Rekindled » vegetables

Gardening Review of the Year 2009

rekindled — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:12:06 +0000

2009 has been a mixed bag for me in terms of gardening, but I think I have made a lot of progress. There have been several failures and one or two disasters, but lots of lessons learned, and handful of big successes. To be honest I have enjoyed myself either way. There is something about being out in the sunshine with your hands in the soil that you just can’t beat!

For me, the biggest success is that my garden looks much tidier and is much easier to work with than it was at the beginning of the year. I drafted in my husband to help and together we cleared all the existing beds and dug up a new one. I am finally free from planting in pots! I also pulled up some of the patio so now we even more space for growing vegetables. My first batch of homemade compost was ready and I have been spreading it over the beds (I am letting the weather and the worms do the hard work!) so hopefully the soil is gradually improving. I also installed a waterbutt and a second compost bin.

There were a few other highlights worth mentioning. The most surprising (I jumped out of my skin!) was finding a toad hiding in my potato planters! We have no idea where he came from, but he hung around for a couple of days and then disappeared again. In August, I was given an apple tree for my birthday, complete with 2 apples growing on it, which has now been planted in its new home. I also had fantastic crops of tomatoes, garlic and potatoes. I had grown tomatoes and potatoes last year, but it was my first time growing garlic this year and I was surprised how easy it was.

I have been busy experimenting as well. I got a mini-growhouse so I could start sowing seeds earlier in the year, which was fantastic. What was not so fantastic was when it blew over on a windy day and all the seedlings were scattered across the garden, so now I have a large bucket of stones on the bottom shelf acting as an anchor. Also after about mid-May it started to get too hot, and many seedlings just shrivelled up and died, so next year I will remember to take the cover off once the weather gets warmer. I also tried using lemonade bottles (with the bottoms cut off) as mini-cloches for seedlings that I had planted out. This helped to protect them from the weather as well as my cats and the army of slugs that live in my garden, and worked really well. I also found that loo rolls, cut in half across the middle, make great seedling pots.

There were also quite a lot of plants that completely failed. I won’t list them all (it’s a looong list!) but the main reasons were: being blown over in the mini-growhouse; being eaten by slugs; being dug up by my cats; and getting too hot in the mini-growhouse. I have dealt with 1 and 4 from the list now, and for number 2 I have found Slug Stop (white, non-toxic granules) works really well. Apart from the lemonade bottle cloches, I haven’t yet come up with a plan to protect plants from the cats, so this will be an aim for next year.

And finally, as I try and decide what seeds to order for this season, this is what I am planning/looking forward to (among other things) in 2010:

My first rhubarb harvest – planted this year, so a long wait!
Trying different varieties of tomatoes, especially plum and cherry varieties.
Apples from my apple tree.
Working out how to stop my cats digging everything up!
Being self-sufficient in garlic, having planted some of the bulbs from this summer’s harvest.

Autumn Gardening

rekindled — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:47:13 +0000

I’m afraid to say, summer is well and truly gone. My tomato plants have given up the ghost and the strawberries and peppers are soon to join the compost pile. Does this mean that I am turning my back on the garden for the winter? No way! This year I am going to try and grow some form of edible plant all year round.

So what can you grow when it gets cold and rainy? If in doubt head down to your local garden centre and see what vegetable seedlings they have for sale. If they are selling it now, it is safe to assume that you can plant it now! This is fantastic if you are a bit disorganised like me and didn’t think to start planting these seeds in the summer. These are some of the types of seedlings you are likely to find at the moment:

Broccoli
Spinach
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale and chard (a bit like spinach)
Leeks
Winter salad

I have planted some purple sprouting broccoli which I will leave over the winter and harvest in the spring, and while the plants are still tiny I have interplanted with spinach which can be harvested in as little as 4 – 8 weeks. I am also going to plant some of the garlic that I grew last year which is currently hanging in the shed, but that probably won’t go in the ground until November at the earliest.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Autumn is also a great time to start preparing for next year. The easiest way to do this is by applying a mulch like compost or well-rotted manure – just spread a nice thick layer over the soil and let the worms and the rain do their thing. You can put mulch around trees and perennial plants, or just put it all over any empty beds you’ve been using for annual plants. I’m using my first batch of homemade compost this year – it looks compost-y so I think it’s ready to use! You will also need to keep on top of the weeds unless you want to be faced with a jungle next spring.

So don’t despair, autumn’s arrival does not mean months of wistfully staring out of the window at an empty garden! There is still plenty to keep you busy.

Sustainable Gardening Tips

rekindled — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:51:52 +0000

Growing your own veg is undoubtedly better, for you and the planet, than buying them from the supermarket. However, the way you grow your vegetables also has its own effect on the environment. The obvious issue is whether to use chemicals (including fertilizers, weedkillers and pesticides) or whether to go organic. But beyond that, there are still ways you can reduce any negative impact from your vegetable plot. These sustainable and thrifty tips will help you save money and reduce waste.

Plant Pots

We all know that we should try to avoid using plastic bags – but what about plastic pots? Plastic plant pots are actually very difficult to recycle because of the variety of different types of plastic that they are made from, not to mention the number of different colours that are available. This is where the three R’s come into play. Firstly, instead of trying to recycle pots, simply reuse them, as many times as you can. Plastic is quite tough and long-lasting, which is one of the reasons why it is such a problem when it ends up in landfill, but when it comes to reusing, this makes it ideal.

You can also reduce the number of plastic pots you use by buying biodegradable pots like these fibre pots, or even making your own. For example, this year I am using loo roll tubes as seedling pots. They are an ideal size, you can write what you have planted straight onto the pot (instead of using plastic labels) and you can just plant them straight into the ground, as the cardboard will rot away, which will minimise root disturbance for the plant. Plus, you will already have a free supply of them, and if you need lots you can always ask your friends to save theirs for you. It’s a win-win situation for you and your plants! Just make sure you press the compost in well so that it doesn’t all fall out the bottom when you pick it up! Alternatively, you can use a loo roll tube and some newspaper to make your own Newspaper Plant Pots, which do have a bottom.

In addition you can also reuse any type of tray packaging as seed trays. In the picture shows I have used a tray from a ready meal and the lid from a punnet of fruit.

Composting

If you are growing anything in your garden, you will need compost at some point, either to fill containers and raised beds, or to use as a soil improver. Making your own compost is a great way of turning your garden and food waste into a valuable resource. It also requires minimal effort and it all happens a bit like magic! I chuck all my fruit, veg and garden waste into my compost bin, along with crushed eggshells, teabags and a bit of shredded paper (take that identity thieves!). I have a two bin system (pictured) which I have just set up. I have one bin to fill up and one bin to use up. Once the second bin is empty, I will empty the contents of the first bin into it, as a way of turning the compost. The only downside is that it does take a long time to get anything useable, but if you can be patient it is well worth it.

Water

Get a waterbutt and you will have a free supply of water all year round. You can also use greywater from washing up or baths and showers. There is absolutely no need to use tap water! Try to water plants in the evening instead of the middle of the day, as less water will evaporate when it is cooler, and so the plants will get more of a drink.

You can also increase the amount of moisture held naturally in the soil by using a mulch. This basically means putting some kind of physical barrier over the soil to stop the water from evaporating. It also has the added bonus of reducing weeds. There are loads of different mulches you can use. For example you can spread a thick layer of compost, woodchip or gravel over the soil. You can use sheets of cardboard or newspaper (remember to weigh it down with something). You can make holes in these and plant your veggies through the holes. You can also buy plastic sheets for the same purpose, but we won’t mention those here.

In addition, if you have managed to restrain yourself/been forbidden from digging up your entire garden, you might have a tiny patch of lawn left to look after. If you leave the grass to grow just a bit longer than usual before you mow it, and then leave the grass clippings on the lawn (to act as a mulch), then this will reduce the amount of water your lawn needs.

Cloches

A cloche is basically some kind of transparent cover used to protect young plants from cold weather, and help to extend the growing season. You could, of course, buy them, but they are generally made of plastic, and they also cost money. You can instead make your own free cloches by cutting the bottom off a 2-litre fizzy drinks bottle.

I did an experiment recently with some young tomato plants, and I’m not sure if it made any hugh difference to the plants in terms of having a higher temperature, but I did find that it offered some protection from the dreaded slugs, as well as my cats. Just be careful when you are taking them off; give them a bit of a wiggle before you pull them up, otherwise you risk pulling up the whole plant and killing it, like I did with one of these tomato plants.

What other tips do you have for sustainable/thrifty gardening?