Blackfly on Chard – Diary of a Rocket Gardener
In my garden, I have often had problems with blackfly on globe artichokes and on broad bean plants, but never on chard. I was very surprised, therefore, to see that…
Rocket Blog
What to do about yellow leaves
One common source of confusion in the veg patch is when plant leaves turn yellow. It often happens with beans, courgettes and squashes and can usually be rectified quite easily….
Blisters on your chard?
This is a very common sight for growers of chard and other leaf beet, like perpetual spinach. It is the work of the leaf miner, and it’s not a disaster,…
Tips for dealing with June’s tough conditions – strong winds, dry soil, little rainfall
These past few weeks have been incredibly dry, and this looks set to continue. On top of that, we’ve had a lot of northerly and easterly winds, which both add…
Dealing with Blackfly Infestations
We’re definitely experiencing more blackly infestations than normal around here, probably something to do with the cold spring and natural predators not being in such abundance as they normally are….
Plant Brassicas in June & July
Brassicas are just perfect for being planted in mid June and July. Most will be ready to harvest in late autumn/early winter and many will over-winter too for harvesting in…
Dealing with pervasive weeds
What’s the best way to tackle those persistent weeds, like bindweed, brambles, creeping buttercup, ground elder and couch grass? Well, assuming the weeds are growing in areas where you are…
Letting it unfold naturally – Diary of a Rocket Gardener
I think it is fair to say that last year I let my garden go a little wild. Perhaps in that post-pandemic kind of haze, I just didn’t keep on…
Planting in June? Things grow fast
As soon as June arrives, we find that a lot of people start to panic, thinking that they’ve missed the season if they haven’t planted out yet, and this isn’t…
Quick Growing Herbs for the Summer
Some of the faster growing herbs are just the ticket for adding flavour to summer salads and veggie dishes. Here are a few of our favourites that are easy to…
Run out of space for winter squash – Diary of a Rocket Gardener
Okay, I totally brought this on myself. I let one of my raised beds get overtaken by red campions and I can’t bring myself to cut them back or pull…
Growing heat-loving vegetables outside
Here are a few top tips for those of you who are growing those more tender, heat-loving plants like cucumber, aubergine, peppers and tomatoes outdoors this summer (rather than in…