May « 2007 « TopVeg – growing veg,fruit&herbs

May 15, 2007

Planting Parsnip Seeds

Filed under: root veg — Tags: parsnip, parsnips, plant, seed — TopVeg @ 7:34 pm

Parsnip seeds have been planted today. The traditional time for sowing parsnips is February, but in our vegetable garden the parsnip seeds do better when the soil has warmed up.

Parsnip – Latin name Pastinaca sativa

Variety – Avonresister

Chosen because of good canker resistance, and ideal for small gardens and high density cropping. Growing enough root crops to last the winter is always a problem, so the opportunity to grow more, smaller roots seemed worth taking.

Soil preparation :

drilling-parsnip-seeds

* luckily the bed had been covered with polythene to keep the rain off. So the soil was dry.

parsnip-seeding

    * sowing depth – 1cm
    * distance between seeds – 10cm
    * distance between rows – 30cm

firming-seed-row

* the row was then firmed down with the rake head
* the seed was watered in to firm the row

planting-parsnips

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Pigeon Damage to Vegetable Garden

Filed under: pests&diseases — Tags: bird damage, pigeon — TopVeg @ 7:18 pm

No-one admits to pigeon damage. It is careless & shameful to leave the
vegetables, so carefully and lovingly planted, to be devastated by birds.

But the pigeons came early one morning and made a real mess of the young
brassica leaves in just an hour.

This slide show is not so much about shutting the door after the horse
has bolted, but more about covering the plants…after the bird has flown…

To deter pigeons:

cover the crops with netting
hang bird scarers up, such as CDs hanging on string, or plastic bags tied to a stake so that they flutter
place a cat statue in the middle of the crop to stop pigeons damaging the vegetable garden

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May 14, 2007

How Far Apart to sow Broad Bean Seeds

Filed under: pea&beans — Tags: broad bean, distance, seed — TopVeg @ 7:28 pm

Broad Bean (Latin name Vicia faba)

The final sowing of broad bean seeds have emerged into good strong plants.

broad-bean-plant

    * 2 varieties of broad bean were sown: Bunyards Exhibition &
      Masterpiece Green Long Pod
    * Depth of sowing: 5cm
    * Distance apart within row: 30cm
    * Distance between rows: 45cm

broad-bean-rows-seedlings

This vegetable garden has very fertile soil, and the broad beans grow
vigorously, and larger than the seedsmen predict. Therefore, we plant
them further apart than recommended. Also we do not plant in the
traditional double rows, for the same reason. But because our beds are
quite narrow, and because we do not have double rows, our broad bean rows are
actually closer together than the seed packet advises.

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May 12, 2007

Potato Varieties Susceptible to Blight

Filed under: pests&diseases — Tags: blight, potato, variety — TopVeg @ 8:37 pm

Potato Blight (/Phytophthora infestans)/ is a devastating fungal disease which can wipe out a potato crop.

Some varieties are more susceptible than others.

* Varieties susceptible to potato blight include:

King Edward, Arran Comet, Arran Pilot, Desiree, Epicure, Foremost,
Golden Wonder, Home Guard, Kerrâ€™s Pink, Majestic, Maris Bard, Maris
Peer, Maris Piper, Nicola, Rocket, Russet Burbank, Sharpeâ€™s Express,
and Ulster Chieftain.

* Varieties with some resistance to potato blight include:

Cara, Estima, Kondor,Â Orla, Pentland Dell, Pentland Crown, Romano,
Sante, Valor, Mira, Eve Balfour, Axona and Remarka.

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May 11, 2007

Grow Your Own – The Movie

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: film, movie — TopVeg @ 2:18 pm

The film Grow Your Own will be released on 15 June in the UK, & is a must for all vegetable gardeners.

This genuinely funny film explores the tensions found on an allotment in Merseyside.

The broad ranging plot covers aspects of allotment keeping, vegetable growing, immigration and telephone masts. But the key, as always, is the social cohesion developed by the allotment community.

Grow your own is a charming, funny film. Take time off from the allotment and enjoy a good night’s entertainment!

Click here for the Grow Your Own Movie Website

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Mulching the Mulberry Tree

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: mulberry, mulch, tree — TopVeg @ 1:51 pm

In January 2007 we planted a Mulberry Tree (latin name is Morus nigra) to celebrate the anniversary of William Wilberforce’s abolition of the slave trade.

The Mulberry has just started to break its buds. It is not unusual for newly planted trees to have a slow start. The roots will be slowly developing in their new home.

The tree has been mulched with grass clippings, which can be seen at the base of the tree.

mulched mulberry

mulched-mulberry

The tree is being kept moist by watering when necessary. The next job is to give it a decent stake, to anchor it firmly in the ground, and to help the Mulberry Tree grow straight.

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Grow Your Own – The Movie

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: GYO — admin @ 8:23 am

The film Grow Your Own will be released on 15 June in the UK, & is a must for all vegetable gardeners.

This genuinely funny film explores the tensions found on an allotment in Merseyside.

The broad ranging plot covers aspects of allotment keeping, vegetable growing, immigration and telephone masts. But the key, as always, is the social cohesion developed by the allotment community.

Grow your own is a charming, funny film. Take time off from the allotment and enjoy a good night’s entertainment!

Click here for the Grow Your Own Movie Website

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May 9, 2007

Growing French Beans

Filed under: pea&beans — Tags: dwarf beans, french beans — TopVeg @ 7:40 pm

French Beans – latin name – Phaseolus vulgaris

French beans are a must for the vegetable garden. They are simple to
grow, delicious and very nutritious.

French beans are shorter, more tender and tubular than runner beans.
French beans are much easier to prepare in the kitchen, as they only
have to be topped and tailed, not sliced like runner beans.

French beans grow very quickly, taking about 12 weeks to come to
harvest. Like runner beansÂ they must be picked regularly to keep the
flowers coming.

Dwarf french beans are bushy, but usually need a simple support of twigs
or strings, to keep them upright.

Climbing French beans need wigwams or stakes similar to runner beans.

Sunny, sheltered sites are best for french beans. The seeds grow best
in a warm situation and pollination is hampered by cold winds.

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Growing French Beans

Filed under: pea&beans — Tags: french beans — admin @ 4:35 pm

French Beans Phaseolus vulgaris

French beans are a must for the vegetable garden. They are simple to grow, delicious and very nutritious.

French beans are shorter, more tender and tubular than runner beans. French beans are much easier to prepare in the kitchen, as they only have to be topped and tailed, not sliced like runner beans.

French beans grow very quickly, taking about 12 weeks to come to harvest. Like runner beans they must be picked regularly to keep the flowers coming.

Dwarf french beans are bushy, but usually need a simple support of twigs or strings, to keep them upright.

Climbing French beans need wigwams or stakes similar to runner beans.

Sunny, sheltered sites are best for french beans. The seeds grow best in a warm situation and pollination is hampered by cold winds.

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Making Compost

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: compost — admin @ 2:20 pm

Compost is easy to make, & is an environmentally-friendly activity. The compost produced can be used in many ways which improve the garden and save money. Get the whole family on board. Show them the benefits of composting and how to look after the compost heap so that it produces good results.

Steps to producing top quality compost:

Get a low cost compost bin
Place the bin on level, well-drained bare earth, so the worms can get in
Start filling the bin with waste garden and kitchen organic material
Remember compost needs the right mix of materials, called browns and greens, to give the right carbon:nitrogen ratio.
Browns are high in carbon & include cardboard, paper, fallen leaves, dried flowers & woody stems
Greens are high in nitrogen & include grass cuttings, vegetable peelings, fruit waste & teabags
Compost which does not heat up within 24 hours (to 150-160F) needs more green
Compost with an ammonia-like smell needs more brown
Do not compost meat, fish, bones, dairy products, cooked food, coal ash, pet litter
Chop large items into small pieces to help speed things up
Cover to keep the compost moist, but not wet. If it is too dry add water, if it is too wet add some dry stuff like chopped newspaper
Aerate the compost, occasionally, by making air pockets. The insects & worms that are breaking the compost down will need the oxygen. Poke a broom handle into the compost to make an air passage, or use a garden fork. Adding scrunched up paper will keep the compost open
Speed up the composting process by adding a handful of soil or buy a compost accelerator (young nettles will do the same job)
The compost will be ready to use after 9-12 months. It will be dark brown, moist, sweet-smelling and crumbly. It may have some earthworms in it.
To release the compost, lift the bin, or if it has a hatch at the bottom, open it.