Supporting Tomato Plants
Bush types require no supports. The main stem of cordon types needs supporting to stop
it falling over.
string-tomato-to-cane
tie-tomato-stem-each-30cm
If canes are used as support, the main stem should be tied loosely to the cane as it grows. So there will be a string holding the stem to the cane every 30cm or so. Soft string should be used, so that it does not
cut into the stem
Cool cabbage leaves are recommended for nursing mothers who suffer from breast engorgement.
The outer green leaves of white cabbage are washed, dried and put in the fridge to cool. When required the leaves are crushed in the hands and laid on the breast, covering the entire breast completely. Wearing a bra over the cabbage leaves will keep them in place. The leaves should be changed every two hours, or when the leaves are wilted. Continue to use the cabbage leaves until the breasts are soft enough to nurse comfortably.
cabbage-cut
The Nursing Mothers’ Association of Australia recommends laying the outer green cabbage leaves on engorged breasts of nursing mothers. Green cabbage leaves relieve engorgement, sometimes within 30 minutes.
Strawberries grown in pots are sometimes sour. This is due to the kink in the stem which forms when the stem falls over the sharp edge of the pot.
ripe-strawberry-Symphony
To prevent the stems from kinking,wide round pipes can be placed either side of the pots, so that the strawberries gently hang down. If the growth just drops down (& possibly kinks the stem) the strawberries are sour. So it is vital for the round pipe to allow the stems to gently curve over – to stop the strawberries going sour.
ripening-strawberries
Strawberries grown on the ground often have straw under them. This keeps the berries clean, but it also helps the stems hang gently down. This is probably why the strawberries are not sour.
These Elsanta strawberries were planted on table tops last month just outside York.
table-top-Elsanta
The Elsanta strawberry plants are growing in special strawberry bags imported from Ireland.
A water pipe runs alongside the bags. Water drips into the bags to keep them moist, but liquid fertiliser is added to the water to provide nutrients.
ELSANTA-TABLE-TOP
One of the advantages of table top strawberries is that the slugs cannot get to them to cause trouble. But the deer have realised that another advantage of table top strawberries is that you do not have to bend down to pick them, and the deer like the variety Elsanta!
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Second Early Potato – Kestrel
Kestrel have grown very well this season, and have grown into big potatoes.
Kestrel has:
good yields of very attractive, long oval tubers, coloured with pink
kestrel-potato-variety
good all round cooking quality, mashes well
Kestrel is well worth growing as a second early variety.
Geranium palmatum by Malcolm Allison
This is a biennial or monocarpic perennial (it dies after flowering), but it is worth growing just for its ferny foliage. It flowers in May or June producing masses of magenta flowers & it is very graceful.
geranium
Geranium palmatum is one of a group of geraniums related to the common weed Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) which all come from Madeira & the Canary Islands & all produced similarly coloured flowers. Geranium palmatum is the best for garden use, as it is the hardiest ~ a cold winter will kill it, but it will often survive as self-sown seedlings germinating the following spring.
In its native habitat Geranium palmatum is a woodland plant & in the garden it grows well in sun or shade, as long as it is not too dry.
Of the other species, Geranium maderense is the most spectacular, forming a huge mound of blossom when it flowers, but it is very tender; Geranium canariense & G. rubescens are also rather tender & their flowers are also quite small.
Click the contact us button & complete the form if you would like to find out more about Geranium palmatum, or have a chat with Malcolm about your needs.
Book Review: Grow Your Own Veg by Carol Klein and the Royal Horticultural Society
We thoroughly recommend Carol Klein’s book ‘Grow Your Own Veg’ which has been written with experts from the Royal Horticultural Society.
The book has over two hundred pages taking the reader through preparation and gardening techniques before giving clear, concise instructions for growing each type of vegetable.
Specific advice for each vegetable includes:
The book, Grow Your Own Veg, is suitable for the beginner as well as providing a basic reference for the experienced vegetable gardener.
Carol Klein has also written a companion book ‘Cook Your Own Veg’ and the two are available in a boxed set. Click the image below to find out more about these books.
Caliente Mustard:
green manure
Caliente Mustard produces a naturally occurring biofumigant gas (isothiocyanate (ITC)) when its plant cells are damaged (by crushing or chopping).
This gas suppresses a range of:
To encourage the production of the biofumigant gas ITC:
To grow Caliente mustard:
These Maris Bard new potatoes have been in the ground since April 5th – that is 10 weeks and 5 days between planting and harvest.
New potatoes are lifted when they are quite small. The size at harvest is really up to the gardener. Some people prefer a lot of small new potatoes on the plate, whilst others like them to be larger.
Click this link for a video showing how to tell if new potatoes are ready to harvest.
New potatoes mature earlier than main crop, and are usually ready by 10 – 12 weeks after planting.
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