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EDITOR’S LETTER
If you love your garden you must love June! Flaming or not, plants are in full growth and the first harvests of fast-growing crops may already be in the bag, especially in the greenhouse and polytunnel. We have our usual growing guides to help you keep your patch full and fruitful; this month on spring onions, turnips, peaches and fennel, and KG regular Ben Vanheems brings you his top tips to ensure your plot remains as productive for nature as it does for you and your family. It is an unfortunate fact of life for us gardeners that the weeds will be growing too, so starting on page 60 you’ll find all the information you need to combat them with as little backache as possible! On page 66 Stephanie Hafferty returns with more of her homespun tips – this month, how to make use of freshly foraged elderflowers. Join us on a visit to the kitchen garden of the famous Gleneagles Hotel, which supplies the restaurant with its fresh produce, and pick up some tips from head gardener Jo Campbell.
Well, even editors deserve a break. Steve enjoyed the delights of The Eden Project in Cornwall recently
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Steve Ott, editor Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529
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CHECK OUT OUR GREAT GIVEAWAYS AT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JUNE 2019 | 3
EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES
6 ✪ ON THE COVER
66 YOU
@GrowWithKG
YOUR PLOT
6 ON THE VEG PATCH ✪
KitchenGardenUK KitchenGardenMag
Time to sow dwarf beans, tend to strawberries, dig early potatoes and net brassicas
10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
@GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15
In his greenhouse Martin Fish is lifting baby carrots, training cucumbers and tomatoes, watching for pests
£20
Discover the great features, money-saving offers and competitions we have lined up for KG subscribers in June
20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER ✪
Our panel of experts including Guy Barter, chief horticultural adviser for the RHS, help solve our readers’ gardening problems
32 THE PLOT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
12 WHAT’S NEW?
The latest news, comment and advice from the world of kitchen gardening
This month we turn the spotlight on Geoffrey Hackett from Tyne & Wear, whose small plot just bursts with first-class produce
14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS
56 LEARNING ON THE PLOT ✪
40
74 FIVE GROW LIVE
Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice
NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...
18 DISCOVER YOUR NEW KG SUBSCRIBERS’ CLUB
This month we travel to Derby and a thriving allotment site that is inspiring city dwellers to grow their own
Our brand new series following five gardeners around the country growing the same crops. We drop in on them to see how they are progressing
100 NEXT MONTH
ON PAGE 24 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month
4 | JUNE 2019
Some of the highlights to be found in your July 2019 issue, plus news of great free gifts
114 LAST WORD
Novice leek grower Tim Britton digs the trench for his show leeks and discovers there is more to it than he first thought www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JUNE 2019
106
Resident chef Anna Cairns Pettigrew brings you more great seasonal recipes fresh from her kitchen.
Scan this, and we’ll tell you!
Pg 106
88
78 GET GROWING 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS
More gardening fun with the KG team as they get busy on the KG plot
26 A GARDEN FOR GOURMETS ✪
Garden writer Gaby Bartai visits a kitchen garden in Scotland which uses some surprising techniques to supply crops for a famous restaurant
36 VEG OF THE MONTH ✪
KG editor Steve Ott brings you his top tips for growing turnips
40 BEST OF THE BUNCH ✪
Allotment gardener Rob Smith explains that there is more to the humble spring onion than first meets the eye
45 BOOST YOUR BIODIVERSITY ✪
KG regular Ben Vanheems explains why we should make space for wildlife on their plot
51 HEAVEN IN A JAR ✪
Top cookery writer Anna Cairns Pettigrew brings you some mouth-watering alternatives to the lunchtime sandwich
60 BACK TO BASICS ✪ NEW SERIES In this issue deputy editor Emma Rawlings brings you some easy solutions to the perennial problem of controlling your weeds www.kitchengarden.co.uk
66 ELDERFLOWER POWER
Organic gardening expert and cook Stephanie Hafferty offers some great ways to make use of freshly foraged elderflowers
70 SMALL SPACE COMPOSTING
84
Big on composting but short on space? Gardening writer Holly Farrell shows you how to make compost in the smallest of gardens
78 TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS
Our intrepid plotter Graham Strong updates us on progress with this new allotment
82 REKHA’S GARDEN AND KITCHEN DIARY
Former contestant on BBC’s The Big Allotment Challenge, Rekha Mistry, reveals her favourite chillies, both mild and fiery
84 MAKE A VERTICAL HERB GARDEN ✪
DIY enthusiast Joyce Russell brings you a simple and inspiring way to boost your growing space
88 IS YOUR GARDEN LOOKING PEACHY? ✪
Our fruit expert, David Patch, shares his love of peaches
92 HERB OF THE MONTH ✪
This month, fennel – the ornamental herb that’s packed with aniseed flavour
WHAT TO BUY 94 TRIED AND TESTED – PEST TRAPS ✪
How to control your pests without chemicals
98 READER OFFERS – SAVE £23.95 Claim your free* strawberry plants worth £13.95, plus savings on a great collection of soft fruit plants (*just pay p&p)
102 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £1755
This month you could win a mini greenhouse, power tools, pressure washer and more
104 GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS
News of some great new products and services and a chance for KG subscribers to bag a bargain on gardening essentials
111 GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM JUNE 2019 | 5
GET GROWING
TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH TCH IN JUNE BY JOYCE RUSSELL Photos by Ben Russell
STICKS FOR PUMPKINS
Pumpkin plants look small when they are planted out in June but they soon grow a mass of foliage. Push a tall stick beside each plant so you can still see where to water when the bed is covered in stems and leaves.
SOW BASIL IN POTS OUTSIDE
Scatter a few seeds in a 20cm (8in) pot and cover with compost. Put this against a warm, sunny wall and protect from slugs. Don’t overwater and the plants should grow to produce plenty of leaves for use through the summer.
HARVEST SALAD
Salad leaves and lettuce bolt much faster in hot, dry conditions. Keep picking leaves while you can and sow more seed every 3-4 weeks so more leaves are ready when older plants are finished.
NET BRASSICA PLANTS
Pigeons will strip the fresh green leaves of newly planted brassicas. Simply throwing netting over the top and weighting the edges will provide some protection. Some leaves may be pecked but you won’t lose whole plants.
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JOBS FOR THE MONTH XXX
GROW DWARF FRENCH BEANS STEP 1: If slugs are a problem, sow seeds in pots and plant out when they have two true leaves. You can sow direct in a double row over a 25cm (10in) deep trench, half filled with compost and topped with soil. Sow a few extra seeds at the end of rows, or in pots, to fill any gaps. Plants go 20cm (8in) apart. Scatter a little lime if soil is acid.
STEP 2: Keep soil watered and especially so when plants are in flower. Flowers are self-pollinating, but if there is no wind, then brushing a gentle hand along a row of plants will help pollen fall to where it is needed. Some varieties grow 40-50cm (16-20in) tall and benefit from a few twiggy sticks as support.
STEP 3: It takes 10-16 weeks from sowing to harvest. Beans hang in clusters underneath the leaves and you need to look closely to spot them all. Harvest before beans start to swell in the pods. Slim beans should be tender, juicy and firm. Pick regularly to encourage more beans to grow. Remove any discoloured or diseased foliage.
STRAWBERRIES Delicious red berries are ripening on plants this month. Cover with netting so birds can’t eat the fruit and raise this up so they can’t peck through the mesh. You can use straw to mulch between plants and keep fruits clean, but this can encourage slugs and snails to hide underneath. A good option is to support fruit clusters with twiggy sticks pushed into the ground. This won’t deter molluscs altogether but it does help a lot. Harvest as soon as fruit is fully ripe, or pick a day early to avoid pest attentions and leave to ripen fully in a sunny window. Plenty of sun helps to produce sweet fruits.
SOW NOW
French beans, spinach, pak choi, Swiss chard, kohl rabi, basil, calabrese, cauliflower, carrots, turnips, salad leaves, lettuce, spring cabbage, beetroot.
PLANT NOW
Leeks, sweetcorn, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, French and runner beans, broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks.
DIG EARLY POTATOES
When plants start to flower then you know that there are probably some useful tubers underneath the ground. Some early varieties may not flower, but if you planted them in March or early April, then by June they should have produced some delicious potatoes. Dig one plant and start eating while potatoes are small. By the time you eat to the end of the row, the potatoes might be twice the size. If you only grow a few plants, ease the soil a little to one side and slide a hand in without disturbing the roots. You can feel how big the growing potatoes are and only lift plants when the crop is big enough.
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HARVEST
Potatoes, onions, garlic, beetroot, peas, beans, Swiss chard, kale, spinach, salad leaves, lettuce, courgettes, strawberries, currants, raspberries, kohl rabi, herbs. JUNE 2019 | 7
GET GROWING
HARVEST HERBS
■ Spring-sown broad beans can be plagued by blackfly. These pestss start off on the soft growth at the top of plants – remove affected parts before they spread down the stems and on to pods.
Floowering herbs look pretty, but if you want to use them m fresh, or cut and dry some for winter use, then ideally you should do this before plants flower. If it feels like you u have too many plants to keep under control, then choose on ne or two to be the kitchen herbs and let other bunches of chives bloom as they will in the flower border.
THIN APPLES Gardeners talk about the ‘June drop’. This refers to the smaller fruitlets in a bunch on an apple tree, for example, falling to the ground. This is a natural way in which fruit is thinned so trees aren’t put under too much stress and remaining fruits can reach a good size. You can rely on this phenomenon to do the job for you, but you may find that it doesn’t happen until July, by which time large clusters of fruit are already crowded. If you have the time and patience, and if trees aren’t too big, then it is easy enough to thin out the small and weak fruits yourself in June. These may come away with a small tug, showing that they would have dropped soon anyway. For large trees it is worth thinning clusters on lower branches and you can leave the higher ones to nature.
■ Enjoy the harvest! There are plenty of fresh, tasty crops to pick and eat at their best. There are plenty more to come over the months ahead so don’t leave anything until it is big and tasteless. ■ Sensible use of mulch can reduce water usage and also keep soil temperatures steady. Try straw, cardboard, paper, grass clippings, or any weed and chemicalfree option. Water well before you put a mulch down. ■ Use a dibber or blunt stick to make holes when planting leeks. Drop a plant in each hole so leaves stay above soil level. Water into the holes to settle plants in. ■ A hoe makes fast work of weeding if the surface of the soil is dry enough. There are push, pull, or push-and-pull versions available. All can weed between rows in minutes.
8 | JUNE 2019
SOW PARSLEY FOR THE WINTER
Sow parsley seed in an 8cm (3in) pot and cover with a thin layer of compost. Move small plants into individual pots and grow on in a semi-shaded area outdoors until they are large enough to plant in a garden bed. Parsley needs little attention other than good soil and water. Plants started now will provide lots of pickings through the autumn and winter.
LOOK AFTER ONIONS Autumn-planted onions should be swelling nicely and they may be ready to lift by the end of June. Bulbs grow fast at this time of year, so if you can leave them in the ground until leaves flop over and yellow, then you will maximise your crop. There are a few potential problems however and you have to keep a good eye on the onion bed to make sure you lift the crop at the right moment. This may be before bulbs are maximum size if it means saving the onions. Look for plants that put up flower spikes and nip these out
as soon as you see them. Plants are more inclined to bolt if they were frosted when small and if they are grown in dry soil. You can still use bolted onions, but this is only worth doing if they have formed a reasonable size bulb before they grow a hard central core. Bolted onions don’t keep as well as ones that haven’t bolted, so use them first. White rot causes leaves to yellow prematurely. Lift a bulb and look for mouldy growth at the base of the bulb. Lift all onions from the bed and store
sound ones before the problem spreads. Don’t put affected plants on the compost heap. Downy mildew is more often a problem in spring-planted onions.
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■ Make sure you ventilate on sunny days to help prevent the temperatures under cover from getting too hot. ■ As soon as annual herb plants such as basil are established, they can be planted out or potted into larger containers to grow on. ■ To help tomato fruits develop and ripen later in the summer, feed weekly with a high-potash tomato fertiliser. ■ Continue to sow lettuce and other salad leaves to give a continued supply right through the summer. ■ Make sure that strawberries growing in pots and hanging baskets are kept well-watered and fed with a high-potash feed to keep the fruits ripening through June.
10 | JUNE 2019
WITH MARTIN FISH
REMOVE SIDE SHOOTS AND TIE IN TOMATOES Tomato plants should now be growing well in the greenhouse or polytunnel and it’s during June when the days are at their longest that they put on a spurt of growth. Tall growing varieties need supporting at regular intervals to be able to support the weight of tomatoes that will develop over the summer and the way I do it is to tie the stems to stout canes with soft string. It’s also important to remove the sideshoots that grow in the leaf joints, otherwise instead of a single-stemmed plant you will get a large bushy plant. Ideally, check plants a couple of times a week and pinch out the sideshoots while still small and soft. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
JOBS THIS MONTH
REMOVE THE FIRST CUCUMBERS Once established and growing in a warm environment, cucumbers will produce a good crop of fruits over the summer months. To grow well they need plenty of warmth, moisture and nutrients. The first cucumber of the season is always welcome, but before we allow a young plant to start fruiting, it’s essential that the plant establishes properly. A tip that commercial growers do is to pick off the small embryo fruits on young plants up to the height of 45-60cm (18-24in). This allows the plants to make a good root system and plenty of leaf growth, rather than using all their energy on producing cucumbers. The result is a stronger plant that produces more fruit over a longer period.
■ Suspend yellow sticky traps just above crops such as peppers and tomatoes that are susceptible to whitefly attack. This will help to catch early pests and also indicate exactly what pests are about so that you can decide if you want to take further action to control them.
LIFT BABY CARROTS
HARVEST FIRST EARLY POTATOES
Another crop that can be grown early in the greenhouse is carrots. Varieties such as ‘Early Nantes’ and ‘Amsterdam Forcing’ can be sown from February onwards and they will grow to produce very tasty early carrots for pulling in early to mid-summer. You can pull them even earlier if you wish as very small baby carrots which are very sweet to eat. As well as delicious tasty roots, another advantage of growing an early crop under cover is the roots won’t be attacked by the dreaded carrot root fly! Don’t be tempted though to leave the roots in the soil for too long, as in the heat of the summer the tender roots can become tough and woody. ■ If planting out seedlings and young plants, do it in the evening when the temperature is cooler to prevent the young plants from wilting in the heat of the day. Water after planting and by the morning they will be fully charged with water and standing upright.
New potatoes are always a treat and in a polytunnel it’s possible to be able to harvest them several weeks earlier than outside in the garden. As a guide, you can usually get away with planting three or four weeks earlier in an unheated polytunnel, and as long as you protect the new growth from frost with fleece or newspaper, you should get an early crop. Where I live, I would normally plant first early potatoes outside in the garden in early April, so from my early March planting in the polytunnel, I can start to lift new potatoes from early June onwards. By the time we’ve eaten the crop grown under cover, the outdoor ones should be ready.
KEEP PLANTS WELL-WATERED During the growing season it’s important to make sure that all plants get enough water to keep them growing properly. The amount of water they need depends on the size of the plants and how they are being grown. If growing in soil borders, watering the soil thoroughly a couple of times a week is usually enough. In containers, it’s a different story and on hot days plants can quickly dry out and start to wilt. To make sure pot-grown plants such as tomatoes and peppers get enough water, try standing them in a deep saucer. If filled daily with water, they will gradually drink it up over the day. However, don’t let the base of the pot stand permanently in water. www.kitchengarden.co.uk
■ Consider planting some companion plants such as marigolds or tagetes in the greenhouse, which are said to help deter aphids. Tagetes also help to attract pollinating insects. They can be grown in large pots or simply planted between crops growing in the ground. ■ Fleece is often used to protect against frost, but in the summer it can be used to protect plants from sun scorch and heat stress. If any plants are struggling in sunny weather, just cover them over with some fleece for a few days until the weather changes or the plants show signs of recovering.
JUNE 2019 | 11
YOU
YOUR PLOT
ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING
If you’re looking for some exciting garden projects to produce tastier, healthier crops, then take a look at the latest book from KG regular contributor, Joyce Russell. Full of practical advice, tips and clearly explained step-by-step stages, New Vegetable Garden Techniques consists of 23 project ideas, from ones to get you started all the way through to harvesting. Make a foolproof single-dig bed, build a sturdy bean frame, create a vertical garden, make perfect pesto basil, protect plants from pests, and so on. Organised into four
parts, you will find lots of sound advice from an experienced practitioner: starting a plot, creating good soil, increasing yields and storing your harvest. With plenty of excellent photographs and illustrations to accompany the text, this is one every practical fruit and veg gardener will take inspiration from. New Vegetable Garden Techniques by Joyce Russell is published by White Lion Publishing, and costs £18.99.
SHOP BAN ON METALDEHYDE SLUG PELLETS After June 30 this year, metaldehyde slug pellets will not be sold by retailers, with a ban on outdoor use from spring 2020. This is because, according to the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and the Health and Safety Executive, they pose an unacceptable risk to birds and mammals. Gardeners, however, will be able to source traditional means of slug control such as physical traps, ferric phosphate pellets, nematodes and relatively new products such as SlugLess.
This product is made from sustainable organic straw and contains no chemical additives. Its spiky, dry surface deters slugs and snails but it also retains moisture, adds nutrients and suppresses weeds. For more information on this product visit: www.slugless.com
‘Sutton’ tomato, a popular variety from the Heritage Seed library (www.gardenorganic.org. uk/hsl), is now available as a plug plant from the Organic Gardening Catalogue. These large tomatoes have a pale yellow skin and a creamy flesh, and are best grown as a cordon. Expect fruit to grow to a weight of 175-225g (6-8oz). For more information visit: www. organiccatalogue.com
SWEET PEA WEEK AT EASTON
The annual Sweet Pea Week at Easton Walled Garden, Grantham, Lincolnshire is set for June 30-July 7. Sweet peas have been grown at Easton since 2011, starting with one row – this year, up to 50 varieties will be on display, including favourites from last summer’s trial beds. This year’s trials will focus on blue sweet peas with the aim of strengthening existing blue varieties. Visitors will find heritage, modern, scented, striped, flaked and bicolour sweet peas. For more information, visit: https:// www.visiteaston.co.uk
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WHAT’S NEW?
GO GREEN WITH ENVII Gardening brand Envii has recently introduced compostable plant-based packaging for its most popular garden and pond products as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to provide effective, sustainable choices. This includes Compost Accelerator, an organic additive that speeds up the composting process in as little as three weeks, and Sludge Klear. The latter is a natural, probiotic pond sludge removal treatment which works to create a better environment for a range of wildlife, including frogs. To find out more, go to envii.co.uk
INTRODUCING THE BARROBAG
A brand new product, the Barrobag is a garden tool bag which sits on the handles of a wheelbarrow. This way, you can carry tools, labels, ties and everything you need in the bag’s various pockets. With the large loop handles it will fit different size wheelbarrows. It measures 60 x 40 x 22cm (24in x 15¾ x 9½in) and is made from washable, 100% cotton canvas. Inventor Louise Henderson commented: “I invented the bag because I was fed up trying to find my garden tools under piles of weeds and muck. I lost count of the secateurs that I have thrown into the
With a reported increase of 29% in millennials enjoying gardening, new research conducted by Common Sense Gardening reveals that 81% grow produce to cook, with almost half growing tomatoes, strawberries, carrots and potatoes, and more than a quarter growing their own herbs. Reasons for this were given as: to improve well-being (60%), as a cheaper alternative (53%) and health (45%). The Common Sense Gardening initiative works to ensure the safety of garden care products and assists consumers with any of their gardening issues. “It provides gardeners with tips on the safe usage, storage and disposal of the garden products they use on a day-to-day basis, which helps to meet the growing environmental concerns of millennial and other gardeners alike,” said Gary Philpotts, chairman of the Common Sense Gardening initiative. The survey sample was comprised of 1003 UK adults aged 22-37 who do gardening or grow produce. Information on the Common Sense Gardening initiative can be found at: https://garden-care.org.uk
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The gardens of Highgrove House near Tetbury in Gloucestershire celebrate 25 years of opening to the general public this year and KG was invited for a sneak preview of what is in store for visitors this season. Highgrove has been the home of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales since 1980 and in that time he has turned the gardens surrounding it from a fairly blank canvas into a wonderful series of interlinking gardens, each with a distinctive character.
compost bins with the debris, only to discover them three years later!” For more on this visit: www.barrobag.co.uk
Spring is a great time to visit as the early bulbs are in full flower and the amazing topiary is freshly clipped. For kitchen gardeners August and October are said to be the best times, when the lovely walled kitchen garden is bursting with organic produce and when harvesting in the kitchen garden is in full swing. The gardens are open throughout the season and in addition to the standard garden tours, Highgrove offers supper tours and champagne tea tours on selected dates. Booking is essential – call 0333 222 4555 or visit www.highgrovegardeens.com
JUNE 2019 | 13
YOU
YOUR PLOT
STILL PLASTIC, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Being a rather elderly chap and gardening for many years, I am still using plastic seed trays, pots and labels that are well over 45 years old. They were well made and built to last. At Christmas my grandson asked what I wanted as a present. “Buy a large paper potter,” was my reply. I now use this to recycle my daily newspaper and the seedlings love it and are fantastic.
I still use my seed trays and then transfer the seedlings into the paper pots. Looking through various gardening catalogues I cannot understand why so-called recycled and organic items are so expensive. Brian Jenkin, Derbyshire TONY SAYS: That’s very impressive Brian. And now with the paper pots, a good combination.
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WASH AND REUSE!
In the tradition of reading the back page last, I’ve just read your excellent article on plastic. I’ve been a fan of washing and reusing my pots for years. I probably have way too many – my own, those I inherited at the allotment, and my late dad’s, as I couldn’t bear chucking them when I emptied his house and shed! I do like the idea of recycling centres for pots. Perhaps garden centres could be persuaded to take clean pots back to reuse, although I notice they often have the plant details printed on and labels can be hard to get off. Alyson Laydon, Sunderland
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,
14 | JUNE 2019
GREENHOUSE ONIONS
Living in the north west of England and having an allotment on very wet clay soil, I have never had much success with overwintering garlic and Japanese onions. So I decided to try growing them in one of my greenhouses toggether with a few spring cabbage. Mike Jones, Lancaster
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 E il your letters l tt to tflanagan@mortons. co.uk or post to Letters, Kitchen Garden, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR
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YOUR VIEWS
INSPIRATION FOR YOUNG AND OLD
EDITORIAL Tel 01507 529396, Fax 01507 371075
My son, Alex, now aged six, has loved planting fruit and veg from when he was very small. For his last birthday he received a copy of Kitchen Garden magazine as a present and has been so excited to plant the seeds and put his new knowledge into action. My husband dug him a small allotment in our garden and I have attached a photo of him getting his allotment ready for the season ahead. Thank you Kitchen Garden magazine for being such a great inspiration to both new and more experienced gardeners. Rachel Shepherd, Worcestershire
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GARDENING IN A NUTSHELL The things I sow don’t seem to grow, I’m very disenchanted. But oh, what luck I have with stuff I never even planted! Carol Casan, Devon TONY SAYS: Well that certainly sums up my gardening, Carol.
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HORNED MELON (KIWANO) ELMIGO: Kiwano or horned melon is a member of the cucumber family. They originally grow in Kalahari (Africa). Last year I bought two kiwano fruits and kept a lot of the seeds I found in there. All of them germinated successfully! Do you have any advice for growing kiwano fruits in our climate? Do they require more warmth than cucumbers? Do they require more water? GEOFF: I know nothing about them and have never heard of them, you will have to be a pioneer! ELMIGO: Never heard of kiwano either before I bought them in the stores, it tastes a bit like cucumber with a slight touch of banana and I believe it is a fruit. Looked up the internet and found that they can be used for garnish, in fruit salad, smoothies or just scoop out the fruits. MONIKA: If you Google kiwano or Cucumis metuliferus, there is a lot of information, including its cultivation, so good luck on growing them successfully!
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JUNE 2019 | 15
Give soft fruit plants that are fruiting a high-potash liquid feed (such as tomato food) every week now till fruiting starts to wane
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BATTLE OF THE BLEND It doesn’t take too much to get the Mudketeers excited but when they come across a good compost, they’re ready to somersault with joy. Fortunately, their sense of the possible quickly brings them back down to earth, or in this case compost. This month they’ve been sifting their fingers through this Vegetable Grower’s Blend which came in a 50-litre bag. Rich in specially blended organic matter, slow-release fertiliser and
phosphorous, it will feed plants for up to six weeks. Ideal for container growing! Marshalls Seeds have trialled this compost at their nursery for three years and are obviously very pleased with it. So which of the Muds is going to give it a go? Oh dear… Muds! Muds!!! Behave! To find out more about Vegetable Grower’s Blend, go to www.marshallsseeds.co.uk, tel: 0844 557 6700.
CORNISH CONUNDRUM
YOUTU B UR
While the other Muddies were hard at work, yours truly skived off on holiday to a very sunny Cornwall to see The Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project. I’d held a desire to see them for a very long time and was determined to make the trip this year. I’m sure that many of you will have seen them already; both are remarkable for the stories behind them and the amazing transformations that have taken place in a relatively short space of time – a real testament to the people behind the scenes driving these mammoth projects and just shows what can be done, given enough determination. Which did I like best? Well you can’t really compare them; Heligan with gorgeous old gardens dating back to at least the 17th century, complete with walled kitchen gardens and amazing old greenhouses; and Eden, the modern regeneration and repurposing of a barren china clay pit and now a hotspot of state-of-the-art horticultural research and conservation. What I do know is that I will be going back to both very soon.
16 | JUNE 2019
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