I took advantage of the warm November to give the potato patch a good dig over.
The potatoes were lifted in October on warm drying days and before the first frosts threatened. After drying they were stored in paper sacks in a dark corner of the potting shed and we have been using them steadily since then. The patch will be used for legumes next year, mostly broad beans and peas.
I hope my thorough digging will mean that I will not have too many potato volunteers next year. Meanwhile I dislike seeing the bare soil which is vulnerable to winter rains and liable to sport a crop of chickweed.
Green manures have become relatively popular recently, an idea that has been imported into domestic spheres from agriculture. Personally it doesn't suit my gardening practice.
Having spent hours forking over the soil and removing weeds the thought of having to dig in a green manure before I can plant is extra work I can do without. In addition I expect to plant in early spring and wonder how much useful growth, if any, the green manure would have produced by then. Finally many green manures are brassica crops and it would play havoc with crop rotation.
Instead I resort to an old practice prevalent in Scotland, I collect seaweed after winter storms and spread it over the soil. Collect after rain and most of the salt should be washed off. Spread reasonably thick and the weeds are smothered and the soil protected. During the course of the winter the seaweed will begin to breakdown but you can plant around it if it is still there come planting time. Slugs don't seem to like it and it contains many useful trace elements.
The patch previously planted with legumes will host the brassicas next year. It is treated to a layer of sawdust and straw from the goose and chicken sheds and covered with black plastic. This will protect the soil, feed the worms and later the brassicas, and the plastic allows the soil to warm and remain drier than it otherwise would. Come planting time a sprinkle of lime and the plants are planted without further work.
This coming year I am considering planting the brassica plants through a black weed suppressing membrane to reduce the weeds and keep the soil warm. Should you suffer from cabbage root fly it should help with that and I am interested to see what impact it might have on slugs.
The allium/carrot patch still has vegetables in it but will be next years potato patch. This patch will have some of the compost from the compost bins after the potatoes are planted. I add it to the top of the soil and will hoe off any emerging weed seeds, it will feed the emerging potatoes, add another protecting layer to the soil and young potato shoots, and is an easy way to incorporate the compost to the vegetable patch.
This leaves only the present brassica patch. Still holding winter cabbages, swede, and planted with next years garlic crop on soil which has been harvested of earlier brassicas. This patch gets no extra treatment. The onions and carrots etc. will benefit from the previous years goose and chicken manure. When the winter brassicas are harvested the ground will be almost immediately replanted, if there is a delay I will cover it with black plastic which will warm the soil and keep it drier ready for seed sowing.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Snow, deer and carrots
After the warmest November on record for Scotland we entered December and along came the snow.
The last few days have seen falls of about 3 inches or more which have smothered a still warm soil. This has left soft ground underneath which means that vegetables still in the ground are unfrozen. So when the deer entered the vegetable garden, it's tracks clear in the snow, it managed to pull out the carrots whilst enjoying the tops. It is a timely reminder that they need lifting, usually a job done much earlier but left because of the warm weather. I will sort through and pack the large ones in dry peat which will keep them in excellent condition.
The deer's trespass reminds me of why I plant winter veg in the polytunnel; to avoid predation by hungry animals. Inside the cabbage, kale, winter broccoli, carrots and salads will continue to grow and remain for me to pick when I want them. Outside I have netted the most tempting vegetables.
During the snow showers you do need to be vigilant with polytunnels and greenhouses. Heavy falls of snow need to be cleared from the roof to avoid damage. Last year the polytunnels collected a large quantity of snow which began to melt from below during spells of sunshine, caused by the temperature inside warming the snow, only for it to refreeze during the night. This led to a thick layer of ice which was heavy on the plastic and difficult to shift. Domestic sized tunnels are relatively easy to clear snow from, larger structures present more problems and many suffered snow damage. My tunnel has a double skin which does make it stronger but care still needs to be taken when clearing snow as the plastic can be brittle and easily torn. A brush may take longer but tends to be a safer tool than a rake or metal implement.
The last few days have seen falls of about 3 inches or more which have smothered a still warm soil. This has left soft ground underneath which means that vegetables still in the ground are unfrozen. So when the deer entered the vegetable garden, it's tracks clear in the snow, it managed to pull out the carrots whilst enjoying the tops. It is a timely reminder that they need lifting, usually a job done much earlier but left because of the warm weather. I will sort through and pack the large ones in dry peat which will keep them in excellent condition.
The deer's trespass reminds me of why I plant winter veg in the polytunnel; to avoid predation by hungry animals. Inside the cabbage, kale, winter broccoli, carrots and salads will continue to grow and remain for me to pick when I want them. Outside I have netted the most tempting vegetables.
During the snow showers you do need to be vigilant with polytunnels and greenhouses. Heavy falls of snow need to be cleared from the roof to avoid damage. Last year the polytunnels collected a large quantity of snow which began to melt from below during spells of sunshine, caused by the temperature inside warming the snow, only for it to refreeze during the night. This led to a thick layer of ice which was heavy on the plastic and difficult to shift. Domestic sized tunnels are relatively easy to clear snow from, larger structures present more problems and many suffered snow damage. My tunnel has a double skin which does make it stronger but care still needs to be taken when clearing snow as the plastic can be brittle and easily torn. A brush may take longer but tends to be a safer tool than a rake or metal implement.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Insulating the greenhouse
All the signs are now indicating the rapid approach of winter. A cold drenching day yesterday left the ground running with water and best left alone. However there is plenty to be done in the polytunnels and greenhouse.
This morning a thin crust of ice on the poultry water and a forecast of much colder weather tonight means that there should be no delay to putting up the insulation in the greenhouse.
Each year I put up a bubble wrap layer next to the glass and hang more over a framework of training wire to reduce the height of the internal space. It means that the heater has less volume to heat and reduces heat loss through the glass. It does make the greenhouse feel more enclosed and leads to reduced light levels, but as most of the plants are in a semi-dormant state that is not a big problem.
I do not run a warm greenhouse through the winter, it is more of a frost free place. Tubular heaters suspended beneath the benches provide a gentle continuous heat and a fan heater cuts in if the temperature drops too low. The heaters are usually switched off during the day, unless the frost or snow remains and there is no sunlight. A back up paraffin heater has thankfully not been needed for many years now, they require more attendance and are difficult to adjust to ensure the right heat level. I think in a sustained power cut I would probably resort to moving plants into the potting shed or house rather than use the paraffin heater.
Most of the heating is required during the early spring when nursery and vegetable plants are actively being grown. Then the insulation can interfere with ventilation and light transmission and it is important to be vigilant with seedlings to prevent disease and weak growth. Delaying the sowing of seeds to avoid the worst of the weather conditions is a necessary tactic; this year I had to delay sowing for three weeks or more due to the heavy snow and very low temperatures. Also avoid sowing seeds of tender plants, these should always be left for a later sowing. The hardy seedlings will withstand some drops in temperature but the tender seedlings will succumb or suffer a check in growth which will lead to a weaker plant.
It is always a relief to remove the insulation, though I tend to leave the sections that are on the lower half of the greenhouse and just remove the top half first. Suddenly there is more light and the greenhouse feels larger. This year April was a sunny warm month and the insulation was interfering with the ventilation to such a degree that the build up in heat beneath it was causing significant stress to the plants. The heat cannot escape through the roof lights with the insulation in place and the increase in daylight means that a decision needs to be made: reduce the heat lost at night or gain more daylight and heat during the day, with better ventilation too. Adding some means of absorbing that daytime heat inside the greenhouse will mitigate some of the loss during the night as the absorbed heat is released during the cooler hours. I have a large black tank of water and some concrete paving slabs, all of which act as a thermal store.
The polytunnels have no insulation or heating. If you want to use them for propagating early in the season consider adding a heated bench with some fleece for keeping the heat in at night, or erect a cold frame or small tunnel inside the large tunnel as a dedicated propagating area or area to keep more tender plants.
This morning a thin crust of ice on the poultry water and a forecast of much colder weather tonight means that there should be no delay to putting up the insulation in the greenhouse.
Each year I put up a bubble wrap layer next to the glass and hang more over a framework of training wire to reduce the height of the internal space. It means that the heater has less volume to heat and reduces heat loss through the glass. It does make the greenhouse feel more enclosed and leads to reduced light levels, but as most of the plants are in a semi-dormant state that is not a big problem.
I do not run a warm greenhouse through the winter, it is more of a frost free place. Tubular heaters suspended beneath the benches provide a gentle continuous heat and a fan heater cuts in if the temperature drops too low. The heaters are usually switched off during the day, unless the frost or snow remains and there is no sunlight. A back up paraffin heater has thankfully not been needed for many years now, they require more attendance and are difficult to adjust to ensure the right heat level. I think in a sustained power cut I would probably resort to moving plants into the potting shed or house rather than use the paraffin heater.
Most of the heating is required during the early spring when nursery and vegetable plants are actively being grown. Then the insulation can interfere with ventilation and light transmission and it is important to be vigilant with seedlings to prevent disease and weak growth. Delaying the sowing of seeds to avoid the worst of the weather conditions is a necessary tactic; this year I had to delay sowing for three weeks or more due to the heavy snow and very low temperatures. Also avoid sowing seeds of tender plants, these should always be left for a later sowing. The hardy seedlings will withstand some drops in temperature but the tender seedlings will succumb or suffer a check in growth which will lead to a weaker plant.
It is always a relief to remove the insulation, though I tend to leave the sections that are on the lower half of the greenhouse and just remove the top half first. Suddenly there is more light and the greenhouse feels larger. This year April was a sunny warm month and the insulation was interfering with the ventilation to such a degree that the build up in heat beneath it was causing significant stress to the plants. The heat cannot escape through the roof lights with the insulation in place and the increase in daylight means that a decision needs to be made: reduce the heat lost at night or gain more daylight and heat during the day, with better ventilation too. Adding some means of absorbing that daytime heat inside the greenhouse will mitigate some of the loss during the night as the absorbed heat is released during the cooler hours. I have a large black tank of water and some concrete paving slabs, all of which act as a thermal store.
The polytunnels have no insulation or heating. If you want to use them for propagating early in the season consider adding a heated bench with some fleece for keeping the heat in at night, or erect a cold frame or small tunnel inside the large tunnel as a dedicated propagating area or area to keep more tender plants.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Tomato report
Yesterday's sunshine and heat was a reminder of what we didn't have during the summer. The rain showers have returned and we now need to get those tomatoes ripened and any plants that have finished cropping removed.
All my tomatoes are grown in the polytunnel and for the most part the temperatures there have been reasonable but there has been a lack of sunshine and high humidity levels. Mildew has been problematic this year and, though most tomato varieties set fruit well, ripening has been slow.
So which varieties proved best? Earliest to ripen and giving frequent cropping throughout the summer was a baby plum 'Lucciola' and a yellow cherry 'Sungold', though 'Sungold' didn't have the heaviest tresses. These were from 'Golden Cherry' another yellow cherry with a good flavour and now ripening very fast and allowing frequent cropping. 'Chocolate Cherry', an unusual brown/pink, also ripened quickly and has been giving a steady crop throughout the summer.
The larger tomatoes have had heavy trusses of fruit but they are very slow to ripen. 'Brandywine' set a reasonable number (it is never prolific) and the ones that have ripened have been worth the wait. 'Roma', a plum tomato that usually does very well for me, is ripening very slowly and I have not had the crops that I have had in previous years. They do make a very sweet sauce and can ripen in a warm place so I still have hope for the remaining tomatoes.
Friends with tomatoes in greenhouses have had healthier and better crops which I put down to the extra warmth, light and lower humidity levels. For the number of tomatoes I grow my greenhouse is not big enough!
So what to recommend when summers are not warm and sunny enough? First grow a variety, some tomatoes will perform better than others and part of the fun of growing your own is to eat what you can't find in the shops. Secondly try cherry or small tomatoes which seem to be inclined to ripen earlier. Thirdly ensure good hygiene and don't be too greedy, thin out plants to let light and air to the fruits. This will aid ripening and reduce mildew.
Those are tips for next year so what to do now? Continue to pick ripe fruits, cut back new growth and dispose of diseased or surplus growth. If temperatures drop and you still have green fruit try hanging up trusses in a warm sunny place or even bring fruits into the kitchen to ripen.
All my tomatoes are grown in the polytunnel and for the most part the temperatures there have been reasonable but there has been a lack of sunshine and high humidity levels. Mildew has been problematic this year and, though most tomato varieties set fruit well, ripening has been slow.
So which varieties proved best? Earliest to ripen and giving frequent cropping throughout the summer was a baby plum 'Lucciola' and a yellow cherry 'Sungold', though 'Sungold' didn't have the heaviest tresses. These were from 'Golden Cherry' another yellow cherry with a good flavour and now ripening very fast and allowing frequent cropping. 'Chocolate Cherry', an unusual brown/pink, also ripened quickly and has been giving a steady crop throughout the summer.
The larger tomatoes have had heavy trusses of fruit but they are very slow to ripen. 'Brandywine' set a reasonable number (it is never prolific) and the ones that have ripened have been worth the wait. 'Roma', a plum tomato that usually does very well for me, is ripening very slowly and I have not had the crops that I have had in previous years. They do make a very sweet sauce and can ripen in a warm place so I still have hope for the remaining tomatoes.
Friends with tomatoes in greenhouses have had healthier and better crops which I put down to the extra warmth, light and lower humidity levels. For the number of tomatoes I grow my greenhouse is not big enough!
So what to recommend when summers are not warm and sunny enough? First grow a variety, some tomatoes will perform better than others and part of the fun of growing your own is to eat what you can't find in the shops. Secondly try cherry or small tomatoes which seem to be inclined to ripen earlier. Thirdly ensure good hygiene and don't be too greedy, thin out plants to let light and air to the fruits. This will aid ripening and reduce mildew.
Those are tips for next year so what to do now? Continue to pick ripe fruits, cut back new growth and dispose of diseased or surplus growth. If temperatures drop and you still have green fruit try hanging up trusses in a warm sunny place or even bring fruits into the kitchen to ripen.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Broad beans
I first came across broad beans in New Zealand where they were part of Christmas dinner. Young and sweet beans are a treat here in early summer and as a hardy bean they should be part of every northern kitchen garden.
Of all the beans I grow the broad bean is the most reliable and can be successfully grown outside. All other beans only do well for me under cover, but this year has not been good for them, poor flower set and damp humid conditions has led to a lot of mildew. Of the polytunnel beans the borlotti beans have been the most successful.
Outside the broad beans produced a good crop and then I left some pods to produce seed for sowing next year. The wet September has been trying for all when harvesting is due but today I finally cleared off the weeds and harvested the pods. The very black ones had become damp and the seed spoilt but the green ones had protected their seed and this has been laid out to dry in the greenhouse. Discard any that show rot and when the seed is properly dry store them in a cool dry container.
The seed is from Jade, a short sturdy bean which produces good flavoured beans early to mid summer. This is not a variety suitable for autumn sowing. I start them in pots in the greenhouse in January, they don't require heat and usually germinate within a couple of weeks or so. I always sow the seed on its side not flat. I have tried autumn sown varieties but haven't found any advantage, they don't produce any quicker, and if the ground is very wet the seed can rot. Once the seed is through I will grow it on for a few weeks before hardening it off and planting outside. This will generally be about March time depending on the weather. They don't require any protection or staking and little further attention until cropping.
Of all the beans I grow the broad bean is the most reliable and can be successfully grown outside. All other beans only do well for me under cover, but this year has not been good for them, poor flower set and damp humid conditions has led to a lot of mildew. Of the polytunnel beans the borlotti beans have been the most successful.
Outside the broad beans produced a good crop and then I left some pods to produce seed for sowing next year. The wet September has been trying for all when harvesting is due but today I finally cleared off the weeds and harvested the pods. The very black ones had become damp and the seed spoilt but the green ones had protected their seed and this has been laid out to dry in the greenhouse. Discard any that show rot and when the seed is properly dry store them in a cool dry container.
The seed is from Jade, a short sturdy bean which produces good flavoured beans early to mid summer. This is not a variety suitable for autumn sowing. I start them in pots in the greenhouse in January, they don't require heat and usually germinate within a couple of weeks or so. I always sow the seed on its side not flat. I have tried autumn sown varieties but haven't found any advantage, they don't produce any quicker, and if the ground is very wet the seed can rot. Once the seed is through I will grow it on for a few weeks before hardening it off and planting outside. This will generally be about March time depending on the weather. They don't require any protection or staking and little further attention until cropping.
Friday, 16 September 2011
Strawberries
For many years I have grown strawberries very successfully in the polytunnel. The variety is an everbearer or perpetual meaning that it produces fruit throughout the summer rather than just in one flush.
To minimise slug damage and make them easier to pick I grow them in raised troughs that I made myself from some offcuts of wood. As the demand from strawberries has increased from my family I also grow them in the raised beds under the tomatoes.They fruit well from late May until the frosts and are very sweet.
This year I decided to try some outdoors and planted them last autumn through black weed suppressing membrane on ridges. They looked a little sorry for themselves as the winter started, disappeared from view under snow for a couple of months, and then reappeared in early spring and took off, beginning to flower in May and producing their first fruits in June. The revelation was that these fruits were even sweeter than the ones under cover, and though they started later they cropped heavily and with little slug or bird damage. This despite the fact that this has been the coldest British summer for 18 years! It has been so successful that it will be repeated.
Strawberries are best moved onto fresh ground on a regular basis and new plants used every 2 to 3 years. My experimental bed used up part of the bean/pea patch. To increase the quantity would mean reducing the amount of peas and beans, not good. I have decided a dedicated bed needs to be created. The ridges will run north - south to enable sunlight to reach both sides. Ridges allow the fruits to hang down without necessarily lying on the ground. Water also runs away from the crown of the plant minimising rot. The black weed suppressing membrane kept the weeds out and the fruits clean and dried quickly after rain helping to prevent rotting fruit. Giving adequate space to the plants is also crucial, they grow large and air flow around the plants keeps mildew at bay. Two feet either way is not excessive although it might look too much when they are first planted. Planting in autumn is best, the plants settle in quickly in the mild weather, frost helps flower bud initiation and they are likely to produce an earlier crop. We were enjoying large bowls of sweet, tasty strawberries about 3 times a week with a couple of helpings of homemade strawberry icecream. With a punnet of strawberries selling at £2 or so that is a significant saving for not much effort and much better tasting.
To minimise slug damage and make them easier to pick I grow them in raised troughs that I made myself from some offcuts of wood. As the demand from strawberries has increased from my family I also grow them in the raised beds under the tomatoes.They fruit well from late May until the frosts and are very sweet.
This year I decided to try some outdoors and planted them last autumn through black weed suppressing membrane on ridges. They looked a little sorry for themselves as the winter started, disappeared from view under snow for a couple of months, and then reappeared in early spring and took off, beginning to flower in May and producing their first fruits in June. The revelation was that these fruits were even sweeter than the ones under cover, and though they started later they cropped heavily and with little slug or bird damage. This despite the fact that this has been the coldest British summer for 18 years! It has been so successful that it will be repeated.
Strawberries are best moved onto fresh ground on a regular basis and new plants used every 2 to 3 years. My experimental bed used up part of the bean/pea patch. To increase the quantity would mean reducing the amount of peas and beans, not good. I have decided a dedicated bed needs to be created. The ridges will run north - south to enable sunlight to reach both sides. Ridges allow the fruits to hang down without necessarily lying on the ground. Water also runs away from the crown of the plant minimising rot. The black weed suppressing membrane kept the weeds out and the fruits clean and dried quickly after rain helping to prevent rotting fruit. Giving adequate space to the plants is also crucial, they grow large and air flow around the plants keeps mildew at bay. Two feet either way is not excessive although it might look too much when they are first planted. Planting in autumn is best, the plants settle in quickly in the mild weather, frost helps flower bud initiation and they are likely to produce an earlier crop. We were enjoying large bowls of sweet, tasty strawberries about 3 times a week with a couple of helpings of homemade strawberry icecream. With a punnet of strawberries selling at £2 or so that is a significant saving for not much effort and much better tasting.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
A new potting bench.
I have just purchased my very first purpose built potting bench and a good piece of kit it is too. It folds away for storage, has a lower shelf, a small galvanised top shelf, substantial galvanised work surface and a drawer. It now stands in the greenhouse and almost looks too good to use.
A potting bench is one of the most useful and used pieces of equipment. When I first started I used the kitchen table, covered with newspaper, and a reasonable sized plastic potting tray. Not the most convenient places to sow seeds and prick out seedlings. Every time I had to bring everything into the kitchen, compost, pots, seed trays etc. In the greenhouse I then had I didn't have space to do much work, it was a space for bringing plants on. In the summer I resorted to working out of a wheelbarrow!
In the nursery I have the luxury of a potting shed and I built a workbench on which I continue to use my plastic potting tray. Everything is to hand and no more need to tidy up afterwards. So why a new potting bench?
In the very early spring I start off the majority of my seeds. In the potting shed there is no heating and the stone walls retain the cold. In the greenhouse there is a heater, and the sun rapidly makes it warmer and lighter. I can be pricking out seedlings for hours, traipsing back and forth to the greenhouse with pots and trays of seedlings. I also put my compost, ready mixed for sowing or transplanting, in buckets in the greenhouse to warm up. (In the potting shed last winter the compost was frozen). So I frequently take my potting tray to the greenhouse and work there, but that uses up bench space, and the bench is not quite high enough and I end up with a sore back. Hence the need for a purpose built potting bench, and when I found the one I liked the look of I knew that it would make spring sowing a much more pleasant experience. As it also folds away I can remove it if necessary or take it down to the polytunnel. It promises to give many years of good service. If you do lots of sowing and transplanting I would recommend you get yourself a potting bench, whether home made or bought, it will be a worthwhile investment.
A potting bench is one of the most useful and used pieces of equipment. When I first started I used the kitchen table, covered with newspaper, and a reasonable sized plastic potting tray. Not the most convenient places to sow seeds and prick out seedlings. Every time I had to bring everything into the kitchen, compost, pots, seed trays etc. In the greenhouse I then had I didn't have space to do much work, it was a space for bringing plants on. In the summer I resorted to working out of a wheelbarrow!
In the nursery I have the luxury of a potting shed and I built a workbench on which I continue to use my plastic potting tray. Everything is to hand and no more need to tidy up afterwards. So why a new potting bench?
In the very early spring I start off the majority of my seeds. In the potting shed there is no heating and the stone walls retain the cold. In the greenhouse there is a heater, and the sun rapidly makes it warmer and lighter. I can be pricking out seedlings for hours, traipsing back and forth to the greenhouse with pots and trays of seedlings. I also put my compost, ready mixed for sowing or transplanting, in buckets in the greenhouse to warm up. (In the potting shed last winter the compost was frozen). So I frequently take my potting tray to the greenhouse and work there, but that uses up bench space, and the bench is not quite high enough and I end up with a sore back. Hence the need for a purpose built potting bench, and when I found the one I liked the look of I knew that it would make spring sowing a much more pleasant experience. As it also folds away I can remove it if necessary or take it down to the polytunnel. It promises to give many years of good service. If you do lots of sowing and transplanting I would recommend you get yourself a potting bench, whether home made or bought, it will be a worthwhile investment.
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