Blog

04
Jul, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Terthill – A Solar Powered Weeding Robot

Franklin Robotics have designed a Solar Powered Weeding Robot called Terthill. The robot wanders through the veg garden strimming any small plant it comes across.  The robot senses and moves away from large plants, or plants which have been protected by
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02
Jul, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Blackfly on Broad Beans

Blackfly    –  Latin name: Aphis fabae (in the family of Aphididae) Blackfly is a serious pest of broadbeans in the kitchen garden. A whole mass of shiny black insects cover the growing tips, flower buds and the underside of young
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01
Jul, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Pinch Broad Bean Tops to Control Blackfly

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
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30
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Broad Bean Top Omelette

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has produced a wonderful omelette recipe using broad bean tops. Ingredients: * handful leafy broad bean tops * 4 eggs * 50gm of butter * salt & pepper to taste Click here to see Hugh’s article in The
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30
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Bean and Pea Seed Fly

Bean and Pea seed fly (Latin name – Delia platura, Delia florilega) Adult fly is very small (3 to 6 mm long) & grey in colour Eggs are pearly white, elongated & 1 mm long, laid on the soil surface
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29
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Caliente mustard reduces potato cyst nematodes.

This post contains affiliate links. Caliente Mustard: reduces potato cyst nematodes improves soil structure – as a green manure suppresses soil disease and weeds – as a  biofumigant Caliente Mustard produces a naturally occurring biofumigant gas (isothiocyanate (ITC)) when its
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27
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Support Posts for Raspberry Canes & Other Fruit

It is worth doing a good job of putting supporting posts in, as it is such a nuisance if the raspberry canes fall down. Posts are needed in the kitchen garden to fix the wires along which fruit canes can be
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26
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

How to Grow Carrots in the Garden

How to grow carrots in the vegetable garden: carrots like a sunny spot dig soil in autumn & break soil down to fine, crumbly seedbed before sowing sow outdoors from March to August – if in  March cover with cloche
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24
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Grey Mould Spoils Strawberries

Wet weather is causing strawberries to suffer from grey mould (Botrytis cinerea). Grey mould, sometimes known as Botrytis blight, is caused by a fungus Botrytis cinerea which spreads in cool, rainy weather around 60 F. The disease is particularly damaging
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23
Jun, 2017 By Sally Osgerby

Slug Control in the Vegetable Garden

Watch out for slugs, and control them in the vegetable garden! Slugs eat young seedlings and will completely destroy your plans. Slugs like warm, moist conditions. So this spring has been perfect for them. Assume you will have slugs and be
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