August on the Allotment - 2015
It has been a disappointingly cool summer and
although holiday makers might believe it has been a wet summer, it has in fact,
been very dry which has not been great for my brassicas, especially
cauliflowers and Romanesco which have been small and a bit ‘sluggy’. They
should have been watered well when they started to heart up but, I no longer
have the strength and stamina to carry lots of water. Now, I restrict it to my
poly-tunnel, seed beds and newly transplanted young plants. Similarly, I am
trying to avoid any sprays and slug pellets except for newly transplanted
brassicas. After they are established they just have to get-on-with-it.
Brussels sprout plants are looking encouraging and already have the tiny
sprouts developing well although it is too early to tell how they will do for
the winter. The kale – Nero di Toscana, my favourite, is already harvestable
although it was planted for winter harvesting. In spite of the dry weather, the
courgettes [zucchini] are producing really well and I have already to put quite
a few of my excess on my garden wall along with pots of runner beans.
It is a superb year for fruit of all kinds.
Currants, especially red and white currants have been almost overwhelming.
Still to come are the apples, pears, plums which all look like producing heavy
crops. I have two Bramley Apple trees – one in my garden and one on my
allotment. Already I am wondering what to do with them. I have never tried to
store apples as I have never had enough to store before so, if anyone has some
good advice on storing them for the winter I would be grateful.
Maintenance around the plot and in
greenhouses or poly-tunnels –
v It
has been very dry this summer however, assuming that all indoor crops are
watered regularly and appropriately, outdoor crops which would benefit from
regular watering and feeding, if you have the energy and a plentiful supply of
water are cauliflowers [ when heading up], courgettes, pumpkins, tomatoes,
sweetcorn, globe artichokes, aubergines, cucumbers, peppers. Apply a good
fertiliser fairly regularly to tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, pumpkins.
Tomato food, which is rich in potash [potassium – for flowers and fruit] is
good for all of these vegetables.
v Pick
courgettes regularly [daily to every 2 days] to prevent them from becoming too
large and to encourage the plants to produce more flowers – of course, you may
prefer the large marrows. Similarly, beans [runner and French] should be picked
regularly to encourage them to continue producing ;
v Except
for those varieties of pumpkins which produce small hand-sized pumpkins [Baby Bear,
Wee B, Festival, etc which can put on viable fruits of 10 or more per plant]
‘stop’ the fruit production at 2 – 4, depending on the size;
v Strawberries
will now be sending out lots of new runners. Peg these into the ground near the
‘mother’ plants or into pots of compost, to create new plants. They will need
to be watered regularly especially if in pots. Old spent beds, 3 years old and
above can be cleared [they will have produced few runners although if this is
your source of runners for the next bed, leave them until the new runners have
established]. Once you have taken the runners you need and they are
established, cut back the un-needed runners and old leaves from the established
plants. Remove old straw and tidy for the winter;
v Watch
out for caterpillars – even netted crops can be attacked by cabbage white
butterflies [I have observed the butterflies landing on the netting, folding
their wings and creeping through]- Environmesh is excellent but, is expensive,
especially if you have lots of crops to cover. Slugs and snails are always a
problem although this year they have not been so destructive, I have noticed
they have caused a lot of damage on my small summer cabbage and lettuce plot.
v In
greenhouses and poly-tunnels watch for red spider mite – they do love hot dry
weather. I try to soak the whole area of my poly-tunnel to discourage them but,
of course this can lead to botrytis infection. Caterpillars on tomatoes can be
a big problem, they will munch into the leaves and the fruits, the damage will,
of course allow botrytis to attack the plants. Watch out for their droppings
and pick them off as soon as you see them – daily if possible – and destroy. I have
left a couple of Brussels sprouts plants in my tunnel this year from where I
had seed beds earlier in the year and I have noticed that the caterpillars have
attacked those instead of the tomatoes. Of course they may well be different
varieties of butterflies/moths and the tomato lovers have still to arrive !
v On
cordon tomato plants, continue to remove side shoots [they will re-grow], try
to keep the plants to one stem and allow the plants to set 5 – 6 trusses
only[remove the growing tip at this point] or you may have lots of small green
tomatoes at the end of the season [however, lots of growers are looking for
these green tomatoes, there are many recipes for green tomato chutney and green
tomato jam]. For me the harvest I want is of red tomatoes for freezing pulp,
tomato ketchup and tomato chutneys and relishes;
v If
you have not already done so, prune plum trees and blackcurrant bushes – avoid
pruning plum trees in winter time as this can lead to disease infiltration.
Remember that blackcurrants fruit on new wood. If you fail to prune on the new
shoots on the old branches and this will probably give you a good harvest next
year. However, if you are dealing with old bushes which have not been pruned
for some years, try to cut out half of the old growth which will encourage new
growth for next year but will still leave new shoots on old branches to produce
for next year. In the following year, remove the rest of the old branches. When
pruning redcurrants and white-currants, remember that they produce fruit on old
branches so careful pruning is required to ensure there will still be a crop in
the following year.
v 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 seed beds, particularly, 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].
v Clear away old leaves and debris from
harvested crops and of winter brassicas – the leaf debris will give pests a
home over the autumn and winter.
v On
Asparagus plots, keep a watch for asparagus beetle – there have not been too
many of them this year. While I did check for the beetles earlier in the year
and remove them, I become careless lately but, still see little damage from the
larvae.
Preparation
and planning - re-dig beds as soon as crops are
harvested, to create a good workable tilth - ready for planting out.
v Although
it is early for ‘autumn’ digging, I will start to dig ground where crops have
been harvested which will give me a chance to do the necessary digging [I have
a large area to cover and opportunities for digging can easily be missed].
Areas such as pea beds and those for early brassicas can now be turned over.
v Don’t
forget that strawberry beds which are three years plus old should now be
cleared – the ground re-dug and a new area set up for the young runners when
rooted.
v Globe
Artichoke plants may well need to be re-established. Last year I dug up and
composted all the plants from my old
bed. They had become quite woody and were not dividing successfully. I have
established a new bed with new young plants. I will not let them ‘flower’ this year
to allow them to establish well.
·
Sowing and planting
-
Of course, carrots can be sown until the
end of August, if you have suitable conditions although, I have found that I
have had more success with earlier sown carrots;
-
Leeks can be transplanted as soon as the
ground can be prepared. If it is very dry, water it well beforehand and
continue to provide water until they have established;
-
Spinach and Swiss Chard can still be
sown;
-
Salad crops – lettuce, radishes, rocket,
spring onions, can all be sown outdoors – although, in this very dry year, seed
beds will require daily watering;
-
Turnips can be sown until the end of
August for harvesting into winter.
·
Harvesting –
v This
has been a wonderful year for potatoes. One of my First Early crops, which I am
still harvesting, is one I have never grown before [ Red Duke of York ] and I
have found them very delicious, floury of course so, if you are growing them do
take care when boiling of they will fall apart. Second-Early and Early-Maincrop
potatoes are now be ready for harvesting. Watch carefully for Blight and
dispose carefully of any top growth you suspect may have blight – don’t compost
it;
v Runner
beans and French beans should be harvested regularly to encourage the plants to
continue to produce flowers and fruit [ stop the top growth as soon as it
becomes a stretch for you to reach]. Those beans which are being grown for
drying for the winter [Borlotto, Orca, Jack Edwards, etc. should be allowed to
continue to grow without picking until the end of the season when they should
dry on the vine [if the weather is very wet you might need to harvest them and
pod and dry them indoors on trays]. That said, I do rather like the podded
beans as a fresh vegetable, ensuring I leave some for drying;
v Beetroots
and carrots are also at their peak of quality – remember, when digging carrots
to dispose of carrot tops well away from the crop to discourage carrot root fly;
v Lettuces
and spring onions [see above]. The lettuces won’t sit too long in the bed – eat
them quickly or give them away and replant with new seedlings;
v Globe
artichokes are still harvestable although watch out for greenfly and black fly
– they are quite a nuisance now coming into their main harvesting season.
v Of
course, in our greenhouses and poly-tunnels – tomatoes will be in full flow,
peppers, aubergines, chillies will be ripening.
v Cucumbers
– indoors and out will be reaching maturity – don’t allow them to become too
mature as the seeds can be unpleasant and will reduce the usefulness of the
fruits.
v Sweetcorn should be harvestable
this month. The cobs should be ready for harvesting when the 'silk' has turned
dark brown and is brittle. Don't let them sit too long or the kernels become
rather tough. Keep an eye out for attacks by mice, rats or pigeons.
RECIPES
White Currant Mint
Jelly
A
large pan, bucket or preserving pan full of white currants
A
good basin full of mint stalks with leaves [clean]
Water
to ⅔ cover the fruit
Several
pieces of cinnamon bark [I usually use cassia bark- often sold as cinnamon]
Sugar
– according to amount of juice
3
– 4 dried or fresh medium heat chillies – cut up or broken up
5
- 6 cloves of garlic – chopped roughly
2
– 3 bay leaves - crushed
Extra
mint leaves – a good litre of [2 pints] – finely chopped or put through a food
processor
Method
·
Pick over the white currants to remove
leaves, dirt, insects, pieces of twig, etc. It isn’t necessary to remove the
stalks.
·
Add water, cinnamon, chillies, bay
leaves, garlic and basin of mint to the pan.
·
Place over a low heat and stir well. Cook gently until the fruit is
mushy and the garlic is soft.
·
Put the mixture through a jelly bag over
a large bowl and leave over night or for 8 – 12 hours. DON’T SQUEEZE THE JELLY
BAG – it will make your jelly cloudy for very little extra juice.
·
Measure the juice and add 1 kg of sugar
for every litre of juice [1 lb for every pint of juice ].
·
Return the juice to a clean preserving
pan and add the sugar.
·
Place over a low heat and stir until the
sugar has dissolved.
·
Bring to the boil and keep on a rolling
boil until the temperature has reached 105º C [ 220º] – you may prefer to use
the ‘wrinkle method.
·
Add the remaining mint and stir it in.
·
Allow to cool slightly before potting
and stir again to disperse the mint through the jelly.
·
Pot up in sterilised jars, cover, seal
and label.
Home made Tomato Ketchup
2Kg ripe
tomatoes ( 4½ lbs) 2
– 3 fresh bay leaves - crushed
568ml white
vinegar( 1 pt) piece
of cinnamon bark
190g white
granulated sugar ( 6oz) 2 –
3 cloves garlic - crushed
1 Tblsp. salt 2
– 3 red chillies ( dried or fresh)
¼ - ½ tsp ground
allspice ¼
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Large pinch
coarsely ground black pepper
Method
1.
Wash
and roughly cut the tomatoes and put in a preserving pan or large saucepan with
the salt, bay leaves, cinnamon bark, crushed garlic cloves and vinegar (be
fairly sparing with the salt at this stage – add more in the final stages as
necessary).
2.
Add
the chopped chillies. Take care with these, especially if the ketchup is for
children ( I have used dried Joe’s Long,
grown indoors - which are medium heat)
3.
Bring
to the boil then simmer gently until the tomatoes are thoroughly softened.
4.
In
the meantime, sterilise the bottles or jars – keep hot in low oven.
5.
Remove
the cinnamon bark and bay leaves then, sieve the tomato mixture through a
coarse sieve – preferable nylon. Return the juice and pulp to a clean saucepan.
6.
Add
sugar then ground allspice, ground cloves and black pepper gradually, tasting
frequently to ensure the flavour is not too strong. Remember, when the ketchup
is cold, the flavour will be somewhat milder. You may also want to add more
salt if needed.
7.
Simmer
the mixture until it starts to thicken. Don’t make it too thick at this stage as
it thickens as it cools.
8.
Put
the heated sterilised bottles/jars on a wooden surface and fill them with the
ketchup while it is still very hot. Seal the jars immediately. This ketchup
should keep safely for several months.
Extra
Hot Home made Tomato Ketchup
2Kg ripe
tomatoes (4½ lbs) 2
– 3 fresh bay leaves - crushed
568ml white
vinegar( 1 pt) piece
of cinnamon bark
190g white
granulated sugar ( 6oz) 5 –
6 plump cloves garlic - crushed
1 Tblsp. salt 5
red Scotch Bonnet or Bird’s Eye chillies
¼ - ½ tsp ground
allspice ¼
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Large pinch
coarsely ground black pepper
Method
·
Wash
and roughly cut the tomatoes and put in a preserving pan or large saucepan with
the salt, bay leaves, cinnamon bark, crushed garlic cloves and vinegar (be
fairly sparing with the salt at this stage – add more in the final stages as
necessary).
·
Add
the chopped chillies. Use gloves when handling or chopping the chillies.
9.
Bring
to the boil then simmer gently until the tomatoes are thoroughly softened.
10.
In
the meantime, sterilise the bottles or jars – keep hot in low oven.
11.
Remove
the cinnamon bark and bay leaves then, sieve the tomato mixture through a
coarse sieve – preferable nylon. Return the juice and pulp to a clean saucepan.
12.
Add
sugar then ground allspice, ground cloves and black pepper gradually, tasting
frequently to ensure the flavour is not too strong. Remember, when the ketchup
is cold, the flavour will be somewhat milder. You may also want to add more
salt if needed.
13.
Simmer
the mixture until it starts to thicken. Don’t make it too thick at this stage as
it thickens as it cools and stir frequently to make sure the ketchup doesn’t
‘catch’ and burn.
14.
Put
the heated sterilised bottles/jars on a wooden surface and fill them with the
ketchup while it is still very hot. Seal the jars immediately. This ketchup
should keep for several months.
Hot & Spicy
Redcurrant and Chilli Jelly
Redcurrants
– I am basing this recipe on approximately 3 Kg redcurrants.
2
whole garlic bulbs [ all dirt and outer leaves removed –cut across through the
bulbs]
1
piece fresh ginger root approx. 3 cm x 6 cm or equivalent [it is not necessary
to peel, just cut it up]
5 – 6 dried or fresh hot red chillies – broken
into small pieces
3
– 4 dried, crushed Kashmiri Chillies – these chillies are mild bur have a very
distinctive ‘smoky’, flavour
1
stick of cinnamon bark [or 2 or 3 pieces of Cassia bark which I prefer ...
often sold as cinnamon bark]
1
dsp, whole pimento seeds [ Allspice ] crushed roughly
Water
Granulated
Sugar
20
gm approx. - Birds Eye or Scotch Bonnet Chillies – or similar hot chillies. Add
more or less according to your taste
Method
·
Remove
all pieces of twig or leaves from the berries and add to a preserving pan [ it
is not necessary to remove the fine stems of the bunches].
·
Add
the spices, ginger, garlic and enough water to show just below the level of the
fruit – except for the Birds Eye or Scotch Bonnet chillies.
·
Simmer
gently until all the fruit, garlic and spices have broken down and blended – at
least an hour.
·
Allow
to cool slightly.
·
Pour
the mixture into a scalded jelly bag [firmly attached to an appropriate stand].
I use a ladle so that the mixture is added gently – a small jug will do as
well.
·
Leave
to drain overnight if possible or, at least for 8 hours. Do not squeeze the bag
·
Measure
the liquid into a clean preserving pan.
·
Add
1 kg of sugar for each litre of juice – or 1lb Sugar for each pint of liquid [
the measurements are not equivalent but work just as well]
·
Chop
finely, the fresh Birds Eye or Scotch Bonnet Chillies and add to the juice with
the sugar.
·
Simmer
very gently until the sugar has dissolved. Stir well.
·
Bring
to the boil and using a sugar thermometer boil until the temperature has reached 220ºF or 105ºC
Of
course this means that the port has a huge influence on the profile of this
city but, the commercial character has been well integrated into the social,
family and tourist aspect of this city.
The
closest U Bhan station is Stephans Platz. It is very much worth a visit and is
unbelievably beautiful. I was amazed to see rabbits, red squirrels [ really red
squirrels – I believe that is what squirrels look like in Germany and I’m sure
they are larger than the few red squirrels which are left in corners of the UK
]. I was also amused to see a turtle sitting on a log beside a group of ducks
in the small and very pretty lake.
In this area it is easy to pick up an open
topped city tour bus [there are several which cover different areas and are of
the ‘hop on, hop off’ type, giving you an opportunity to explore different
areas of the city – do check out the Fischmarkt [the fish market area] The market is famous and if you
wish to visit it you will need to get up early . Every Sunday morning the
market takes place on the quay of Altona. It begins at 5 am and finishes at
7.am
As
a very small negative – coming from a city where it usually rains lots [though
not this year which has been very cool but, dry], Hamburg was wet and I mean,
wet – the rain came down in stair-rods. From the reaction of the local
population going to work, I sort of gathered that this was not unusual. It was,
however, very hot and humid which, I found difficult. On return to Bristol, I
was told that it had been dry and sunny here [and ‘hot’ I think not!]. It is a
relief that it has now started to rain, my garden and allotments are gasping.
