August on the allotment

On the Allotment in August

Already I am thinking of the end of summer. Shops are advertising ‘Back to School’ sales for school uniform and essential equipment for children who have only just started their long awaited summer break. It seems so unfair and the summer is passing much too quickly, as it does every year.

Maintenance around the plot and in greenhouses or poly-tunnels –

- Keep the plot tidy - cut grass on paths regularly to prevent weeds and grass from encroaching on your plot and to reduce slugs and snails.

- Weeding – keep all beds, free from weeds. Hoeing is useful but take care to not damage young plants [hoeing is not very effective in wet weather as the hoed weeds will often re-root]. Pick up plant debris and compost or dispose of as rotting leaves will encourage pasts and allow diseases to develop.

- Keep fruit cages tidy and weeded – for particularly vulnerable bushes like redcurrants and gooseberries, ensure the cages are secure although do allow an escape hole for those intrepid birds which find a way in, in case of predators – cats and foxes will force a way in to catch trapped birds.

- Watch for pests like caterpillars, whitefly, aphids on developing brassica plants and beans, especially in dry weather. Snails and slugs will happily eat your plants, even in dry weather

- Water ‘thirsty’ plants in dry weather – curcurbits [courgettes, cucumbers, squash and pumpkin], brassicas like cauliflower and broccoli as the curds and sprouts are developing.

- Cut back perennial herbs like mint, sage, marjoram/ oregano to encourage a new flush of growth. Clumps of chives can now be divided. Keep a pot at the back door for easy harvesting [I find that my clump on the allotment is rarely harvested as it is a herb need instantly to enhance dishes rather than for pre-planning a trip to the allotment.

- Cut out the tops of climbing Runner and French beans to encourage the pods to develop within reach. Harvest regularly, even if you don’t want them, to ensure the plants continue to produce new pods [give them away if you have too many but, if necessary, compost the excess.]

- Check on developing squash and pumpkin plants and limit the number of fruits to 3 or 4 except on the varieties with very small fruits [ eg Baby Bear, Tiny Tim, which can successfully ripen more].

- Remove all spent raspberry canes and place in long-term composting facility or set aside for burning from November. Tie in new canes to protect from wind damage.

- Tidy spent strawberry beds.

- Prune blackcurrant bushes as soon as all fruit is harvested

In the Green house or polytunnel

- Keep green-houses and poly-tunnels well watered but ventilated to prevent botrytis [greymould].

If you plant green-house/ polytunnel crops straight into the ground, it is a good idea to aerate the ground around the plants occasionally [I use a fork] being careful to not disturb the roots of the plants. Over the season the watering can create a ‘glaze’ or hard crust on the surface of the soil, preventing water and feeding from penetrating the ground. In my opinion, it is better to water thoroughly every 2 - 3 days rather than a little every day which encourages shallow roots

-Pinch out the tops of tomato plants as the trusses start to set – allow only 5 – 6 per plant. Continue to remove side shoots as they develop [except on bush tomatoes]

- Remove the growing tips of aubergines to encourage branching. As fruit start to develop, some support may be needed.

- Watch for pests like, ants, red-spider-mite, aphids, caterpillars on tomatoes and deal with.

 Feed indoor plants regularly as fruits are developing – creating your own liquid feed is good using comfrey [my friend, Pete swears by the trimmings/ prunings off the tomato plants as being excellent food for tomatoes], Comfrey alone may be lacking in trace elements – eg magnesium. If you are using a bought-in fertiliser, a general NPK fertiliser may not be what you need as they are usually high in nitrogen which is excellent for leafy plants. You will need a fertiliser which is high in potassium for good flower and fruits growth but also has iron and magnesium for healthy plants.

·         Preparation and planning

- Dig over beds as soon as crops are harvested, to create a good workable tilth - ready for the next planting or in preparation for the autumn digging cycle [ I have found that I don’t have enough days when the weather and ground are suitable during the autumn for me to ensure all of the cleared beds are dug over so, starting as early as possible – even if they develop a weed harvest, is better than leaving them]. The difference between autumn digging and spring digging on my heavy clay soil is amazingly significant.

- From October onwards perennial plants you may wish to establish on your plot will be available from the major seed houses – rhubarb, asparagus, [ October / November for autumn planting varieties], fruit bushes and trees, [end of October to March – their dormant season], etc. Plan what you want to buy and where you want it to grow, remembering that perennial crops may be in situ for many years. Check on the needs of the plants and prepare the planting areas thoroughly. Think carefully about the varieties you wish to grow – will they suit your location, soil, etc.

- Start potting-up strawberry runners for establishing new strawberry beds. IN dry weather these plantlings, although hardy and still connected to the ‘mother’ plants, will need regular watering to establish well.

 Sowing and planting

-          Continue to sow salad crops – lettuce can be sown until the end of September, although with decreasing success as the season progresses. Cut-and-come-again crops are particularly useful in large tubs in the back-yard. Similarly rocket can be sown until the end of August. Radishes, of course are still an excellent crop, especially for the Winter varieties which will provide a harvest throughout the winter.

-          You can continue to sow appropriate varieties of carrots but cover with environmesh to deter carrot root fly [a real problem on allotments].

-          Cabbages – Spring cabbages can be sown [but do sow outdoors – keep the seedbeds well watered and free of slugs] until the end of August. Then plant into their permanent beds as soon as the plants are strong and have 6-8 true leaves. I have found it useful to plant a side of my poly-tunnel with these cabbages which will give me a harvest when there are few other vegetables available. My Favourite is Frostie F1 but, other growers have other varieties just as successful.

-          Sow a crop for late potatoes [specially developed for late cropping – see the selection of your favourite seed houses]. This is now a popular development of the potato crop – providing a harvest of ‘new’ potatoes for Christmas. It is important that you provide adequate frost protection as potatoes are very sensitive to cold weather. I have tried this once and all of my crop was hit by an early frost as the young plants were emerging. Although I didn’t get a Christmas crop, the plants did produce an excellent crop the following spring.

·         Harvesting – the best part of growing!

-          Finish harvesting Second-Early potatoes and Early-Main-crop potatoes should be well developed. Some main-crop potatoes may also be ready as the top growth yellows and starts to die back. Allow the tubers to dry overground [if possible – don’t leave them long enough to become green as this green potatoes are toxic] before bagging up and storing. Store in hessian or paper sacks in a cool, dark, dry environment.

-          Globe artichokes are still harvesting. If you have lots of them and are tired of eating a heavy harvest, try freezing the hearts.[This is the first year I have tried to do this and will get back on the success of this procedure].

-          Beans – broad beans are coming to the end of their harvest. The bean waxy skins become quite unpleasant as the season progresses and it is necessary to peel the separate beans. Many people find this not worth the trouble but, if time is taken, they still make and tasty and nutritious vegetable. French beans and Runner beans are now into their stride and for me at least, are providing far too many beans. I am hoping to share with neighbours and friends though, I suspect, I will still have far too many. This year I have grown five different varieties [I’m always afraid I won’t have enough!]. Two of the varieties I’ve planted are for drying for winter use but, the other 3 varieties are being much too prolific.

-          Onions, shallots and garlic will now finish their growth – look out for yellowing leaves and some withering. In onions, the leaves will fold over. Lift them and set them on the ground, in dry weather or on a rack, to allow them to dry out before storing in a cool dry place. Similarly for garlic. Ensure the plants have dried thoroughly before storing.

-          Soft fruit – most soft fruit - redcurrants, blackcurrants, white currants and gooseberries are coming to an end of their useful harvesting period, depending on the variety.

-          Some varieties of plum, pear and apple are now ready for harvesting.

Cabbage - a Plant for all seasons

Growing Cabbage – brassica oleracea

Cabbage – one of the group of vegetables known as Brassicas which includes – Brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, broccoli, calabrese, kale, mustard and even radishes. Brassicas are, not only my my favourite group of vegetables they are also one of the most healthy. Brassicas are also one of the vegetables which suits my heavy clay soil brilliantly. Gardeners on light, sandy or alluvial soils may find brassicas more difficult though, not impossible

o   Sowing and Growing

It is possible, with careful management, selection of appropriate varieties and clement weather, to have cabbages all year round. That said, I have to own up to one of my continuing failures – Savoy cabbage – germination- no problem; planting out- no problem; growing on – no problem but, by December/January the heads of my cabbages have usually failed to ‘heart up’ and are eventually demolished by slugs as I find the results of my efforts so disappointing, I don’t harvest.

That said, for all other types and seasons, cabbages are wonderful, reliable and delicious.

Cabbage suitable for harvesting from summer into autumn can be sown from February until early May although, early sowings should be done under cover – I start mine in my poly-tunnel – a cold but,  not outdoor environment. If you don’t have poly-tunnel, green house or cloche, start your sowings from late March into April although outdoor sowings can still be good when the ground has warmed up a bit.

Winter harvesting cabbage – should be sown in outdoor seed beds from early April until late May – depending on which part of the country you live in [and the weather!].

Spring harvesting cabbages – are very precious as they are maturing when there is little else around to harvest during the ‘lean’ time from March until late May. I have started to grow some in my poly tunnel – following the tomato and pepper crops – so that I can have an early, protected crop. The plants just sit there all winter [do keep them watered] then, in spring them heart up and what a joy! I have found Frostie F1 to be really successful – a wonderfully dark green vegetable which, although slow toheart up, is my idea of a proper spring cabbage. – Spring harvesting cabbages should be sown from July into August.

Summer harvesting cabbages – a wonderful group of vegetables, often very overlooked as there are so many other exciting vegetables around at that time of year.

Autumn cabbages – while some of the summer cabbages will heart up in the autumn, the main autumn cabbage is the wonderful group of red cabbages. Like many cabbages they mature when there is so much other stuff around and as they don’t ‘sit’ too long once ready, they can go to waste. This is a shame and I am as guilty of this terrible sin as anyone else. Once hearting up and looking wonderful, the heads will readily split if left for even a week. The trick is to plant just a few or share with a neighbour or a group of neighbours if you can get that arranged.

Sowing cabbages is easy – provide a fine tilth or if that is not possible on your soil, add good quality compost and sow the seeds directly into the compost. Cover with more compost and water well. Don’t allow the seedbed to dry out and continue to water, if necessary until the young plants have grown on well.  Plant out when the young plants are sturdy and at the 6-7 true leaf stage. Water in well and keep watering [if necessary] until the young plants are established. Don’t leave the seedlings in the seedbed or pots too long as this can result in the plants bolting –[running to seed too early].,  As with all brassicas, there is an optimum distance apart for the plants to achieve their full potential. This is the recommended distance for the biggest and best harvest. Usually the recommendation is for plants to be 45cm [18 inches] apart. However, for growers with small families or iving alone who would prefer a smaller vegetable, try planting closer together – 30cm [12inches] is fine for all brassicas where the need is for smaller, more compact vegetables which can be harvested as needed.

o   Storing and Cooking

Cabbage should be cut as soon as it has reached a good sized, firm head. Most varieties won’t ‘sit’ too long in the ground. The heads will split and allow diseases and bugs to enter to the heart of the vegetable. It can be difficult to plant to ensure you have crops coming to maturity every few weeks so, if you can organise this with a neighbour [not always a successful manoeuvre].

Cabbages will stored usefully in the fridge [ preferable in a plastic bag] for a week or more, red cabbages perhaps somewhat longer. They are the basic ingredient of coleslaw and, although white cabbage is normally used for this dish, any cabbage with a firm dense head will work well. They should be cooked – steamed or simmered for the minimum time, 3 – 5 minutes, seasoned, buttered and served quickly. Of course there are traditional recipes for Champ and Colcannon which are well worth trying. Red cabbage, which is very different, can be sliced finely and used in salads but make a wonderful vegetable dish when sliced finely and simmered with cider or wine vinegar, a little sugar, a spoonful of caraway seeds, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. This dish will take somewhat longer to cook than the normal 4-5 minutes used as a guide for cooking cabbage with a good dollop of butter and seasoning. For the red cabbage dish allow 30 – 40 minutes on very gentle heat. Of course, this is a simplified version of a more delightful dish.

o   Types and Varieties  - a rough classification would give 4 types – see above. For all varieties, check with your favourite seed supplier for what are the recent developments and what suits you and your ground best. Different seed houses can have very different ranges of vegetables. I have put the varieties in order of when best to harvest rather than when to sow.

Ø  Summer/Autumn Harvesting cabbages – Greyhound and Hispi are reliable pointed headed varieties – suitable for early sowing and will ‘sit’ for a reasonable time without splitting. Try also Primo [Golden Arce] , Elisa F1, Surprise F1. From Nickys Seeds[organic] try Derby Day, Mozart for mini heads, also Pixie for small compact heads.

Ø  Autumn/Winter Cabbages – should be sown from April until May [depending on the area you live in]. January King is an old favourite.

Try also Marabel from Nicky’s Seeds, and Cabbage Greens and Pixie.

The Savoy cabbages, those wonderfully dark green vegetables with deeply crinkly leaves and superb flavour are among this group. A popular variety is January King – although I have had disappointing results from this variety it is a favourite for good reason. Try also Tundra F1, Jewel, Brigadier, Marabel.

For Savoy types – Tarvoy F1, Tourmaline, Siberia F1 and Endurance.

Ø  Spring Harvesting Cabbages – Sow from July to August [outdoors – make sure you keep pots or seed beds well watered in possibly very dry weather]my best success with these vegetables is Frostie F1 [Dobies seeds], some of which I planted in my poly-tunnel to over-winter [see above] but, there are many others.

Kalibos – which look red when harvested and in winter salads will not hold the red colour when cooked. Pixie – form small heads, useful for using up in one meal. Wheeler’s Imperial [a heritage variety]– the leaves can be cut and used from February onwards. April – good for close planting [ packing them in to a small space]. The Real Seed Catalogue provides organic seed [always] and recommend Precose de Louviers and Baccalan de Rennes.

Ø  Red Cabbages – this cabbage is a late summer into autumn variety and is often overlooked or left until the heads split, as there are so many other vegetables around. The most common variety offered by the main seed houses is Red Jewel F1 which is an excellent variety forming good solid heads though it doesn’t ‘sit’ too long once mature. Try also Redruth and from the Real Seed Catalogue Rouge Tete Noir.

o   Nutritional Value

Excellent Source of	Useful Amounts	Traces
Vitamins C and K	Vitamins A and folate	Vitamins –thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 pantothenic acid, E Minerals – calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese selenium
Cabbage is low in sodium [salt] and very low in fat and cholestrol

o   Pests and Diseases – although I know I’m exaggerating I sometimes think that every pest and bug homes in on brassicas!

Ø  Birds – pigeons love brassicas of all sorts, at any stage and at all times of the year. I have observed them sitting close bu while I’ve planted out young brassicas and have been down on the crop while I’ve gone to my shed to collect the netting to go over it. It is important also, to  make sure the netting is supported robustly well above the growing plants as they will sit on top of the netting, thus pushing it down to crop the young leaves through the netting.

Ø  Flea Beetles – tiny, shiny black beetles which, in an infestation, devastate your young transplants or seedlings. Usually the plants will grow through the damage from these pests in a normal year. If you feel they are causing too much damage try spraying with Py solution. I have tried walking slowly over the crop holding a large sheet of sticky plastic close to the plants. AS the bugs are aware of your presence they will jump and stick to the glue. I have tried this but, while it does work- somewhat, I think I prefer to leave the plants to deal with it. For many pests a regular spraying of SB plant Invigorator is excellent – this is an organic plant food [based on urea] which strengthens the plants to fight off predators. The only downsides are the time spent in spraying and the cost of the product – so far, only available on-line.

Ø  Caterpillars – of course we love to see the wonderful variety of butterflies around but, most of them will be homing-in on your barssicas. If you plan to use netting as a deterrent – I have watched butterflies sit on the netting and crawl through the small gaps to lay their eggs on my precious plants – they can’t get through environmesh [I think!]. My best recommendation is to assume the net is doing its job but, check the plants regularly for caterpillars and remove them.

Ø  Whitefly – hates wet years, loves dry years. They can be difficult to eradicate and they weaken the plants allowing in other pests and diseases. In a really good year for white fly, I have found that I was even breathing them in! As I approached the plants, clouds of them [thousands] would fly up and enter my eyes and lungs. Fortunately this is not an annual event but has been disturbing, none-the-less. Regular spraying with SB plant Invigorator  and Py solution, though time consuming, seriously reduced the numbers and the damage they were provoking.

Ø  Aphids – of course aphids. In particularly wet years they are a major pest as the plants struggle to grow beyond them and in very dry years, for many crops, aphids [and their ant controllers] take advantage of the plants’ vulnerability. Keep the plants well watered in dry years and treat as above.

White-Currants - a special event!

feasting from allotments

check for more information on growing and recipes  my new website - Feasting from Allotments

Using White-currants –ribes rubrum

Although I have known about white-currants for many years – I had seen them in the orchard of friends of my parents when I was a little girl, I have never actually seen them used or tasted products made from them – redcurrants yes! I do love redcurrant jelly with roast meat, especially lamb and it is quite a good substitute for cranberry sauce or jelly with the Christmas turkey. Perhaps that makes our currants sound like the poor relation but, they really are a wonderful fruit both for savoury dishes and for desserts.

I was rather fascinated by this rather ignored fruit so, I bought a couple of bushes to ‘give them a try’ a couple of years ago. They don’t produce fruit on new wood but, like redcurrants, the long strings of jewel like fruits are borne on older wood.

This year, after a long cold winter and poor spring, has been amazingly productive for white-currants and redcurrants.

There is, however, little information around on what to do with white-currants in the kitchen so, I’ve had to experiment a little though, ideas that work for redcurrants can also work for white-currants.

I do think they are probably the most beautiful of fruits. On their long strings of ripe berries they look like exotic strings of jewels – long glistening earrings!

Birds just love redcurrants so, it is really important to net them carefully, especially as the bright red fruits are easily seen by passing pigeons, magpies and blackbirds who seem to find them very palatable some time before we would find them ripe enough to use.

I didn’t net my white-currants. The green unripe berries blend well with the luxurious leaf growth and have stayed hidden until they have started to ripen. I have seen no signs of bird predation, unlike on my netted redcurrants – I had to help a magpie to escape from my fruit cage a couple of days ago while its mate screeched alarm from a nearby bush. This year, there has been enough for all and in a couple of days when I have harvested most of my gooseberries, I will open my fruit cages and let the birds eat their fill.

Apart from preserves using this fruit they are just wonderful on cakes and puddings.

As a decoration  - keep the ripe berries on their stalks but choose the most perfect stalks you can find.

Ø  For puddings and ice cream – wash the fruit carefully, and dry on kitchen paper. Place carefully into suitable freezer containers [not bags], keeping each string of berries separate from others and freeze. When needed the frozen fruits can be placed on ice-cream dishes, sorbets and cold puddings just before serving.

Ø  For decoration on cakes, flans, tartlets – choose the best strings of the fruit you can find. Wash and dry them on sheets of kitchen paper. Brush over each fruit with egg white or whisk the egg white lightly and dunk the fruit into it ensuring all of the fruit has been coated. Dust each string of fruit with castor sugar, ensuring all of the fruit has been coated. Set out onto greaseproof paper to dry. These fruits will keep for some days.

Preserves

White-currants are a close relation to redcurrants – [both are Ribes rubrum]. It is thought that white-currants are actually a sport or mutation of redcurrants though they have been around for a very long time. The fruits, when ripe are not really white but a very pale peachy colour and jams or jellies made from them will have a warm pink colour. If you wish to make the colour richer you can add a few redcurrants to the mixture, though it does seem a shame to alter it like this.

The most famous white-currant preserves are Bar-le-Duc, also called Lorraine Jelly. These preserves have been made in a small town of the same name in the provence of Lorraine [north east France], for many centuries. However, they are costly as the seeds are carefully removed from each individual fruit while keeping the fruits intact – a job which can only be done by hand. These berries are then suspended in the jelly.

Whitecurrant Jelly

1½ kg (3lb) whitecurrants – actually it doesn’t really matter how much you have, the amount of sugar added will depend on the amount of juice extracted.

½ litre [1 pint] water

Method

1.      Wash the fruit and remove any leaves or bits of twig. You can leave the stalks in. Put them in a preserving pan with the water.

2.      Heat very gently to draw the juice from the fruit, then simmer slowly until the fruit has been totally softened or turned to pulp.

3.      Strain through a scalded jelly bag. Leave it overnight to ensure all the juice has been extracted. Don’t be tempted to squeeze the bag, you will make your jelly cloudy for little extra juice.

4.      Measure the juice and add approx. 1kg sugar for every litre of juice (1lb for every pint).

5.      Return the juice and the sugar to a clean preserving pan and heat slowly until all the sugar has dissolved. Stir frequently to ensure the sugar doesn’t stick.

6.      Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. [place a little on a saucer and allow to cool – the jelly should wrinkle when pushed with a finger]. There is a lot of pectin in currants so, it should reach setting point quite quickly.

7.      Skim to remove any froth from the top of the jelly or add a small knob of butter and stir in rapidly (this should remove any froth from the top of the jelly).

8.      Pot up in small, hot, sterilised jars. Cover immediately and label.

Whitecurrant Jam

Like most currant jams, if it is made in the same way as most jams, the preserve can be quite seedy and many people, including myself, find this rather unpleasant. However, there is a compromise between the jam and jelly.

1½ kg (3lb) whitecurrants – actually it doesn’t really matter how much you have, the amount of sugar added will depend on the amount of puréed fruit.

½ litre [1 pint] water

1.      Wash the fruit and remove any leaves or bits of twig. You can leave the stalks in. Put them in a preserving pan with the water.

2.      Heat very gently to draw the juice from the fruit then, simmer slowly until the fruit has been totally softened or turned to pulp.

3.      Using the back of a wooden spoon press the pulp through a sieve [use a nylon sieve – not a metal], to take as much of the pulp as possible but leaving seeds, stalks and skins behind which can be discarded.

4.      Measure the pulp in a measuring jug and add approx. 1kg sugar for every litre of juice (1lb for every pint).

5.      Return the pulp and the sugar to a clean preserving pan and heat slowly until all the sugar has dissolved. Stir frequently to ensure the sugar doesn’t stick and burn.

6.      Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. [place a little on a saucer and allow to cool – the jam should wrinkle when pushed with a finger]. There is a lot of pectin in currants so, it should reach setting point quite quickly.

7.      Skim to remove any froth from the top of the jam or add a small knob of butter and stir in rapidly (this should remove any froth from the top of the jam).

8.      Pot up in small, hot, sterilised jars. Cover immediately and label.

This stuff is rare, delicious and precious. If you are going to use it, make sure it is for a special event. If you are going to give it away, make it for a special occasion, as a gift, etc.