December « 2009 « TopVeg – growing veg,fruit&herbs

December 31, 2009

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-31

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 11:04 am

Carrot : Créme de Lite F1 Hybrid http://ff.im/-dpJRe #
@wiggled are the immigrant robins bigger than ours? do they bully them – like the ladybirds? in reply to wiggled #
RT@gardeningguru How To Purchase A Good Second Hand Garden Shed? http://bit.ly/8KD6Ic #
Comment on A Beaumont and A Smith Period by New Potatoes at Christmas – Who Wants Them? « TopVeg – growing… http://ff.im/-dramb #
Comment on Control of Potato Blight – Phytophthora infestans by New Potatoes at Christmas – Who Wants Them? «… http://ff.im/-dramc #
Urine as a Fertiliser http://ff.im/-dt2K2 #
Comment on Urine as a Fertiliser by farmingfriends http://ff.im/-du3B6 #
Supercarb potato petition http://ff.im/-dv2KK #
Deer Damage Vegetable Garden http://ff.im/-dwfDn #
Comment on Deer Damage Vegetable Garden by TopVeg http://ff.im/-dz8Zf #
Mayan Potatoes http://ff.im/-dA6nh #

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Mayan Potatoes

Filed under: potato — Tags: mayan, potato, seed — TopVeg @ 6:26 am

Mayan potatoes were developed in Scotland from an ancient variety which was brought back from the wilds of Peru.

Mayan potatoes:

have a nutty flavour
golden coloured flesh
creamy, but dry texture
chips & roast Mayan potatoes are crispy on the outside but fluffy in the middle
bulk up on water
cook in a third less time than ‘conventional’ potatoes – saving time and energy
are better steamed than boiled because they cook quickly & then break up
yield less than conventional potatoes

There are several varieties of Mayan potato, including these early maincrop varieties:

Mayan Gold

Mayan Queen

Mayan Twilight

Mayan Gold gets its golden colour from its high levels of carotene. Carotene is an antioxidant & features in anti-carcinogenic diets. So, Mayan potatoes are particularly good for you as well as being a tasty part of a meal.

Click this link to buy some Mayan seed potatoes.

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December 30, 2009

Deer Damage Vegetable Garden

Filed under: pests&diseases — Tags: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, deer, sprouts — TopVeg @ 1:19 am

The deer have been eating the exposed green leaves whilst the snow was on the ground and they have done considerable damage in the vegetable garden.

sprout-leaves-eaten-by-deer

The deer have eaten the Brussels sprout leaves and some tops.

deer-damaged-sprouts

It is the Brussels sprout plants at the end of the rows which have suffered.

deer-eat-sprout-row

The cabbage had a better covering of snow, but a couple must have been sticking out far enough to be tempting!

cabbage-eaten-by-deer

The cabbages are now covered with a net just in case!

cabbage-in-snow

It is nice to see the deer, and so far we can afford to share some greens with them.

deer-full-of-garden

Do you know of anyone else suffering damage from deer in the vegetable garden?

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December 29, 2009

Supercarb potato petition

Filed under: potato — TopVeg @ 4:52 pm

Help us put the potato in its’ rightful position as a “supercarb” – a starchy carbohydrate that is also full of vitamins, by signing the Downing Street petition.

Potatoes are packed full of:

energy
vitamin B1
vitamin B6
vitamin C - unlike rice and pasta

Potatoes are also naturally fat free.

Sign the Potato Council’s 10 Downing Street petition which says:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to create a ’supercarb’ food group for potatoes to reflect the fact that they are both an energy-rich starchy carbohydrate AND a vegetable which is packed-full of essential vitamins and minerals.

Click this link to sign the petition to create a supercarb group for the potato indicating the nutritional value of potatoes comprises an energy-rich starchy carbohydrate AND essential vitamins and minerals.

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Urine as a Fertiliser

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: fertiliser, nutrients, urine — TopVeg @ 1:33 am

The sanitation department in Lusaka, Zambia, is turning urine into a fertiliser.

Urine contains elements which help plants grow:

nitrogen
phosphorus
potassium
all eight micronutrients needed for plant growth

Urine as a fertiliser

mix 1 part urine with 3 parts water
will not smell
fresh urine is virtually sterile
apply urine mix using a watering can (without a shower/shower head) to the roots of the plants not the leaves which will be eaten.

One person’s average urine output is enough to fertilise a garden of 280 square metres.

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December 28, 2009

Carrot variety: Créme de Lite F1 Hybrid

Filed under: root veg — Tags: carrot, raised bed, yellow — TopVeg @ 1:45 am

We have grown the Carrot variety : Créme de Lite F1 Hybrid in a raised bed.

This carrot prefers:

well-drained
moist
rich
cool conditions.

yellow-carrots

The carrots were:

sown at 4 weekly intervals
in May and June
harvested since July
also pulled on Christmas Day, as shown in the photo

Carrot variety: Créme de Lite is:

delicious
creamy skinned
with long tapering roots

juicy & sweet
good cooked, remaining firm
full of nutrients and vitamins, including vitamins C, E, K and folate as well as lutein, an antioxidant

carrots-for-Christmas

Click the link to buy some Carrot Créme de Lite seed.

The Carrot variety: Créme de Lite F1 Hybrid is an exceptional carrot, well worth growing. What carrot varieties have you grown?

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December 27, 2009

New Potatoes at Christmas – Who Wants Them?

Filed under: potato — Tags: Christmas, new, potato, seed, variety — TopVeg @ 12:07 pm

Who wants new potatoes at Christmas?

Christmas-new-potatoes

In our house it is the gardener – but when the gardener becomes the head of the table, he wants roast potatoes around the turkey and mashed potatoes with his gravy. The subtle flavour of freshly dug new potatoes, cooked with carefully preserved mint, is not appreciated.

This is the first year we have successfully grown new potatoes and harvested them on Christmas day. The seed potato varieties Carlingford and Vivaldi were planted in late July, under a polytunnel, and we have been enjoying them since November.

The polytunnel reduces the risk of frost, but in severe frosty weather the soil would have to be covered (eg with fleece) so that the soil & potatoes do not freeze.

Christmas-dug-potatoes

When we dug the new potatoes on Christmas morning, they had bulked up considerably, and were so big that they had to be cut in half before cooking. This was in spite of a severe attack of potato blight early on. Late sown potatoes are more vulnerable to blight at a very early stage, because as soon as they come out, and the first leaves emerge, they are likely to be in a blight period.

So, because the new potatoes are quite large we will probably plant some in August next year. But a few will be planted in July, just in case blight catches the August lot.

Click the link to buy some Carlingford or Vivaldi seed potatoes to grow new potatoes for Christmas.

The challenge of extending the potato season and harvesting new potatoes at Christmas is still there, but who really wants them with a traditional Christmas dinner?

Comments (1)

December 24, 2009

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-24

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 11:04 am

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-17 http://ff.im/-d2wzm #
Comment on Pigeon Damage to Vegetable Garden by TopVeg http://ff.im/-d2HnM #
Comment on Pigeon Damage to Vegetable Garden by petersteel http://ff.im/-d2HnK #
@kevinincornwall Lovely picture – no calling buzzards here – just biting wind & a few snowflakes! in reply to kevinincornwall #
Comment on Homemade Present as Christmas Gift by farmingfriends http://ff.im/-d5dKn #
What fertiliser before planting potatoes http://ff.im/-d5nTo #
Comment on Well rotted manure by What fertiliser before planting potatoes « TopVeg – growing veg,fruit&herbs http://ff.im/-d5nTi #
@wiggled great news! goat sox look fab – hope all at wiggly not too stressed to enjoy the hols in reply to wiggled #
Enviromesh netting has had a huge impact on vegetable gardening, and would be a welcome gift or Christmas present… http://ff.im/-d8epf #
@kevinincornwall we see more woodcock in this cold weather – they do 'jitter'! in reply to kevinincornwall #
@farmingfriends Hope they really do it this time- I demonstrated at a party conf in Blackpool 10+ yrs ago&they promised to label truthfully in reply to farmingfriends #
How to prepare soil for potato planting http://ff.im/-daJaS #
Comment on Dermatitis or eczema on Gardener’s Hands by Rules for Hand Protection in the Vegetable Garden « TopVeg –… http://ff.im/-dbmym #
@gardeningguru Totally agree,must work at keeping hands healthy http://bit.ly/6ipa1V in reply to gardeningguru #
@NorfolkKitchen sounds good – what recipe do you use for truffles? in reply to NorfolkKitchen #
@NorfolkKitchen many thanks – will try tonight! in reply to NorfolkKitchen #
When to Harvest Herbs from the Garden http://ff.im/-ddzZB #
How and When to Plant Herbs http://ff.im/-dgCSp #
Grow Potatoes in Containers http://ff.im/-dhqrO #
Comment on Hoe hoe hoe…for Christmas by TopVeg http://ff.im/-dhqs6 #
RT@gardeningguru
8 Tips to Get Your Kids Enjoy Home Gardening http://bit.ly/7Z6Jd5 #

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December 23, 2009

Grow Potatoes in Containers

Filed under: potato — Tags: container, potato, seed — TopVeg @ 8:29 am

A lot of people want to grow potatoes, but think it is impossible because they have not got a big garden, can plant the potatoes in containers.

Thompson & Morgan have an easy solution with their patio planters collection.

patio planters

The green, woven-plastic container will fit on a porch, verandah, or patio. The container is big enough to grow 4 or 5 seed potatoes, and can be used over and over again. So it would be exciting to plant a second crop when the first ones have been harvested, to give some new potatoes at Christmas.

Click on this link to buy patio planters if you would like to grow potatoes in containers.

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How and When to Plant Herbs

Filed under: herbs — Tags: plant, seed.sow — TopVeg @ 1:23 am

The table below shows how and when herbs can be planted in the garden.

: how+when-to-plant-herbs

Bay is usually planted as a shrub or a tree, from October to April. Bay makes a good feature when planted in containers, but it will live happily in the garden, as long as it is in a sheltered spot, protected from cold winds.

: bay-lolipop

Rosemary and Sage can be planted as seed or cuttings in April.

: rosemary-shrub

Parsley,is sown as seed in April or September. The seed takes a long time to germinate. This is speeded up by bruising the seeds or covering the seed row with boiling water.

: parsley-for-cutting

The table of How and When to Plant Herbs is included in the How to Grow Culinary Herbs ebook written by TopVeg & Farming Friends which costs £3.

Click this link to buy a copy of the ebook How to Grow Culinary Herbs.

If you would like a free pdf of the table of ‘How and When to Plant Herbs’, please complete the contact form asking for the table of ‘How and When to Plant Herbs’ and we will email it to you.

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