Pruning Tomatoes - Fine Gardening Article

Pruning Tomatoes - Fine Gardening Article


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Cacti are as Hot as a Stove

Little children are absolutely amazing.  Exploring the world with a curiosity that is often lost all too soon.  Being wonder and awe and details that often taken for granted by those older.  Experience is often the most effective teacher, like when a child touches a hot stove.  Making that mistake once is usually enough.  Today it was the case of the cactus biting with a fury. 

The warning was there, 'Children - Do Not Touch'.  She had been told, 'No Touching'.  And yet the synapses were not connecting well with the fingers.  As she watched me picking up, holding, looking and occasionally ever so gently touching the points of the cacti plants in Ayletts Nursery, she determined to give it a go herself by firmly squeezing the cactus plant over and over again.  Once should have sent the message between the finger and brain.  But then again, the synapses were not connecting.

A few moments later the reality set in.  She had managed to acquire lots of little hairlike cactus prickles.  They were now firmly lodged in her thumb and index finger.  First it was the look of awe, amazement, 'Daddy, look at my fingers'.  Later it was the tears as they were slowly pulled with tweezers from her tiny hand. 

We put some oinment on and a plaster over the thumb.  Within an hour the plaster was already off and she said it was better.  Sure.  All I can hope for is that this experience will not be for nought, that maybe next time she is told 'No Touching' it will fall on receptive ears and the synapses will connect.  Hopefully she will not touch a hot stove.

Lettuce or Lattughino?

Maureen keeps telling me it is lettuce, but I am super impressed with my lattughino.  To me it is not just lettuce.  It is an especially beautiful green and dark red ruffled leaf  that has endured the winter and graced our garden to provide us with our first salads of the spring.  As listed on the seed packet I planted it in September and watched it provide colour to the garden throughout the winter when nearly everything else had died off.

The best I can gather from searching the web is that 'lattughino' is Italian for Lettuce.   So it really is just lettuce after all.  I would be elated if a linguist could kindly clarify this point?  What is evident is that planting in August/September can make for enjoying an early spring fresh salad.  Parsley has been cropping for some time already, the first leaves of rocket are ready for picking and next week the first of the red lettuce and radishes should be available to enable us to put together a zesty salad.  Call it Lettuce....Call it Lattughino....I'll call it Yum.

The Edible Garden

Alys Fowler's garden at her home in the west midlands provides plenty of inspiration of the possibilities of having both an edible and beautiful garden.

Her new programme on BBC 2 'The Edible Garden' is a short 30 minute way to get some new ideas for your existing garden, be inspired to begin or muse on similar experiences -- successful crops and failed sowings.

Parsley: Garnish or Food

Growing up parsley was always the garnish that appeared on my plate in a restaurant, maybe next to a potato.  It was quickly dismissed as decoration and set aside.  Dried parsley leaves were used as flavouring, but not as food.

Fast forward twenty years and now I'm growing it in my own garden.  The realisation has set in.  Parsley is food.  Sure it's an herb.  But it is a fantastic addition to nearly every meal.  Here are three ideas to enjoy parsley.

1. Eat it raw...Pick it fresh from the garden and eat it on the spot.
2. Add it to your omelette.  After the egg is nearly ready to fold over add a handful of chopped parsley.
3. Put some on your sandwich.  Choose your choice of main, whether a type of meat or possibly humus (one of my favourites).  Add your choice of extras and be sure to include some fresh parsley branches. 

Besides the flavour of fresh grown parsley, this wonderful herb is full of nutritional value

"Parsley contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, and twice as much iron as spinach. It's an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A and folate, as well. But parsley's nutrition advantages do not end there."

Parsley has now become a regular occurrence at our table.  If you aren't already enjoying the flavour and health benefits of parsley on a regular basis the good news is that it is easy to grown.  You can either grown from seed or buy seedings at your local nursery.

A child's garden delight

What compares with the joy of a young child enjoying fresh herbs and vegetables right from the garden.  The amazement that it can be eaten right off the plant.  The innocent trust.  The barriers are broken.  And new possibilities are opened.

This is the time of year when nightcrawler activity can become obvious in your lawn. Nightcrawlers, a type of earthworm, become active as soon as the weather warms up. They feed at night on organic matter in the soil and deposit castings, i.e. soil and waste material, on the soil surface. These casting can become hard and can make a lawn uneven and sometimes difficult to walk on. Still, in the big scheme of things nightcrawlers are just a nuisance.

In fact, nightcrawlers are very beneficial. They help break down thatch and other organic matter and mix and recycle nutrients back into the soil. Their tunneling greatly helps water and air penetration into the ground. When there is an imbalance between the presence of organic matter and its breakdown, this can lead to an increased amount of thatch. An excessive thatch layer reduces water infiltration, decreases the penetration of pesticides and fertilizers, and can make turf grass more susceptible to heat, drought, and plant diseases.

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Many people go to great lengths to implement vermiculture into their gardening plans while others will go to great lengths to try to destroy the creatures to maintain their perfectly manicured lanwn.  I love the fact we have a good supply of worms in the garden, especially in the potager to keep nourishing the soil.

Spring is around the Corner

 

The warmth of the sun filled the afternoon the last two days and beauty of the first almost spring flowers are out. Spring will officially begin next week, but some of the early flowers along with some of my first seedlings are getting a head start. Spring is such a beautiful time in England.

Organic White Potatoes Seeding

We've saved a few organic potatoes from the shop and have allowed them to shoot in order to plant and grow more potatotes. I just think the shoots are absolutely beautiful. And they grow so quickly. I can go to work, come home, observe and notice the growth.  All very exciting.  I'll let them continue to sprout on the windowsill for awhile longer and then plant them out in a patch I have prepared in the garden.

Winter Parsley

Winter Parsley, originally uploaded by j_wissinger.

I was resigned to setting the window box outside after the Aphids got the upper hand on the Thyme. Fortunately the Parsely is quite hardy and seemed to almost rejoice in the chance to play in the snow.

Allotments in Hackney Wick

Allotments in Hackney Wick
Originally uploaded by Amanda Alessandrine

These are great looking potatoes, reminding me of some of the deer I've seen roaming around England!

Pruning the Apple Tree

At the end of last year I purchased a self pollinating Cox Apple Tree from Aylett's Nursery.  I had considered several of the quality online fruit tree retailers, such as Keepers Nursery, however when shipping was included it was less expensive to buy at my local nursery.  There is also something quite nice about being able to visually select your tree, especially if it will be a highlight of your small garden.

The tree was on M9 rootstock, 1.5 meters tall and I believe 4 years old.  It has been looked after sparingly and does not have the greatest shape, but generally is quite well thinned.  So the pruning I needed to do could be considered light.

This was my first attempt at pruning a fruit tree so I did a bit of research first, finding several useful sites to guide my hand.  Garden Action gives a really easy to understand overview of pruning your apple tree and provides information on different formations, such as step-overs and cordons.  When it came time to think about exactly how to prune it though I found the article on About quite helpful, with many photographs and illustrations.  And of course I made sure I had a sharp set of pruning shears so the cuts didn't tear.

I also applied a few principles gleaned from other reading, such as to allow shoots to have four buds and no more as this will allow the trees energy to be more aptly directed.  Now I look forward to watching the tree grow this year and hopefully supply and fair number of apples.

Cheap Garden Supplies at Wilkonson's

We all love a good deal.  I feel like I scored a fantastic bargain at Wilkonson's, and its not the first time.  This time it was a 4 Tier Greenhouse.  Maybe Greenhouse is a bit overgenerous of a description, but acquiring  essentially an open bookshelf with a plastic cover or £12 seems like a bargain.  It took about 15 minutes to assemble on the lounge floor before placing it in a corner of the garden which is destined to get bathed in sun...sometime.  I'm looking forward to getting some of my first seeds of the season planted this coming weekend; Brussel sprouts, broad beans, peas and more.


While Wilkonson's does not have a large range of garden products and seeds, notably missing much in the way of organics, the range they do have is extremely affordable.  For some basic garden essentials and even a few surprises it is well worth a visit.  The planters section is especially noteworthy with large pots for low prices.  If you are looking for high quality, this is probably not the place, but if you are looking for a low cost options have a look.

Harvesting your own Sunflower Seeds

I finally took down the last sunflower in the back garden, sending most of it to compost, saving a bit of the stalk to try to hollow out for a recorder and the flower for harvesting the seeds.  They were just a bit damp from all the rain (wetted November on record!), but otherwise came out with ease.  We filled a small bowl and then set about the menial task of breaking each shell open and removing the small seed.  While most recipes for eating sunflower seeds leave them in the casings we chose to remove them for cooking...especially enjoying them with a bit Kale, butter and salt!

After a few hours and a little help from my dear wife we had a small bowl of seeds.  They were then placed in a single layer in a small pan and placed into the oven at 150°C for about 15 minutes.  However in retrospect this was a little too long.  They also may have benefited from just drying out a bit more first as some of them 'puffed' a bit, probably from the residual moisture boiling inside.

I then took the seed head and the 'rejects' and placed them out in the garden in a pan for the birds.  Many people claim to have problems with birds, but we would love to see few!

Keeping Your Own Garden Journal

"The smaller the garden, the more vital it is to make full use of the space.  I garden organically and try to ensure the health of the soil and their crops using companion planting, rotation and observation.  No scheme is foolproof -- conditions vary radically in different parts of the country and from garden to garden; the weather will be unpredictable.  But I hope this journal will suggest and remind you of what to do when, wherever you live and whatever you grow.  Happy Gardening."

I was given Carol Klein's Grow Your Own Veg Journal as a gift recently.  I take notes of all sorts of things, but I hadn't considered recording developments in the garden; a record of things that work well and those that need improvement.  A scribing of the highs and lows that come with investing your time and energy into tenderly caring for plants through all conditions.

Wonderfully she has also included in this journal helpful reminders of what to consider in caring for you garden during different times of the year.  For example, next to the third week of October is recipe for Green Tomato Chutney.  What a great way to use those end of season tomato's that have given up home of ripening.

For November  she advises to pile up the leaves - "the most effective way to create rich, crumbly substance that adds humus to the soil so effectively.  The best leaves are oak and beech..."  But if like me you do not have any trees in your garden (or your neighbours for that matter) she suggest local councils can often provide road sweepings.

This journal was a great gift and I look forward to making notes of my garden progress...like the rocket seeds that I was able to save from my plants this year and will they sprout in the spring?!

Inspired to Garden Small

A couple of years ago I picked up a gardening book, Creative Vegetable Gardening, and ever since I have been enthralled by the prospect of one day developing my own potager. Living in rented accommodated like many Londoners poses specific challenges to creating a great garden space. How long will I live there? What will my landlord allow you to change? What is your budget? How much time do you have?

Why London Potager

A couple of years ago I picked up a gardening book, Creative Vegetable Gardening, and ever since I have been enthralled by the passion of creating edible healthy looking vegetables that actually create a beautiful garden.  The stereotype garden of rows of vegetables has been 'composted' and is being replaced in small gardens everywhere with colourful collages of vegetable, fruit and herb medleys.

Just as I was at first inspired by reading the gardening stories of Joy Larkcom, it is hoped that the contents shared through this blog will inspire current and rising generations to enjoy the joy and health benefits from growing your own food, no matter how small your space; whether it is simply a few container pots on a patio or balcony, a small patch in the front garden or a small garden oasis that has been developed to the rear of your urban home.