� Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has produced a wonderful omlette recipe using broad bean tops.�

It consists of:

• handful leafy broad bean tops�
• 4 eggs
• 50gm of butter
• salt & pepper to taste

Click here to see Hugh’s article in The Gaurdian (Saturday May 12, 2007).

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Problems with vegetables grown in containers are easily rectified if recognised early.� The container garden should be inspected regularly, at least daily, so it is worth keeping it in an accessible place.

Common problems in container gardening are:

• Leggy plants - caused by insufficient light or too much nitrogen.� Put this right by moving the container to a lighter position, or reducing the amount of nitrogen given.
• Weak plants with yellow lower leaves - caused by too much water or low fertility.� Check the drainage, and reduce the amount of watering.� Feed the plants.
• Wilting plants even though plenty of water - caused by poor drainage or the soil� being too dense and lacking in oxygen.� Lighten the soil by adding sand or compost.
• Eaten leaves - look for insects - pick them off, or wash the plants with soapy water.
• Spotty leaves - with a white or brown powdery or dead patch - caused by a fungus - pick the diseased area off and put it in the rubbish bin.
• Stunted, purply� plants - too cold, bring the containers in or cover at night.

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Containers growing vegetables need plenty of tender loving care.� Problems can be identified early, and corrected, so that the containers are productive giving plenty of fresh,� well flavoured vegetables.

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The words in the Nursery Rhyme ‘Here We Go Gathering Nuts In May’� are troubling.� Where are the nuts in May?� Cold and frosty mornings are not too common in May, but as vegetable gardeners we are well aware that there is a risk of frost in May.�

May 1st was an important day in the Irish farming calendar. The end of winter was celebrated with the gathering of flowers, dancing around bonfires or May poles, and one very special activity usually performed by Irish children - the making of a May bush.� This activity ensured a plentiful harvest in the coming months.

The children collected the ‘nuts’ and used them to build the May Bush.� The ‘nuts’ were actually bunches of flowers collected from the hedgerows.� The word was originally knots, and referred to knots or bunches of flowers.

As far as the frost mentioned in the rhyme is concerned, there are plenty of recordings of frost in Ireland during May.� So perhaps this nursery rhyme ‘Here we come gathering nuts in May’ originated in Ireland?

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Here we go gathering nuts in May,
Nuts in May, nuts in May.
Here we go gathering nuts in May,
On a cold and frosty morning.

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When growing vegetables in containers it is wise to group plants which grow well together and have the same water requirements.

The amount of light required by different vegetables varies.

• sun loving vegetables include beans, cucumbers, aubergines, pepper, courgettes, squash and tomatoes.
• partial shade is tolerated by lettuce, salad leaves, onions, parsley and radish. But this group will do better in full sun.

Container size:

• small containers - onions, parsley, radish
• medium - beans, lettuce, salad leaves
• large - cucumbers, aubergines, pepper, courgettes, squash, tomatoes

Minimum days from seed to harvest:

• radish - 20
• beans - 45
• lettuce - 45
• salad leave - 45
• courgettes - 50
• squash - 50
• cucumbers - 50
• parsley - 70
• onions - 80
• aubergine - 90
• pepper - 90
• tomato - 90

Tender green beans, crisp lettuce and freshly picked parsley will give great satisfaction. A simple container-garden enables the whole family to enjoy the true flavour of home grown vegetables.

Click the link for information on square foot gardening.

American Gooseberry Mildew� (latin name -� Sphaerotheca mors-uvae) is a common fungal disease of gooseberries and blackcurrants. Red and white currants may also be attacked

Signs of American Gooseberry Mildew in Gooseberries:
A powdery, white coating appears on new shoots, spreading to young leaves and, eventually, the berries. Later these patches form a felt-like mat and turn brown. Leaves curl up and fall off. The gooseberries are small and may be covered with� brown felt.

American Gooseberry Mildew occurs:

• in crowded plants
• humid conditions
• areas of coastal fog
• when the soil around the roots is dry
• where irrigation is by overhead sprinkling
• in crowded plants

Life cycle of American Gooseberry Mildew
The fungus overwinters in dormant buds. These produce infected shoots in spring which spread the disease by releasing wind-blown spores.

Prevention and control:

• select a suitable planting site which is sunny and not humid
• allow plenty of space between bushes
• prune to keep bushes open and airy
• avoid too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer which will produce soft shoots, more susceptible to infection
• cut out and burn infected shoots in July & September
• water to keep the soil around the roots moist
• use a  mulch
• grow mildew resistant varieties such as Invicta
• chemical control -  spray with a sulphur fungicide - but check that the chemical is safe on the variety by spraying a small area and waiting for 24 hours to see if the leaves start to curl.  Spray just before flowers open, after fruit set and again 2-3 weeks later. Spray flowering crops at dusk when bees are not active. Do not use in full sun. Read the label and follow the instructions.

Click here for information on picking gooseberries.

The Elder (latin name Sambucus Nigra) is just coming into flower in the UK.

Elderflowers make a thirst quenching cordiale with a distinctive flavour. Elderflower champagne and elderflower wine are also popular drinks.

There are many different recipes for elderflower cordiale. The main ingredients are elderflower heads on a very short stalk, sugar and water. Lemon and citric acid can be added to help it keep longer. Mrs Beeton added butterscotch to increase the flavour. Proportions vary with taste, but here is a guide:

Elderflower cordiale ingredients:

• 20 heads of elderflower
• 1.8kg granulated or caster sugar
• 1.2 litres water
• 2 unwaxed lemon
• 75g citric acid

Collect the flowers when they are fully out, on a dry, sunny day when the nectar is at its height.

Shake the flowers in a downward motion to get rid of the tiny black flies.

Place layers of flowers, and sugar in a large bowl or bucket.

Pour boiling water over the flowers, so that they are covered.

Leave for 24 hours

Strain and pour the liquid into plastic bottles.

Refridgerate or freeze

Use elderflower cordiale as:

• a refreshing drink diluted with water, fizzy water, or iced water
• to provide a syrup for fruit salad
• as hayfever relief

Gardeners often pinch out the tops of broad beans to curb black fly. We very rarely pinch out the tops. But if blackfly are a problem, the tips may be pinched out when the first pods are set.

To pinch out the tops:

• first select the top of the broad bean plant

• Hold the tip between finger and thumb

• pinch the tip so that it breaks away from the plant

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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…

Click here for ideas on deterring pigeons.

Square foot vegetable gardening is all the rage in America. It is the ultimate container-grown veg system.

Square foot vegetable gardening requires:

• a 4 foot by 4 foot container, about 1 foot deep.� The container can actually be smaller or larger, depending on the location and space available
• 2 bags of general purpose growing medium/compost
• selection of seeds or young plants
• trellis if climbing vegetables, such as beans, are grown

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The advantages of square foot gardening are:

• fresh vegetables available for picking
• no fertilisers required as rich compost used
• no pesticides required because the box is easily protected
• a whole-family project
• no expensive tools required, a spoon from the kitchen can dig the planting holes
• no heavy work, such as digging, required
• no thinning necessary, as the exact number of seeds required are planted
• plants may be grown closer together because of the ideal conditions
• square foot gardening produces 100% harvest in 20% of the space

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The location may be a patio, balcony, window box, terrace� or porch.� Garden centers now stock all shapes and sizes of containers to fit in different spaces.� They also have a multitude of accessories to suit the design of the space, such as wooden or steel trellis etc..

Suitable� vegetables� include:

• all the salads, including radish and spring onions, grow rapidly in containers.�
• herbs, carrots, beans and beetroot etc
• the most important factor is to grow what people enjoy and will eat.

For more information on this subject click this link

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Leek rust (Puccinia porri, or Puccinia allii) is uncommon, but a severe attack will ruin the crop. Mild symptoms do not render the crop inedible. Leek rust is different from the rust that infects chives and onions.

Appearance of leek rust:

• orange spots & blotches appear on the surface of the leaf

Causes of leek rust:

• crowded plants
• high humidity
• excessive soil nitrogen
• insufficient soil potassium
• poor garden hygiene - all plant debris must be removed from the beds so that the fungus has nowhere to hide.

Treatment of leek rust

• remove and burn diseased leaves
• there is no chemical treatment available to use in the kitchen garden

Prevention of leek rust

• do not plant the leeks too close
• rotate crops - do not grow leeks where leeks & onions were grown the previous year
• apply a potassium rich fertiliser (such as tomato feed)
• grow disease resistant varieties
• practise good garden hygiene, and keep the vegetable garden tidy

Related articles:

leek varieties

baby/mini leeks

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