Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Kitchen Garden

For many of us February is an in-between time when the winter still holds sway; a time to finish those winter tasks. Yet anticipation also builds as we prepare to sow just as soon as the soil is warm and dry enough. With that in mind we have a great feature for you from KG regular Julie Moore on planning your plot to help you get the biggest yields from limited space. Expert grower Ben Vanheems turns his attention to helping save you some cash this season. In his feature starting on page 78 he brings you 20 simple recycling ideas that can not only save money but help you produce better crops into the bargain. I know the new growing season has begun when I sow my chillies; I…

PICK BRUSSELS SPROUTS I always think Brussels sprouts are like Marmite! You either love them or hate them. In our house I enjoy them but my wife Jill doesn’t, although she will have two with her Christmas dinner to humour me! They are a reliable winter vegetable that is in season all winter long. They are best picked fresh and of course they can be cooked in several ways to make them much more interesting. TUCK INTO POTATOES A staple winter vegetable is the good old potato and although not as popular as they used to be, they are still a wonderful, versatile veg. Rice and pasta are knocking the good old spud off its pedestal apparently. However, I don’t think you can beat creamy mashed or crispy roast potatoes…

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 We do not publish full addresses.…

It was a difficult job judging the Passionate Plotter competition because clearly all who enter are passionate about their plots. We had to pick some winners and this month we feature Val Juneman, who we felt deserved a special commendation for her plot, and patio container runner-up, James McSherry VAL JUNEMAN FROM SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS Do you have help tending your plot? I have half an allotment plot and I tend it on my own but friends come and help harvest! How long have you been growing veg? I’ve been growing bits of veg/salad for a number of years but I’ve had the allotment for just over two years. What variety of vegetables can you recommend? I love to grow veg that have that bit of extra ‘wow’ factor or…

This really couldn’t be easier and of course you can make your tamper from any flat piece of wood, such as plywood or solid timber. Iwent for a rustic look, using a dry log which had been stored all summer, plus as a handle a piece of hazel from one of the shrubs I keep in the garden for their beauty and as a handy construction material. STEP 1: Use any suitable saw to cut a roughly 13mm (½in) slice from the end of a hardwood log, ensuring the surfaces are as flat and even as possible. STEP 2: For the handle of my tamper I cut a 20cm (4in) section from a piece of hazel that had been pruned from a shrub last year, and again was thoroughly dry.…

Not a year goes by when we’re told how much money growing our own fruits and vegetables can save us. If you run an efficient allotment the savings can run into hundreds of pounds a year. The trouble is these hard-won savings are all-too-easily eroded by all the gadgets, gizmos and gear needed to get you there! There’s seed pots and trays, plant labels, crop protection and plant supports to name just a few. But with very little extra effort it’s possible to reuse many items of would-be rubbish to boost your growing without bothering your wallet! I’m sure most of us already do some recycling in the garden – even making your own compost can be classed as recycling, as old plants are transformed into organic matter, which can…

PATIO FRUIT COLLECTION Why not create a mini fruit farm on your patio with these two excellent varieties suitable for growing in containers? Supplied as large 2lt potted plants, both have been bred to be compact and manageable and will do well in a sheltered, sunny position. • RASPBERRY ‘RUBY BEAUTY’ This thornless, dwarf (up to 1m/3ft) plant forms a compact and bushy habit, perfectly suited for container growing. Pot on into a 10ltr container or plant in your border or fruit garden. ‘Ruby Beauty’ is a high yielding floricane variety that’ll produce up to 1.5kg of fruit from one plant. Harvest July. 2ltr Potted Plant Code 48953 £15.95 • BLACKBERRY ‘REUBEN’ Expect huge, juicy berries fruiting on the current season’s growth! With fruit twice the size of normal blackberries,…

BUILDA BETTER VEGETABLE GARDEN Joyce Russell Frances Lincoln £16.99 With 30 varied DIY projects designed to improve your harvest, this book is one to get stuck into. Projects include wooden planters, bean frames, timber raised beds, a carrot fly cover, acold frame and a mini-greenhouse, the construction of which shouldn’t faze even the novice DIY-er. Each project comes with a list of materials and tools you will need, and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions, supported by excellent photographs and illustrations. There are also very useful introductory chapters on what tools you may need, choosing materials and various techniques, such as cutting timber, drilling, lining up and levelling. So, if you’re partial to a bit of DIY in the garden department and want to save yourself a little money at the…

GABY BARTAI This month Gaby travels to one of the UK’s major producers of organic seed potatoes located on the east coast of Scotland. There she discovers the four-year process required to supply healthy seed potatoes for our plots. COLIN RANDEL As a member of the Vegetable Trials Forum of the Royal Horticultural Society, Colin is perfectly placed to bring us the breaking news direct from the trials field; this month you can discover the very best beetroot varieties to grow. BEN VANHEEMS Keen plotter Ben joins us with some great ideas for making your own pots, a simple cold frame, frost and bird protection kit and lots more besides; and the great thing is, none of it will cost you a penny! Turn to page 78 to find out…

• Late February is the perfect time to prune autumn fruiting raspberries. The pruning method is very simple and all you need to do is prune all the canes down to ground level. New growth from dormant buds just below the surface will grow and it’s on these new canes that you’ll get fruit from August onwards. • Finish winter washing apples, pears, plums and other fruit trees while the buds are still dormant. • Continue to dig over areas of the veg garden as you clear some winter crops. Any annual weeds such as groundsel or chickweed that have grown can be dug in, but perennial weed roots need removing. • Feed fruit trees and bushes with sulphate of potash or dried wood ash to supply potassium as the…

LEGGY SEEDLINGS As a long-time reader of your magazine I, like many other amateur gardeners, always have the age-old problem of our seedlings becoming leggy, falling over and dying before we have time to plant them out. Last year I purchased a LED photosynthesis light to increase the hours of light that my seedlings got and I did avoid some seedlings becoming leggy, but not all. What I would really like is to know your view on these lamps or what else you would recommend to stop this problem from occurring. Gary Jones, Eastbourne ANDREW SAYS: Seedlings normally become leggy when they are short of light or kept in the propagation area too long. Sowing seeds through the shorter days can always make this more of a problem. Using LED…

We’ve all been there. Maybe you have inherited an apple tree with a new house. Or maybe you have planted a tree yourself with the best of intentions to keep it nicely pruned. Suddenly, it’s a few years later and the neglected tree has become a bit of a mess. You look online, or maybe dig out a gardening book, and find some illustrated diagrams showing you to cut here, here and here… sounds simple! Armed with this and a pair of secateurs you venture out into the garden, only to look at your tree and decide it bears no relation to the one in the picture. At a loss as to what to do, you retreat back inside and tree pruning goes back to the bottom of the ‘to…

Cruciferous vegetables (those belonging to the cabbage family or Brassicaceae) are many and varied, and popular choices for growing and eating. They include bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, cress, horseradish, kale, kohl rabi, mustard greens, radish, rocket, swede, turnip and watercress. As well as being nutritious and pleasing on the palate, do they also have a role to play in the prevention of cancer? “It’s thought that your risk of cancer, and other diseases, can be reduced by consuming a healthy diet” RESEARCH Studies looking at this topic have delivered mixed results: some say ‘yes’, some ‘no’, and some ‘maybe’. The results are made more complex by some researchers studying age groups whose risk of cancer was low in the first place; by stark differences in…

Over the past decade the gardens team at Clumber Park in north Nottinghamshire has been bringing the four-acre walled kitchen garden back under cultivation. It now boasts beautiful colour-themed herbaceous borders and a magnificent fully restored 450ft long range glasshouse, grows a wide range of vegetables, including the unusual, such as scorzonera, achocha and sea kale, and in 2013 received National Collection status from Plant Heritage for its collections of rhubarb and apples in recognition of their national significance. THE RHUBARB COLLECTION The National Rhubarb Collection at Clumber is the second biggest collection of culinary rhubarbs in the world and now numbers more than 130 varieties. These include early 19th century varieties such as ‘Buck’s Early Red’ and Victorian rhubarbs ‘Linnaeus’ and the well-known ‘Victoria’ and 20th century varieties raised…

STEP 1 Using a jar as a guide, begin by cutting strips of newspaper slightly taller than your jar. Fold a flap along the length of each strip. STEP 2 Unfold the flap to leave a crease then place your jar at one end of the newspaper strip. Place the open end of the jar at the crease side. STEP 3 With the open end of the jar protruding slightly, carefully roll the newspaper strip to the end. Hold the newspaper tightly closed. STEP 4 Now place the open side down. The newspaper that is sticking out above the bottom of the jar can now be folded in to create the base. STEP 5 With the ends folded in, ease out the jar a fraction then firm up the base…

GO WILD IN YOUR GARDEN Support your garden birds through winter and help them get set for spring with the wide range of feeding and nesting products from Wildlife World. New products for 2017 include the award-winning Brushwood Robin Nester, developed in conjunction with TV naturalist Simon King, and the teardrop-shaped Dewdrop Bird Nestbox. The wide selection of feeding products includes the Archway Ground Feeder and the Swing Seat and Sunset Seat Bird Feeders, which are perfect for smaller birds. You’ll also find products to support all manner of other garden wildlife including bees, bats, hedgehogs and beneficial insects. Save 10% on any purchase by quoting code ‘KGMJAN2017’ at the checkout at www. wildlifeworld.co.uk  Offer valid until February 28, 2017. NEW TAKE ON TROWELS Niwaki, importers…

SIMPSON’S SEEDS If you’re in the process of choosing what seeds to buy for the new season, take a look at the 2017 seed catalogue from Simpson’s Seeds, available from their website. The catalogue lists a wide variety of seeds, sets and plantlets. PRICE: FREE www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk LIGHT UP LIGHT UP Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this Cream Heart Detail Square Lantern features a heart cut-out design and is finished in a soft cream colour. It has an integrated candle holder which can be twisted out of the bottom for easy access when adding a candle. It is spacious enough to hold a tea light, but features a glass surround to keep the flame protected from draughts, so it can be used outdoors as well. www.romanathome.com PRICE: £15 T IN…

GLUTEN-FREE GARLIC FOCACCIA With today’s gluten-free flours, no-one has to miss out on the enjoyment of freshly baked bread. Try this focaccia, stuffed with whole garlic cloves and sea salt. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 35 minutes Proving and cooking time: 2 hours 2 egg whites 6 tbsp oil 1 tsp vinegar 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt plus extra for the top 400ml/14fl oz water 500g/17oz gluten-free white bread flour (we used Doves) 2 tsp quick yeast 9 cloves of garlic ½ lemon, juice of 1 tbsp olive oil 1. Put the egg whites, half of the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and water into a bowl and whisk well. 2. Add the flour and yeast, mixing to a smooth, thick batter. 3. Pour the remaining oil over the dough and…

10 MINUTE JOBS FORCE RHUBARB Cover an established clump of rhubarb that wasn’t forced last year with a large bucket or forcing pot to exclude all light. This will force the dormant plant into growth and encourage the tall, very pale sticks that are wonderful to eat in spring. CLEAN COLD FRAMES To get ready for the busy growing season in spring give your cold frame a good wash with warm soapy water to remove dirt from the glass and give the frame a good scrub. If it’s very dirty, add some disinfectant into the water to kill fungal spores. COVER COMPOST BIN Keep adding green waste from the vegetable plot such as old cabbage leaves and leek tops to the compost heap. To try and retain some heat in…

SOW & PLANT IN FEBRUARY • Sow rows of salad leaves and spinach to give tasty fresh pickings in a few weeks. • Sow tomatoes and peppers towards the end of the month: keep at 20C (68F). • There is still time to sow aubergines but remember to choose early varieties. • Start beetroot, leeks and celeriac in trays undercover. These can be planted outdoors when big enough. TIPS FOR A SMALL GREENHOUSE • Small structures can be unstable and many gardeners have been disappointed to lose a greenhouse in the first strong wind. The two best tips I can give are to anchor them better than the instructions indicate and to assemble the frame with enough precision that no extra stress is put on the covering. • Use a…

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…

CRACKED TUBERS I planted two rows of ‘Osprey’ potatoes on April 24 last year in ground that had been covered with polythene sheet since the end of March. This was removed on May 17 as the plants emerged and were first ridged up. The tops were removed on July 25 because of a very heavy blight infestation. The crop was lifted a few days later, revealing that almost all the tubers were cracked. I’ve warmed the ground before planting for many years and grown this variety since 2012 without this effect. Do you have any idea what might have been the cause of the lost crop this year? Colin Rieley, Nottinghamshire BOB SAYS: ALL your tubers cracking indicates a widespread cause which is more likely cultural than pests or…

PH LEVELS Check the pH of your soil where you intend to grow brassicas. If it gives an acidic reading, add lime to raise it to give a reading of 6 to 7, thereby increasing its alkaline level. DAMPING OFF If your seedlings suddenly collapse and die, it may be due to damping off, a fungal disease resulting from overcrowding and excessively wet, badly ventilated conditions. Clean infected trays thoroughly. COLD SOIL Warm up your soil by covering it with a sheet of black polythene. This has the added advantage of keeping annual weeds down too.…

• ‘ALMAPAPRIKA’ – Hardly any heat whatsoever, this thick-fleshed variety is the original chilli used to make paprika in Hungary, hence its common name of ‘Hungarian Apple’. It produces apple-shaped fruit which start off cream, maturing to red. Fruity and rich in flavour. Available from www.dobies.co.uk and www.sarahraven.com • ‘ROCOTO RED’ – This variety produces masses of pebble-shaped fruit which ripen to a deep red. Purple flowered, hairy leaved and black seeded, this chilli is one of the best to survive colder temperatures, making it an ideal candidate to try and overwinter. This allows you to have increased and earlier crops the following year. Available from www.realseeds.co.uk • ‘FISH’ – A beautiful variegated variety. Both foliage and fruit are cream and emerald green striped. The perfect size to grow as…

STEP 1: Take a tray or cell tray insert of a size that you most commonly use and cut a piece of timber (this is a piece of 18x45mm) so that it fits snugly inside. STEP 2: Decide at what spacing you want your pegs. I made mine a row of five to fit evenly across a half seed tray. This might involve a bit of simple maths and head scratching! STEP 3: Drill holes at the marked points. The doweling I used was 12mm in diameter so I used a 12mm drill and drilled down to half the depth of the timber section. STEP 4: Having cut 5 lengths of dowel 3cm long I dripped a few drops of wood glue into the holes and used a rubber mallet…

APPLES 1. To choose a variety, go to an apple day event. The best will have apple varieties for you to taste and apple experts to advise which are best for your area. 2. Specialist fruit nurseries offer the widest choice of varieties and will usually supply bare root plants mail order between November and March. 3. A one-year-old plant, sometimes called a ‘maiden’, will provide good results. It can be trained into whichever tree shape you prefer. Older trees will have been part-trained into a particular shape and will be more expensive than a one-year-old tree. 4. When buying, it’s essential to know what rootstock your apple has been grafted on to, as this will determine how big your tree will grow. Two rootstocks suitable for smaller gardens are…

GUTTER THEM UP Use lengths of guttering to start peas off. Fill with compost then sow your seeds about 3-5cm (1-2in) apart. When they’re ready to plant, simply dig a gutter-shaped trough and carefully slide out the compost and pea seedlings, section by section. LOTS OF LOLLY Save old ice-lolly sticks for convenient plant labels. Or make labels from white yoghurt pots by cutting vertically down the pot to create label-width sections. Cut free from the base then they’re good to go! POLY GOOD Polystyrene coffee cups make excellent containers because of their insulating properties. For drainage, poke holes into the base or pinch and tear holes at the base of the sides.…

All depends on which shed. I have five at the allotment and two in the garden. Three of the allotment ones are in a row and resemble portable toilets. I could stand in a slight crouch in any of the three if I removed their contents. Four is a corrugated metal one, very nice with a wooden floor, battery LED light, long shelf, chair and no headroom. I can hide from the weather there. Five is precast concrete and comes with the job of site agent, about eight foot square and roomy but at the far end of the site. Peter, near Stansted airport Grab and run for us! We eat lunch next to the pond when it’s warm enough, or in the very large greenhouse when it’s not! Retropants,…