Once potatoes are peeled, dark coloured spots (often black) may be seen.
These black spots result from tissue damage which causes a discolouration reaction. The black spots are only visible after peeling as they are below the surface.
Factors involved in the development of black spots:
- potato variety – some varieties are more susceptible than others eg Anya
- dry matter – potatoes with high dry matter are more susceptible to black spots eg Setanta. Low dry matter potatoes eg. ‘Kestrel’, ‘Nadine’ and ‘Picasso’ bruise less easily
- soil nutrients – low potassium increases blackspot susceptibility
- size and shape of potato
- condition of soil at harvest – dry stony soil will cause more bruising , which leads to black spots
- rough handling at picking time causes more damage, bruising and black spots
How black spots develop:
Once the potato is damaged, biochemical reactions occur in the cells, which include a colour reaction. It takes 10 – 20 hours for the black spots to start to appear, and several days for them to fully develop.
But this colour reaction can be slowed by:
a. cooling the potato down – as the enzymes work quicker at high temperatures & are inactivated at low temperatures
b. high humidity – this minimises water loss from the potatoes and reduces black spots
To reduce the occurrence of black spots:
- treat potatoes very gently when handling them
- if the potato is stored correctly the bruise will not develop
Bruises in potatoes are like those in apples, they are only in the damaged cells. The bruise does not spread. But stored potatoes with very high dry matter can develop black spots during storage, especially if they are allowed to dry out.
Black spots on potatoes are unsightly so it is worth trying to prevent them.
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Catmint (Nepeta) attracts butterflies but deters bloodsucking flies.
Scientists at the USDA research station in Lincoln, Nebraska have discovered that catmint oil deters 99% of horse flies. They made pellets containing nepetalactone, the active compound, and scattered them on the field or in feed lots. They found that ” catnip essential oil (at a dosage of 20 mg) resulted in average repellency rates of 96% against stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and 79% against houseflies, Musca domestica (L.), respectively.”
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Thompson & Morgan are offering a fabulous Potato KIT FREE* for every visitor – worth £15.00!
What you get in the kit:
5 x tubers of Potato ‘Vales Emerald’ - A Maris Peer/ Charlotte cross with an RHS Award of Garden Merit that is proving to be very popular. Potato ‘Vales Emerald’ produces generous yields of oval, cream-skinned and pale fleshed tubers. Perfect for your first potatoes of the year, and a simply delicious as a salad potato. Height and spread: 60cm (24″).
vales emerald
1 x potato planter – Holds approximately 40 litres of multipurpose compost (sufficient to plant 3 or 4 tubers).
5 x packets of vegetable seed – Receive 5 packets of quality vegetable seeds.
*Just pay £4.95 postage
Enter Offer Code: AF11109
Enter code in the box labelled “Enter catalogue or newspaper code:”
T&Cs: Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer code and is only valid with orders placed online at www.thompson-morgan.com.
START DATE: NOW
END DATE: Midnight Sunday 27th November 2011
Click this link for more details about the free Potato KIT .
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Courgette ‘Black Forest’ is a climbing Zucchini; an F1 Hybrid, latin name Cucurbita pepo.
This climbing Courgette is an ideal variety for growing in containers on the patio. As it grows upwards it saves space and is more ‘controlable’.
The long stems are tied onto a trellis or netting to help them grow upwards.
courgette black forest
Courgette Black Forest:
- produces heavy yields
- dark green, smooth, cylindrical 15cm (6”) courgettes
- height: 120cm (48″)
- spread: 60cm (24″)
- sow in April, May or June
- flowers June – August
- likes full sun
Click this link to buy some seed of the climbing Zucchini Courgette Black Forest.
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Every vegetable is unique – and so able to be identified by their growers!
Two men were caught in Brampton, acting suspiciously & carrying bags of vegetables. The police lined the veg up on the roadside & held an identity parade. A marrow with distinctive stripes was recognised by one allotment grower!
The story of how the unique vegetables were identified is written in today’s Daily Telegraph.
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A carefully chosen watering can will add to the enjoyment of growing your own vegetables.
The watering can should be:
well balanced, easy to handle, durable, long lasting, value for money, & decorative
A watering can needs:
* a handle in a balanced position – to hold when carrying the can without spillage
* a handle in a ‘backward’ position – to hold when pouring from the rose
* a removable rose so that the can may be used without a rose and so that the rose can be cleared when blocked (the rose is the perforated attachment at the end of the spout). Roses can be either round or oval. The shape and angle of the rose will determine the force of the stream of water from the rose.
* a spout which is slightly higher than the height of the body of the can to allow the watering can to be filled to the brim.
Watering cans may be made of:
- galvanized iron (heavy, more expensive, longer lasting, may rust)
- plastic – light, cheap and durable . Plastic has smoother edges & is therefore less likely to bruise your legs.
Specifications of watering cans
*1. Spouts-
- Long spouted ( long reach) cans are useful to reach to the back of the vegetable garden, or if you are going to be spraying seedlings with finer sprayheads.
- Shorter spouted cans are suitable for general watering jobs around the garden especially pot watering and spraying established plants. They are also easier to store.
- Curved spouts have been designed especially for accurate spot-on watering of individual plants & plant pots
*2. Size – Two smaller watering cans, instead of one big one, are easier to carry. Water is heavy. Carrying two smaller cans distributes the weight more evenly as there is a can in each hand.
*3. Colour – have different coloured cans to avoid the risk of contamination with weedkillers. Have one red plastic watering can for soluble fertilizers or weed killers; plastic because some chemicals should not be used in galvanised watering cans. A green watering can be kept for pure water
*4. Shape – Narrow-profile rectangular watering cans may be held closer to the body than round ones, allowing better posture and causing less strain for the gardener.
Click this link to buy a Hawes watering can from Thompson & Morgan.
Haws Watering Cans are generally accepted as being the best watering cans you can buy.
Watering cans make a perfect present for the gardener.
Shakespeare is a good variety of onion to plant as sets in the autumn.
shakespear autumn planting
Onion sets are very small bulbs which will grow into mature onions. Onion sets are often planted instead of onion seeds as they are thought to produce bigger onions.
Shakespeare - this variety of onion has:
- dark brown skins
- excellent skin quality
- good sized bulbs
- stores well
- harvest from early July
- over winters well
Planting site: Firm, well drained soil in full sun. Do not apply farm yard manure to the soil before planting onions. Onion sets grow well in raised beds, in fact they prefer this to wet ground.
tips-showing
Planting method: Plant the sets so that the tip of bulb is just protruding through the soil surface.
Plant in rows with a space of 10cm (4”) between each bulb, and 30cm (12”) between each row.
onion rows marked out
Shakespeare onions are an autumn planting set.
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Save £20 off your order with Thompson & Morgan when you spend over £100 on products.
Why not take this opportunity to
- order all your autumn and winter vegetables
- order next year’s early sowing seeds
- buy some christmas presents!
Enter Offer Code: AF10928
Enter code in the box labelled “Enter catalogue or newspaper code:”
Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer code and is only valid with orders placed online at www.thompson-morgan.com.
OFFER END DATE: Midnight Wednesday 30th November 2011
Click here to get £20 off orders over £100 with T&M.
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Strawberry Elegance
They are offering 12 runners of Strawberry Elegance and 100g of Strawberry Fertiliser FREE* for every visitor – worth £19.98!
*Just pay £4.95 postage
Strawberry ‘Elegance’ – A fabulous garden variety producing enormous, tasty strawberries that are up to 30% bigger than the supermarket standard, with a high percentage of Class 1 fruits. Strawberry ‘Elegance’ is well suited to growing in containers for a space saving crop on the patio. Strawberries can be planted out as late as November. Plants supplied as runners.
Enter Offer Code: AF11211
Enter code in the box labelled “Enter catalogue or newspaper code:”
Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer code and is only valid with orders placed online at www.thompson-morgan.com.
OFFER END DATE: Midnight Wednesday 16th November 2011
Click this link for your free strawberry plants plus free fertiliser.
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Doyenne du Comice is one of the finest eating pear varieties. Comice is often grown against a wall in the UK, and the delicious, juicy ripe pear just melts in the mouth.
Comice-Pear
The Doyenne du Comice pear fruit is
- large
- broad
- an irregular shape
- yellow in colour, with a greenish tinge and a scattering of red brown spots and blotches
- very juicy with creamy white flesh
- aromatic with a tangy, sweet flavour
ComicePear
Gardening Direct will supply Comice Pear Trees. The Doyenne du Comice is known as the Queen of the Pears.
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