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Be wary of buying plants with labels saying good for pollinators. Unless they’re organic they may have been sprayed with insecticides which harm bees. The RHS has mentioned this recently. It’s hardly an organic organisation but at least it has been made aware of the hypocrisy which goes on in the horticultural industry.
I used Spring Hero cabbages last year. I had a glut and the heads were beginning to split so I made sauerkraut. Just chopped it up with a knife then pounded it to bruise it. Very successful. I hope to do it again this year.
Couldn’t agree more. I tried for years to grow carrots but thanks to Charles and also to growing them in a polytunnel to keep carrot fly away I have had loads of delicious roots all year. Still got a few little, late-sown ones that I put outside once the carrot fly season was over.
Also did the same with parsnips which I’d never had much success with. Now they’re fabulous. Just as tasty as when grown outdoors. One I pulled up to roast at Christmas weighed over 800g.
Thank you so much Charles. Your advice is always based on sound practice rather than theory or tradition. You are definitely my guru. A very Happy New Year.Rare indeed but sensible and probably healthier for it. I hope you enjoy your parsnips in many other ways. We love them roasted but they’re also delicious in soup. You probably already know that. Gardeners are often good cooks too because they’re interested in the quality of their food. Bon appetit!
Karen, If you have a surplus of parsnips I recommend parsnip wine. It’s easy to make, cheap and is a lovely winter warmer. My husband finds ordinary wine hard on his stomach as he previously had ulcers but he can drink the parsnip wine comfortably and it’s delicious. Of course, home-made wines can be potent so moderation is advised when enjoying it.
Sounds exciting. We have a tiny additional polytunnel from Guardman but the covers only last a year. We are going to recover it with horticultural polythene and perhaps expand it. They are so useful. I have Parsnips in the smaller one and earlier we had Carrots so we could avoid the dreaded carrot fly. The bigger tunnel has an assortment of veg. I tried to put a picture on but it wouldn’t take it.
Let us all know how it progresses and best of luck with all the preparatory work. It will all be worth it.Charles, I was very encouraged to see that it might be a good idea to sow carrots now. I have a small polytunnel which is very productive. I have a bit of space. Do you think I could put some seeds in? We are in south Cheshire.
If so would a Nantes type do? I think I have some of those. Thanks for all your helpful advice.I’m sure you will be thrilled with the produce you can grow in your polytunnel. We had just a small one three years ago and it’s wonderful. Food all year round. We do have a bit of powdery mildew but it’s not a huge problem. We keep mesh on the doors until heavy frosts then cover that with fleece until it’s warm enough to remove again. Your big one will perform wonderfully well, I should think.
Charles is the best guru when it comes to sensible and productive gardening. John Walker is another name I go to for good advice and environmentally sound ideas even though I’ve probably been gardening longer than the two of them. You’re never too old to learn. No-dig is not only the best practice for soil management it is also better for my 69 year old muscles and back and my 5′ 1″ frame!
Good luck with your endeavours.Hi Shelley
We had a Hotbin composter last year. It works very well if you want quick, rough, compost good for mulching etc. If you want fine crumbly compost the slow method is preferable. It’s worth having both.
I’m not sure you need the expensive woodchip that the seller recommends. We used our own for a while then tried without. The result is a bit wet and sticky but heats up quickly and steams. Our mix may not be quite right but I shall work on it.
It works very well until the point where you need to stop filling it and allow it to rot down. Then it can go a bit messy. It also gets lots of worms in it. Not sure how as the bin has a fairly tight-fitting lid and door. This is not a bad thing though as they contribute to the decomposition of the ingredients.
Bearing all these points in mind, I would recommend the Hotbin but have normal composting alongside to supplement it. We have benefitted from the quick mulch material. It is very easy to empty with the removable flap at the front. Bit tight to remove initially but you soon get the hang of it.
Hope this is helpful.I just use a trowel to make a hole big enough, just a few inches.
I think the nitrogen-robbing only occurs below the surface, John. If it’s a top mulch I think it’s ok. Charles will put me right here if that’s not the case.I haven’t hilled up my potatoes for years and I’m happy with the results. Our soil is so sandy and light that hilling isn’t practical. I used to mulch with wet newspaper covered by straw or black polythene. The las two years I have only mulched them with plenty of compost and wood chips and they have been fine.
We have to minimize the work now we’re getting on a bit so it makes you more innovative and willing to break away from traditional methods.We have light sandy soil so ants are always present in abundance. Luckily we don’t have any problems with them except in the greenhouse where they nest under the tiled path. Washing down with water regularly helps but if they persist to the flying ant stage we have to leave the top vents and louvre wide open to let them out. Sparrows are attracted to them when the flying ants emerge but as long as they can get out again it’s not too much of a problem. I prefer not to kill things unless necessary. Not keen on them running up my legs though!