Innehållsförteckning för October 2019 från Kitchen Garden

This can be a lovely month in the garden. The weather can often be mild and sunny and there are lots of harvests to gather and to turn into all manner of delicious pickles, pies and frozen goodies for the quieter months ahead. To inspire you we have bags of advice from our top team. Ben Vanheems has some great advice to help you fill your winter store cupboard to bursting point and we have lots of mouthwatering recipes to help you get the best from your late season pickings from top cooks, Anna Cairns Pettigrew, James Hillery and Jane Hickling. That’s not to say that you should be hanging up your trowel for the winter – far from it! There is still lots to do to ensure the homegrown…

LAST OF THE COURGETTES There may have been more courgettes than you could possibly want through the summer months, but there comes a time when you realise that what you have taken for granted is about to come to an end. This is the moment to look at those tatty and dishevelled plants and, if the weather is kind, you may squeeze a few more fruits out of them. Ignore the bigger leaves and look at the growing point. If there are small fruits and flowers and some healthy young leaves, then cover the plant with a raised porous cloche and you may get fruit until the end of the month. LOVELY LEEKS Autumn varieties are ready to lift and use now. Winter varieties can mature early too, if the…

■ There is still time to plant or sow a selection of salad crops that will be ready to harvest over the winter months, but hurry. ■ Keep harvesting crops such as lettuce, courgettes, beans, aubergines, peppers, spinach and herbs. ■ For an early crop of broad beans next year, sow the seeds now in the soil or pots. Dwarf varieties that grow to 45-60cm (18-23in) are ideal for growing under cover. ■ Start planting garlic directly into the borders to allow it time to establish a strong root system before winter. ■ Any tender vegetables that are growing outside in pots can be brought under cover for a little extra protection.…

SWEETCORN WITH A LOT OF BOTTLE! Like many of your readers I recycle many of the plastic containers I accumulate, but I find plastic drinks bottles hard to cut up. I’ve found the answer with milk bottles, which are very easy to cut with a sturdy pair of scissors. Here they are protecting tiny sweetcorn plants on my exposed allotment site. Earlier in the season they helped my brassica plants to cope with the wind. With just the bottom cut off they are great for directing the water for the cucurbits straight to the roots, and an old bit of cane keeps them in place and marks the spot for when the plants grow large. Irene Davies, Ashford TONY SAYS: Yet another good recycling idea, Irene. I had something pecking…

PEAR PROBLEM JEFF64: For three years now I have only had a couple of pears on the tree after blossoming, plenty of blossom and plenty of fruit but it all falls off. Can anyone tell me why? The tree is about five years old. GEOFF: At five years old it is on the borderline of when you would expect a pear to bear fruit, I think four to six years is often quoted. ‘Conference’ is one of the pears that is usually listed as self fertile but does better if there is another pollinating variety nearby. KG STEVE: Your tree is still young and you wouldn’t expect large crops for a few years yet. Hopefully, it will gradually build up as the tree matures. As Geoff says, it will set…

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.…

As the nights draw in for winter and we move towards the delicious variety of winter fruits, it is a perfect time to think of comfort foods and pies, especially with all the lovely varieties of apples and pears we have in the UK. I generally steer clear of cooking apples, which disintegrate to a mush when baked, and look to use my favourite eating apples and pears such as a ‘Cox’, ‘Braeburn’, ‘Conference’ or ‘Williams’, which hold up well in cooking. If you have apple or pear trees at home or at the allotment, use what you have. Whether you want a beautiful tart for a dinner party, a hearty crumble pie to go with Sunday lunch or something a bit different like a caramel apple pie with cream…

KEN MUIR We at Ken Muir pride ourselves on providing the highest quality fruit trees. Our catalogue contains an extensive range of apple, pear, plum and cherry trees, together with more unusual fruits such as mulberries, medlars, figs, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, currants and gooseberries as well as blueberries, cranberries and gardening accessories. Call 01255 830181 or visit: www. kenmuir.co.uk SIMPSON’S SEEDS Simpson’s Seeds has a large range of seeds and plug plants for the kitchen garden. This small family firm offers a very personal service and has a passion for flavour. Its seed range includes lots of unusual tomatoes, chilli and sweet peppers. Customers can also ‘pick and mix’ from the plug plant range of aubergines, peppers, courgettes, cucumbers, melons, cape gooseberries, tomatoes and squash. Visit www.simpsonsseeds. co.uk or telephone…

Here are some simple ideas for managing your greenhouse this winter. KEEP PLANTS PROTECTED A greenhouse or polytunnel can be used to keep more tender plants protected through the winter. Some fruit will benefit from protection and these include young potted fig trees, nectarines, apricots, peaches and citrus. Some flowers benefit too, such as dahlia tubers, begonias and geraniums. Herbs such as lemon verbena will also benefit from protection. Most of those mentioned above will be fine if the greenhouse stays just above freezing. The smaller the greenhouse, the more difficult it will be to keep it frost-free inside, so it may also help to increase the insulation properties of the sides of the greenhouse by adding some bubble wrap lining to the inside of the greenhouse. GROWING CROPS Some…

You might think that having gathered the summer harvest, I would just be having a quick tidy up of the plot and slowing down in autumn. Actually it’s quite the opposite – this is the most exciting time. The summer heat has disappeared and we can actually breathe and think what to prepare for next year and understand what didn’t do well and why. GIVING THE SOIL A BOOST One of the things I want to address is the problem of having soil left ‘uncovered’. Our winters have now become cold and wet rather than cold and dry, with the result that bare soil is more likely to be eroded and damaged. But this is easily avoided with a bit of careful management and by growing green manure. By using…

TRADITIONAL DIGGING FORK This fork has a mirror-polished, stainless steel head and a weatherproofed, hardwood shaft with a wishbone handle. SPEAR & JACKSON www.spear-and-jackson.com TEL: 0114 281 4242 PRODUCT CODE: 4550DF PRICE: £39.99 * Prices correct at time of publication STAINLESS STEEL DIGGING FORK With mirror-polished stainless steel tines and socket, this fork offers both corrosion resistance and low soil adhesion. It has a steel shaft with a distinctive blue polypropylene coating. Suitable for digging, soil preparation and planting. SILVERLINE www.silverlinetools.com TEL: Go to website for stockists PRODUCT CODE: 868698 PRICE: £20.60 KG VERDICT Although some may prefer the look and feel of a wooden handle, this is a perfectly functional, hard-wearing fork suitable for a range of gardening tasks. These mirror polished heads are really good for…

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 OCTOBER Offers (KG19OCT), D T Brown Seeds, Bury Road, Newmarket, CB8 7PQ. Items will be despatched from end of September (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 £6 p&p charge will still apply should you not take up the free item. ORDERING ONLINE? VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDENSHOP.CO.UK AND ENTER CODE KG19OCT WHEN…

10 MINUTE JOBS REMOVE FALLEN LEAVES Allocate 10 minutes a day to raking and removing fallen leaves and you will keep on top of the task. Use the leaves as a mulch to cover empty beds through the winter, or pile into a wire-sided container to make leafmould. LIFT PUMPKINS Lift and store pumpkins before the first hard frost, by which time the skins should have cured (hardened). Fruits can be spread on the ground in a frost-free shed or they can last for months if spread in a cool room in the house. BRING OUT CLOCHES Bring out the cloches and covers if you want to protect rows of onions, garlic, cabbage, spinach, etc through the winter. You can extend the cropping season of some summer crops like salad…

■ There’s a saying that the devil blights fruit left on trees after the end of October – I’d be more worried about birds and wasps destroying the fruits or gales tumbling them down. Pick any apples remaining on trees before they are damaged. ■ Lawns may get a couple of mows in October. It’s a good idea to put clippings on empty beds to provide some protection against winter rains. Weed the bed first and cover the lot with a sheet of black polythene. Worms will pull grass into the soil underneath. ■ Lift and store potatoes, swedes, beetroot, parsnips and carrots before hard frosts do damage. Slugs can destroy roots too – they like tasty veg as much as we do! Undamaged roots should store for several months…

■ As squashes and cucumbers finish, it’s a good idea to clear them out straightaway and add the long growth to the compost heap. This not only helps with the autumn clear-up, it helps prevent fungal diseases developing and gets rid of any aphids and other pests. ■ If you still have peppers growing, cut back on watering so that the compost is just moist and keep the leaves dry, otherwise grey mould can be a problem on the plants and fruits. ■ We can often get windy weather in October, so make sure doors, windows and vents are secured to prevent damage to the structure. If you do need to ventilate, where possible do it from the leeward side to reduce wind buffeting into the greenhouse or polytunnel. ■…

I work for Creative Support, a national not-for-profit organisation supporting a range of people, including those with a learning disability, mental health issues and older people. I’m a keen gardener and earlier this year I set up a project at Webb Lane Allotments, near our head office in Stockport, for the people we support. We have four raised beds and are hoping we may get another plot next year. The welcome we’ve received from the other allotment holders has been heart-warming. They’ve given us plants and planters, helped us dig the beds, cut back the hedge and are always around for a chat and helpful advice. Brian has been along to every session. His enthusiasm is infectious and has decided to call our plot ‘The Together Garden’. I think that’s…

“Tune in to our podcasts with Alexa” SURPRISE SQUASH This year Steve has been experimenting with various cucumbers and a new courgette and brought the first fruit along to the KG plot. Two were heritage Italian melon cucumbers from Seeds of Italy that Steve was inspired to grow after regular KG writer Sally Cunningham wrote about them in KG back in July. Another was a horned melon from plants that Tony had sown in the spring. And, finally, a striking new and exclusive courgette called ‘Summer Holiday’ from Mr Fothergill’s. The two melon cues, the round ‘Carosello Tondo di Manduria’ and long-fruited ‘Tortorello Barese’ were a hit for their great flavour, which Steve says makes them preferable to most standard F1 cues. The courgette which is round and ideal for…

FORKING Roots fork, are twisted or stunted. HOW TO CONTROL: Avoid freshly manuring soil just before sowing, or sowing in soil that is very stony or compacted. Manure in autumn for spring sowing; dig over soil and remove stones if necessary. SPLITTING The roots develop splits down the side. This is due to irregular water uptake with lots of watering after a dry spell. HOW TO CONTROL: Keep crops well-watered during dry weather. BOLTING The beetroot sends up flower stems before the roots have matured and filled out. HOW TO CONTROL: Water regularly and thin out seedlings; bolt-resistant varieties are available, such as ‘Boltardy’. BIRDS Seedlings can be vulnerable to birds pecking at the leaves and uprooting and destroying plants. HOW TO CONTROL: Cover seedlings with fleece or netting until…

CATEGORY 1 – KG Plotter of the Year 2019 If sending by post, please use a separate sheet of paper for your answers. Alternatively you can email your answers and pictures, or enter the competition online. 1. Do you tend your plot on your own? If not, who helps you? 2. Do you have an allotment or veg plot in your garden (and approximate size)? 3. How long have you been growing veg? 4. Do you grow any veg in containers? If so, what and how have they been grown (compost, size of pot, feeding. How successful and will you do it again) ? 5. How do you grow one particular named crop from sowing to harvest? Choose a crop and give us a brief summary of how you grow…

STEP 1: Use fully cured (dried) onions with some stem still attached – you’ll need this to weave your onions on to the string and to hold them in place STEP 2: Tie a 1m (3ft) length of string into a loop. Hang it up then secure an onion at the bottom, bending the stem around and back through the loop STEP 3: Add the next onion. Weave the stem around the string as for the first onion. Push it down so it sits snugly on top of the onion below it STEP 4: Repeat the process to fill halfway up the string. Move each bulb round a little to form a spiral. Hang up your onions somewhere cool and dry…

October: most of the summer harvests have been gathered in, overwintering vegetables are growing in the allotment and polytunnel and there’s still plenty to pick for meals every day. There’s an exciting crispness to the air. I don’t feel sad watching the garden turning from lush green to autumnal browns and reds: now is an ideal time to make the most of the gentle decay and create cosy habitats for wild creatures in our gardens. Insects, amphibians and small mammals need warm, safe and dry spaces to shelter during the long winter months if they are to survive until spring. What may look messy to us is a snug over-wintering paradise to our garden wildlife who will be seeking hibernation accommodation. Making winter wildlife havens benefits us too. It’s simple…

This depends on what you are trying to overwinter. Most of the crops mentioned in this article will actually be fine in most areas as long as you have some extra insulation on the inside of the greenhouse. If you wish to start crops off a little earlier you might like to invest in a propagator or even a heated bench. If starting off crops early in late winter, such as onions or tomatoes, the day length is not long enough to give good strong growth so lighting may be necessary.…

When I first saw the Freeman family’s smallholding, I was blown away by the diversity of their self-sufficient lifestyle, from keeping animals, to growing crops, to swimming in a bio-filtered natural pool. They even built their own root cellar! LIVING THE DREAM The Freeman family moved into the house with an eight-acre smallholding 12 years ago and have never looked back. They had a love of horses back then, so the fields became paddocks. Now the smallholding has a burgeoning vegetable garden and wide variety of livestock. “It’s been an incredible learning experience,” says Ali, Connor’s mum. “You just have to dive in and do it. It’s important to have a mentor – someone experienced – to help with livestock; someone who will come to help in a crisis. Fortunately,…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH SHALLOT ‘GRISELLE’ Regarded by discerning cooks as the ‘true shallot’ and also known as the French grey shallot, this long bulb species (Allium oschaninii) originally grew wild in Central Asia. A purplish pink flesh (and a grey skin) is a feature along with a fine strong flavour favoured by cooks, particularly when used in beef dishes. 15 Shallots Only £11.95 ONION ‘SHAKESPEARE’ One of the best autumn-planting varieties we have seen recently on the D T Brown trial grounds – highly recommended! This British-bred variety produces high yields of tasty, good-sized bulbs which are darker brown-skinned than most varieties once dried off. ‘Shakespeare’ has excellent skin formation that means it shows good storage potential well into the winter months. 250g Pack Only £3.95…

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS WITH SPINACH,GORGONZOLA AND SAUSAGE This dish looks really impressive and tastes divine. Serve with a crisp salad and perhaps some garlic bread. Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes ■ 250g/8oz large shells (can sub with pasta tubes if you can't find shells) ■ 2 sausages, veggie or meat ■ 450g/12oz spinach ■ 200g/7oz cream cheese ■ 100g/3½oz gorgonzola, crumbled ■ 2 eggs ■ 1 garlic clove, minced ■ 1tsp oregano ■ Salt and pepper to taste ■ 400g/14oz tomato passata ■ 50g/1½oz Parmesan cheese, grated 1. Preheat oven to 200C/fan 190C/gas 6. 2. Cook the pasta shells for a minute less than the package directions indicate, drain and let cool. 3. In a large frying pan, cook the sausages until cooked through, then chop into small…

LIFT & STORE CARROTS STEP 1: If you have grown lots of carrots then it is important to lift and store them well. Choose a dry day and pull each plant gently while easing the root out carefully with a fork. Spread plants out in the sun until any soil is dry enough to rub off. STEP 2: Cut the tops to 2-3cm (¾-1in) long and take a good look at each carrot while you are handling it. Put any roots that are split, or lightly damaged, for immediate use. Dispose of any that are badly slugged, rotted, or riddled with carrot fly grubs. STEP 3: Put sawdust (or clean potting compost) in the base of a dustbin and put a layer of carrots on top. Alternate the layers until…

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…

POTATO NEMESIS Yet again my potato crop has been ruined. I have grown the crop in different parts of the allotment but they are still full of holes. What is eating my potatoes? Christine Joyce, Newcastle upon Tyne Steve Ott, editor, Kitchen Garden magazine STEVE SAYS: Unfortunately, your potatoes are suffering from slug damage, a common problem in poorly drained or heavy soils, but can be found virtually anywhere potatoes are grown. The most likely culprits are the little black keeled slugs since they live in the soil and will burrow deep into the tubers, eating out the distinctive chambers. You may occasionally see them around or inside the tubers when you lift your crop. The damage is often worse in wet weather or on heavily manured soils. Crop rotation…

TWO WESTS & ELLIOTT Packed full of gardening goodies the Two Wests & Elliott Autumn Catalogue is a must for any keen gardener. With everything you need for your garden and greenhouse, you’re sure to find something to tempt you. With many items designed and manufactured in their Derbyshire workshop, you have the option to have items made to your exact dimensions, including cold frames, fruit cages, greenhouse benching, shelving etc. To get a free copy of their 132-page catalogue call 01246 451077 or go online www. twowests.co.uk to see their full range. CJ WILDLIFE With 30 years’ experience in developing wildlife products, CJ Wildlife knows quality matters when it comes to attracting and caring for the important wildlife in your garden. Our catalogues are packed with hints, tips and a…

I ask Jim what his one tip for home fruit growers is. “Thin,” he says. “It’s counter-intuitive, I know, but it’s really important to thin for a good crop. Thin the crop, then go back a couple of weeks later and thin it again. “Fruit trees are such wonderful garden plants. The trained forms make architectural structures that look beautiful in the winter and amazing in the snow. Then there is the blossom, and the fruit, and the autumn colours. They really do provide year-round beauty.”…

Many experts believe that through the overuse of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and heavy tillage we have unwittingly devastated those soil organisms essential to plant health. These soil microorganisms, particularly bacteria and fungi, form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, providing nutrients in a form that plants can assimilate. Human life simply can’t exist without this complex underground ecological system – the soil food web. THE HIDDEN WORLD OF YOUR SOIL On the surface, soil may not appear all that exciting, but it’s actually the second most diverse ecosystem on this planet behind coral reefs. Beneath our feet lives a complex underworld and interdependent web of microorganisms such as algae, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and arthropods, to name but a few. In one handful of soil there are more living things…

One of my favourite wildlife havens also helps to solve the problem of what to do with all of those really twiggy bits of prunings if you don’t have a shredder. I make a slow compost heap, designed to break down over several years, which doubles as a wildlife hotel. I used some old pallets: use old bits of timber or upcycled compost sacks tacked on to posts to make smaller heaps if you wish. ■ STEP 1 Find a sheltered spot and make a three-sided box using pallets or similar. Fasten together using something long lasting and weatherproof – I used old twine from hay bales ■ STEP 2 Gather your resources and start layering. After a shallow insulating layer of twigs on the earth, I added dry leaves…

This year an increasing number of gardeners have reported that their plants and seedlings produced severely distorted growth or were even wiped out. Photographs shared on social media showed the twisted leaves and growing shoots typical of contamination with the herbicide aminopyralid. Aminopyralid (and clopyralid, a similar product) is an approved selective weedkiller for grass, primarily for use by farmers, but it is also in some over-the-counter products in garden centres. It is perfectly legitimate to use it as instructed on pasture and lawns and is absorbed by any vegetation that it is sprayed on, killing broad-leaved weeds, but leaving grass unharmed. Crucially however, it does not break down during the composting process or when eaten by animals as grass, silage or hay. The herbicide is still active in their…

Planning ahead is important. So here I am, on the hottest day of the year so far, writing about how to prepare fruit trees for winter! Record temperatures are being set across Northern Europe, and the internet is awash with advice on how to stay cool during the heatwave. In the words of Alanis Morissette, “Isn’t it ironic?” When you think about it, planning ahead is exactly what every gardener does. From planting asparagus crowns in March with the promise of the first harvest two years hence, to the sowing of cress seed on damp kitchen paper for next week’s egg sandwiches, all gardeners have to try and look into the future and prepare accordingly. This month we are going to examine how best to look after fruit trees as…

'MERSLEY WIGHT'(SOFTNECK)GARLIC BULBS Autumn is the perfect time to plant garlic, the soil is still warm from the summer and the days are still long enough to give high light levels. ‘Mersley Wight’ is an outstanding softneck variety originating from the Auvergne region in central France across to the volcanic dome in northern Provence. ‘Mersley Wight’ has proved to be a great variety for the UK gardener with larger cloves and an outstanding vigour, better than many other softneck varieties available. You will receive 4 large bulbs. All bulbs are certified as disease and virus free.…

100 YEARS IN THE TOOL TRADE The Draper 2400W Garden Shredder (stock number 35900; RRP £176.94) is the perfect partner for your autumn clear-up. Suitable for shredding foliage with a maximum twig thickness of 40mm (1 5/8 in) diameter, it has a twin-blade cutting device, a reversible blade and a full-width push stick. There’s an emergency stop brake and restarting protection, a no-volt switch and a quick-release housing interlock for the removal of blockages. Its sturdy design will ensure long service, and it comes with a two-year parts guarantee. The integral wheels and transport handle make it easy to move around the garden, and it weighs just 12kg (26½lb). It comes complete with a collection bag, a 3m (10ft) cable and an approved plug. Draper Tools was founded by Bert…

DT BROWN & CO tel 0845 371 0532 www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk SAMUEL DOBIE AND SON tel 0844 701 7625 www.dobies.co.uk MR FOTHERGILL’S SEEDS tel 0845 371 0518 www.mr-fothergills.co.uk JUNGLE SEEDS tel 01491 614765 www.jungleseeds.co.uk EW KING & CO tel 01376 570000 www.kingsseeds.com SE MARSHALL & CO tel 0844 557 6700 www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk MEDWYN’S SEEDS tel 01248 714851 www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk MOREVEG tel 01823 681302 www.moreveg.co.uk THE ORGANIC GARDENING CATALOGUE tel 01932 878570, www.organiccatalogue.com PLANTS OF DISTINCTION tel 01449 721720 www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk THE REAL SEED CATALOGUE (Vida Verde) tel 01239 821107 www.realseeds.co.uk W ROBINSON & SON LTD tel 01524 791210 www.mammothonion.co.uk SARAH RAVEN tel 0845 092 0283 www.sarahraven.com SEEDS OF ITALY tel 0208 427 5020 www.seedsofitaly.com SHELLEY SEEDS tel 01244 317165 SIMPSON’S SEEDS tel 01985 845004 simpsonsseeds.co.uk SUFFOLK HERBS tel 01376 572456 www.suffolkherbs.com SUTTONS tel 0844 922…