May
2015 on the Allotment – what we should do
Although winter 2014 into 2015 has been fairly mild,
it has rather continued into the spring making the growing year slow to start
and some seeds – sown well within their sowing time have failed to germinate.
While this may well have been my fault, I really believe it was just too cold.
This was followed up in April with a long dry month which was also unseasonally
warm. Now at least, we are getting some much-needed rain although it is still a
little cool. Today – at the start of May, I have been planting out my Runner
Beans [Lady Di] which I have germinated in pots in my polytunnel. Germination
has been close to 100%. The ground I was planting them into was in really nice
condition. It had been well dug in the autumn then dug over again earlier this
spring
My autumn sown Broad Beans have survived the winter
well and pods are well set already – no sign of black fly, as yet – this is one
of the advantages of autumn sowing broad beans – they avoid the worst of the
black fly infestation. This time I sowed Aquadulce Claudia [as I usually do].
For the first time for a few years, I have been able
to harvest parsley all winter – only a little during the winter as the growth
was very slow but my, really quite substantial bed is now keeping up with my
demands quite well My newly sown parsley is now germinating. I have sown 2
varieties this year – curly leaf – Lisette and flat leaf – Titan. I haven’t
sown either of these varieties before.
Potatoes – although I had most of my 1st
and 2nd Earlies in the ground my mid March, or there-abouts and they
are now mostly above ground [some of the leaves showing a bit of frost damage
which they will recover from] my late main-crops were not planted until the end
of April as the ground was so hard.
Maintenance
around the plot and in green house or poly-tunnel
– keep established plants healthy and pest free –
protect from slugs, snails and birds, especially on newly planted brassicas –
cabbages, cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli. As asparagus is now growing
well, watch out for asparagus beetle and remove any beetles or larvae as soon
as they are seen. Aphids, whitefly [on brassicas], caterpillars can all weaken
or eat you precious young plants. Watch out, also, for ants – while they don’t,
in themselves, damage the plants, they encourage aphids and will build their
nests under plants undermining them.
Watch for red-spider mite on indoor plants – spray
the young plants with water regularly – [red-spider mites like dry conditions].
Regular spraying with SB Plant Invigorator [it is organic] will strengthen the
plants and discourage pests.
- 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].
- Earth-up potatoes as they start to appear, to
protect from late frosts.
- Set up support for early sowings of peas.
- Pinch out the tender top growth of broad beans as
soon as the first few rows of pods set at the bottom of the plants to deter
black-fly [aphids] – particularly in spring sown beans, autumn sown beans, if
they survive the winter, are less likely to be attacked.
- Protect strawberries from resting on the naked
earth or mud – place straw under the plants or plant matting. Blackbirds do
love the early ripening strawberries so netting might be necessary but be
careful that the birds don’t get trapped under the netting.
- Remove the flower heads of rhubarb as soon as they
start to appear as they will stop the production of new leaves [also some
people prize the rhubarb flowers for flower arrangements – the flowers can
attract aphids].
- As soon as they are big enough to handle, thin
carrots and parsnips – dispose of carrot thinnings carefully to avoid
attracting carrot fly.
- 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.
- Compost old plants or those which have finished
producing.
- The polythene cover on my poly-tunnel is now
becoming quite ragged in places and I plan to replace it early next spring.
However, as I have had tomato blight in the tunnel last season, I think it
might be best to move the tunnel to another spot on my plot and give it a fresh
start on new ground.
Preparation
and planning
- re-dig beds to create a good workable tilth -
ready for planting out. As far possible, maintain the plan for good crop
rotation you created over the winter – sometimes this does not work out as
planned – weather, timing and condition of the soil can prevent implementation
of excellent plans. Avoid planting root crops where you have added manure or lime.
When transplanting brassicas, it is a good idea to
add a sprinkling of lime around each plant if you know your soil is too acid.
Don’t add manure at the same time as lime but try to dig in good, well-rotted
manure earlier in the season when digging the beds or in the previous autumn if
possible..
For outdoor seed beds, ensure the soil has been
broken down to a fine tilth. If your soil is particularly heavy or wet and is
not breaking down easily - this can difficult on heavy clay soil or after a particularly
wet season, it can be useful [especially with small seeds] to dig the bed over
then create a shallow trench, fill with good quality compost [ bought-in is
fine] and sow the seeds into this medium. Water well.
Sowing
and planting
- under cover
[in green house or poly-tunnel] - winter cauliflower, celery, pumpkin and
squash, runner beans. Herbs – basil.
– outdoors – [do wait a couple of weeks for the
ground to be less cold] – beetroot, brassicas [broccoli/calabrese, spring, summer
and winter cabbage, summer and winter cauliflower, kale, Swedes], Beans –
runner and French, carrots, courgettes, outdoor cucumbers, Florence fennel,
lettuce, parsnips, potatoes [up to early
May – the later the crop, the greater the risk of blight] 2nd early
and maincrop peas, pumpkins and squashes, radish, rocket, spinach and Swiss
chard, spring onions, sweetcorn, turnips.
You can now transplant – into a poly-tunnel or
greenhouse, young plants which have been raised in a propagator or heated
greenhouse/conservatory – tomatoes, chillies and peppers, aubergines, indoor
cucumbers.
You can now transplant outdoors – aubergines [only
in warmer, sheltered areas], broad beans, French and runner beans, Brassicas –
broccoli and calabrese, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, kale],
celery, celeriac, outdoor cucumbers, leeks, peas [if raised under cover],
peppers and chillies[only in warmer, sheltered areas], pumpkins and squashes,
outdoor tomatoes.
In all cases, harden the plants off well before
planting out and do consider the weather. The young plants should be well
watered into their final growing spot and continue to water until the plants
have established – if necessary.
If you are planning to set up an asparagus bed in
the spring, May is the last month for buying crowns though, in warmer areas it
is probably too late as established beds are well into their productive season.
Of course you can also buy in the autumn which will give you time to create a
suitable permanent bed.
Last autumn I dug up my bed of Globe Artichokes as
they were becoming rather untidy and woody – my splitting of the plants in the
last couple of years had limited success. The ground of their had also become
quite compacted. I bought in some new young plants from Thompson and Morgan
which I have now potted up and will plant out later in the month. The received
advice is to remove any flower heads which appear in the first year and don’t
allow them to mature, to allow the young plants to establish well. However, I
have kept a couple on which seemed to do little damage to the plants.
Harvesting
–
May is well into the lean time of the year. With luck and good planning spring
cabbages should be available. If you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse or
poly-tunnel, a crop of over-wintered spring cabbages should be available from
late April onwards and should be available until the outdoor crop is ready
Overwintered cauliflower should start to head up now
– as soon as the small heads start to show, make sure the plants are well
watered.
Purple and White sprouting Broccoli have been good this spring and some should
still be harvestable in the first part of May
For salads - over-wintered lettuce should also be
ready for harvesting. Spring onion - White Lisbon can overwinter successfully
although it will have a strong flavour. Of course, radishes sown under cover or
outdoors will provide a crop very quickly. Sow successionally for a constant
harvest.
Spinach and Swiss chard should provide a good
harvest now – fresh young leaves are excellent in soups, salads, stir-fries,
etc.
Asparagus should now be at its best and most
productive – check the plants regularly for asparagus beetle.
Globe artichokes should have over-wintered well and
should be producing their first heads
Early sowings of peas – if sown under a cloche
should start to provide an early crop in late May.
Autumn sown broad beans will have started to develop
good bean pods – these can be harvested and cooked like French beans though do
leave lots for growing on.
Young turnips, sown under cover in early spring
should now be available for harvesting.
Rhubarb this year is well ready for picking [don’t
forget that the leaves are poisonous].
Lentil
and Cauliflower Curry
2Tblsp vegetable oil 1 medium onion - finely chopped
2– 3 garlic cloves -finely
chopped a good tsp. grated fresh
ginger
2tsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
salt and freshly ground black
pepper ¼ tsp chilli powder or fresh
mild chilli - chopped
75g [3 oz] red lentils 150ml vegetable or chicken
stock
1 medium cauliflower - cut into small florets 1 large carrot - peeled and cut into small dice
75g [3oz] fresh or frozen peas - thawed
75g [3oz] fresh French or fine
beans [when in season] – washed and cut
into chunks
A good handful chopped coriander
Method
·
Sweat the
onion in the oil in a large pan [cook without colour]. Add the garlic and
ginger, and cook gently – don’t allow these to burn. [allow a little of the oil
for frying the vegetables]
·
Add
ground coriander, cumin and turmeric and cook for a few minutes, stirring all
the time.
·
Meanwhile,
fry the cauliflower and carrot pieces until slightly browned in a little of the
measured oil.
·
Wash the
lentils thoroughly in a sieve or fine strainer then add them to the cooked
spices - stir in the lentils well.
·
Add the
stock. Bring to the boil then simmer gently with the lid on for 10 mins or so.
·
Add the
cooked vegetables to the lentil mixture and stir in well.
·
Bring the
mixture back to the boil then simmer gently until the vegetables are tender.
·
Add the
peas and the beans if you are using them, stir well and cook for a further 4 –
5 minutes.
·
Stir in
the chopped coriander, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Rhubarb
and Ginger Pancakes
For the pancakes
200g [7oz] plain flour
2 eggs
300ml [ ½ pint] milk
Butter for cooking
Method
·
Sieve the flour into a bowl and make a
well in the centre.
·
Beat the eggs lightly and add the milk –
beat it in well.
·
Add the milk/egg mix to the flour,
gradually adding in the flour at the edges of the well until it is all mixed in
to make a creamy batter. Beat well.
·
Leave the batter to rest and prepare the
filling.
The
Filling
3
good sized stalks of red rhubarb – washed, trimmed and cut into short lengths
2-3cm.
25
gm [1 oz] chopped glacé ginger
3
Tblsp sugar
1
Tblsp. brandy
Double
cream - whipped
Method
·
Put the pieces of rhubarb into a
saucepan with the sugar and a small spoonful of water to get the cooking
started.
·
Cook gently until the sugar has
dissolved then, simmer until the fruit is soft but still in pieces. Add the
ginger and brandy.
·
Drain off the excess juice and keep
aside.
Making the pancakes
·
Using a medium sized heavy pan – [preferably non stick] – heat a little
of the butter until it is sizzling hot.
·
Pour in a little of the batter, enough
to cover the base of the pan thinly – [swirl
the mixture around the pan to make sure it is all covered without making the
pancake too thick.]
·
When it is browned on the bottom, shake
it loose, turn it over and brown on the other side.
·
Turn the pancake out onto greaseproof
paper over a damp teatowel. If you wish to keep them warm while making the
rest, place on a plate over a saucepan of simmering. Water.
·
Continue until all of the mixture is
used up.
·
Place some of the fruit onto each
pancake and roll up.
·
When serving pour over some of the juice
and top with whipped cream.
Also called fava beans – they must be cooked before
eating. They are only grown as bush varieties and should not need support,
except in very exposed sites. Broad beans can be used in the kitchen as young
green beans, in the pod and are particularly useful as they are available when
few other green vegetables are ready. They are not often used as a green bean
in this country but, be assured they are very tasty and very welcome in spring.
Normally they are picked as the pods start to fill and the beans only are
cooked and eaten fresh. As the season progresses, the waxy skins on the beans
becomes quite unpalatable and it is necessary to peel each bean from its skin
to provide a tasty vegetable. It is at this stage that many people are ‘put
off’ this tasty and very nutritious vegetable. The beans can also be dried and
stored for winter use. I have to admit that I have dried these been both, in
their waxy skins and peeled but, have not enjoyed the results either way. I now
use my jar of dried fava beans as ‘baking beans’, when cooking pastry blind.
I have never allowed these results to get in the way
of my enjoyment of them in the spring. I do believe that eating fresh and in
season is best and once a year for a couple of months, these beans are ‘magic’.
