Innehållsförteckning för July 2020 från Kitchen Garden

As I write this we are still well and truly locked down and I don't mind admitting that despite having more time than usual to keep my garden in order, I'm really missing being able to get out and about. There is nothing like visiting lovely veg gardens and allotments and shooting the breeze with fellow gardeners. I miss comparing notes on what we are growing, how various crops are doing and complaining about the weather! That's where our monthly features from other readers' plots can help. They keep us in touch with like-minded people and remind us that we are part of the bigger gardening community and sharing the same highs and lows . Thankfully the internet age does allow us to have occasional chinwags over Skype, Zoom and…

STEP 1 : Sow seed thinly on the surface of the compost in an 8cm (3in) pot. Cover with a thin scatter of more compost and water lightly. Put the pot in a polythene bag, out of bright sunlight, until the seeds germinate - this can take from 10 days to three weeks. STEP 2: Prick seedlings out into individual pots when they have two true leaves. They are small at this point, but keep them watered and in a light place and they will grow steadily. Plants can remain in 8cm (3in) pots for up to eight weeks. Leaves will discolour if plants are root-bound. STEP 3: Plants do well in individual containers. Position these against a house wall so parsley is easy to pick in the colder months.…

■ Early sown carrots in the polytunnel should be ready to pull now but if you don't want to lift them all in one go, you can leave them in the ground for several more weeks. Simply cut off the floppy foliage to a couple of inches above soil level and keep the ground moist to keep the roots fresh until you want them. ■ At this time of the year you can normally keep vents and windows open all the time to prevent over-heating and to keep the air moving around your plants. If, however, the wind picks up, you might want to lower the vents for a while to prevent structural damage. ■ Trim off any damaged foliage on tomatoes, cucumbers and other plants that are caused by…

STINKING BEAUTY I thought I would share one of my dragon lily photos from last year. The corms are a good 20 years old. It put on a magnificent show, even down to the insects it attracted with its foul smell and how it fooled them from getting back out of the plant - almost like they were coated in a slippery pollen. When they tried to climb out, they slid back down into the plant. I used to wait for it to open, lasting at its best only two days - totally amazing. Also a fabulous talking point on the allotment. Karen Moore, Cheshire STRING'S THE THING I have just read the article Marvellous May by Stephanie Hafferty. I have been reading your magazine for years and still enjoy…

This month, I want to show you how to make seed tapes! You can fill them with your favourite tiny seeds, then plant the tapes outside under the soil. Tapes are especially useful for vegetables like carrots, beetroot, lettuce, spring onions, parsnips and radish. They stop you from sowing too many of these tiny seeds, which reduces waste and gives you more seeds for later sowings. MAKING THE TAPES YOU WILL NEED: ■ Seeds - poured on to a plate ■ Paper or kitchen roll ■ Flour and water glue ■ Ruler ■ Pencil ■ Envelopes STEP 1: Cut your paper into long strips that are about 2cm wide. STEP 2: Fold the strips of paper in half lengthways. STEP 3: Using a ruler and pencil, mark along the strip,…

KG WEBSITE PEST PROBLEM? TRY NEMATODES Nematodes are microscopic worms found naturally in the soil which can be applied to tackle different pests - slugs, vine weevil, leatherjackets, chafer grubs, ants, carrot fly, cabbage root fly, sciarid flies, caterpillars, thrips and codling moths. Nematodes come in the form of a fibrous paste. The nematodes are still alive so must be used within three days. All you need to do is mix the paste with water (according to pack instructions) and sprinkle the solution over the affected areas. To buy nematodes, look out for Nemaslug and Nemasys, available from garden centres and online garden retail outlets. For more on this, including a free downloadable booklet and video link, visit www.kitchengarden.co.ukand search 'nematodes'. GARDENERS UNITE AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The Dig for…

Pumpkins certainly have presence. Over the course of the summer, plants will grow from modest seedlings to great galumphing giants - a billowing eruption of foliage dominating their corner of the plot. They may not be the most space-efficient of vegetables, but pumpkins are undoubtedly great fun to grow and a pretty robust and reliable crop at that. Aside from regular watering they demand very little attention over the summer months. Plants will simply tick over, getting bigger and bigger, until all those leaves and stems are finally clobbered by the first chilly nights of autumn. Then, as the plants die back, those prized orange orbs are revealed in all their glory, yours for the taking. HUNGRY FEEDERS Pumpkins thrive in a sunny, sheltered position where they can bask in…

When I started growing edibles many years ago oriental veg were not even on the radar. With Eastern cuisine now very much on the menu, a whole range of orientals are popular on our plates and therefore our plots. Of these pak choi, also known as bok choi, is perhaps the most commonly grown. Its juicy leaves and stems can be used in stir-fries and salads, it is harvested at all stages of growth, grows quickly and attracts relatively few problems. It also comes in red-leaved as well as green-leaved forms; the tender stems are usually white or green, all of which adds interest to your recipes. It is a member of the brassica or cabbage family so should ideally be included in any crop rotation as such. However, it…

LETTUCE AND SALAD LEAVES: These are easy to grow in containers or in the open ground, though they will need protection from slugs. You can buy packets of mixed salad leaf seeds, which are great in pots and containers and can be harvested when quite young on a cut-and-come-again basis. TOMATOES: These can be grown outside in a sunny but sheltered spot so that the wind doesn't bash them about. Cherry tomatoes are just lovely and sweet. 'Sungold' is the one everyone waxes lyrical about (including me) but I'm very fond of a variety called 'Rosella' (dark red fruit) and 'Montello', a bush variety producing a plethora of firm, red, plum-shaped cherries. POTATOES: Such a versatile crop when it comes to the kitchen and quite easy to grow. Sow first…

■ 'HAYWARD': Female. One of the very best, and still one of the most widely planted commercially. Excellent flavour. Flowers late. ■ 'ATLAS': Male. An excellent pollinator, as it flowers for an extremely long period. Reliable and hardy. ■ 'JENNY': The best self-fertile variety-compact in growth and quite reliable to crop, although another male plant nearby will help with pollination and yields. ■ ACTINIDIA ARGUTA 'ISSAI': The most widely available hardy kiwi. Small fruit which can be eaten whole, self-fertile, highly productive. An excellent introduction to the world of exotic fruit growing!…

ELEMENTS HAND TOOL SET This set contains three essential planting and weeding tools. The heads are made from heat treated and hardened carbon steel, with a hammer finish and powder coated. The handle is made of ash, weatherproofed and lacquered. SPEAR & JACKSON www.spear-and-jackson.com TEL: 0114 281 4242 PRODUCT CODE: ELEMENTS3PS PRICE GUIDE: £18.49 * Prices correct at time of publication KG VERDICT An excellent combination of hand tools in an attractive brown finish. The heads are strong and the powder coating will protect against rust. The broad trowel enables you to lift a good deal of compost; the narrower trowel with inscribed measurements means that you can dig planting holes to the required depth. A great starter set and very good value for money. WIDE TROWEL WITH FIXED HANDLE…

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 JULY Offers (KG20JUL), D T Brown Seeds, Bury Road, Newmarket, CBS 7PQ. Items will be despatched from late June. Offer is subject to availability, only one FREE item 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 item when ordering at least one additional product off the page. ORDERING ONLINE? VISIT WWW.KITCHENGARDENSHOP.CO.UK ADD ALL ITEMS TO YOUR…

10 MINUTE JOBS RELAX AND ENJOY Take time out to relax and enjoy your garden. You have created a beautiful and productive space so don't rush; enjoy a cuppa, soak up some sun, and feel proud of all you have done. LIFT GARLIC Keep garlic beds watered until the tops start to yellow and flop. Lift one bulb first to be sure that the cloves are a good size to use before lifting the rest of the crop. Use a fork to ease roots out. CHECK FOR MOULDS AND MILDEWS Remove affected leaves and fruit before the problem spreads. You may keep the rest of the plant healthy by early intervention. Try to keep soil damp and leaves dry to help combat mildew problems. USE A HOE A hoe makes…

■ DIG SOME POTATOES Plants should have produced plenty of delicious roots by July. Leave maincrop varieties to grow larger roots that are good for storing and baking. Dig salad and early varieties first - these taste best when freshly dug and some don't store well. ■ CLEAR EARLY PEAS AND BEANS When plants stop producing new pods, and there are only one or two large starchy offerings left, then it is time to clear the row to make room for new plantings. Hoe off any weeds and plant brassicas. ■ WATER FRUIT TREES Keep fruit trees watered in times of drought. Reuse water from a bath, or left after washing up, provided it doesn't contain harsh cleaning products. ■ STOP HARVESTING RHUBARB Do this in early July and plants…

LIMP PURPLE SPROUTING This year, I made an early start on sowing seeds for the coming year, keeping them on my east-facing windowsill. Almost all the seeds I sowed developed into flourishing young seedlings, apart from my purple sprouting broccoli, which were sown in pairs in cell trays about 5cm high. They went limp and then didn't grow at all. Esther Clark (14), Somerset Andrew Tokely, horticultural director, Kings Seeds ANDREW SAYS: They may have become limp as sown too early in the season the lack of light on the windowsill will have made them stretch. Being very thin they are subsequently falling over. When sowing or potting on, always warm up the compost for a few days indoors, otherwise seedlings could get a chill. The heat of the sun…

VIDEO DIARIES Isolated in their separate garden abodes, the Muddies have been busy recording what they have been up to. Steve has been planting 'Boltardy' beetroot. He's adding fish, blood and bone fertiliser and rockdust to the soil first before planting the seedlings. A video in quick time shows just how easily it's done! Emma's squash seedlings got off to a flying start - maybe a little too aerial. Left a little too long in the propagator, they shot up. All was not lost, however. Toilet roll tubes to the rescue! In this one, Tony is talking to his broad bean plants and - I know, hard to believe - they're talking back to him. Or is it that he has just lost the plot? For these and more go…

A good hose can help you a lot when it comes to various jobs in and around the garden, but often you could do with something that delivers a little more oomph! Hence the pressure washer, which can be used for cleaning driveways, pathways and patios, decking, wood, home exterior features and outdoor furniture, fencing, guttering and garden tools. Use it too for removing caked grass from strimmers and mowers or for cleaning greenhouse glass and polytunnel covers. MAIN FEATURES The Husqvarna PW 235R has a maximum pressure of 135 bar (bar is the amount of energy with which the water hits a surface), a water flow of350-520 litres per hour, a power rating of 1800 watts, a hose length of 8m (26ft), a 5m (16ft) electric cord and a…

■ Pak choi is a magnet for flea beetles which love to nibble the leaves, giving rise to lots of tiny holes. The best way to prevent damage is to cover the crop after sowing with fine crop protection material or fleece and to keep the soil moist. ■ Powdery mildew will affect plants if they become stressed - usually due to a lack of water. Maintain watering and avoid growing in hot conditions. ■ Bolting (premature flowering) is a common problem and will often occur in hot or dry weather. Regular watering and sowing in a cool, shady place can help here. ■ Slugs will attack plants and can decimate young seedlings so do take precautions against them.…

HOW TO GROW Coriander is grown as an annual so is best sown every year for fresh leaves. It can be grown as a crop on the veg patch in rows or as a dump of plants in your herb garden. You can also grow it in small pots or troughs as a cut-and-come-again herb. SOWING CORIANDER You can direct sow into the ground from April right through to June about 1.5cm (½in) deep. Sow about 5cm (2in) apart but then thin out plants when they come through to about 25cm (lOin) apart. You will get good large plants with plenty of leaf to harvest. You can let them run to seed and collect the seed for cooking or to re-sow. CONTAINER GROWING This is a great alternative if you…

If you would like to know more about common garden plants that are good to eat, check out this excellent new guide from journalist and author, Mat Coward. You'll find lots more information on edible flowers, but also plants that can be a great source of leafy veg and tasty tubers, many of which you may already have growing in your beds and borders. It will give you a whole new perspective on your ornamental displays when you realise that many of them can also be used to supplement and vary your family's diet; your flower borders will become your very own 'invisible allotment'. To order your copy for the special price of just £9 plus p&p (RRP £12.99 + p&p) simply email the publisher: catheryn@prospectbooks.co.uk or call 07949 633552.…

■ Cabbage root fly lay their eggs close to the base of the developing plants. These hatch and move to the roots to feed. Cover the crop with insect mesh after sowing or use cabbage collars around the base of the plants. Water with a biological control - Nemasys Fruit and Vegetable Protection - where the pest is seen or known to be a problem. ■ Flea beetles eat tiny holes in the leaves of seedlings. Insect mesh and regular watering can help here. Intersperse with pots of mint to confuse the pest. ■ Cabbage white butterflies are attracted to this cabbage family member. Insect mesh will keep them at bay. ■ Slugs will nibble leaves and roots of seedlings and young plants. Use your favourite form of control after…

PREVENTING ACCIDENTS Gardening is a fun and generally safe and sedate pastime but there are dangers to our health and well-being that we do need to watch out for. The fact people feel relaxed in their own garden and often not so alert to danger could explain why some accidents happen. Most of those mentioned below seem almost obvious but it is always worth just being reminded of them so we can be more mindful when out on our plots. I have lost concentration in the past while handling a corded hedge trimmer. I had always been so careful about keeping the cord out of the way but in a mindless moment I cut through the cord! Fortunately, I didn't touch anything and I immediately took the plug out before…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH DWARF FRENCH BEAN COLLECTION ■ 'AMETHYST' -These compact plants produce an excellent crop of stringless, quick-maturing beans over a long picking season. An attractive addition to any vegetable plot with 15cm (6in) long pods that turn green once cooked. ■ 'FERRARI' AGM - Slim, fleshy and stringless fine 'Kenyan' type beans with a good flavour and colour. Produces high yields of 15cm (6in) long beans. Disease resistant. ■ 'SONESTA' AGM - The waxy yellow pods make a great addition to summer salads but are also enjoyable lightly cooked as a vegetable. Another stringless variety on neat and compact plants. Height: up to 60cm (2ft) Harvest from August. 1 collection (30 plants, 10 of each) for only £16.85 DWARF PEA AND BEAN COLLECTION ■…

SECURE STEEL STORAGE The Metal Apex Garden Storage Shed from Waltons is big enough to accommodate bicycles and garden furniture as well as tools. With its double sliding doors and access ramp, storing bulkier or heavier objects is hassle-free. Measuring 213cm by 190cm (7ft by 6ft 3in}, this low-maintenance storage solution is built from high-strength steel panels around robust aluminium framing. Integrated vents keep air circulating to prevent condensation damage. Price: £269.94 www.waltons.co.ukTel: 0800 029 1000 SUMMER STYLE The RHS-endorsed Muckster II range from The Original Muck Boot Company has been expanded for summer with two new colourful prints, Green Veggie and Night Floral, in the Muckster Short design. Perfect both for working in the garden and stepping out in style on rainy days, these boots are great for the…

PEPPERS Plants can do very well if grown near a wall in a sheltered sunny garden and flowers may have set to produce a few small fruitlets this month. Flowers are self-fertile and fruit should set without intervention, but sometimes things don't work out that way. Give plants a gentle shake, so the pollen can fall where it is needed within the flower and this should improve fruit set. It's worth providing some support at this stage. Stems can break under the weight of large fruits - use sticks and strings to support the limbs and spread the support. Feed plants every 10 days or so, if you want plenty of healthy fruits per plant. LOTS OF FRUIT July is a month of bounty in the fruit garden. This is…

ALLOTMENTS IMPROVE BODY IMAGE Want to improve your body image? Then get an allotment! A recent study by Viren Swami, professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), found that having an allotment makes gardeners more appreciative of their body and its functions. The study was based on a survey of 84 allotmenteers in north London. Professor Swami said: "Body image is beneficial because it helps to foster psychological and physical resilience, which contributes to overall well-being." He went on to say: "Ensuring that opportunities for gardening are available to all people is, therefore, vital and may help to reduce the long-term cost burden on health services. One way to achieve this, beyond policies that ensure access to nature for all citizens, would be through the provision of dedicated…

SYMPTOMS The caterpillars will feast on the leaves, creating tell-tale holes, and there will be signs of excrement (frass). If left unchecked they can decimate a plant - with cabbages, for example, they will penetrate right into the heart of the plant. WHAT IS IT? Cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on the undersides of brassica leaves - as early as March in some cases. The resultant caterpillars are either yellow and black (the large cabbage white) or pale green (the small cabbage white). WHAT YOU CAN DO Cover plants with butterfly netting. Also check the underside of leaves for yellow eggs and crush these. Nemasys Fruit and Veg Protection (nematodes) is a biological control or use a natural pyrethrum spray such as Ecofective Bug Killer - both products can…

When it comes to growing your own veg and gardening there's always one question that I get asked more than others. "How do you keep all the pests away?" With this in mind I thought I'd offer some hints and tips on organic pest control and how I protect my crops. These are methods I use at home - they aren't necessarily scientifically proven, but if you talk to gardeners who use them, they will swear by them! I try to garden as organically as I can and I don't like to spray my crops with chemicals, especially those I can't spell, never mind say! I believe there is always something else in a gardener's arsenal to help with pest control rather than turning to chemicals which can kill bees…

Karen, otherwise known as welliesandwaffies on Instagram, lives in the north of England with her two children and over the past few years has developed some of her garden into a kitchen garden, along with a small orchard, herb garden, polytunnel and greenhouse. Karen is an avid grower of not only the staples but of some more unusual vegetables and then seeing what she can make with the produce. When did you first start growing your own and what prompted you to take the plunge? It was about six years ago when I got the urge to grow my own. I don't know what started it off, maybe it was seeing the wonderful array of vegetable plants in garden centres that sparked off the passion? The thought of being able…

At my no-dig allotment, salad and second early potatoes planted in March and carefully protected through spring frosts are now ready to harvest. I have been admiring their beautiful flowers for weeks now. The flowers are an indication that the tubers are maturing and swelling underneath the soil's surface. If the weather is dry, water regularly to increase the harvest. People used to advise removing the flowers, but it makes little difference to the crop. Although potatoes are not the prettiest of plants, there is something special about their flowers - delicate blooms with (mostly) five pointed petals in shades of violet, blue, yellow and white, reminiscent of their deadly cousins, the nightshades. Their prominent stamens are an excellent source of pollen for bees and other insects, which can pollinate…

National Growing for Wellbeing Week is an event celebrating how wonderful growing your own fruit and vegetables can be for your physical and mental health. Staying calm, confident and feeling in control can seem impossible at times, especially recently, but growing your own food certainly helps. The simple motions of sowing seeds, raking soil and pulling weeds distract my mind, build my confidence, encourage me to look to the future and remove any negativity. I know it definitely gets me moving, smiling and eating well too, that's for sure. So to celebrate, I wanted to share some fun activities that I love to do, which you might like to try at home during the week and over the months ahead. CREATE NEW PLANTS I really enjoy creating new plants from…

Time for something a little more unusual this month. It's always good to occasionally step out of our comfort zone and try and push the boundaries of what we think possible. Sure, there may be failures along the way, but there will also be unexpected successes which make us challenge accepted wisdom about what we can and can't do. Trying to achieve the seemingly impossible or attempting a daunting task is at the heart of progress, and I think that gardening is as much about the growth of the person as it is about the growth of the plant. That is why last winter, in my cold North Yorkshire garden, I planted two kiwi fruit. Kiwi fruits are members of the genus Actinidia - a group of 40 or so…

EXTREME PROTECTION The Super Dome polytunnel from Bio Green (RRP £49.99) will protect delicate seedlings, young plants, salads and tender crops from frost - and also from extreme heat. The roof of the tunnel comes with a shading material sewn into it, to protect plants against the midday sun. The optimal conditions inside the Super Dome will provide you with a head start of at least two weeks on the growing season, and extend it in late summer as the nights start to draw in. Two side openings allow for ventilation, plant care and watering. Made from extra-strong 90g/m2 greenhouse film, it has a 4mm stainless steel frame. Set-up is quick and easy, and the tear-proof and ultrasonically welded eyelets, guy ropes and ground hooks ensure that it is stable…

As you start to harvest some of your earlier crops and space becomes free on your plot, now is the perfect time to start plugging the gaps. Our Autumn Harvest Brassica Collection offers some of the best brassica varieties, to give you an extended harvest and tasty supply throughout the coming months. The collection contains 50 plants, each one grown individually in cells of compost. When ready, we hand select, grade and despatch them direct to you, guaranteeing the best possible quality. Each Autumn Harvest Brassica Collection contains: 10 x cabbage 'Dutchman', 10 x Savoy cabbage 'Savoy Serve F1' AGM, 10 x cauliflower 'Sapporo', 10 x kale 'Nero di Toscana' and 10 x calabrese 'Marathon F1' plants. Supplied as young vegetable plants. Harvest from August-September. **You will receive this item…

TOMATO PESTO SANDWICH In the greenhouse, I grow for colour as well as taste - mix and match your tomatoes and make this vibrant sandwich. SERVES 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes ■ 4 slices of sourdough bread ■ 4 tbsp herby goats' cheese ■ 2 large red tomatoes ■ 4 small orange tomatoes ■ 2 tsp pesto ■ A few basil leaves 1. Spread the cheese on the bread. Slice the tomatoes and top the bread with the tomatoes in alternating colours. 2. Top with a few basil leaves and a drizzle of pesto. Serve. WHOLEMEAL TOMATO & COURGETTE TART Tomato tart just screams summer and is always great for entertaining. Serve it alongside a big green salad and crusty bread for a light summer dinner. SERVES 6 Preparation time:…