GrowBlog

The Art of Harvesting Onions

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:36:18 GMT

It was late January when I started my onions from seed, and last week we tenderly carried the main crop from garden to deck. Oh, happy day! A few shallots aren't quite ready, but having a fine assortment of onions curing in warm shade will make any gardener's day. But let's back up a bit to consider the fine points of how to harvest onions and prepare them for storage, because how you handle your mature onion bulbs will greatly affect how long they will keep. Some onions store better than others, but all will keep better if they are attentively harvested and cured...

Flowers for Vegetable Gardens

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:51:28 GMT

I have always been more of a practical gardener than an idealist. Although it is nice to have an array of pretty bedding flowers I am not inclined to invest the time or space for such luxuries: for me each plant has to earn its place in the garden and be productive in some way. This doesn’t mean that my vegetable plot is devoid of flowers however. Flowers play an important role in any organic garden but the criteria for selecting them are different to ornamental gardens – it’s not the size or colour of the flowers that count but their attractiveness to the right kind of insects...

Time to Make Homemade Pickles

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:34:35 GMT

Turning cucumbers into pickles is one of my favorite food preservation projects, mostly because I love pickles. Each year I grow about six plants of a pickling variety and half as many hybrid slicers, which produce enough to make a year’s supply of pickles. You can pickle any type of cucumber, but small ones work best. Using a trellis of some type makes my cucumbers more productive and easier to pick. Growing cucumbers up instead of out also keeps the fruits amazingly straight, so the fruits easier to clean and slice...

Using Grey Water to Help Plants Survive a Hot Summer

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:37:58 GMT

When summer temperatures start to soar many people reach for the hosepipe and sprinkler to keep their lawn and garden looking good. It is convenient to have endless water ‘on tap’ but it is also very ecologically expensive – clean drinking water takes energy to produce and a sprinkler can use 1000 litres (200 gallons) an hour. That’s the same amount of water that a whole family uses in two days. Multiply that by millions of homes and it soon becomes apparent why this can be bad news for the regional water supply, often resulting in a hosepipe ban to conserve water. So what alternative exist for keeping your fruit and vegetables well watered?

Best Ways to Store Basil

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:23:52 GMT

The most beloved herb of summer, basil is the only culinary herb that smells as good as it tastes. For basil lovers, fresh is the only version that will do, because no preservation method adequately captures basil’s seductive flavor and aroma. Dried basil is usually a taste disaster, but several other methods give better results...

Summer Strawberries

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:43:21 GMT

If I had to pick a fruit that benefits from home-growing more than any other it would be strawberries. The taste of fresh strawberries heralds the arrival of summer for many people but modern methods of mass-cultivation often leave shop-bought varieties tasting bland or mushy. Contrast this with the soft fragrant strawberries picked from your own garden and the supermarket offerings seem very poor in comparison. For the best tasting perfectly ripe strawberries there is only one option: grow them yourself.

Grow Better Broccoli

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:19:54 GMT

Perhaps a few people get lucky on their first try, but most gardeners spend several seasons learning how to grow broccoli. This is because garden broccoli has more precise cultural requirements compared to other vegetables. On every level – timing, soil fertility, spacing, and pest management – broccoli’s rather exact needs must be met. But once you figure out broccoli’s secret formula for success, you can look forward to bountiful yields of this popular and nutritious vegetable.

Trap Cropping to Control Pests

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:53:27 GMT

Most gardeners have experienced the disappointment of carefully raising a vegetable crop only to have it damaged or destroyed by an invasion of pests such as slugs, aphids or other bugs. The traditional advice in such situations is to heavily spray crops with pesticides but many of us prefer to use nature's own organic controls for the food we are going to eat. Trap cropping is one of those valuable organic techniques and is regularly used by organic farmers yet few gardeners are aware of the benefits it offers...

The Coriander Controversy

Fri, 28 May 2010 07:00:46 GMT

Whether you call it coriander or cilantro, Coriandrum sativum is a controversial plant. If you were to line up six people and ask their opinion, four would praise the sprightly flavor of cilantro leaves, and two would make awful faces and come up with a descriptive phrase like this one, posted in response to a recent story in the New York Times: "mildewed canvas deck chair combined with the flavor of old window screen."

Vegetable Gardening on the Cheap

Fri, 21 May 2010 07:57:03 GMT

Earlier this week one of the large DIY Chain stores sent me their catalogue with 'Grow Your Own' proclaimed prominently on the front cover. Intrigued by what a store that sells bathroom suites could offer me for growing vegetables I took a look before relegating it to the recycling pile. I was amazed by how much they consider necessary equipment for vegetable gardening and how expensive it would be to purchase when most gardeners know there are cheaper and more effective ways to do things...

Mixing Up Summer Squash

Fri, 14 May 2010 21:51:44 GMT

Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) is fast and easy to grow in warm summer weather, and the plants are often phenomenally productive. Courgettes (zucchini), yellow squash, Middle Eastern types and scallop squash are all summer squash. In my garden, I may grow three or four varieties, though I grow no more than six summer squash plants, total. The big, burly plants take up quite a bit of space in the garden, which you don't want to waste by growing more than you will actually eat. And then there is the more serious risk of boring the household cook to the point where he or she puts their foot down and says they have simply had enough. In a good year, summer squash burnout becomes an imminent risk in most gardening households.

Easy Weeding for Vegetable Gardens

Fri, 07 May 2010 08:28:13 GMT

Weeding is one of the least popular jobs to be done in a vegetable garden. If the weather is fine and there is time to spare then it can be quite enjoyable. However, during busy periods weeds can quickly take hold and controlling them feels like more of a battle than a leisure activity. So, what are the best ways to keep weeds under control without resorting to harmful methods such as weedkillers?

Making the Most of Rhubarb

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:38:49 GMT

From its Himalayan home in Tibet, rhubarb got a lift to Europe with Marco Polo, and was introduced in America around 1820. Hardy and resilient, rhubarb is now grown in temperate climates around the world. One of only a few perennial vegetables, rhubarb plants often produce for years with little care.

Potty about Plant Pots – Which ones are Best?

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:44:21 GMT

To most people plant pots are just throwaway items – flimsy bits of plastic packaging for houseplants bought from a garden centre or DIY store. To gardeners, however, plant pots are an essential part of raising plants from seed - which often predominates the early parts of spring when the ground is still too cold for outdoor sowing. Choosing plant pots and containers is something we may not give much thought to but there are a surprising number of options and choosing the best types can make a big difference to the success of young plants...

The Mess of Protecting Plants from Stress

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:06:40 GMT

This time of year my garden is so littered with pots, cloches, and flapping sheets of row cover (garden fleece) that it looks just plain trashy. This is a temporary state of affairs that will soon pass as the weather settles down, but meanwhile the view is cluttered at best. The untidy scene is worth bearing in light of the good work being done by various mud-smudged objects, each of which has an important job that helps protect young veggies from the stresses of the season...

Getting More Crops from your Garden

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:08:40 GMT

Traditional gardening advice is often based on a scaled-down version of agriculture: dig in manure, till the soil, plant the seeds, wait until they mature, harvest and then you’re done for the year. The problem with this is that it assumes you have plenty of land which is often not the case for home-growing. Over the years several techniques have been developed which can dramatically increase the quantity of vegetables you can grow in a garden area but how do you know which will work well for your situation? Here’s a concise guide to the available options...

Pricking Out Seedlings

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:30:05 GMT

About half of the seedlings I start indoors grow exactly as they should, with one sturdy plant near the middle of each seedling container, so that the root ball forms a plug plant type mass. The others come up crowded, and need to be “pricked out” – gardening lingo for separating the little seedlings and transplanting them to individual containers. Gardeners who buy seedlings also do a fair amount of pricking out, because it’s not usual to find several lettuce, basil or even tomato seedlings growing in the same pot. Transplanting the young seedlings to individual containers can double or triple your supply of plants...

Quick and Easy Meals from Your Garden

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:41:44 GMT

The French are famous for their sophisticated cuisine but the past week has seen a blow to their national pride as it was revealed that the British are now better at home cooking. A survey, jointly commissioned by British and French magazines, found that the British cook more regularly and with more variety than their French counterparts! Home cooking is certainly something that we should be proud of given the increasing trends of obesity and nutritionally-poor processed food. Even better is to be using home-grown vegetables but can meals from your garden be quick and easy to prepare?

Creating New Vegetable Beds Fast

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:09:03 GMT

In our GrowGuide article on Starting a New Vegetable Plot, there is a detailed guide to the best ways to transform any site into a fine vegetable garden. Quite a bit of digging is required, so it’s best to start with a small space and do it right. But what if you can’t? I know of three quick ways to create growing space for veggies: bag beds, bale beds, and comforter compost. I’ve tried them all, and each has its pros and cons...

The Art of Creating the Perfect Seed Bed

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:10:31 GMT

Kitchen gardening has undergone a revolution over the past decade as garden companies, keen to exploit the resurgence of interest in healthy home-grown vegetables, have pushed the idea of ‘convenience gardening’. This has led to some strange excesses such as the recent expose by Gardening Which magazine that found carrot plug-plants being sold at £1.09 each ($1.60) – more than a whole bunch of organic carrots would normally cost. There is definitely a place for plug plants and convenience but sometimes the traditional methods are worth reviving and the art of creating a seedbed is one of those methods definitely worth learning...

Lowering the Gardening Dropout Rate

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:30:31 GMT

Results from a recent survey conducted by the Garden Writers Foundation found that about 7.7 million Americans grew their first food gardens last year. A similar trend is unfolding in the UK, where up to 100,000 would-be gardeners are on allotment waiting lists. (For my fellow yanks, an allotment is similar to what we call a community garden). To ease this gap, the Royal Horticultural Society’s Grow Your Own Campaign is encouraging the creation of new allotment plots at the workplace. What a fabulous idea!

Growing In the Dark

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:58:39 GMT

The winter months are often characterised by low temperatures, darker days and a sense of waiting for spring to start. If you planned ahead last year then your garden may still be providing supplies of root crops, brussels sprouts, kale and other winter-hardy vegetables but even so there is a distinct lack of new growth and fresh tastes during this period. Rather than wait for the lighter days of spring to start there are some plants that can be persuaded to produce a new crop in the dark, a process known as ‘forcing’. Although it sounds technical it is not as tricky as you might expect and can yield impressive results when fresh produce is scarce...

Growing Hardy Vegetables in Winter

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:14:41 GMT

The local organic farmers all have greenhouses, but still they talk of “waiting for the light” before they sow seeds of cold-hardy vegetables in late winter. What they mean is that they are waiting for days to become longer and brighter, which happens quickly starting in mid-February. Where I live in Virginia, each day is now two minutes longer than the one that came before. In Liverpool, Jeremy’s garden is gaining four minutes of light with each passing day. This is excellent news for the big four of cold-hardy vegetables: mache (lambs lettuce), spinach, kale, and cabbage. When given sturdy protection from ice, snow and cold winds, I have often seen these little guys survive temperatures as low as 10F (-12C). The seedlings must be started indoors because soil temperatures remain too cold to support strong germination, but enclosures that trap solar heat help warm the soil, too.

The Food Superhighway

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:41:26 GMT

Have you noticed the extraordinary reversal of interest in the media in recent months? Growing your own food in a natural, organic way and involving the community has become big news. Television crews are being sent to profile community supported agriculture programs, newspaper columns are being written about the need for more allotment growing spaces and politicians are proclaiming that we should eat more local seasonal produce. What is particularly amazing about this is that in any other culture and time all these things would never be considered newsworthy. Only in our crazy modern food system has growing your own food become the exception rather than the rule

Growing Seedlings Without a Greenhouse

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:21:47 GMT

Historically, a dowry is the booty a bride brings to a marriage, which might be money, fine linens, or a good milk cow. This tradition may take many forms. A few years ago, I entered a new relationship bringing along a cold frame and adjustable tabletop plant light. But in hindsight, Roger had me from the start. On my first visit to his house, it was hard to take my eyes off of his glowing three-tiered plant shelf, perfect for houseplants in winter and veggie seedlings in spring. It began to feel like a very good match.

Winter Salad Wonder: Growing Lamb’s Lettuce (Mâche or Corn Salad)

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:50:11 GMT

Q: When is a weed not a weed? A: When it is the most valuable salad crop in winter! Last year I set myself the challenge of growing salad all year round which was fine for most of the year but much more of a challenge in winter. When temperatures are hovering around freezing nothing much grows. However, there is one amazing plant that can provide fresh leaves when others are dormant: lamb’s lettuce (also known as mâche or corn salad).

Getting Started with Shallots

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:21:07 GMT

It’s only January and we’ve used up the last of our stored bulb onions, which would be sad if not for shallots. As I bring a bowl of these chestnut beauties up the basement steps, my mouth starts to water, because I know what lies ahead. A slow simmer in butter or olive oil transforms shallots into a dream version of caramelized onions. Whether I’m chopping and cooking shallots for risotto, pizza, or some incredible sauce, I cook extra to sprinkle with sea salt and eat straight from the pan. They are that good.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:47:18 GMT

It has been an exceptionally snowy winter this year for much of Europe and America and this can have a big impact in the garden. Many late crops are still over-wintering and, whilst the snow can transform your vegetable patch into a beautiful winter scene, it can also cause problems for plants. So, what are the options for protecting crops from damage due to wintery weather?

2010: Let the Gardening Season Begin

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:34:49 GMT

The unspoiled freshness of a new year feels a little like spring, so it’s a great time to start thinking about your 2010 garden. Taking time to envision the season ahead is an important first step, which can be quite enjoyable and help lead you into a truly inspired season. Thinking too much about your past successes and failures will probably come automatically, and it’s not very useful during the envisioning phase anyway. Instead, try imagining your way through these guidelines. They work for me.

Christmas Vegetables - Italian Style

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:19:05 GMT

Italy has a well deserved reputation for culinary excellence combined with a deep appreciation of great-tasting fresh produce. So what better place to get inspiration for a Christmas feast than the country where beautiful food sourced from local markets is treasured and savored? Wendy Holloway has spent the last 14 years introducing people to the wonders of Italian cuisine through her cookery school and gastronomic tours in Rome. In this special guest article, she guides us through the essential components of a truly Italian Christmas and will be answering your questions about Italian cuisine in the comments below...

Give Snap Peas a Chance

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:13:10 GMT

When snap peas were introduced to the modern gardening world in 1979, some folks were impressed enough to predict that they would one day rival tomatoes in garden popularity. This hasn’t happened, but most American gardeners do favor snap peas over traditional shell peas (English peas) or snow peas (the latter are called mangetouts in Europe, which is French for “eat the whole thing”). The reason for snap peas’ popularity is all about productivity. You can feed four people with one pound (450 grams) of snap peas, but you will need to shell out twice as many shell pea pods to obtain four nice servings. Delicate snow peas (mangetouts) fall somewhere in between.

The Feeding of the 5000 (with Unwanted Fruit and Vegetables)

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:48:48 GMT

'You are cordially invited to a free lunch for up to 5000 people' reads the headline on the website Feeding the 5000. On December 16th 2009, campaigners are going to turn several tonnes of ‘unwanted' fruit, vegetables and farm produce into a spectacular lunch of soup for passersby in London's Trafalgar Square. The aim is to highlight the unbelievable waste of food in affluent countries. We live in a society that has largely become disconnected from the land that sustains us and I believe that gardeners have a role to play in reversing this alarming trend.