Black Ground Beetles in the garden.
Ground beetles are found in vegetable gardens, scampering across the ground or hiding under stones and logs.
How To Grow Tomatoes growing card
Farming Friends & TopVeg have collaborated to create a How To Grow Tomatoes growing card. Click on the image below to enlarge the picture of the card.
The card may be downloaded, printed off and pinned to the greenhouse wall as a useful reference on how to grow tomatoes. Read More »
plant tomatoHow To Grow Courgettes
Farming Friends & TopVeg have collaborated to create a How To Grow Courgettes growing card. Click on the image below to enlarge the picture of the card.
The card may be downloaded, printed off and pinned to the potting shed wall as a useful reference on how to grow courgettes. Read More »
courgetteHedge Sparrow enjoys Broccoli
The broccoli has been fantastic this year, and the hedge sparrow enjoys it too.
There are four eggs in the nest which has been built in the sprouting broccoli plant. Click the image to enlarge it. Bird information can be found on Bird Table News.
Shallots need a Hoe
The shallots planted in February need a hoe. The hoe will:
- get rid of the tiny weed seedlings
- keep the soil loose on top - so reducing the number of weeds which grow because they find it hard to germinate in loose, dry soil. Also loose soil will be easy to hoe in the future.
TopVeg used a small hand rake as a hoe. It is important to work the hoe in a shallow layer of soil, so that the roots of the shallots are not disturbed.
The shallots have grown well in the last week.
It is a shame that the shallots have grown in an uneven fashion.
Using a hoe when the weeds are tiny, before the weeds start to compete with the shallots, will also make life easier in the future.
shallotAsparagus Peas Transplanted to Root Trainers
Some of the asparagus peas have been transplanted from the propagator into root trainers on the window sill.
35 asparagus peas planted on 5 April are germinating unevenly. 3 started to emerge, after 8 days in the heated propagator. By day 20, nine pea seeds have germinated and emerged.
The problem with uneven germination is that the emerged seedlings need different conditions from the un-chitted pea seeds. Read More »
Rhubarb in the Garden
The rhubarb patch looks healthy and is providing plenty of sticks for the kitchen.
The rhubarb patch was not forced this year because it was forced last year and needs a bit of a rest. Read More »
harvest rhubarb vegetable gardenThe Green Gym in the Vegetable Garden
The vegetable garden is a green gym. The garden is a place to ‘work out’ in the open air, whilst doing something constructive.
Physically active people are up to 50% less likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke.
But some gardeners need to socialise, and the BTCV Green Gym is the ideal place.
The BTCV Green Gym ® is a scheme that inspires you to improve your health and the environment at the same time. Read More »
Measuring Soil Temperature
Measuring Soil Temperature
Thermometers
Any thermometer that will measure temperature at a specific depth can be used to measure soil temperature. Ordinary glass bulb thermometers are adequate, provided they are long enough to allow the temperature to be read whilst the bulb is in the ground at required depth. Read More »
