Innehållsförteckning för November 2020 från Kitchen Garden

With autumn in full swing you may be forgiven for thinking that there is not much to do other than to harvest the remnants of your summer crops and start on the hardy veg that has been slowly growing since spring. However, as our jobs pages show this month, there is still plenty to do to keep those harvests coming and lots to think about if 2021 is going to be a bumper year on the plot. Turn to page 56 to find out what no-dig gardener Stephanie Hafferty is sowing and growing on her plot this month, while on page 36 KG regular Rob Smith offers his advice on growing pungent garlic – what are the best varieties and the techniques needed to grow, harvest and store your best-ever…

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…

Hi! I’m Belle and I’m here every month to share lots of fun activities for you to do at home, on your own or with your family As everything begins to go quiet in the garden, now is the time to start planning for next year. What fruit and vegetables would you love to grow? What colours would you love to see? ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN DESIGN IS: ■ Pens ■ Paper ■ Glue ■ Plenty of seed catalogues. If you don’t have any catalogues, perhaps ask an adult to order you a couple. Many are free, or you could print some photos off to use if you have a computer. STEP 1: Write a list of all the fruit and vegetables you love to eat! Could…

Affecting fruit trees such as apple, pear, plum and cherry, you need to be aware that winter moth caterpillars can damage the development of your fruit SYMPTOMS In spring, look for small holes in leaves and silk threads binding leaves together, or even the caterpillars dangling by a thread. The caterpillars will burrow their way into young buds, causing damage to the blossom and emerging fruitlets. WHAT IS IT? The caterpillars of the winter moth, mottled umber moth and the March moth are the most significant species. The adult moths emerge early November to mid-January from overwintering pupae in the soil to mate. The females are wingless so have to make their way up the trunk of the tree to lay their eggs, which hatch from March onwards. The caterpillars…

Imagine not having to buy a single vegetable, of relying on no one but yourself. Think of the feeling of worthiness as you prepare another nutritious home-grown meal in the knowledge that, despite recent global events, you have resiliency, growing your own food regeneratively and sustainably to feed your family. Whilst this may be utopia, the truth is that for many of us, our addiction to consumerism makes true self-sufficiency impossible. Even so, with the worldly turmoil surrounding us our renewed interest in self-sufficiency is perhaps driven by our human instinct to know that we can rely on our own means to help us withstand not just one pandemic, but any other future shocks to our fragile food supply chain. As we face an unprecedented global crisis with nature and…

■ GOOD AIR: Lights can go pretty much anywhere as long as there is adequate ventilation so that the air doesn’t become stale and damp. ■ FROM ABOVE: To stop plants leaning in one direction hang or set lights so they are set directly above the plants. ■ HOW HIGH: Fluorescent lights throw out a lot of heat, so position them higher than LEDs – up to 30cm (12in) above plants. LEDs can be set as close as 10cm (4in). Leaving a proper gap also ensures a more even, diffuse light. ■ ADJUST OFTEN: Move the lights up as plants grow. This can be quite often once plants hit their stride.…

In November the world can look dark and unappealing when we gaze outside from the cosy indoors, but once outside it is surprising how light the day really is. Just spending half an hour or so outside during the winter can make a great difference to one’s mental and physical health, so I try to get out on the plot every day. It also helps to burn off some of those yummy winter puddings. Almost everything that needs storing before the weather turns very cold has been harvested, including squashes, celeriac and sweet potatoes. I check them carefully, putting any damaged ones in the kitchen vegetable basket to eat first, because damage is likely to make them rot. The sweet potato vines are delicious to eat – try cooking them…

All readers who are picked to be our Plotter of the Month will receive a great bundle of prizes worth an amazing £444 each! To enter, simply fill in a questionnaire and send us 10 pictures of your plot and a picture of yourself and/or others that help you tend to it. You can submit an entry for an allotment, a veg patch in your garden or even a few veggies grown on a balcony or patio in a few pots. All are welcome as it is your passion for growing that we want to share with other readers – so pristine plots and perfect veg are not necessary. BIG PLANTER WORTH £153 This brand new planter from The Posh Shed Company comes in nine sizes. It has fully…

LEAF RAKE – RHS ENDORSED This hardened and tempered stainless steel rake has close-set tines and a flat head end for reaching into corners. It has a long, lightweight handle in FSC certified hardwood and a strong leather cord for hanging up the rake when not in use. BURGON & BALL www.burgonandball.com * Prices TEL: 0114 233 8262 correct at PRODUCT CODE: N/A time of PRICE: £34.99 publication KG VERDICT This is an excellent rake. The stainless steel tines offer valuable rust resistance and the head has a stress distribution bar to stop the tines from twisting. There is also just the right spring in the head for releasing the leaves already drawn so that it can then go back for more. The hardwood handle was smooth in the…

PEAR, FIG AND GREEN LENTIL SALAD Crunchy, sweet and savoury - this salad ticks all the boxes. It's great served with risotto or on its own with a crusty baguette. SERVES 4 Preparation time: 25 minutes ■ 2 ‘Little Gem’ salad heads, pulled apart and washed ■ 2 pears, sliced ■ 4 dried figs, sliced ■ 30g/1oz parmesan cheese, sliced ■ 50g/1¾oz green lentils, cooked according to packet's instructions FOR THE DRESSING ■ 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar ■ 3 tbsp olive oil ■ 1 tsp wholegrain mustard ■ 1 tsp sugar 1. Start by adding all the dressing ingredients to a jar and giving them a vigorous shake. Set aside. 2. Arrange the washed leaves on a serving platter and top with the cooked and cooled lentils, pear, figs…

10 MINUTE JOBS USE LAST LEAVES Leaves fall over a number of weeks and this usually comes to an end in November. Add a thin layer of autumn leaves to the compost heap. This helps to balance out the layers of nitrogen-rich kitchen scraps and grass clippings. VENTILATE CLOCHES AND FRAMES These structures help to protect plants against cold, wet weather, but impermeable covers can lead to hot and humid contents. Be prepared to open cloches and frames to allow good ventilation on sunny November days and remember to close them up again. CHECK STRING Twine made from natural materials will rot over time. Check all places where you have used it to tie up tall plants and replace, or add in more, as needed. It’s better to add in…

PRIMROSE: I laughed at myself the other day when uprooting a few finished tomato plants to find myself carefully untying the string which bound them to their stakes to use again next year. I couldn’t make up my mind whether I was being tight or economical and just saving myself the time having to cut new lengths next year as the string was still in perfectly good shape. DIANE: I do the same thing – untie string and unravel bits of green plastic ties. After all, those little savings all mount up. However, the time it takes sometimes outweighs the benefit of having a jam jar full of stringy bits which are either too long or too short to be used next year, just when you are battling with wayward…

RUNNER BEAN WIPE OUT I wonder if you could help me out by identifying what is wiping out my runner bean plants – brown patches on leaves that then die and now brown patches on beans themselves. Miike Ashbridge, Pembrokeshire Guy Barter, chief horticulturist RHS GUY SAYS: I am thinking bean anthracnose, a fungal disease that in my experience is rarely encountered in gardens, and if it does occur is only found on French beans. I have never seen it on runner beans. The scientific literature, however, does suggest it can affect runner beans. Unfortunately, there is no remedy except to save what you can, destroy crop debris, practise plant rotation and, because it spreads on seeds, do not save seeds to plant next year. ROTTEN LUCK This year I…

Storing fruit and veg was once an essential skill – without it you and your family might not survive the cold winter months. Of course, now if you run out of carrots you can pop to the local supermarket; as a consequence, storing produce has become a bit of a lost art. Yet although learning good storage skills may no longer be a matter of survival, it can still save you lots on your food bill and, by reducing air miles, be great for the environment to boot! Storage can be as simple as leaving root veg in the ground, perhaps covering with straw or old potting compost to insulate it from the frost. But now of course most people have a freezer in which to store surpluses, and this…

Many of us have little space for growing veg and as a result growing in pots has become increasingly popular. Potatoes and carrots do particularly well and in fact not only thrive in pots while they are growing, but can also be stored in the compost until required. Once the tops of your carrots or potatoes die back, cut them down to compost level and allow the compost to dry out. Move pots of potatoes under cover to prevent rain from rewetting it (carrots store best in slightly moist soil), and simply lift the veggies or tip out a pot as required.…

KG YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOVEMBER JOBS Steve, Emma and Tony are busy on the KG plot, still plenty of planting going on. Tony is planting out broad bean plants 23cm (9in) apart in the polytunnel with the promise of an early crop, mid to late May. Early November is the last chance to plant onion sets. Emma is planting a red variety called ‘Electric’. If your soil is very wet, plant them in pots instead and put them out in early spring when they will have a good root system. The team are also digging in the green manures they have sown, including buckwheat, which will add some bulky organic matter to the soil. Bring in any potted herbs into a greenhouse or polytunnel. https://bit.ly/KGnovjobs KG WEBSITE HELP SAVE THE PLANET!…

ELEPHANT GARLIC (Allium ampeloprasum) produces huge bulbs which can weigh up to 1kg each! They are more closely related to leeks and have a much milder taste than regular garlic, perfect to roast whole and smear on crunchy toast for the best garlic bread you have ever had. Cloves are really best planted in autumn to give them a longer growing period to achieve their potentially gigantic size! SOCIETY GARLIC (Tulbaghia violacea) isn’t as hardy as regular garlic as it originates from South Africa, where the strong-tasting leaves were used to flavour meats and veg. Having a delicious smoked flavour and strong taste, it’s best used in moderation and given some winter protection to encourage its beautiful pink flowers to bloom each year. I grow mine in pots which I…

Winter’s icy grip lies around the corner and growth has slowed to a crawl. This is when cold-weather staples come onto the menu: parsnips, leeks and ever-hardy brassicas such as kale. There are also winter leaves to enjoy, including resilient stalwarts such as mizuna, mustards and winter lettuce. But, let’s be honest, when the cold really does set in pickings are paltry, and certainly not a patch on summer’s bounty. So what’s a salad-lover to do? Where are you to get your next fix of fresh? Well, that’s where grow lights come into their own. A BRIGHT IDEA Despite their multiple uses – from growing fresh leaves in winter to starting off the very earliest seedlings at the start of the year to jump start the season – only a…

With more mouths to feed, shortages of land and the ever-encroaching effects of climate change, some farmers are responding by going ultra-high tech. One example is vertical farming, where quick-growing salads, herbs and fruits are grown in stacked layers, indoors in a controlled environment using LED lights. These urban farms can be found almost anywhere: on industrial estates, inside old shipping containers or even underground. By growing food close to the consumer, food miles are minimised and energy costs substantially reduced. Urban farms typically require no pesticides and weedkillers, and up to 90% less water. Water, temperature, humidity, nutrients, airflow – everything – is controlled by computer.…

Making compost is one of the most important aspects of growing your own food. When we grow fruit and vegetables we take goodness from the soil and by ploughing back in the waste material from our growing efforts, we put the goodness back in. It is cyclical and such an important part of the growing process. Compost keeps our soil healthy and healthy soil will give us good crops. Compost is gardeners’ gold and if created well it is a wonderful boost to soil, being rich in nutrients and improving the structure. Additions of compost will also help aerate the soil, it will hold on to moisture and nutrients better and will enrich the flora and fauna of the soil habitat. Making good compost is like following a recipe. You…

CONNECTING WITH NATURE At the start of lockdown back in March, when normal life suddenly vanished and time seemed to stop, we finally got around to doing something that we had always wanted to do: My son, Oscar, planted his own vegetable garden. He helped me dig over his patch and then he carefully marked it out with some purple string (his favourite colour) and some sticks. He planted seeds and helped with the weeding and watering (his favourite thing) and we’ve left all the harvesting to him (his most favourite thing!). He’s been rewarded with lettuce, radish, curly kale, spring onions, peas and carrots. It’s been wonderful to see him take such pride in his work and it has given us a regular reason to get outside in the…

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. Include your full address on letters and emails. We do not publish full addresses.…

As mentioned above, although many of our cherished veggies are perfectly hardy, they will suffer damage from cold wet soils and pests, and lifting and storing elsewhere is often the best bet. This simply involves lifting carefully so as not to damage them and storing in boxes of dry, or slightly moist sand or old potting compost, coir or similar, or for other veg suspending in the air to keep them dry and out of the reach of rodents. Generally speaking, the tougher root veg such as beetroot and carrots respond well to storing in boxes, while onions, garlic and winter cabbage can be suspended in recycled supermarket nets, string bags or similar, or in the case of the former, plaited to form strings – individual bulbs plucked as required.…

If there is one thing I love to grow in the garden it has to be garlic, with its hot and spicy taste when eaten raw, changing to sweet and flavoursome when cooked. In fact, I grow at least three different types to keep me in home-grown garlic all year! When it comes to garlic there are a few different types you can grow and it’s worth thinking about what you want it for and where it is to grow before making your choice and buying the seed garlic. There are two main types of garlic, softneck (Allium sativum) and hardneck (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) which we think of as typical garlic, forming bulbs with multiple cloves. These don’t just come in white; there are purple/pink streaked ones and even…

In spring we have a large choice of vegetables to grow, but come autumn and winter we often think we have few. In reality we have almost the same choice... but now they can be grown as ‘microgreens’. WHAT ARE MICROGREENS? These are vegetables harvested at seedling stage and are great additions to all your cooking, salads or smoothies. Pretty much any veg can be grown as a microgreen as long as it has an edible leaf. Exceptions to the rule include anything from the tomato family, including aubergines. You can even grow things that you don’t normally have space to grow to maturity and still benefit from their powerful nutrition as seedlings. Examples include as alfalfa, wheatgrass and amaranth. WHY GROW THEM? 1 To get a quick crop 2…

What first prompted you to start growing your own veg? I lost my nan to cancer in October 2017 and I found it quite hard to cope. Someone suggested that gardening was really therapeutic and a great way of clearing your mind. So I bought myself two small raised beds and a handful of seeds for the spring. I have been hooked ever since! There is something so incredibly humbling about growing your own fruit, vegetables and flowers. I can just completely lose myself in it. Life can be so busy and overwhelming at times, but it's very calming to know that no matter how difficult things might feel, the seasons will still come around, the seeds will grow and the birds will still be singing. Did you start with…

I’m not sure about you, but a few years ago I used to think growing your own food as a source of therapy was a new thing, or at least it was something we did which helps us but that wasn’t ‘officially’ recognised by medical practitioners as a viable prescribed option for all. It’s only in the last couple of years horticultural therapy has really started being talked about as a credible option to offer everyone for free as soon as they walk through the GP’s door. Yet, horticultural therapy charity Thrive, for example, has been changing lives since 1979! I do wonder why it has taken so long. Perhaps this is because it hasn’t been supported fully or evidenced with numbers enough over the years, so it is not…

SOW: MARCH -JUNE PLANT:MAT-AUG HARVEST: MUCH OF THE YEAR Broccoli is one of those must-grow crops, valuable for its many health benefits as well as its flavour... and the fact that it can be harvested early in the season when most other veggies have yet to get going. There are several types you can grow – green sprouting, white sprouting and the most colourful of all, purple – and by choosing different varieties and sowing times you can stretch the harvest through much of the year. Sprouting broccoli produces tender shoots and is usually sown from March to June in the year before harvest. This makes it a long-term crop and something of an investment in space, so at first glance it may be less suitable for very small plots,…

■ ‘PURPLE SPROUTING’: Your free seeds this month. Sow during April and May for cropping from March to May. Very hardy, productive and reliable. (Widely available) ■ ‘BURBANK F1’: A British bred white-flowered type cropping from February to May. (D T Brown, Thompson and Morgan) ■ ‘SANTEE F1’: Prolific crops of purple heads. Sow from March to June in succession for cropping from June to November the following year. (Kings, Plants of Distinction) ■ ‘RUDOLPH’: An extra early purple type cropping from January. Can be sown in succession from March to June. (Kings, Suttons) ■ ‘GREEN SPROUTING’: Heavy cropping producing good-sized green florets of good flavour. (Thomas Etty) ■ ‘NINE STAR PERENNIAL’: Ten or more small white heads each spring for about three years or until it runs to seed.…

There are more than 5000 named varieties of apple recorded in the UK, and although the vast majority are not available commercially to buy, there is no shortage of different choices for the gardener. If you are a seasoned fruit grower it can be straightforward to pick and choose – but for the novice, it can be utterly bewildering. Florid descriptions can sometimes be slightly misleading, and it is easy to get tempted by a variety with a rich and unusual history, when it actually might be susceptible to disease and a poor cropper. This month we will look at the easiest and most straightforward dessert varieties to grow – if you are just starting out with growing apples these are the ones which should be on your short list.…

ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH CURRANT FRUIT PLANT COLLECTION The collection contains one bare root plant each of: ■ ‘BEN CONNAN’ AGM: this excellent and reliable blackcurrant tolerates frost and resists mildew to produce a heavy crop of really large, juicy berries with an outstanding flavour. Packed full of goodness and is ready to pick from mid-July. ■ ‘ROVADA’: This is the latest and best redcurrant available, cropping from mid-July through to August. An established bush of ‘Rovada’ will yield up to 2.5kg (6lb) of juicy berries each year, presented on long strigs. An ingredient of the classic summer pudding, redcurrants are versatile and delicious. ■ ‘BLANKA’: The highest yielding for all white currants, ‘Blanka’ gives up to 2kg (4.5lb) of deliciously sweet berries per bush. Delightfully different…