The Vegetable Garden in February

Jobs to do in the vegetable garden or allotment in February. Click the links to find out more about gardening tasks and specific vegetables.

Seeds to sow indoors in a heated greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill:

• Greenhouse Cucumbers
• Leeks
• Onions
• Greenhouse Tomatoes

Seeds to sow outdoors where they are to grow. Check that the soil is workable and not too cold. A couple of weeks before sowing your seed cover the patch of soil with horticultural fleece or polythene sheets to help warm it up then just before sowing prepare the soil:

• Peas
• Broad Beans
• Radishes
• Turnip

Plants to plant outside in the ground. Before planting seedlings prepare the soil:

• Shallots
• Rhubarb

Other tasks to do in the vegetable garden:

• Dig over the soil if it is not too wet or cold
• Cover establishd Rhubarb to force an early crop
• Chit Seed Potatoes
• Check for wind damage

 

The Vegetable Garden in January

Jobs to do in the vegetable garden or allotment in January. Click the links to find out more about gardening tasks and specific vegetables.

Seeds to sow indoors in a heated greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill:

• Leeks
• Onions
• Greenhouse Tomatoes

Seeds to sow outdoors where they are to grow. Check that the soil is workable and not too cold. A couple of weeks before sowing your seed cover the patch of soil with horticultural fleece or polythene sheets to help warm it up then just before sowing prepare the soil:

• Radishes

Plants to plant outside in the ground. Before planting seedlings prepare the soil:

• Rhubarb

Other tasks to do in the vegetable garden:

• Dig over the soil if it is not too wet or cold
• Cover establishd Rhubarb to force an early crop

 

Allotment Progress in Pictures

A photographic diary of the progress on our Allotment in Knotty Ash, Liverpool.

1st February 2012 – most of the allotment is dormant at the moment but the Broad Beans sown early autumn are doing well as are the Sweet Peas, Onions and Garlic. Quite pleased with progress as this is the first time I’ve grown crops over the winter. We also still have potatoes in the ground which, so far, haven’t been eaten or rotted off so we should have them available up to the next set of crop. George at the allotment has his seed potatoes available so bought a bag of Maris Piper which are now chitting in the shed.
4th October 2011 – at this time of year there isn’t a lot going on at the allotment. We still have potatoes in the ground and hopefully they will be OK for a few weeks yet. The pumpkins and squashes are still doing well and should be a nice size for Halloween. The recent sunshine will have done them a power of good but I have now covered them to keep the worst of the weather off them for the rest of the month. The peppers and chillies in the greenhouse are just ripening and will probably be over by the end of next week. Pleased with the crop. I have harvested most of the ripe chillies and have pickled them to preserve them over the winter. I am still waiting for my onion sets and garlic bulbs to arrive so I can plant them out for a spring harvest. I have also sown a few salad leaves to see if I can get another crop before winter truly sets in.
20th July 2011 – The main star on the allotment at the moment has to be the pumpkins and squash. They have tripled in size in the last three weeks and have flowered wonderfully. I’m not sure how many fruits there are but more than enough for us as long as I can stop them rotting off. I’ve lifted as many as possible onto beds of straw so hope that will do. Potatoes continue to do well and are beginning to die back, good harvest again today. Also harvested quite a lot of tomatoes, a lettuce, another beetroot and a good sized bouquet of fragrant sweet peas.
18th June 2011 – the salad and veg under our netting is doing really well and we have harvested some lettuce and carrots already. We have planted more strawberries in this tunnel but will move them into the fruit cages next year. The pumpkin seedlings have been thinned and are doing well, I suspect I’ve planted the pumpkins too close together but I’ll worry about that later. The new rhubarb have been planted, two are doing well but one is still dormant and may even be dead. The potatoes are all doing well but we are quite a way off harvesting I suspect. All the fruit trees have settled in well and the gooseberries, blueberries and strawberries are all fruiting. We’ve managed to harvest a few strawberries already and there are lots left. The tomatoes, peppers and chillis have been repotted into larger pots and are looking really healthy. The tomatoes are flowering so as long as we keep on top of the watering they should produce a good crop of fruit. Just hoping the greenhouse is hot enough for the peppers and chillis. Some of the roof felt was blown off the shed roof a couple of weeks ago and the rain has been getting into the shed. Allan managed to replace some of it on Wednesday before the heavens opened! We’ve still not finished painting the shed which we must do before winter. We also need to put some guttering up to stop the rain dripping down the sides of the shed.
19th April 2011 – The skeleton of the fruit cages is up, we just need to attach the netting but there’s no rush to do that. We’ve planted the Walnut Tree and under planted with some strawberries and gooseberry bushes. The Cherry and Plum Trees will go into the same bed along with more strawberries and blueberry bushes. Anything low growing will go under the trees. We think there will be enough light. The Asparagus bed has been planted up and the first spears are poking though as you can see below. Next to the Asparagus we have a general growing bed which currently contains Garlic, Lettuce, Carrots and Spring Onions, the Onions will go in next along with some Beetroot. The next bed is growing Rhubarb, Squash and Pumpkins and the final bed is for potatoes. The next row only has one bed at the moment which needs digging over, once this is done we will put in some Tomatoes and Brassicas we think. As well as sowing seed and planting out we have also painted the shed a fetching green colour and begun to add netting supports to the beds.
February 2011 – Three tonne of top soil delivered and used to fill up the 4 raised beds nearest to the shed. Garlic planted in one bed along with some carrot seeds sown. Furthest bed is to be used for the asparagus which is currently at Allans garden. Allan also built two new raised beds which will be used as fruit cages.
December 10th 2010. Allan and I built the shed on one of the coldest days of the year. Once complete we lined it with insulation material and added some flooring to help keep it clean and dry. Shelves are now in.
May 2010. The base had been laid by Allan and his father in law and Allan is now building the greehouse. Three beds already built and poly down to keep the weeds away.
June 2009. Allotment is ours and we’re marking out the positions for the shed, greenhouse, beds etc.

 

 

 

Read more about the progress of our allotment.

How to Grow Asparagus

This amazing vegetable is famously known for its gourmet taste, delicate flavour and unique texture and it is possible to grow it in your own garden.

You need to have a lot of patience with this vegetable as it takes a considerable amount of time to mature but the good news is that asparagus is a perennial vegetable which means they can stay productive for up to 20 years.

Gardening Direct have produced an easy step by step guide to help you start growing this great vegetable in your garden.

Asparagus  Click here for Asparagus Troubles
Sowing Time	Planting Time	Soil	Spacing	Cutting / Lifting Time	Storage	Cooking
Ferny foliage in summer but grown for its young shoots (spears) which appear in the spring. Will take two years for the first crop. Plant one year old crowns. Can be grown from seed but takes three years for cropping to begin. Plants will live for 8 to 20 years. Cut down stems in autumn. Do not remove spears during the first year. In the second year, once the spears are 4-5 ins they should be cut about 3 ins below the soil surface. Stop cutting mid June to allow the spears to develop for next year.
Mid March to end April	Mid March to end April	Soil type is not important as long as it is well drained and in a sunny, sheltered position.	Spread the crowns out over a 3ins deep mound in an 8ins deep trench about 12ins wide. Cover with 2ins soil and fill the trench gradually	Mid April to mid June	Will keep in a food bag in the fridge for up to three days but best to eat within an hour of cutting. Can be frozen.	Wash the spears and peel away the skin below the tips. Keep in a bowl of cold water until all spears are prepared. Tie into a bundle with string and trim the ends to level the bundle. Place upright in a pan of boiling, salted water. Cover and boil for 10-15 mins. Drain and serve. Alternatively steam.

Where should I plant my Asparagus?

Asparagus requires a lot of space to grow and flourish, so the ideal location would be a sunny, sheltered spot in a large garden or allotment space that is well sheltered from the wind but they can be grown in a raised bed to help provide the best conditions. Do not try to grow asparagus in pots, in clay soil or in shaded places.

When should I plant my Asparagus?

The best time to plant asparagus crowns is early April as long as the soil is not too cold or wet. Seeds should be sown during April.

How do I plant my Asparagus?

Good drainage is essential so dig over the area thoroughly during the autumn incorporating well rotted manure or garden compost. If your soil is on the acid side you may need to add some lime. Remove all weeds, weed roots and stones and leave it over the winter. In spring fork over the area and rake in a general fertiliser.

For the best results buy one year old crowns just before you are ready to plant; never let then dry out whilst you are waiting to plant them. Dig a trench approximately 30 cm wide and 20 cm in depth. Down the centre of the trench create a mound approximately 10cm high and place your Asparagus crowns along the top of the mound, making sure the plants don’t touch. Cover the crowns with 5cm of sifted soil and gradually fill in the trench as the plants grow. By autumn the trench should be level with the surrounding soil.

Keep the site weed free and provide support if needed.

How do I grow Asparagus from seed?

Growing Asparagus from seed is not the best way to raise a crop as it can take three years before harvesting can begin.

Sow seed thinly in 3cm deep drills about 30cm apart; thin seedlings to 15cm when they are about 7cm high. The strongest seedlings can be planted out in their final position the following spring.

When can I harvest Asparagus?

Harvesting Asparagus must not begin until the second year after planting; by this time the spears should have reached a height of 12cm. The ideal time to cut asparagus is during May and don’t cut after Mid June as the spears need time to develop reserves for next year.

Using a sharp, serrated kitchen knife or a special asparagus knife, cut 7cm below the soil surface. Don’t let the spears get too tall before cutting.

Asparagus Troubles
Trouble	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention
Asparagus Beetle	Stems and leaves are eaten.	Spray with liquid Derris	None
Frost	Crop turns black and dies	None	Cover the crop with fleece if frost is expected
Rust	Reddish-brown sports appear on leaves during the summer.	Remove and burn affected shoots as soon as spots appear	None
Slugs	Spears are eaten.	Sprinkle area with slug pellets or add nematodes to your soil	Keep area clear of rubbish
Spindly Spears	Thin shoots produced instead of the usual thick spears.	None	Usually caused by cutting too long into the season. Don’t harvest after mid June.
Violet Root Rot	Roots covered with purple mould, leaves turn yellow and die.	If bad start again in a new site and don’t grow root crops in the same area. If possible isolate healthy plants.	None
Wind Rock	In exposed sites roots are loosened which can lead to rotting.	None	Provide support to stems or build windbreaks around the site

 

Vegetable Pests and Diseases

I’ve just uploaded an article to HubPages on Vegetable Pests and Diseases.

This is a comprehensive article giving lots of detail on how to deal with most garden pests and diseases which affect vegetables. Most vegetables are covered but if you need specific information about a particular crop either drop me a line and I’ll add it to the article.

I have also produced this article in PDF format for you to download, keeping it handy to refer to: Vegetable Pests and Diseases Easy Guide

To open this file you need Adobe Reader. This is a free application which may already be on your computer. If it isn’t you can download a copy for free here.

Take a look at me article and leave me your comments. Thanks.

 

Gardening Articles

Do you love your garden but not sure of the best way to prune your clematis, propagate plants for next year, make the best of your lawn or produce good quality compost?

If so then take a look at our gardening articles which we are sure will be useful to you. These articles are aimed at beginners and are written in the most simplistic way possible but if you require personal advice you can complete our Advice Form and we will email our response as quickly as possible.

• Aquatic Gardening, Ponds and Aquatic Plants
• Building Projects in the Garden
• Butterflies
• Composting in the Garden and the Kitchen
• Cut Flowers; Growing and Care
• Flowers and Plants
• Fruit and Vegetables
• Garden Birds and Wildlife
• Garden Maintenance Tasks
• Gardening for Children
• Green Gardening
• Greenhouse Gardening
• Lawn Care and Maintenance
• Outdoor Living
• Pests and Diseases
• Poisonous Plants
• Pruning
• Safety in the Garden
• Soil and Soil Improvement
• Types of Plants
• Weeds

My Onions are Bolting

Question:

Some of my onions, which were planted from sets, are starting to form seed heads. Is it better to leave them alone, cut off seed heads and leave or should I just lift and use these onions.

Answer:

The only thing you can do at this stage is to cut off the flower stalk about two inches above the bulbs. When the onion develops use the ones that bolted first as they won’t store as well as the others. To avoid this next year buy heat treated onion sets as they are resistant to bolting.

Urban gardening for kids – Denise Van Outen shows you how to make your children green fingered

Spring has sprung and the weather is finally good enough to get outside in the garden. But even if you don’t have a large outdoor space, there are ways for everyone in the family to become green fingered.

Whether you use a window box, a pot or a flower bed getting the children involved means that not only will they be entertained, but they will also have something they own and can be proud of.

If you choose to grow fruit or vegetables they will also learn where food comes from. Start with something easy like tomatoes or herbs and if you would prefer to grow flowers, sunflowers are an easy option. Your children can also measure their growth, providing unlimited enjoyment throughout the summer months. Just make sure that you and your children water daily, and pinch some of the leaves to encourage new buds.

In the following video Denise Van Outen and some very green helpers show you how to get started along with tips for successful planting.

http://www.linkto.tv/iframe/show/uuid/Fhar3Q36Xu0

For more information visit www.npower.com/climatecops

If your child’s school is in need of a green makeover then check out the npower Climate Cops Green Fingers competition.  The competition gives urban city schools who teach 4-7 year olds the chance to win a ‘Greener Learning Space’ for their school worth £5,000, as well as a set of 6 gardening tool kits, aprons and watering cans to help pupils enjoy gardening.

Headteachers should visit www.npower.com/climatecops and follow the link to enter the competition.

Make your own Compost

Composting can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it and the best part is that it can consist of any organic material that we all have access to every single day from the lawn, the garden, and the kitchen.

You can even re-cycle the leaves which fall during Autumn to make wonderful leafmould which is an ideal soil improver.

Compost is what happens when leaves, grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, woodchips, straw, and small twigs are combined, then allowed to break down into a soil-like texture. Compost introduces and feeds diverse life in the soil, including bacteria, insects, worms, and more which support vigorous plant growth.

Compost is multi-faceted but not intended as a fertilizer. It offers only a relatively low proportion of nutrients, yet what it does is close to magical. In its finished form as mulch, it reduces evaporation, reduces or prevents weed growth, and insulates the soil from extreme temperature changes. Mulch also keeps the upper inches of the soil cooler in daytime and warmer at night.

Regardless of the particular ingredients, making compost is akin to making bread or beer; soil-digesting bacteria like yeasts need warmth, moisture, air and something to feed on to keep them alive and growing. Almost all of the practical problems associated with making compost stem from too much or too little of those basic factors.

Compost is created from layers of grass clippings, leaves, weeds, kitchen scraps and, if available, farm animal manure. If you have meat eaters in your home, don’t use their meat scraps as they will attract rodents. Also, do not use litter from your dog or cat; it doesn’t break down properly and contains too many pathogens.

Over the years, composting has gotten a reputation for being a time-consuming job, but this is not necessarily the case. You don’t need to build a big box or turn the pile every so often. A barrel, a hole in the ground or a pile on top of the ground is satisfactory.

The important requirement is to be sure the waste material is covered with soil, so it doesn’t attract rats, other rodents or flies. You can build your layers directly on the ground, without any frame at all; if you use a container, be sure it is well ventilated.

The trick to successful compost is balancing ingredients high in nitrogen; fresh grass clippings, other fresh, green plant matter, most kitchen scraps – with those high in carbon; leaves, straw, dried grass, washed eggshells, wheat germ or other milled grains that have become too rancid or old to use, and any dried, brown plant matter. Too much nitrogenous matter yields an anaerobic, smelly pile. Too much carbonaceous matter results in a pile that never heats up. The ideal ratio is one part nitrogen to three parts carbon.

Start with a layer of small twigs, no large branches, a couple of inches deep; this will help your pile to breathe. Then, keeping in mind the 1 to 3 ratio of nitrogen to carbon, add a layer of mixed plant material. You may enrich the pile with horse or cow manure. These materials don’t break down; they simply add nutrients to the final product. Then lightly water the pile so it’s evenly moist. Too much water will interfere with aeration; too little water and the pile won’t ferment. If your pile sits in the open, you should cover it if heavy rains are forecast. An 8-inch layer of straw mulch spread over the top of the pile serves the same purpose.

Alternate layers until the pile is 5 feet high by 5 feet wide by whatever length you choose. A properly made pile that is loosely packed and well aerated will reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees within a few days. It should smell like wet hay. If the pile fails to heat up, pull it apart and redo it by adding layers of fresh green matter. If the pile becomes anaerobic (is too wet to aerate), pull it apart, let it dry out, use it as mulch and start a new pile.

After three weeks, the pile will have shrunk in size; this is normal. Dig into the pile with a fork and completely turn it over until the contents are redistributed; the idea is to put unfermented particles in contact with those that are further along. Let the pile rest, so the temperature will rise again. Turn it a second time five weeks later, let it rest a few weeks and, with luck, you’ll have a rich, crumbly pile of “black gold.”

Wildflower Gardening

Question:

Every year I spend hundreds of pounds on my garden, and every year everything dies. I would like a wild flower garden, that will attract butterflies and bees, I have loads of elderberry trees behind my back fence, which hang over into my garden (which I like) they attract the birds, I would also like to put up some bird boxes. I would also like to grow my own vegetables and fruit.

Answer:

If you plants keep dying then I would normally suggest soil improvement. However if you wish to have a wild flower garden then a poor, less fertile soil is needed. Here are a couple of links to articles from the RHS about starting a wildflower meadow and maintaining it going forward.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1200/wildflower_meadow.asp
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0600/wildflower.asp

I see you are from Liverpool. The National Wildflower Centre is Court Hey Park, Roby Road, L16 3NA not far from junction 4 of the M62. Here you can find everything you want to about wildflowers and even buy plants and seeds. The website is http://www.nwc.org.uk/

I have also found a company which sells Wildflower turf http://www.wildflowerturf.co.uk/ an easy and quick way to get a wildflower meadow.

The elderberry trees sound great and will indeed attract lots of birds and the flowers will attract butterflies. There are lots of different types of bird boxes you can put up to attract different types of birds so place a variety of styles in sheltered positions around the garden to attract the largest range of birds.

As for the vegetables and fruit. I would suggest building or buying a few raised beds and filling them with good quality compost mixed with well rotted manure. Place them in a sunny position where you can get to them easily. Your wild flowers could be planted around them so that you don’t loose too much ground.

Greenhouse Gardening

Owning a greenhouse not only gives you somewhere warm to escape to during the cold winter days it also expands the range of plants you are able to grow. As well as being able to grow more tender plants, starting off hardy vegetables in the greenhouse will result in an earlier harvest; planting some outside too means that you could have vegetables throughout the summer and autumn. The trick to successful greenhouse gardening is to keep the temperature low during summer. You can do this by covering the glass with liquid shading to provide shade, open the vents and door to ensure good ventilate and to get the air circulating and finally, water regularly.

Cabbage

Question:

We are growing a cabbage plant for my son’s school project. When the cabbage plant is placed in the sun, the leaves begin to wilt. What should we do? We appreciate your help.

Answer:

I assume the cabbage is still seedling sized. If this is the case then it really should be indoors; on a windowsill will be fine. Once the weather heats up a bit and all risk of frost has passed, usually the end of May, you will be able to put it outside. Once outside, feed it once a week and keep it well watered.

Turnips

Question:

Hi, I have an allotment and had planted some young turnips. They were doing well until this morning when I went down and discovered something had eaten all the turnip tops. They were stripped right down to nothing. The same thing happened with the swedes last year. Is this likely to be slugs or birds?

Answer:

What a shame about your turnips. I think the damage it is most likely down to the dreaded slug but pigeons do like the tops too. If you are not gardening organically try putting a few, animal friendly, slug pellets down and cover the crop with a cloche or some netting. Hopefully one of these methods will enable the turnips to put on some growth before it’s too late for the root.

Vegetables in Containers

Question:

I am thinking of planting some Veg’s this year out on my deck. You see I live in a condo and had an idea to use giant planter pots and try to see what I can grow. I have no idea what type of earth to put into the pots or what to plant so that I may actually be able to grow something. If you have any ideas (especially as to what type of earth to use in the planters) or know where I can find some answers I would sure appreciate any help.

Answer:

You can grow most vegetables in containers but you are best sticking to smaller types. A good selection would be: ? Carrots ? Onions ? Garlic ? Lettuce ? Spring onions ? Herbs ? Radish ? Tomatoes (try growing them in a hanging basket). You could also put an obelisk over a container and grow some beans or peas or try growing potatoes in a used compost bag. Fill the bag with about 10ins of compost, place two to three seed potatoes on top and cover. Put some holes in the base of the bag for drainage. As the leaves begin to show keep covering them up. During late summer or autumn just dig your hands into the bag to pull out as many potatoes as you need for each meal. You can use anything as a container; just make sure you put holes in the base for drainage. You are also best adding crocks in the bottom so that roots aren’t left sitting in water. As for compost; you can use an all purpose potting compost but add some well rotted manure at planting time and continue to feed every couple of weeks throughout the growing season. It is most important that you don’t allow the containers to dry out so you may want to consider installing a micro irrigation system. One point of note; if you are not in the ground floor, you will need to check that your balcony will take the extra weight of the containers.

Vegetable Seedlings

Question:

I have a mini raised seedbed which I have sown different varieties of vegetables in. I have used the same soil as last year, have checked it today seedlings are starting to appear which is good but there do seem to be some bugs in the soil, I think they are earwigs, will this hinder the crop, and should I have really started with a new lot of soil or not?

Answer:

If you have earwigs they tend to only damage the flowers of Dahlias and Clematis but can be easily controlled. I have attached a link to the RHS page giving you more information on how to do this. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0800/earwigs.asp. However if you have vine weevil then that would be a different issue. I have attached another page from the RHS which will explain how to identify vine weevil and how to control it. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0600/vineweevil.asp.

Raised Vegetable Garden

Question:

I want to build a raised vegetable garden to avoid tree routes. Is it true that I should not use old recycled railway sleepers? Do you suggest anything else instead?

Answer:

Treated railway sleepers should not be used where they will come in contact with foodstuff, children or animals. Therefore, you should not use them for your vegetable garden. However, you can buy new untreated or pressure treated sleepers which are perfectly safe. Below is a link to a site I’ve found which will give you more information on this: http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railway%20sleeper%20treatments.htm. Below is a link to the RHS page on the subject: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1202/raised_beds.asp.

Onions

Question:

I am growing onions for the 1st time, they are now starting to produce flower heads, and do I need to deflower them for bigger bulbs?

Answer:

Generally onions should not flower and if they do they tend to produce smaller onions. Remove the flowers now and hope that they have not been affected too badly.

Broad Beans

Question:

How can I treat broad beans which have developed (I think) rust on the leaves, or at least red-brown spots? Do I pull and burn them now or can they be treated until the beans form? And what is the risk to the rest of the veg plot?

Answer:

I’m not certain that this is rust. I think it is either Halo Blight or Chocolate Spot. Either way you need to lift and destroy the affected plants and spray the remaining plants with carbendazim which you should be able to get from your garden centre.

Onions

Question:

I love the website, really helpful and with a bit more variety than other websites! Do you think you could give me any advice in the same format as that shown on your website for the growth and care of onions (White Lisbon and F1 Hytech) I have downloaded a lot of information on the other vegetables and fruit I wish to grow, but I just want to make sure I get the best out of my onions as they grew very bulbous and stumpy last year and my attempts at vegetables with the papery like covering on them (onions and garlic) always seem to rot away in this papery shell! Any tips, hints or advice would be very appreciative!

Answer:

Just to let you know that I have added on onions page at http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/veg_onions.htm as requested. I’ve also added leeks if you are interested.