Kitchen Garden April 2018

INCLUDING SECATEURS, FERTILISERS & SHOW TICKETS

WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK | APRIL 2018

BRITAIN'S BEST READ FOR FRUIT & VEG GROWERS

RHUBARB ROOKIES A-CLASS ASPARAGUS + SAVE £12 ON CROWNS

Sow peas for early pickings

Si & Dave talk veg GET THE MOST FROM ORIENTAL SALADS ★ GROW YOUR OWN CUPPA ★ REDUCE GARDEN PLASTIC

EDITOR’S LETTER

WELCOME Having struggled through a long, chilly UK winter, it’s always so good when the days become noticeably longer and obvious signs of spring can be seen around us. But for those of you who would like to warm things up a little more, we bring some flavours of the Mediterranean to KG this month with seven pages dedicated to Italian-themed crops.

Paolo Arrigo of venerable Italian seed company Seeds of Italy extols the virtues of some favourite old varieties, while KG regular Ben Vanheems explains how to grow your own wonderful Italian ingredients to make mouthwatering dishes that will remind you of holidays in hotter climates and hopefully too, of warmer gardening days to come.

We also travel further afield with some great advice from KG’s Tony Flanagan on growing oriental leaves, while fruit expert David Patch brings us down to earth with a three-page guide to growing that most traditional of British veg, rhubarb.

E

O ON DE O VI

CHANNEL

SEE THE

YOUTU B UR

@GrowWithKG

KitchenGardenUK

KitchenGardenMag

Steve Ott, editor Contact me at: sott@mortons.co.uk | 01507 529396 Find us at www.kitchengarden.co.uk Contact subscriptions: 01507 529529

@GrowWithKG

/kitchengardenmagazine

CHECK OUT OUR GREAT GIVEAWAYS AT WWW.KITCHENGARDEN.CO.UK www.kitchengarden.co.uk

APRIL 2018 | 3

CONTENTS

EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU GROW GREAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

40 ✪ ON THE COVER

10 YOU

YOUR PLOT

6 ON THE VEG PATCH Plant summer cabbages and early potatoes, sow winter brassicas, thin leek seedlings, tie in soft fruit, pollinate peaches

@GrowWithKG KitchenGardenUK

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE

KitchenGardenMag @GrowWithKG /kitchengardenmagazine FOR OUR CONTACT DETAILS TURN TO PAGE 15

Sow sweetcorn, tend to strawberries, install watering systems, earth-up potatoes, harden off courgettes

12 WHAT’S NEW? The latest news, comment and advice from the world of kitchen gardening

14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS Learn what other KG readers have been up to and pick up some great first-hand advice

18

20 KG PROBLEM SOLVER

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...

£20

ON PAGE 24 HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A COPY OF THIS MAGAZINE? Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month

4 | APRIL 2018

This month our experts solve your problems on peas, damsons, sprouts and more

114 NEXT MONTH

36 PASSIONATE PLOTTER 2017

Some of the highlights to be found in your May issue plus news of great free gifts

We visit runner-up Val Brown in Liverpool and tour her paradise plot

86 DIARY DATES See what’s on in your neck of the woods and make a note to book yourself on to a course or visit a great event

110 LAST WORD ✪ We chat to Si and Dave, aka The Hairy Bikers, and discover what fires their love of simple Mediterranean food and ingredients

80 www.kitchengarden.co.uk

APRIL 2018

106 Scan this, and we’ll tell you!

92 This month chef Anna Pettigrew brings us delicious recipes for rhubarb, sorrel and parsnips ✪

45

Pg 106

GET GROWING 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE THREE MUDKETEERS This month the intrepid trio launch the great potato bag experiment and ask you to join in the fun

18 FLOWERS FOR YOUR PATCH Fireworks for your veg plot; KG’s Tony Flanagan sings the praises of dahlias

26 HERBS UNLIMITED

54 VIVA L’ITALIA ✪ KG regular Ben Vanheems has all the practical advice you need to grow your own classic Italian dishes

60 TEA’S UP ✪ Sally Cunningham looks at the possibilities of growing that essential fortifier – a fresh brew!

64 STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR PLOT

Gardening expert Martin Fish travels to North Yorkshire to discover a nursery specialising in growing fresh herbs and dazzling edible flowers

The 2016 winners of our Passionate Plotter competition, John and Karen Ashcroft, show us how their plot has progressed

32 GOING JAPANESE ✪

Our resident fruit expert David Patch takes an in-depth look at that iconic British veg, rhubarb, and offers some great growing tips

We look at some fast-growing oriental veggies that can fill your salad bowl within 3-4 weeks of sowing

40 KEEP THOSE PODS POPPING ✪ Veg expert Rob Smith takes a look at some of the many types of peas we can grow on our plots to provide season-long pickings

45 GROW A POULTRY GARDEN Biodynamic gardener Julie Moore has some ideas to help cut the cost of keeping chickens on your plot

50 SEEDS OF ITALY ✪ Author and expert in Italian cuisine and ingredients Paolo Arrigo reveals his favourite varieties to bring a taste of the Med to your garden www.kitchengarden.co.uk

71 MAKE ROOM FOR RHUBARB ✪

76 STAY FUR & FEATHER FREE

36 WHAT TO BUY 22 INSTANT SAVERS This month save 10% on seeds, raised beds, fruit and plant supports

84 SAVE £12 ON ASPARAGUS PLANTS! ✪ 85 GARDEN STORE More great new products and services to help to boost your harvests

KG editor Steve Ott looks at ways to keep the local wildlife, and pets, away from your crops

96 TRIED AND TESTED – SNAIL CONTROLS ✪

80 SPEARS OF JOY ✪

This month we test a range of popular chemical-free slug and snail deterrents

Our growing guide to delicious asparagus

88 TOP 10 WAYS TO REDUCE PLASTIC IN THE GARDEN ✪ Deputy editor Emma Rawlings looks at ways to reduce and recycle gardening plastic

92 MAKE A FOLDING GREENHOUSE BENCH Make this space-saving bench for your greenhouse or polytunnel

100 GREAT READER OFFERS ✪ Claim your free* strawberry collection plus save on blueberries, raspberries, artichokes and patio fruit (*Just pay p&p)

102 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH OVER £2704 ✪ This month you could win secateurs, show tickets, pest controls, gardening shoes and boots, seaweed fertiliser and more APRIL 2018 | 5

TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH IN APRIL BY MARTIN FISH

THIN OUT LEEK SEEDLINGS Leek seed that was sown last month in plug trays should now have germinated and the seedlings should be making good growth.

Where there’s more than one seedling per cell, carefully thin them out to a single plant, leaving the strongest one to grow on and establish.

APPLY FERTILISER April is when many vegetables are sown or planted into the plots. To give them a good start I apply a general fertiliser such as Growmore, blood, fish and bone or pelleted poultry pellets, sprinkled over the area and lightly raked in 7-10 days before sowing or planting.

CHECK FOR ‘BIG BUD’ Check blackcurrant bushes for signs of ‘big bud’ which is spread by a gall mite. Infected buds are easy to recognise and are large and round instead of slim and pointed. The mites spread reversion virus, so if large buds are spotted pick them off and burn.

PLANT OUT BROAD BEANS Broad bean plants raised in cell trays and sown in late winter can be planted out into the garden where they will soon settle in and make new growth.

Plant out in single or double rows and keep watered in dry weather to help the new roots grow and establish.

www.kitchengarden.co.uk

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

PLANT SUMMER CABBAGES STEP 1: Young plants of summer cabbages can be planted into the garden now to grow on. If you haven’t grown your own from seed, there is still time, or very often you can buy plants from nurseries or garden centres. Plant out in ground that has been fertilised and firmed, spacing the plants about 30-45cm (12-18in) apart, depending on the type you are growing. Firm the roots and water to help settle the plants.

STEP 2: If cabbage root fly is a problem in your garden, it pays to protect the new plants straight away by fitting a collar around the base of the plant. This acts as a physical barrier and prevents the flies from laying eggs on the soil at the base of the stem. You can buy collars, or cut out circles 10-12.5cm (45in) in diameter from cardboard, felt matting or thick polythene.

STEP 3: Pigeons can also be a serious pest and if the plants are not protected, they will soon be pecked and destroyed. A low frame of chicken wire over the plants will keep the birds off until established.

Once the plants start to grow and push up the wire, I remove it and replace straight away with insect-proof mesh that will protectt the plants from cabbagge white butterfl flies over summeer.

To help young strawberry plants build up their strength, pinch off the flowers for the first season. This diverts energy into leaf and root growth and next year they will produce a bumper crop of fruits.

PLANT EARLY POTATOES For the majority of the UK, April is the main month for planting first early potatoes, although in very mild areas, planting can start in March.

There’s no point trying to fight nature and plant too early in cold soil as the tubers will simply sit there until soil temperatures rise. Ideally, the tubers will have been chitted and are showing healthy, short growths, which will give them a head start when planted.

The ground should be well prepared by forking it through and working in some wellrotted compost or manure to retain moisture. Plant the chitted tubers around 10-15cm (4-6in) deep and space them around 40-45cm (16-18in) apart in the rows. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

SOW WINTER BRASSICAS IN TRAYS Now is the perfect time to start sowing seeds of all the winter brassicas such as Brussels sprouts, kale, purple sprouting broccoli and winter cabbages. The aim is to have young plants to plant in the garden in early summer.

This gives the brassicas a long growing season to establish before the weather turns cooler in

autumn. A very convenient way to raise the seedlings is to sow the seeds into cell trays.

This way you can easily control exactly how many plants you want and there is no root disturbance when you plant out in the garden.

Sow a single seed per cell and germinate in a cold frame or cold greenhouse.

SOW NOW

Onions, lettuce, salad leaves, broad beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, autumn and winter cabbage, savoy, carrots, parsnips, radish, leeks, spring onions, spinach, turnips, beetroot, chard. (Under cover sow: dwarf French beans, sweetcorn, marrows, courgettes).

PLANT NOW

Onion sets, shallots, rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, early potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, strawberries.

HARVEST

Kale, leeks, spring greens, forced rhubarb APRIL 2018 | 7

GET GROWING

PROTECT AND POLLINATE EARLY BLOSSOM ■ Check lettuce and other salads growing under cloches and in warm weather lift the covers and water the p plants.

Peaches and apricots blossom early in the growing season, and some types of plums and pears also flower early, making them susceptible to frost damage.

April can be a cold month, with northerly winds and any fruit blossom will need protecting on frosty nights. Where the trees are trained against a wall

or fence they will get g some protection, but to be b sure, it’s a good idea to covver them over with a couple of layers yers of fleece in late afternoon when a frost is forecast. Cold winds and lack of bees and insects can also be a problem, so to ensure a good fruit set on very early fruits such as peaches and apricots use a

TIE IN SOFT FRUIT STEMS

■ Sow beetroot in shallow drills. Most types of beetroot contain several seeds in a cluster, so when sowing, sow as thinly as possible to prevent overcrowding.

■ Onion sets can be planted out into well-prepared ground.

Plant the sets about 10-15cm (4-6in) apart so that the tip of the small bulb is just visible over soil level.

■ It’s still too cold to sow courgettes and marrows outside into the garden, but the seeds can be started off in cell trays in a cold greenhouse or polytunnel, as long as it’s frost free.

■ Apply a mulch of wellrotted manure of garden compost around the bases of soft fruit bushes such as blackcurrants and gooseberries. This will seal in moisture and reduce weed growth.

8 | APRIL 2018

Blackberries, loganberries, tayberries and all the other hybrid berries make long vigorous growth through the summer. It’s the long stems that grew last summer that will flower and fruit this yyear.

If not already done e, the old, fruited stems need cutting g back to ground level, and the new w stems for this yearr should be tied to wires to space them apart and to o help keep them under control.

small, soft paintbrush to handpollinate. Do this on a sunny day when the flowers are fully open by gently dabbing the centre of the flowers to transfer pollen from one flower to another.

START POTTED HERBS INTO GROWTH P Perennial herbs such as sage, chives, rrosemary, thyme, mint and marjoram eeither die down in winter or their ggrowth slows down and the plant bbecomes dormant. At this time of the yyear, as the temperatures gradually sstart to warm up, new growth will aappear. When this happens, start tto give plants growing in pots and ccontainers a little more water and feed with a general fertiliser to encourage w ffresh, new growth.

FORCED RHUBARB Established clumps of rhubarb that were covered over with a forcing pot or old dustbin back in January or February should be starting to provide tender sticks of pink rhubarb. Forcing is a really easy way to get an early crop and to extend the growing season. Forced clumps are normally at least two or three weeks ahead of the outside crop and the forced sticks have a delicious, delicate flavour. By the time you’ve finished pulling the last of the forced rhubarb, the outdoor, unforced clumps will be ready to start on.

In theory, any variety of rhubarb can be forced into early growth by excluding light, although for an early crop it is best to choose early varieties

such as ‘Timperley Early’, ‘Champagne’ and ‘Grandad’s Favourite’.

These naturally start into growth earlier in the season than a late variety such as ‘Victoria’, but late crops started into growth under a forcing pot will still produce lovely forced stalks.

The secret with harvesting forced rhubarb is to do it little and often and to cover over the clump again as quickly as possible. It only takes a few minutes of light to affect growth and for the very pale pink sticks to start developing more colour.

Once the stalks have all been pulled (never cut rhubarb as the short stumps can rot into the crown), allow the clump to carry on growing through the summer

months without any more stalks being pulled.

This gives the clump time to recover and helps it start to build up its reserves again. Ideally, a clump shouldn’t be forced for two years on the run as it does have a weakening effect. If you intend to force rhubarb every spring you really need two or

better still three clumps so that you can force them in rotation.

Rhubarb is a greedy plant and in spring it will benefit greatly from a feed of general fertiliser sprinkled around the base of the plants. This applies to all clumps, forced or growing naturally in the garden. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

WITH JOYCE RUSSELL Pictures by Ben Russell

A NEW GREENHOUSE ■ Be organised and take good care of small plants

■ Start fennel, sprouts, broccoli, kale etc. for growing on outdoors

■ Buy healthy young tomato plants if you haven’t raised any yourself

■ Plant tomatoes at the end of the month if weather permits

■ There’s still time to sow cucumbers, melons and basil ■ Sow sweetcorn, pumpkins, French beans, spinach and salad

10 | APRIL 2018

■ Replace old or torn polytunnel covers on a warm day and before the tunnel fills up with summer plantings ■ Ventilate and water with care

A sloping garden can be a challenge when it comes to installing a greenhouse, but there are ways to make this possible. A polytunnel is more forgiving than a rigid greenhouse: glass is usually designed to fit into right angle frames and if these sheer sideways at all, then excess pressure may break glass.

A polytunnel can work on a shallow slope if this runs along the length. Ensure frame sections are vertical and not at right angles to the slope.

Polythene can be stretched to fit and the internal layout should be organised to prevent soil travelling downwards.

Of course, if you level the site – either by digging back into the slope, or by building a raised structure out from it – this simplifies the installation of any greenhouse. This can be an expensive option however, and thought needs to be given to the visual impact. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

JOBS THIS MONTH

SWEETCORN If plants don’t produce good cobs outdoors where you live, then try growing some plants in the greenhouse. Sowing a single variety is the simplest way to avoid cross-pollination (which can lead to poorly filled cobs). There are plenty to choose from, but some personal favourites are ‘Lark’, ‘Ovation’, ‘Double Standard’ and ‘Bodacious RM’.

Sow individual seeds in Rootrainers or deep pots. Roots shouldn’t be restricted at any point and potting on should be kept to a minimum.

Keep at 20C (68F) until seedlings are up and then you can drop the temperatures to 15-18C

■ Cucumbers and aubergines can grow fast now. Put them into large pots even when they seem small: this avoids several stages of potting on and reduces root disturbance.

(59-64F). Sweetcorn plants are thirsty, but don’t leave young plants in soggy compost. Reduce watering, increase ventilation and maintain steady temperatures if small plants start to flop.

GREENHOUSE GADGETS: SIMPLE WATERING SYSTEMS There are plenty of cheap options for pipe that drips or seeps water out on to the soil. These are good when used round thirsty plants. The pipe usually has a universal fitting that will clip on to the corresponding male/female fitting on the end of garden hose or a tap.

In the simplest system, without any automated programming option, you turn the tap on and leave water to soak into the bed. You are in control of turning the tap on and off, so set an alarm if you are likely to forget. Check timing against flow and dampness achieved: you will soon establish an easy routine for watering.

PLANTING OUT It may seem easier to get large plants into the ground than to keep potting them on into larger pots, but no plant likes to be moved directly from a warm environment into the chill of an unheated greenhouse. Know your plants and know your environment! Courgettes and tomatoes may be fine in the border at the end of April; peppers, melons and aubergines will need added heat for a few more weeks.

Days can be warm, but nights seldom are, so move plants in stages so they can acclimatise.

It may take a week or so before plants are hardened off enough to plant in the border soil; even then, it is wise to cover them with bubble wrap, garden fleece, or a cloche on cold nights. g

STRAWBERRIES ERRIES There should be plen nty of flowers on greenhou use plants and there willl be plenty of green fruits too by the end d of the month. Keep compost damp and use a liquid feed every 7-10 days, so fruits can swell to full fleshy ripeness.

A tomato feed that is i high in potash workks well for strawberries. You u may need to net any ripening fruit against birds: use a largish mesh size so pollinators can still gain access.

TOMATO PLANTING TIME The last week of April is a good time to get tomatoes into growbags, large pots, or border soil. This date may push into May in northern gardens, or may be a bit earlier if you live in the milder south.

Choose healthy young plants and provide a cane or string for supporting tall varieties.

Soak the soil well a few days in advance and add plenty of compost plus a scatter of organic fertiliser to planting holes. www.kitchengarden.co.uk

■ Give growing bags a good shake to loosen compost before use. Soak the contents well, then roll the bag over and make a few holes in the bottom before planting up. The holes allow drainage and avoid a stagnant root run. Roots will grow through to find more nutrients if the bag is placed on border soil.

■ Soil can be dry in raised beds and borders that have been left clear for months.

It’s important to get water down into deeper levels and not just soak the surface layer. Dig large planting holes for tomatoes and courgettes, or dig trenches for peas, beans etc. Fill these with water and allow this to drain. Repeat a couple of times until a dry bed is reh hydrated and ready for pla anting again.

■ Sow a couple of extra cu ucumbers this month in case earlier plants fail. e ■ Earth up potatoes in buckets. First roots may be ready at the end of the month and they will turn green if exposed to light.

VENTILATION

It’s still too early to leave doors and windows open at night, but make sure you open them up as soon as temperatures start to rise with sunlight.

It can get very hot in an April greenhouse and small plants can be in stress conditions at 35C (95F). Don’t leave everything shut if you are out for the day; even if the forecast is poor, conditions can change. Keep air moving if you can and remember: it’s seldom a mistake to ventilate!

APRIL 2018 | 11

YOU

YOUR PLOT

WHAT’S NEW? ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING

IT’S SHOW TIME! One of the highlights of this year’s Harrogate Spring Flower Show will be Shed Talk, a chance for visitors to share the highs and lows of their growing year and to get their queries answered by the Shed Talk team.

There will also be an avenue of newly designed show gardens, offering inspiration and innovation; flower arranging displays courtesy of countrywide National

RAISING CHICKENS If you’ve thought of keeping chickens, you might want to take a look at Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow, recently released in its fourth edition.

This is a comprehensive reference book, which has been providing excellent guidance to poultry keepers for more than 20 years. Now updated and redesigned, it includes details on shelter, food, health care, eggs, chicks and meat – basically, all you need to know. It also explores recent research into chicken behaviour and communication.

With new colour photos and illustrations, this is packed with information for wannabe and established chicken keepers alike.

Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens is published by Storey Publishing at £18.99.

Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) flower clubs; celebrity chefs in the food theatre – plus fun activities for the children, music, food, crafts, gifts and great garden shopping.

And don’t miss, of course, the Kitchen Garden Live area – for talks, demonstrations and expert advice on fruit and veg from the KG team and guests.

The Harrogate Spring Flower Show takes place from April 26-29, at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. Visit www.flowershow.org. uk for further information and to buy your tickets online.

SUNBELIEVABLE!

Why not add a touch of the Orient to your cooking this year by sowing some lemongrass?

This tropical plant is high in iron and will give that Thai curry its lemony zing. You can even make lemongrass tea by boiling the roots for five minutes or so – serve hot or chilled!

Those of you who like to add a big splash of colour to the garden will be interested in Thompson & Morgan’s new sunflower, ‘Sunbelievable’. It flowers continuously from June until the first frosts and during trials last year the plants were still blooming in late November, with more than 1000 flowers produced on each plant during the growing season. ‘Sunbelievable’ is the product of eight years of work by T&M’s breeding team.

Head plant breeder Charles Valin’s vision was to breed a sunflower that was long-flowered and which could be used and enjoyed as a bedding plant as well as in containers.

“I was always disappointed by the garden performance of traditional pot sunflowers,” said Charles. “So I aimed to create a new hybrid that would not set seed and would therefore carry on flowering all summer long.”

‘Sunbelievable’ is available for delivery from April this year costing £14.99 for a 9cm (3½in) potted plant or £19.99 for two 9cm (3½in) potted plants (saving £9.99). 0844 573 1818, www.thompson-morgan.com/sunbelievable

DO YOU HAVE SOME HOT STORIES FOR OUR NEWS PAGES? SEND THEM TO TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK 12 | APRIL 2018

www.kitchengarden.co.uk