Open Farm Sunday is on 7 June 2009. Make a note in the diary!
Open Farm Sunday is a fantastic opportunity for everyone, young and old to enjoy the living, vibrant countryside. Take time to listen to the birds, soak up the scenery, experience the smells of the farmyard and really get in touch with the land that feeds us. Discover at first hand what it means to be a farmer and taste the produce. So come and feed your senses on Open Farm Sunday.
Each event will be unique with its own activities – based around the host farm’s own individual story. Activities during the day may include a farm walk, nature trail, tractor & trailer rides, pond dipping, activities for kids, mini farmers market or picnics.
For more information click the link and visit the Open Farm Sunday website.
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Susanne Runge in Australia has asked if scabby potatoes are edible:
Is it ok to eat potatoes that are affected with common scab?
TopVeg always peels the scabby bits off, but otherwise eats the potatoes as normal. The disease is only skin deep and the eating quality is unaffected.
Common scab is caused by soil borne bacteria. Cooking the potato will kill the bacteria. Hope this helps!
Click these links to read about corky scab in potatoes
& common scab in potatoes
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A rain gauge is a helpful tool for the vegetable gardener.
*A rain gauge should be placed in an open part of the garden. It will
collect rain & the amount of rain should be measured and recorded daily.
*The gardener will be able to use this knowledge to learn how different
amounts of rain effect the water holding capacity of the garden. The
gardener may calculate if the rain has been sufficient to top up the
soil, or if more water must be added by hand.
It is possible to grow brassicas (cabbage family) in the garden without
using sprays or other chemicals.
Sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflowers are damaged by:
* aphids
* white fly
* cabbage
* white caterpillars
* and other insects.
There is a net, specially designed to keep insects out. If this is
spread over the plants it has a dramatic effect.
net
Clean, chemical free, (& bug-free) veg can be proudly presented to the
kitchen, when you know how to grow organic brassicas!
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Frost is forecast, and it looks as though we will have some seriously
cold temperatures in the next few days.
Young seedlings are tender, and vulnerable to the frost. At worst, they
will be killed. Otherwise the frost will damage their cells, slow down
their growth, and reduce their potential. They will not yield so much.
Return on effort is one of our guiding principles – so do not allow the
frost to affect potential yield, & reduce the return on all the effort
put in so far.
Protect the plants by covering them over. Use
* polythene sheets
* horticultural fleece
* similar light materials.
* in Switzerland they use conifer branches, which are placed over
the plants to produce warm air pockets protected from the frost.
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Parsley:
parsley
* 2 varieties of parsley: curled – for garnish; flat-leaved – better
flavour
parsley-for-cutting
* rich in vitamin C – has 3 times more than oranges
* has almost as much vitamin A as cod liver oil
* stems contain more flavour + vitamins than the foliage
* harvest stems from the outside of the plant so young growth in the
centre can flourish
* prefers semi-shade & rich, well-worked soil
* sow seeds at any time throughout the year
* germination is slow, helped by bruising the seed or covering with
boiling water
* over-winters well
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Preparing soil for onions
dig1
The time to dig the garden has changed. Recently we have had wetter
autumns. So the garden is often very wet in November and too wet to dig.
The soil structure is damaged, if it is paddled (stood on) when wet. Now
we dig just after Christmas to prepare for onion sets.
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Love in the vegetable garden is like love the world-over – it is hard
work – but the more loving effort one pours in, the greater the harvest.
Plants work hard, so they need a top quality site, soil and management.
But, first the gardener has to make his bed- with all the loving care he
can muster.
vegetable bed
He uses walkways, or duckboards, so that no-one walks on the precious
vegetable bed.
crawling board
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A vegetable patch is what everyone wants now and can add thousands to the value of a house.
august veg garden
The Times gardening experts discuss how to make the most of a garden to
increase the sales value of a house in an article:
How to refresh your garden and add £50,000 to your home
The benefits of an unlimited supply of home-grown vegetables are widely
known. It is only logical that a well kept vegetable garden will add
value to a house.
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Top 10 grow-your-own vegetables and fruit, 2008
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce and salads
- Runner beans
- Peas
- Carrots
- Onions
- Garlic
- Herbs
- Fruit bushes
Source: The Guardian
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