Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Kitchen Garden

January is all about planning for your best possible gardening year ahead and in this issue we have lots of great features to help you achieve the results you want from your patch, including ideas and inspiration for those of you who like to try something new. Former head gardener and passionate organic grower Sue Stickland brings you a roundup of the potato days that take place across the country this month and where you can find lots of new and different varieties to try. KG regular Ben Vanheems encourages us all to spend just a little time this month planning our sowings and plantings to get the most from every inch of our growing space. Fruit writer David Patch takes a look at some plants often grown for their…

STEP 1: REUSE IF YOU CAN Plastic tubs make great pots for plants – make holes for drainage if needed. You can wash and reuse again and again. Make your own labels too, and don’t stop there – be creative and always think if you can reuse something rather than put it in the bin. STEP 2: USE LOCALLY GROWN POLES AND SUPPORTS Any straight pole will support a tall plant and twiggy sticks can help climbing plants grow upright. Bamboo grows like a weed in some gardens and home-grown canes can be bought in bundles from some garden suppliers. You may not have to look too far to find materials that are from a local source. STEP 3: COLLECT AND RECYCLE WHAT YOU CAN Collect wood ash for a…

■ As areas of the polytunnel are cleared of old crops, spread compost on the ground to help keep the soil in good condition. ■ Make sure you get seeds, onion sets and potatoes ordered as soon as possible ready for spring planting. ■ Even in winter plants need watering, but don’t overdo it and ideally water in the morning to allow foliage time to dry. ■ If you haven’t pruned indoor grapevines yet, make sure it’s done by the end of January before the sap in the vine starts to rise. ■ While pruning vines, check for overwintering pests such as the limpet-like scale insects and treat if necessary. Vitax Winter Tree Wash or an organic insecticide such as Bug Clear Gun for Fruit & Veg should help. ■…

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY We always think of giant veg as a new phenomenon but the one in the photos could change the idea! It weighs in at 1lb 12oz and we have had 2lb in a good year. The seed was given to my late father-in-law over 30 years ago by his penfriend in Ohio. It was taken to America by the Pilgrim Fathers and kept going in their families. They are low acid – so probably not to everyone’s taste – and are firm and meaty enough to slice on a pizza, make great soup with acid cherry tomatoes and stay firm in a tossed salad. An elderly friend who lived to 105 said that tomatoes in his youth were usually grown under glass and were not…

POTS OR BEDS? GEOFF: Do you think peppers, chillis and aubergines do better in a greenhouse/polytunnel bed or in large pots? WESTI: I grow them in canvas type big pots, some of them are tall and some are lower but wider. If it is very dull for days on end and towards the end of the season, I put heavy duty aluminium foil behind them to reflect as much light as possible back on them and it cuts down on the draughts as well. PRIMROSE: I’ve always grown my chillies, peppers and aubergines in pots because I only have a mini greenhouse so once they get big enough they go out on to my patio against the house wall which absorbs heat for at least 50% of the day. They…

WHEN TO SOIL TEST When would be the best time of year to do a soil test in my garden? Mr A J Peck, Middlesex Steve Ott, editor, Kitchen Garden magazine STEVE SAYS: You can test your soil at any time of the year before sowing or planting a new crop. However, the best time is in late winter/early spring before most gardeners sow the majority of their seeds. One test per season is usually enough unless you have problem soil, such as very free-draining sand. Soil test kits are available from most good garden centres and are accurate enough for our purposes, but if you prefer there are companies who specialise in soil testing and these can be found on the internet. They include the RHS and members get…

Midwinter: the days are short and dark, weather unpredictable but there is always the hope of some snow! We are now past the winter solstice and can look forward to spring. Every day is a little lighter and longer, but winter temperatures are still with us for a few more months. There can be a buzz on social media urging people to start thinking about sowing but unless you are growing show vegetables or have an extensive light and heating propagation setup at home, January is a time to enjoy a plant-raising lull. I start sowing for the new year ahead around St Valentine’s Day. If you really want to sow something now, sprinkle some peas in a pot of compost and pop on the kitchen windowsill for tasty, fresh…

You’ll find the best choice of varieties, probably get them cheaper, and you’ll certainly have more fun at a potato day. These events are usually held by gardening clubs, allotment societies or community groups, and there are dozens spread throughout the country – it should be easy to find one near you. (See page 49 or www.kitchengarden.co.uk) The first potato day was held more than 20 years ago by Garden Organic at its headquarters at Ryton Gardens. By offering a large number of different varieties and selling them by the individual tuber rather than in the traditional kilogram bags, it gave gardeners the chance to try new and different spuds, even in a small space. You might only have room for a row of 10 tubers, but you could experiment…

MOUNTFIELD Mountfield has been one of the UK’s leading lawnmower manufacturers for over 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 and…

The Plotters also felt it important to hear what advice the new community of allotmenteers could give to others: MICHAEL AND CAS JOYCE “Go for it but don’t underestimate the time one needs to devote to it, even though it is small. From our experience so far, genuine starters need mentors to encourage and guide when things don’t work out quite right or if they are a little overawed by the task with which they are faced.” SARAH HOWCROFT “The starter plots are an excellent opportunity to learn the craft and determine whether you have the time to cope with a larger plot. We have made quite a few mistakes, but have had some gentle nudges in the right direction and pointers of how we might do better. In my…

You might already be sick and tired of hearing these lyrics by John Lennon by the time you read this article. Happy Xmas (War is Over) will have been playing nonstop on every radio, shopping centre soundtrack and TV advert for the past two months. Those words, however much I hear them, do stop me in my tracks without fail and make me reconsider how the past year has gone and what needs to be done in the year just starting. For us gardeners, it is a quiet time in terms of physical activity – perhaps a spot of pruning, or some clearing away of the last fallen leaves – but is a superb time for looking back on past successes and failures, lessons learned and making future plans. “So…

SPRING PLANTING ONION, SHALLOT AND GARLIC COLLECTION An essential part of any kitchen garden has to be alliums. With endless culinary uses, onions, shallots and garlic have become a real staple in virtually every cuisine throughout the ages. This specially selected collection contains some of our best-selling spring planting varieties, picked for their flavour and performance in British gardens. The collection contains 2 bulbs of ‘Picardy Wight’, a popular softneck variety, a 500g pack of shallot ‘Bistro’ and a 250g pack of ‘Stuttgarter Giant’. Take advantage of this collection now to ensure a tasty supply this summer. **You can claim this collection FREE when ordering at least one product from these pages. *FREE WITH EVERY ORDER - T&Cs apply…

GOLD LEAF WINTER TOUCH GLOVES Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, these Gold Leaf Winter Touch gloves have breathable, Thinsulate thermal lining and are Ski-Dri waterproof. They are available in ladies’ and gents’ sizes. HARROD HORTICULTURAL www.harrodhorticultural.com TEL: 0333 400 1500 PRODUCT CODE: GDN-278 and GDN-279 PRICE: £23.95 * Prices correct at time of publication KG VERDICT These really are an excellent pair of gardening gloves. They are easy to put on, very comfortable and will keep your hands wonderfully warm. Waterproof too, these are perfect for a range of general gardening tasks over the winter months and beyond. PASSIFLORA KNEELO® KNEELER Encased in waterproof, durable neoprene with a quick dry, wipe clean, nylon coating, inside this kneeler is a deep layer of shock-absorbing EVA foam and a…

CELERING LASAGNA In place of lasagna sheets, try using celeriac for an extra-nutritious dinner dish. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes SERVES 4-6 ■ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided ■ 1 small onion, diced ■ 3 cloves garlic, chopped ■ ⅓ glass dry white wine ■ Pinch caster sugar ■ 2 tins chopped tomatoes ■ 1 large celeriac ■ 400g/14oz spinach ■ 1 small leek, thinly sliced ■ 250g/8oz mozzarella balls, sliced ■ Salt and pepper to taste FOR THE WHITE SAUCE ■ 75g/2½oz plain flour ■ 75g/2½oz butter, cubed ■ 750ml/1¼ pint milk ■ A good grating of nutmeg 1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a…

“Well, considering the weather and my novice status, I’ll take ninth.” A LEARNING CURVE WITH LEEKS From a Novice Leek Grower’s point of view it was interesting to see the inner workings of this massive scene and the seriousness with which it is taken and listening to some of the comments from people as the exhibits were discussed. What did I take away from this first leek show as an exhibitor? Well, there are as many ‘secrets’ to success as there are growers and every one is different – but the biggest thing is the encouragement novices receive. Yes, people do want to win, however this didn’t stop anyone offering advice to newbies such as me. So, with year one under my binder-twine belt I’d say go on, have a…

10 MINUTE JOBS PLANT BEANS UNDER A CLOCHE If you sowed broad beans in pots in November or December, then plants will be ready to go out under a cloche this month. Don’t plant out in sub-zero temperatures, but do get them out before they are root-bound. BUY A NOTEBOOK This doesn’t have to be anything fancy but it should be big enough and have enough pages to record what you do in the garden for the year. This is an invaluable resource if you want to compare planting dates, successful varieties etc. FEED FRUIT TREES Scatter some dried organic feed around each tree. This can take several weeks, or even months, to deliver itself in a usable form for roots to take up. Feed now and the nutrients will…

■ GARDEN PLAN Do a rough layout plan of your garden and decide what you want to grow and where to plant it for 2020. Avoid growing the same type of crop on the same bit of ground that you did last year – rotating crops around the garden helps to reduce disease problems. ■ EDGING BEDS Tidy edges make a big difference to garden beds, but this job is low down the list in a busy garden season. Tackle it now and get beds all lined up and tidy while edges are clear to see and decisions on changes are easy to follow. ■ USE STORED ROOTS Stored carrots and potatoes will start to sprout if they are kept in a warm place. This doesn’t make much difference if…

■ If you don’t have bubble polythene in your greenhouse, it’s worth fitting as it will help to reduce cold draughts and seal in warmth. Horticultural grade bubble wrap that is UV stabilised will last for several seasons and can reduce heating costs by up to 50%. Avoid the cheaper packing grade bubble wrap as it doesn’t have the same insulation qualities and the bubbles easily pop! ■ Although we aim to keep as much warmth in a greenhouse during winter as possible, we also still need to ventilate to prevent the air becoming stale. On fine days when the sun is shining, open the vents for a short while during the middle of the day to allow some fresh air into the plants. ■ Check water butts to make…

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.…

Carrot ‘Early Nantes’: Great colour, great taste and with very little core, this early variety is also great for successional sowing. Pea ‘Meteor’: Sow in early spring or November. It’s very hardy and, as a dwarf pea, has less growing to do to reach point of harvest. Broad bean ‘The Sutton’: Sow under cloches in autumn or in spring for a very early pick of protein-packed pods on compact plants. Spring onion ‘Gerda’: This super-hardy bunching onion may be sown from March to give a harvest by May. Spinach ‘Amazon’: Fast-growing spinach, producing plenty of round, dark green leaves that are also mildew resistant.…

Cabbages are often taken for granted. A poor relation to trendy kale and broccoli with their much flaunted health benefits, the humble cabbage is a great staple that can be grown easily and virtually all year round. The sowing season for summer-harvesting types starts soon, so here are some top tips for sure-fire success. The best time to sow your summer cabbage seeds is from February to April, so if you are just itching to get those seed packets open and start the new season’s sowings, they are just the thing to begin with. As with other brassicas (cabbage family members), they can be started in several ways – from simple nursery rows in the open ground to pots or cell trays in a heated propagator. The latter gives your…

A modern approach to growing food is ‘edimental’ gardening. Instead of having a pretty flower garden close to home and a vegetable patch elsewhere, a garden is created that is both beautiful to look at and provides food. This involves a different approach to plants, with much more emphasis on perennial plants than seed-grown annuals. A specialist nursery is helpful to know, and the leading one is Pennard Plants, run by three-times Chelsea gold medal winner Chris Smith. Pennard Plants is a mail order-only nursery run from an ageing but beautiful walled garden in Somerset. It started in 2001 with grasses and herbaceous plants, but Chris is a born and bred veg man, having learned the art on his mum’s and granddad’s plots. The switch to vegetables came about because,…

The runner bean chutney remains their most popular product, and for it there are some 60 yards of beans (about 360 plants) in the garden. All of them are grown from their own seed – John used to compete in the longest bean category at local shows – of his own variety he has called ‘JB’. The longest bean he’s ever grown came in at 33½ inches. Picking every other day, last year they harvested about half a ton of beans (prepared weight). After stringing and slicing, the beans are frozen as there simply isn’t the time in the day to look after the garden and make the chutney at peak harvest time, but actually this helps produce a more consistent chutney across the batches. The recipe came to Pam…

One of the chilli varieties that particularly impressed me in 2019 was ‘Machu Pichu’, a relatively fleshy, oblong chilli with fruits that start off green and then turn a distinctively dark brown colour, with the skin wrinkling as they mature. Having its origins in Peru, ‘Machu Pichu’ has enough heat to let your tongue know it’s there without setting it on fire. I found two or three in a curry gave just about the right kind of heat for my liking, combined with a smoky flavour. Like all chilli plants in the UK, they are best grown undercover where you can provide plenty of heat throughout the growing season. Plant them either in pots (as I prefer) or directly into the soil and they will grow to 60-90cm (24-36 in)…

ULTRA-TOUGH LIGHTWEIGHT New from leading watering expert Hozelock, Tuffhoze is a hybrid garden hose, combining the best of PVC and textile hose technology to make it amazingly flexible, super-tough and lightweight – up to 50% lighter than traditional hoses. Tuffhoze comes with a 30-year guarantee as it features Tuff-Fibre woven technology which is UVresistant, easy to clean and incredibly durable. It has a traditional PVC outer with a Dura-Tech inner core that has a burst-resistance of over 40 bar and allows constant high water flow even at low temperatures – so watering the garden just got a lot easier! It’s available in three sizes: 12.5m (41ft; £32.99), 25m (82ft; £55.99) and 35m (115ft; £74.99). Because it’s so lightweight and flexible, it’s easy to move and manoeuvre, and it’s kink-free and…

Call the credit card and debit card order hotline on 0845 371 0532* (open 8am to 8pm weekdays & 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 JANUARY Offers (KG20JAN), D T Brown Seeds, Bury Road, Newmarket, CB8 7PQ. Items will be despatched from late January (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 you are only entitled to the free collection when ordering at least one additional product off the page. ORDERING ONLINE? VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDENSHOP.CO.UKADD ALL ITEMS…

Who needs a garden trolley? Well, I do for one, and if more gardeners tried one then I think that they might agree. A trolley is more stable than a wheelbarrow and is less likely to tip over accidentally and empty its contents on the ground. A trolley has lower sides, so is easier to fill and offload. It’s also easy to pull or push to move heavy loads. A small trolley can go places that a larger device can’t and if you make your own you can personalise the proportions so it moves freely between your raised beds and garden structures. There are other benefits too: children love a trolley and are likely to help you use one to carry garden tools and harvests. You can give them a…

The growing of exhibition leeks was about to seem easy compared to prepping the things for the show. There are a number of rules and regulations to meet, things such as – the leek has to be grown in the member’s garden which has to be in the club’s area, so one afternoon a delegation from the club arrived at my place and announced: “We’ve come to stamp your leeks.” Er…? “Howay man, we need to prove we’ve seen the leeks growing in your garden and put a rubber stamp on the flag so you can show them.” Ah… This first hurdle passed and with encouraging remarks such as: “Canny leeks, you’ll definitely have something to display…” the inspection team headed off to another garden. A few days before the…

LOOK AFTER RHUBARB Rhubarb crowns can push up early shoots in a mild winter. These produce some lovely early pickings but you have to keep an eye on things. A short-lived snowfall will do little harm, but if plants are buried for days, or sub-zero temperatures persist, then early growth can suffer. A cover of horticultural fleece will help, or you can cover individual plants with straw or a large container. Light isn’t much of an issue, since this is effectively the same technique used to force rhubarb stems to grow faster. Forcing can weaken plants for subsequent crops, so compromise by uncovering plants as soon as the harsh weather passes. SOW LETTUCE You are unlikely to have success sowing seeds into cold wet ground – they will rot before…

FORCING RHUBARB IN POTS Tender forced rhubarb from the garden in spring is always something to look forward to, but for an extra-early crop you can force it in a greenhouse or polytunnel. All you need is an established clump of rhubarb growing in the garden that you don’t mind digging up or splitting. Lift a healthy clump with several fat buds, leave it outside in the cold for a few weeks and then pot it into a large pot in a soil and compost mix. Bring the potted rhubarb crown into a greenhouse or polytunnel and cover it over with a large pot or dustbin to exclude light. In just a few weeks growth will start with the promise of tender, pink sticks in March and April. SOW ONIONS…

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…

In an ideal world, plants grow healthily but unfortunately pests and diseases are always ready to thwart our best endeavours. In this new series we identify a common pest or disease each month and offer advice on what you can do WHAT IS IT? Apple canker Neonectria ditissima (also known as Neonectria galligena) is a fungal disease of apple trees which will lead to the death of affected branches. It can be spread by the wind, water splash or by insects. SYMPTOMS On larger branches, look for areas where there are sunken areas of cracked or dead bark, circular or oval in shape, often in concentric circles the older the infection. It can also affect fruiting spurs and twigs, causing the bark to fall away. New cankers arise in mid-spring,…

Intercropping (also known as intersowing or interplanting) is when one smaller/quicker-growing crop is grown in between another larger/slower crop. It’s a great way to make the ground work harder. Here are a few examples. ■ Sow fast-growing spinach or radish between recently planted onion or shallot sets, or sow a couple of weeks before harvesting. ■ Sow rows of maincrop carrots in between rows of garlic two or three weeks before lifting. ■ Use radish to mark out rows of parsnips. The radishes will be long-gone before the parsnips fill out. ■ Sow winter-hardy salads like rocket or lamb’s lettuce between block-planted summer salads a month before they finish. ■ Plant young leeks in between leafy salads towards the end of spring, ready to take off once the salads are…

■ ‘KILAXY F1’ – A ball-headed cabbage with a good flavour and solid heads which keep well. It is also resistant to club root disease. (Marshalls) ■ ‘CARAFLEX F1’ – An improved ‘Hispi’ type. An award-winner with attractive pointed heads, it can be sown over a long period. (Kings) ■ ‘GOLDEN ACRE PRIMO’ – A reliable round-head variety producing medium-sized firm heads from July to October (Suttons, D T Brown) ■ ‘SHERWOOD F1’ – AGM award winner producing good-sized heads of sweet leaves. Good tolerance to diseases. Keeps well. (D T Brown)…

Skirret? Hang on, wasn’t he inside left for that rugby team… or is it a small village near Halifax? Or an item of Victorian horse harness? The name sounds vaguely familiar, but you can’t place it, yet another of those ‘What’s that….’ pub quiz questions that has everybody scratching their heads. “Nowadays skirret is showing signs of a revival, and it’s long overdue” I’m happy to say that my skirret is alive and well, currently growing in a 20cm (8in) pot at 45 degrees on top of the coal bunker but – as soon as the ‘monsoon’ stops – it will be planted on a (normally) sunny patch of the allotment. For those not in the know, skirret (Sium sisarum) is an ancient perennial vegetable, close relative of carrot and…

■ NEW ‘DE CAYENNE’: Lots of classic red fruits with just enough bite to heat and spice up stews, curries and stir-fries. Code: 54172 3 x 9cm potted plants £10.95 ■ NEW ‘MACHU PICCHU’: Medium-hot with a rich smoky flavour, these large fleshy peppers ripen to an unusual dark brown. Code: 54173 3 x 9cm potted plants £10.95 ■ 'TRINIDAD PERFUME': What a really special chilli, it has an authentic, intense habanero flavour but without the searing heat! Code: 53227 3 x 9cm potted plants £10.95 ■ NEW MILD (ISH!) CHILLI PLANT COLLECTION: 3 x 9cm potted plants, 1 of each variety Code: 54177 £11.95 Buy any of the above chilli plants and as an exclusive reader discount you’ll receive FREE P&P on your order - saving £4.95. What’s more,…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH SPRING PLANTING GARLIC COLLECTION There’s still time to get your garlic planted for this coming season and we’ve selected three varieties we think are more suited to spring planting. ■ ‘ELEPHANT GARLIC’ – Supersized cloves with a mild, sweet flavour which are perfect for eating raw or roasting whole. (10 cloves) ■ ‘SOLENT WIGHT’ – This superb softneck strain yields large, fragrant bulbs. Plus, they keep extremely well. (2 bulbs) ■ ‘CARCASSONE WIGHT’ – This variety comes out top in trials as the best of the hardneck varieties. Pink-skinned, fragrant cloves which keep their flavour when cooked. (2 bulbs) SPRING PLANTING ONION SET COLLECTION No kitchen garden is complete without onions and we offer some of the very best, making them a great…