Kitchen Garden September 2022

This is a time of plenty on the veg patch as we get to harvest crops we have been carefully nurturing all year. It can also be a time of over-abundance as those tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers just keep on giving. But you can never have too much of a good thing; there are lots of ways to store and keep your produce pristine for months to come. Turn to pages 6 and 32 for inspiration. There are still crops to be sown and planted this month, the classic being onions from sets. In this issue gardening guru Martin Fish reveals his favourite varieties of autumn planting and just how he grows his bumper harvests. We shine a light on some talented young gardeners in this issue, too. YouTube star…

PLANT SPRING CABBAGES Set into firm ground in rows 30cm (1ft) apart. Space transplants 15cm (6in) within the row. In spring you can thin every other plant to enjoy as greens, leaving the rest to heart up. CLEAR SPENT CROPS Lift up old crops and pick off dead leaves to keep things clean and tidy. Add everything to the compost heap. Dig out mature compost to make space. HELP SQUASH RIPEN It’s the final push for winter squash and pumpkins. Lift developing fruits off the soil on to slates or tiles to stop them rotting. Keep applying a liquid feed. SOW SALADS Finish sowing salads for winter cropping, including lettuce, rocket, corn salad and winter purslane. Don’t forget to water if it’s still quite warm and dry. FILL THE LARDER!…

COLLECT MORE WATER After the warmer months you may find water butts running low or empty. How often did they dry up and could you do with installing more? Rainwater is naturally best for your plants and a greenhouse roof is the obvious place to install the means to collect this precious resource. Water butts set up now will have all winter to fill up, leaving you with a fresh cache of the wet stuff by spring. If you need to install guttering, look out for gutter kits specific to your greenhouse – check with the manufacturer. It is easy to source your own though. Measure the length of the roof, buy enough gutter to fit or saw to size. You will also need an end stop, downpipe, and brackets,…

WISE WORDS “When you increase the number of gardens, you increase the number of heavens too!” – (Mehmet Murat ildan, Turkish author) “Have you viewed us on YouTube yet?” LETTUCE, CURRANTS AND CHARD Steve has been trying a red oakleaf type lettuce (well, triple oakleaf apparently) this year called ‘Oakus’ which is ready for harvesting in around 12 weeks from sowing and which can be sown from February to July. It is available from Kings and has proved to be delicious and colourful in summer salads. One he’ll certainly be growing again. It’s a lovely life being a gardener, especially when all in the garden is rosy. Tony is enjoying his raised beds – stops him growing too much – and this row of chard is doing well. He’s just…

GROW VEG IN A CONTAINER OUR SERIES FOR YOUNG GROWERS Would you like to have space to grow your own food? A large container is a great option to start! Whether you have a small balcony or large garden space, a pot or window box is perfect for learning. You can pick what you would like to grow, look after your plants and harvest your food in just a few weeks! It’s going to start getting a little bit colder outside, but if we start sowing quick, we can grow a few yummy surprises before the frost arrives. YOU WILL NEED: ■ A container at least 50cm wide or long ■ Multipurpose compost ■ Seeds of your choice – I have put some ideas for this time of year below…

SMALL SPACE, BIG IDEAS! Coventry-based horticultural charity Garden Organic won a gold medal for its Small Spaces, Big Ideas Garden at the Gardeners’ World Live show at the NEC. This petite garden demonstrated how a productive and beautiful organic and biodiverse garden can be created by all home gardeners, no matter how small their garden, yard or balcony. The 5x5m space featured clever container ideas using vertical planting, raised beds and shelving and also incorporated a small pond, compost bins, mini greenhouse, hedgehog home and water saving ideas. The small plot garden was designed and built by Garden Organic’s head gardener, Emma O’Neill, alongside the charity’s head of organic horticulture and former Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins. REWILDING GARDEN WINS BEST IN SHOW The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, sponsored…