Innehållsförteckning för August 2022 från Kitchen Garden

The season is in glorious full swing, and in this issue we have a varied selection of features for you. On page 51 you’ll find a great weekend project from TV gardening presenter Adam Frost who shows you how to make a very stylish insect home which also doubles as a garden seat, while fruit expert David Patch takes the mystery out of summer fruit pruning with his simple guide starting on page 79. You’ll find growing guides for radicchio, lemon basil, watercress and chard, all of which can be sown now for mature plants or throughout the year as nutritious salad leaves or microgreens. And on his jobs for the month pages, gardening expert Ben Vanheems is sowing carrots in containers and harvesting onions for winter storage. On a…

SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT OUR SERIES FOR YOUNG GROWERS It’s summer, the sun is shining and there are so many new plants and lots of wildlife to discover, so let’s head outside! We can explore every bit of our garden, allotment or local area to see what we can find! Take this page and a pencil out with you, so that you can tick off what you find as you explore. Can you find the plants, wildlife, colours, sounds and textures listed below? ■ A butterfly ■ Something yellow ■ A woodlouse ■ Sandals ■ Fruit tree ■ Flower ■ Animal footprints ■ A tree covered in leaves ■ Something cold to touch ■ Vegetables growing ■ Compost bin ■ Something loud ■ A bee ■ Something warm to touch ■…

SWEET NOTHINGS This year I have been trying to grow sweetcorn. However, once they are about 10cm tall the seedlings die. I am germinating them indoors under grow lights, along with many other vegetable seedlings. There is an infestation of fungus/fruit flies but they haven’t affected any other seedlings. Lucian Backler, Uckfield EMMA SAYS: Sweetcorn should not be too difficult to germinate and establish. It is difficult to say what may be the cause of the problem here, but it seems most likely that they are becoming infected with damping off disease and this could be made worse by the sciarid flies if the larvae are damaging the stems and roots, so allowing the disease to enter. I’m not sure what compost you are using, but if it is one…

Described as ‘an oasis of calm and tranquillity in the heart of North Yorkshire’, Kiplin Hall is a hidden gem, tucked away just a few miles east of the A1 at the top of the county close to Catterick. The 400-year-old Jacobean property was built in the early 1620s by George Calvert, a courtier to King James I and founder of Maryland in the US. At the time the estate would have been around 900 acres including farmland, woodland, the River Swale and gardens surrounding the hall. In the early 1900s the estate began to fall into decline and in the 1930s was taken on by Miss Bridget Talbot, granddaughter of the 18th Earl of Shrewsbury. Miss Talbot tried many ways to save Kiplin including approaching the National Trust. That…

I always remember leeks being an easy and reliable crop to grow. Unfortunately, it seems that these days this is no longer the case in many parts of the UK, where a relatively new pest is gradually spreading around the country. Allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma) can cause serious damage to all alliums but is most noticeable in leek crops. It first arrived in the Midlands in 2002, and since then, has rapidly spread around the country. Despite being present for around 20 years, it is surprising how many growers are not aware of it, or how to deal with it. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM The first obvious sign you have a problem with this pest is a pronounced twisting of the leaves. This is most noticeable in leeks, and you…

You guys have a great rapport. How did you first get together and what gave you the idea for a radio show? We actually went to school together 25 years ago in the Black Country. We lost touch for 19 years and then randomly reconnected when we saw each other at a 10k race for charity in Cheltenham about five years! We already had connections to the radio station as Bish used to present a sports show a few years back. When we realised that we had a shared love of gardening and allotmenting, we decided to take it one step further and approached nccr.co.uk (North Cotswold Community Radio), asked them to consider us for a slot, and the show was born. For those who haven’t found you yet, who…

Many gardeners time their holidays to coincide with the ebb and flow of the veg plot and wouldn’t dream of going away until everything is safely harvested. But it needn’t be such a worry. There are lots of simple things you can do to reduce the impact of being away at a time when plants may be at more risk from drying out, even if you are not lucky enough to have a friend or family member to call on to pop in and keep things ticking over for you. COVER UP Anything you can do to reduce water loss from the soil will help your plants cope until you return, and mulches offer a simple, but effective, solution. Anything will do – from home-made compost or leafmould to spent…

CHECK SWEETCORN Check sweetcorn cobs for ripeness. The silks at the end of the cob should be brown. Peel back the husk and sink a fingernail into a kernel – if it exudes a milky liquid, it’s good to go. HUNT FOR WEEDS Check for weeds hiding among larger vegetables such as squash and pull out any you find. Never let weeds go to seed or you’ll be storing up trouble for future years. EARTH UP CELERY Gradually mound up soil around developing celery stems to blanch them. Start when they reach 30cm (12in) tall. Celery loves moist soil so water regularly. FEED SQUASHES Looking for championsized squash or outsized pumpkins? Then feed plants weekly with a liquid tomato feed to help support fruit development. KEEP PICKING AND LIFTING August…

ATTRACTING GARDEN POLLINATORS As all fruit and vegetable growers know, pollinators are essential for good crops and this great new book from garden writer and keen beekeeper Jean Vernon explains how to coax them into your garden in the largest numbers possible. Jean highlights some of the many common (and not so common) pollinators you may find in your garden including bees, butterflies, moths, flies and others and explains how to attract them to ensure they are always around to boost your yields. You’ll find lots of simple but effective ways to do this, from planting a range of pollen and nectar-rich flowering plants to installing a range of habitats from a pond to mixed hedges. Jean also suggests rewilding a small part of your garden to allow native plants…

SOW MAR–JULY HAREST: JAN–DEC Swiss chard, along with perpetual spinach, belongs to the beet family (Beta vulgaris) and has been grown since ancient times. Not only are they nutritious, containing a good range of micronutrients, including vitamin C, they are one of the more colourful vegetables you can grow on your plot. The stalks – which come in a variety of colours – are particularly striking. SITE AND SOIL Swiss chard will do well on a sunny or lightly shaded site provided the soil is fertile, well-draining and moisture retentive. So, in autumn or winter, make sure that plenty of well-rotted organic matter has been added to the soil. This will provide the nutrition and moisture needed to facilitate healthy growth in your plants. Also, apply a general fertiliser to…

I find it best to water as early in the day as possible – this not only helps prevent plants from getting scorched if water gets on the leaves, it also prevents them from sitting in wet compost during the colder night-time hours. Then, as greenhouse crops ripen, I like to increase the feeding to twice a week to help encourage the best fruit I can get from the plants. Personally, I use either home-made comfrey feed or a good organic tomato or seaweed feed. After watering the plants, I always damp down the paving slabs in the greenhouse as well; this causes a little more humidity and helps to prevent red spider mite as they like it dry. While there, it’s best to remove yellowing leaves from any plant…

LEMON BASIL There are many different basils you can grow. The most commonly grown is ‘Genovese’ with its large leaves and distinctive flavour, but you can get basils with different size and shaped leaves. Some may be dark purple, some ruffled. We are giving away lemon basil this month and, as the name suggests, it has slightly citrus overtones to the flavour. Lemon basil can be used the same as other basils, but it will work well with chicken and fish dishes too. It will also make a lovely pesto or you could finely chop and stir into pasta. If making a stir fry, at the last moments of cooking sprinkle in a bit of lemon basil for a zingy flavour. HOW TO GROW Basil is a tender plant but…

BEN’S TOP 10 MONEY–SAVING CROPS! See regular KG contributor Ben Vanheems as he identifies which grow-your- own crops will save you money in these inflationary times. His top 10 include: salad leaves, berries (such as strawberry, raspberry and blueberry), chard, sweetcorn, mushrooms, herbs, potatoes, garlic, courgettes, tomatoes and… drum roll… climbing beans! What would yours be? Let us know! Visit: bit.ly/top10crops GARDEN VISITS If you want to get out and about over the summer, there are some great gardens to visit throughout the UK. On the Great British Gardens site you will find a myriad of possibilities, which you can search by postcode, town, county, dog friendly and garden type, and you can even book a garden holiday! A great site full of essential information and accompanying pictures. Visit: www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk…

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS I try to grow my own salads and vegetables in my garden. I had my very first dream allotment last year but due to an unexpected health emergency requiring a week’s hospital stay and awaiting further major surgery I had to give it up as it was no longer manageable. However, this didn’t stop me from continuing to grow in my small garden. Here is a pallet planter. I used mesh material to cover the bottom of each side and then painted it and planted three strawberry plants in each section. So don’t ever let your downfalls be permanent downfalls and always look onwards and upwards. Michelle Tate, Guisborough TONY SAYS: And very attractive it looks too, Michelle. We wish you well. ★STAR★ LETTER WINS £25 VOUCHER…

I ‘retired’ in March 2019 after a 50-year career in the horticultural world, predominantly in the seed trade with Suttons, Mr Fothergill’s and Thompson & Morgan. Throughout my career I compiled and assessed thousands of vegetable and herb trials for our seed catalogues and retail garden centre market. I was also a regular visitor at commercial trials days and breeder events in the UK and on the continent to assess and discuss suitable varieties. Many of these varieties have stood the test of time and remain gardener favourites since their introduction. I also had the privilege of viewing trials for AGM at RHS Wisley during the early 1990s with the late Suttons vegetable expert, Ron Butler, prior to being invited to join the Wisley trials sub-committee in 1995 until I…

Since I moved to my new half-acre homestead in Wales I have looked forward to August with great enthusiasm because it means the arrival of my polytunnel. In my previous garden I had a 12 × 40ft polytunnel for 10 years or so and absolutely loved how it meant I could grow so much more, especially warmth-loving summer crops. It has been strange only growing outdoor varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines this year, but I am looking forwards and planning what I will grow once this new polytunnel is up. When I was looking for a new home, space for a polytunnel at least the size of my previous one was crucial. I’d pace the gardens, imagining where a tunnel would go – I wonder what the estate agents…

This design takes a simple bench to another level of usefulness. Not only is it a place to sit and use as a focal point in the garden, but it’s also a great habitat for beneficial insects. I made this one from oak and infilled the void beneath the seat with different-sized logs I’d collected from around the garden. This bench is a pretty straightforward structure. Essentially three long lengths of oak form the seat with three shorter lengths for the uprights at each end. A crossbar and fixing bars hold everything in place. I set it into the ground so it’s nice and stable, then I infilled the space beneath the seat with logs of various diameters cut to length. These form lots of lovely little niches where insects…

We have known for almost 200 years that increased atmospheric carbon can affect global temperatures. Recently, Sir David Attenborough simply warned us that “if we don’t act now, it will be too late”. In 1992, a total of 1700 scientists signed a ‘Warning to Humanity’ about climate change, and in 2017 this warning was repeated, but this time signed by more than 20,000 scientists worldwide. “Scientists are, for the most part, conservative creatures. That 20,000 of us would put our name to this statement ought to indicate to the world that this is an issue deserving of the full attention of mankind,” says Professor Dave Goulson in his best-selling book Silent Earth. Governments have been warned, children have been taught, rallies have been held, and news has been spread. Some…

Many people associate fruit tree pruning with winter. It’s a task to be carried out in the cold, dark days of December when there is little else we can productively do in the garden, and is a way of preparing for the year ahead. However, there are several reasons why we should keep our secateurs handy all through the long summer months and prune a wide variety of both top and soft fruit plants, to ensure healthy trees and bigger crops to come. It can be a little complicated – different plants need pruning at different times and for different reasons – but we’ll start by looking at some basic principles about why we should be pruning, before moving on to a handy month-by-month guide of what to do and…

VEGGIE CHILLI An easy meal to serve a crowd and is very well suited to making a day ahead. Serve with rice, or try it in baked potatoes for a filling meal. SERVES 6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes ■ 150g (5oz) black beans, soaked overnight, then cooked for one hour. ■ 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced ■ olive oil for frying ■ 1 large onion, finely chopped ■ 2 cloves of garlic, minced ■ 1 red pepper, diced ■ 1 yellow pepper, diced ■ 4 sticks of celery, finely chopped ■ 1 tin of tomatoes ■ 2 tbsp tomato purée ■ a large bunch of coriander, chopped ■ 2 tsp smoked paprika ■ 1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed ■ 2 tsp oregano ■ 2…

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