever had the chance to smell lemon verbena? It’s worth growing just for its beautiful, fruity scent but, as you will discover, it has many more wonderful benefits and medicinal properties too. Native to the hillsides of South America, but established in Europe since the 17th century, this plant which can grow up to 2.5m in height is great for your herb garden or any large container. GROWING ADVICE Lemon verbena is best bought from your local plant nursery. Alternatively, if you have a friend with an established plant already, see if you can take some stem cuttings during the spring and summer. You will be pleased to know that it is easy to grow, as long as you give it well-drained soil and full sun. A protected…

WORTH OVER £666 GET SET TO GROW GardenSkill’s unique designs look great but always keep the practical gardener in mind, being quick and simple to build, durable and easy to store. The Pro Grow Poly Tunnel Cloche (£33.99) is a high-quality, quick-assembly 5m (16ft 6in) cloche. Its high-grade poly cover and strong, flexible carbon-fibre rods ensure a much stronger structure than conventional hoop and wire tunnels. Large zipped entrances give easy access, while ballast pockets along the tunnel and guy ropes at either end ensure stability. The Pop Up Net Grow Bag Cage (£15.99) is the quickest and simplest method for protecting grow bag plantings from birds and other pests. It fits neatly over standard grow bags and self-assembles instantly – just remove it from the bag and you’re ready…

■ SLUGS Slugs and snails are active as soon as the weather warms up. They like nothing better than some tasty young seedlings to munch upon. Protect plants with organic approved pellets and encourage any frogs in the garden – these eat eggs as well as slugs, and full-grown adults eat snails as well. ■ GREENFLY These pests form a sticky mess on young leaves and they suck sap from the plant, so can distort the tips of seedlings. If plants are in pots then take them outdoors and hose the pests off. You can hose rows too, but you must repeat regularly if pests make their way back up. ■ EARWIGS Remove earwigs when you find them – they nibble small holes in plants and large numbers can cause…

■ If you don’t have a light in your greenhouse or polytunnel, it’s well worth fitting a battery or solar lamp so that you can check plants, seedlings and the heater on cold nights. Battery lamps with LED bulbs are cheap to buy and last for ages. Alternatively, install a solar lamp and take advantage of the sunshine and free energy!■ Make sure you have a good supply of quality compost ready for seed sowing and potting through the busy spring months and bring it under cover to warm it through.■ Remember to use your max/min thermometer on a regular basis to record the minimum night and maximum day temperatures. This info is vital to help regulate vents and heating.■ Look over seedlings regularly and check their progress. Check for…

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Hi! I’m Belle and I’m here every month to share lots of fun activities for you to do at home, on your own or with your family Don’t let anyone throw away your old wellies! Wellington boots are great as containers in the garden or on a balcony. They look fun and can grow really tasty food. ALL YOU NEED IS: ■ A pair of old wellies■ Compost■ Seeds■ Water STEP 1: Give the outside of your wellies a quick wash with warm soapy water to remove any big patches of mud. You want your wellies to look fab! STEP 2: Ask an adult to drill four holes in the bottom of the boots – this is so water can drain out the bottom when you water your plants. STEP…

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.…

Whether you decide to have a veg plot of raised beds or to garden at ground level is a matter of personal preference. The aforementioned no-dig and lazy beds are the equivalent of raised beds but without the sides and are a cheaper way of achieving similar. Raised beds are more costly to set up unless you have a source of recycled materials. They do make things neater and are easier to manage, especially if the sides are reasonably high. These are particularly good for people with mobility issues. However, the higher the sides, the more material you will need to fill the beds. Soil is best so this may need to be bought in. A raised bed can also be as low as a few inches to just create…

If there is one gourmet crop that I love to grow in the kitchen garden, it has to be asparagus. With its incredible harvesting potential, totally divine taste and ability to crop for up to 20 years, what’s not to love? As asparagus is a perennial vegetable, it’s not the quickest to start cropping and can’t be harvested in the first year like annuals such as lettuce. However, once your asparagus bed is up and running, it is easy to maintain and hardly takes any looking after apart from weeding. Before deciding to create an asparagus bed there are a few considerations that need to be taken into account, otherwise your efforts could end in disaster rather than success. The main thing to consider when planning to grow asparagus is…

To be straight and true, long-rooted carrots need a deep, fertile root-run with no obstructions. If you have afew stones or a compacted layer in the soil which can be removed or broken up with a fork, no problem. Stony or very heavy, wet soils are harder to resolve. Instead you can make conical holes in the ground with a stout stick or ground spike by hammering in at least 15cm (6in) and moving the end around in a circular motion. Then either fill the hole with sieved soil or a 50:50 mix of soil and sand or even potting compost (preferably loam-based such as John Innes Seed Compost). Do this every 10cm (4in) or so and sow two seeds on top of the filling medium. This should move any…

TOP TIP If using soil, it should be sterilised in an oven preheated to 85C (180F) for 30 minutes. This will help prevent damping off of seedlings and stop weed seeds germinating. Leafmould and garden compost should not be sterilised as this would destroy the structure and any biological life There are a number of good reasons for making your own potting mixes. Firstly, you are avoiding the use of peat. It is now well known that peat is a non-sustainable resource and extracting it destroys wildlife habitats and results in the release of locked-up carbon as CO2. Yet it still finds its way into the majority of bags of potting compost found in most garden centres. Secondly, you are avoiding ‘compost miles’ and all the energy associated with transporting…

STEP 1: To make your temporary frame you will need an old window, planks of wood to fit the width and height of the window, and pegs to hold the planks in place. I am using sections of bamboo cane. STEP 2: Set up the planks to fit the dimensions of the window. Use the bamboo cane sections to pin the planks in place – two at each end. Ensure a tight fit to avoid leaving air gaps. STEP 3: All you have to do then is to pop the window on top of the planks. To air the cold frame, simply remove the window entirely or prop it open with longer lengths of bamboo cane.…

I gave this variety a go last year just because it was a bit different. Carrot ‘Gniff’ is an old variety that was grown in Switzerland in the Tessin region, especially on the agricultural terraces of the alpine village of Bre. Locals would sell the carrots at local markets. The name ‘Gniff’ comes from the description of the gnarled, rough appearance of the purpleskinned carrot. As the economy changed more from agriculture to tourism the growing of this variety declined and it nearly became extinct, with only one grower selling it at the market in Lugano. It was a local man with fond memories of this variety who managed to get hold of some seeds and to grow it to save it. He passed some of the seeds on to…

WHY HAVE A GREENHOUSE? A greenhouse or polytunnel is very useful to the veg gardener and once you have one you will wonder how you managed without. In fact most people that get one always wish they had a bigger one, so that is the first consideration. If you have the space get one that is as big as you can afford! They are so useful to start off young plants in the spring and then to house more tender crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. WHERE TO SITE Most people don’t have a lot of choice due to plot size or aspect but if you do have choice then ideally a sunny spot not beneath trees, and run the ridge east to west to get maximum light on…

Currants and berries are where most people start their fruit-growing journey, as the rewards they offer far outweigh the minimal amount of effort required to grow them. They are much less daunting for the novice in terms of pruning and maintenance, and they are also normally much cheaper than the cost of an apple or pear tree. They take up less space and most can be very easily grown in pots on a patio or balcony. For a few pounds you can readily get started growing strawberries or currants, and as the life expectancy of most soft fruit is a lot shorter than a top fruit tree, it doesn’t seem like such a commitment – if it fails (and it really won’t), you haven’t wasted too much time and money.…

There is an excellent range of cherry tomato varieties available these days and although we all may have our favourites, like the very popular ‘Sungold’, for example, with all its lovely sweetness, or the dark red, juicy ‘Rosella’, it’s always fun to try something new. So last year I grew ‘Yellow Mimi F1’, anew variety that became available in 2020. The key questions when trying out anew crop are: how well do the seeds germinate, how well does it grow, how well does it produce and, last but not least, what does it taste like? The KG team decided to find out. SOWING I started the seeds off in seed trays filled with multi-purpose compost, sowing thinly with a light covering of sieved compost and a gentle watering. I did…

PARSLEY RICE CROQUETTES I like to make extra risotto just so I can whip these little tasty croquettes up the following day. Serve with a green salad. SERVES 4 AS A SNACK Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes. ■ 400g/14oz leftover risotto ■ 1 egg, beaten ■ 1 bunch parsley, chopped ■ 200g/7oz breadcrumbs ■ Oil for frying 1. In a large bowl combine the egg with the leftover risotto, mixing well. Then add the parsley and mix again. 2. Roll heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and roll them in breadcrumbs. Flatten the balls slightly. 3. Shallow fry the croquettes in batches in oil for 3-4 minutes on either side or until golden and crispy. Drain off any excess oil and keep warm until all the…