| > | Harvesting |
| > | Recent sowings & plantings |
| > | Gardening hints for June and early July |
| > | New Products |
| > | Planning |
| > | Other news ... |
| > | Top 5 Products |
| > | Delivery dates |
Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter.
Harvesting
This month it's a job to know what to eat first there are so many crops ready: lettuce, rocket, herbs, spring onions, over-wintered onions, garlic, potatoes, calabrese, cabbage, radish and peas.
The salad bowl and Cocarde lettuce we planted in March are beginning to bolt (go to seed) so we will be cutting the whole heads and replanting with new plants ready this week. Butterhead and Little Gem varieties planted in May have hearted up nicely and the red and green Batavia aren't far behind.
As a trial, I planted green and purple basil in the garden as well as in large terracotta pots against a sunny, south-facing wall in the courtyard. The basil in the pots is about three times the size of that in the soil plus it isn't muddy and I don't have to put my shoes on to cut it.
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Of the March brassicas, the pointed cabbage Duchy is ready and the Ironman. Leave the plants after you have cut the main head of the calabrese and you will get side-shoots. The Pacifica planted last October is also ready this week and we had some for supper last night - the flavour and texture is outstanding. This Autumn we should try planting in September and covering it with a plastic cloche to see if we can get it ready in May 2009. We have had three good 'cookings' from our March planted Kelvedon Wonder peas (plus the ones I couldn't resist picking and eating raw). My father has picked 2.1kg of pods from 12 plants so far! Another customer has reported 23 cucumbers from 3 plants of "Melen" (greenhouse) to date and more coming. |
Calabrese Pacifica |
We want to hear about your harvesting too. It will be great to get information on when you first picked, the quantities harvested (peppers, cucumbers etc in numbers, crops like strawberries and peas in weight) and from how many plants. As it is the first year of us asking, and harvesting of some crops has already happened it will not produce a complete picture. If you are interested and want to take part, please start recording your harvest details and let us know through this link ~ email your harvest records.
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The first flowers are opening on the sweet peas. The borage, candytuft, marigolds, phacelia (pictured left) and zinnias are all in flower, but I've only seen a few bumble bees and hoverflies - no honey bees. |
It's time to make the last sowings of carrots Autumn King and Rainbow mixed. You can also continue to sow radish and spinach. Thin out existing direct-sown crops including parsnips.
As in March, we have covered our June brassica plants with a tunnel of Enviromesh to keep off cabbage-root fly, cabbage white buttefly, rabbits, pidgeons, partridge, muntjac and anything else that fancies eating them.
If the weather is wet, you might like to protect new lettuce plants with our slug pellets that are not harmful to other wildlife and pets.
Once chives have finished flowering they need to be trimmed back to encourage new growth. Pinch-out the growing tips of broad beans to discourage blackfly.
Tomatoes grown outside need to be tied to 5-foot canes or stakes. Tie the stems to the canes with soft string at about 1 foot intervals (take a tight turn round the stake and tie loosely around the stem so you do not constrict it). Boy Scouts and Girl Guides can use a clove hitch around the cane and tie the two ends loosely around the stem. In a green house or polytunnel tomato plants are usually twisted around strings attached to the structure.
Remove the side-shoots that grow in the axils between the main stem and the leaves. When the trusses start to ripen take off the leaf above as this helps it to ripen and makes it easier to spot ripe fruit. (None of the above applies to Tumbler).
Plants in grow bags and containers need watering little and often (maybe 3 or 4 times on a hot, windy long Summer's day). Soil grown greenhouse plants can manage with watering once a day in the morning but not on dull days as the fruit may split. Water outdoor tomatoes according to the weather. Start feeding with an organic tomato feed as soon as the fruit start to swell following the instructions on the bottle.
You can start to use garlic ‘green’ when the bulbs are big enough (usually May). For storage, lift in mid to late summer as soon as the leaves start to turn yellow. Dry outside for 7 to 10 days or in a light, airy place such as a greenhouse if the weather is wet. Store hanging in bunches or plaits in a dry frost-free place.
Don't forget to keep up with the weeding.
When you have done all that, put your feet up in a shady spot with a long, cool drink. Borage flowers are traditionally floated in jugs of Pimms (although I prefer red Dubonnet to the sound of 'Songs of the Auvergne' as in the idyllic 70's ads).
If you have any suggestions for recipes, it will be great to hear them - Recipe Ideas
We have two new collections for July:
July
Beetroot Selection
A
collection of different coloured beetroots looks inviting on the plate
whether cooked or finely sliced raw. The young leaves can be used in
salads. Contains 5 plants each of Boltardy, Bulls' Blood, Golden, Chioggia
Barbietola and White Detroit (substitute for Blankoma as the seed is
currently unavailable).
July
Kale Selection
Kales (or
Borecoles) are hardy brassicas - very useful because of their 'cut &
come' habit. Easier to grow than most of the cabbage family, their
attractive leaves make them very useful in potagers. They can be steamed,
stir-fried or boiled with a small quantity of water. 2 plants of the
following varieties: Nero di Toscano, Redbor F1, Red Russian and Westland
Winter.
Planning
We still have limited stocks of June Brassicas (including the Clubroot-Resistant Collection) and Cut and Come Again lettuces.
Next week we have vegetable plants heading off to the the RHS Hampton Court show - look out for them in the Homebase Room with a View show garden designed by Philippa Pearson.
We have been without one full-time member of staff in the office since the beginning of April so the whole team has been a bit stretched. From next week Dawn is joining us three days a week. She has been involved with our website since its inception and will be able to help with your order and payment queries.
Top Five Products
| 1. | July Late purple sprouting broccoli ''Late'' |
| 2. | August Purple sprouting broccoli programme |
| 3. | July Calabrese ''Iron Man F1'' |
| 4. | July Cabbage ~ Savoy "Supervoy F1" |
| 5. | August Chinese Pak Choi |
The following dates are the planned dates for dispatching the plants to you (these may change depending on weather etc.):-
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Now ~ |
June Delivery ~ Brassicas; Fennel; Cut & Come Again Salads; Strawberries; Leeks |
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8 - 19 July ~ |
July Delivery ~ Brassicas; Salads; Leeks |
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30 July - 9 August ~ |
August Delivery ~ Oriental vegetables; Cut & Come Again Salads | |
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1 - 6 September ~ |
Autumn Bedding plants |
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9 - 30 September ~ |
September Delivery ~ Spring Cabbage; Winter vegetables and Winter Salad | |
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7 - 18 October ~ |
October Delivery ~ Spring Cabbage; Japanese Overwintered Onions, Winter vegetables and Winter Salad |
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Now ~ |
June Clubroot - resistant Brassicas | |
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1 - 5 July ~ |
July Beetroots | |
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22 - 26 July ~ |
July Kales | |
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12 - 16 August ~ |
August Purple Sprouting Broccoli programme and August Winter Cauliflower programme | |
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