Innehållsförteckning för July 2023 från Kitchen Garden

Despite a slow start for many of us due to a chilly spring, harvesting of those first delicious spring-sown crops is well under way. July is now all about planning second sowings of quick-growing salads and nurturing tender crops that were finally planted out after the last frost of the season. In this issue our experts Martin Fish and Rob Smith bring you all the advice you need to grow bumper crops of French beans and salads while I persuade you to take a fresh look at turnips. Bear with me as they really are a super quick and easy crop to grow and despite what some politicians might tell you, not easy to find in the shops! Also in this issue Emma Bailey looks at 10 often-quoted garden hacks…

SHARING THE LOVE Just a note to say Kitchen Garden is the cat's pyjamas, very informative without being terrifying. When I have got every scrap of info from it I pass it on to friends who are not very well off but have just been granted an allotment, they are real newcomers to growing so the mag is read and used until it falls apart. I no longer have an allotment, having been lucky enough to have one for years in the Midlands. Now, at 83, I have a sort of flower garden, bulbs, herbaceous plants, climbers, roses, weeds but I also am lucky enough to have a very large manger where I grow broad beans, followed by dwarf French beans, followed by ‘Cavolo Nero' and broccoli. My greenhouse, heated…

PLOTTER OF THE MONTH GET GROWING SUZ REID FROM EAST LOTHIAN Suz and her family have been tending the veg plot in their garden for seven years. Suz loves to involve the children, so they know where their food comes from and just sharing time together in the garden enjoying the fresh air. Why did you start growing your own produce? We moved to a house with a garden and we decided that we should grow our own blueberries. We shoved a bush in a shady corner… and then did a bit of reading, realised we'd done the wrong thing… did a bit more and then gradually added more to the garden. We now have two apple trees, 11 raised beds, a greenhouse and four blueberry bushes! Do you share your…

Upcycled containers are not just for growing plants. They can make beautiful mini-ponds (no drainage holes for these!), bee drinking pools or hoverfly lagoons. A hoverfly lagoon creates a breeding place for hoverflies to lay their eggs and for their larvae to live for the first stage of their lives. Hoverflies are excellent pollinators and a true gardener's friend because they are key predators of aphids and other insects. A hoverfly lagoon mimics natural mini-pools and tree ‘rot holes’. These helpful insects breed from May to October. Easy (and free!) to make, the lagoons can become a little smelly. Gorgeous if you're a hoverfly, but perhaps best not to situate them right outside your home. I put mine in the wild areas where they won't get knocked over. STEP 1:…

WORKING WITH WEEDS GET GROWING When you imagine a garden or allotment, do you picture it with blooming flower borders, cut, well-kept grass, neat rows of vegetables and, most importantly, not a weed in sight? I will admit, rewind a few years ago and my perfect allotment would likely have been similar. This has changed over time though; while I do like my veggies to be in straight lines and aesthetically pleasing to look at, I now embrace some of the weeds! When I took over my allotment plot in March 2019, I knew I never intended to use any weed killer or chemicals – however, my plot was covered in weeds! There were buttercups (still my nemesis on the plot), dandelions and nettles. I spent a lot of time using…

GET GROWING Jason moved to his apartment in March 2020, and then the pandemic struck. As the anticipated threeweek lockdown turned into months, and furloughed from his work in hospitality management, Jason turned to the balcony to create an escape, and to help with his mental health. “Gardening helps with anxiety and depression, it takes me to another place.” His garden in the sky helps to keep him grounded. IT ALL STARTED WITH ONE MARIGOLD This single flower, bought from a local garden centre, triggered an interest in container gardening, and an exploration into what could be achieved in a small urban space. Visits to the garden centre were almost daily – one of the few things permitted under lockdown regulations – adding to his garden with plug plants and…

SAVE UP TO £27.85 (AGM is the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Under RHS garden trials these varieties performed particularly well) ALSO IN THE KG SHOP THIS MONTH CAULIFLOWER PLANT COLLECTION Grow these four tip-top cauliflowers and you will be able to pick heads of superb quality, texture and flavour for much of the year! The collection includes 40 plants, 10 each of: ‘TRIOMPHANT F1’– This cauliflower is just for Christmas – and January too! The dense, pure white curds remain well protected by foliage. If you like the idea of homegrown cauliflower as part of your Christmas dinner look no further than this outstanding variety. ‘AMSTERDAM F1’ – We have found this excellent variety to have good cold tolerance and strong growth, providing tasty caulis for the kitchen from…

KEEP IT COVERED! Knowle Nets has been making fruit and crop cages in the UK for more than 50 years, and the company has now expanded its range to include a wide array of general growing products. Alongside cages, tunnels, cloches, netting and horticultural fabrics are tools, propagation equipment and much more. Most of the company's netting is made from highdensity polyethylene monofilament containing ultraviolet stabilisation additives, and all its metal fabrication is done in-house, so it can make any bespoke frame. www.knowlenets.co.uk Tel: 01308 424342 SUBSCRIBER SAVING: Free delivery on all orders over £25 until July 31, 2023 HAY FEVER HERO If you suffer from hay fever, the worst garden pest at this time of year can be pollen – but help is at hand in the form of HayMax…

LAST WORD I'm going to let you in on a guilty secret (it's a biggy). In a former life, I worked for a garden products company (now defunct) answering queries from the general public. The queries could range from ‘why hasn't your product worked?' to ‘how should I prune my roses?' or ‘when should I sow my broad beans?’ The vast majority of questions were about pests (and weeds) – not surprising since, among other things, the company sold a range of pesticides. We are talking nearly 30 years ago and at the time it seemed obvious as a keen gardener – and as one raised and trained to use such things – to suggest a product to zap the offending pest without delay, and the quicker the better! Of…

Warm July days power rapid growth and – we hope – plentiful harvests! Everything's coming thick and fast by now: salads, leafy greens, carrots and beetroot, beans, courgettes and possibly even the very first of the tomatoes. This is what home-grown dreams are made of! Sweetcorn still has a little way to go but will be approaching full height towards the end of the month. Look out for the male tassels at the top of the plants. Once you can see the tiny yellow stamens dangling free, give stems a tap or shake to dislodge clouds of pollen to drift down to the female silks below. Repeat every few days. This helps ensure good pollination and better filled corncobs. Clear ground of any spent crops then sow or replant with…

Grow your own RAINBOW CHARD! Hi! I'm Belle and I'm now here every month to share lots of fun activities for you to do at home, on your own or with your family Rainbow Chard is one of the most colourful vegetables you can grow. It's multi-coloured, easy to grow and the leaves taste delicious. YOU WILL NEED: Rainbow Chard seeds. ‘Bright Lights' is one particular rainbow variety. Multi-purpose compost A collection of 7-8cm pots or a container planter. Water in a watering can WHAT TO DO: 1. Fill the 7-8cm pots with your multipurpose compost. 2. Sow 1-2 seeds per pot, about 2.5cm deep. You could use your finger or a pencil to make a hole in the compost. 3. Cover the seeds up with the compost, then give them plenty…

Get in touch by post, email or via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/kitchengardenmag CATERPILLAR CARNAGE Our gooseberry bush has been devastated by a caterpillar attack. Is there a chemical-free solution? Mrs Sue Wilkes, Cheshire STEVE SAYS: Without spraying, the best way to keep these gooseberry sawfly larvae under control is to pick them off. Squish them if you can or perhaps put them on the bird table well away from your bushes if you prefer. There are up to four generations per year depending on the species of sawfly so you will need to continue to be vigilant, but early spring attacks are usually the most damaging. An alternative would be to spray with a biological control called Nemasys Fruit and Vegetable Protection and this uses a concentration of naturally occurring…

PLOTTER OF THE MONTH WORTH OVER £339! ECONOMY RACK This useful rack, designed and manufactured by Two Wests & Elliott in the company's Derbyshire workshop, is the perfect way to make the most of any compact space – whether it's in a greenhouse, shed, spare room or outdoors! The Economy rack comes with nine full-size seed trays held within its sturdy, rustproof aluminium frame. Supplied for self-assembly, this three-tier rack is about 91cm (3ft) high, with each level 36cm (14in) apart. This Economy Seed Tray Rack can be purchased from Two Wests' website: www.twowests.co.uk or call 01246 451077 to order or for a copy of the free 132-page catalogue. NEMASYS NEMASLUG CONTROL Winners will each receive a seasonlong programme of slug control called Nemaslug, a biological control using natural nematodes.…

Early turnip varieties, sown from February to July, are lovely and tender and can be eaten young in much the same way as their cousins, summer radishes, or allowed to grow to maturity and cooked. Maincrop types which are sown from April to September can also be eaten young, but will store in the soil, or in boxes of dry sand or compost until November and beyond where the soil stays wet in winter or where slugs are a problem. The young tops are also an excellent substitute for spinach, and plants will often go on to provide several cuts, or you can sow leftover seeds as a tasty salad leaf or microgreen over the winter months. GROWING GUIDE PREPARATION They may not look much like cabbages and sprouts, but turnips…

GET GROWING GREENER GROWING Have you ever wondered why some people's gardens seem effortlessly beautiful? Why everything grows and thrives for some and not for others? And why certain gardens are just more challenging than others? It all comes down to conditions and balance. Basic gardening teaches us to choose the right plants for our conditions or to create the right conditions for the plants we want. But balance is rarely talked about. Gardening is often portrayed as one battle after another. Adrian Chiles recently described it as a “relentless unwinnable war”. We are told to fight pests, battle weeds and wage war on slugs. Some budding gardeners struggle so much with the endless conflict they throw in the trowel and quit altogether. Often the results are taken personally, with the…

Make sure the household is well supplied with delicious and nutritious greens right through the winter with this varied range of some of the best varieties available. This fantastic collection contains 10 plants each of cabbage, cauliflower, kale and sprouting broccoli – something for everyone in the family! Take advantage of this collection now to ensure a tasty supply this winter. *You can claim this collection FREE when ordering at least one additional product off the page. 40 plants, 10 of each of cabbage, cauliflower, kale and sprouting broccoli, despatched from mid-August. WORTH £22.80…

GET COOKING BLUEBERRY & BLACKCURRANT SPONGE PUDDING This is a nice quick recipe that uses some of your fresh berries from the garden. SERVES 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes ■ 150g (5¼oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease ■ 250g (8¾oz) blueberries ■ 100g (3½oz) blackcurrants ■ 150g (5¼oz) caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle ■ 3 eggs, beaten ■ 150g (5¼oz) ground almonds ■ 60g (1oz) self-raising flour ■ ¼ tsp fine sea salt 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/ gas 4. Grease a brownie tin or similarsized dish with butter and scatter in all the blueberries and blackcurrants. 2. Using electric beaters, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until fully incorporated. Fold in…

GO PEAT-FREE The Wildlife Trusts have released a free handbook to help people go peat-free in their gardens and to recognise the importance of peatlands for nature and climate. The new handbook, Greener Gardening: Perfecting PeatFree provides tips and tricks for getting the most out of compost, a guide for making compost at home, and information about buying peat-free products. Greener Gardening: Perfecting Peat-Free is free to download at: www.wildlifetrusts.org/download-our-guide-going-peat-free VEG TIPS FOR KIDS As part of the university's Children and Young People campaign, Dr Clare Holley, a Loughborough senior lecturer in psychology, has shared some tips on how to overcome children's fussy eating and encourage them to eat more vegetables. “Children go through a phase between the ages of 2-6 years old where they become particularly fussy with all…

FRENCH BEANS French beans, also known as kidney, snap or string beans, come in various shapes, sizes and colours. Some have flat pods, others round and the pods can be green, yellow or purple. When sold in supermarkets they are often known as Kenya or green beans to add to the confusion. Dwarf French beans are the most popular in a garden situation and will produce low, bushy plants that produce a good crop of tender beans. Eaten fresh from the plants they are delicious, and they can also be frozen for use at other times of the year. SOIL CONDITIONS A sunny position and fertile soil is ideal for French beans. They will grow in almost any soil, but prefer it not to be too heavy. Well-drained soils are…

SUMMER SALADS GET GROWING Growing your own summer salad ingredients allows you to create vibrant, delicious and nutritious salads with the freshest ingredients. With a little effort and a few packets of seed, you'll soon be savouring the fruits (and veggies) of your labours. LETTUCE LIVEN THINGS UP When it comes to lettuce, the options are practically endless! You can grow diverse types to suit your taste buds and keep your salads interesting, with traditional green, red and freckled leaf varieties, all available to grow at home. Here are a few different types which are quick and easy to grow in the open or in containers. Butterhead: known for their tender, buttery leaves, these lettuces are ideal for adding a velvety texture to your salad. Varieties like ‘Tom Thumb' and ‘All…

GARDENING FOR KIDS As the summer holidays approach, many of us are looking for new and exciting things to do with our children. Those who have a garden will know how busy the season can be with seeding, weeding and watering, activities which are all fantastic to get children involved in. To keep their attention so that you can make the most of your day of gardening, there are plenty of activities you can do to make gardening more playful, fun and engaging. Children have a natural curiosity for nature and getting them involved with simple tasks and fun projects can kick-start their lifelong love for the garden. The Mini Gardeners Club is on a mission to get kids growing across the UK, and so is sharing a few of…

Kitchen Garden magazine BEST BUY 2023 WEEDING HOE This weeding hoe is designed for use in beds and borders. It has a lacquered pine handle and a carbon steel blade with a bevelled edge. It can also be used to create seed drills. There are right-handed or left-handed options available. Length 33cm/13in (blade length 13cm/5in). NIWAKI www.niwaki.com TEL: 01747 445 059 PRODUCT CODE: N/A PRICE: £18 KG VERDICT This is a super tool with a suitably sharp head that cuts into the soil well and will deal effectively with surface weeds. The pointed end also allows you to dig into harder soil and remove more deeprooted weeds. It also has a comfortable lacquered handle long enough for reaching across smaller raised beds and borders. SHORT HANDLED WEED SLICE With a…