January in the Veg Patch
January is probably the quietest month in the kitchen garden, but if you can get yourself out there to spend a couple of hours pottering, doing a few little jobs…
Growing Tips and Advice
How to improve your soil
Good soil will give you a better, healthier crop and you’ll suffer less from weeds and pests too. Doing one very simple little thing will make all the difference…add plenty…
Harvesting Winter Veg
If you’re growing winter veggies, like leeks, kale, cabbages, parsnips, sprouts and winter salads, then have a quick read of our guide for some top tips… Brussels Sprouts – if…
December in the Veg Patch
Well, we’ve already had some snow in parts of the UK, and the trees are looking very bare since Storm Bert blew through last week. No doubt there will be…
A Quick Guide to Pruning Fruit
Once they’ve finished fruiting, some of your fruit plants will need a spot of pruning. This is our quick guide to what needs doing and when to do it.
Helping Plants Cope With Winter Weather
Heavy rain, hail showers, frost and strong winds are not the most plant-friendly conditions. If you haven’t yet prepared your plants, then get out into the garden (when you can!)…
Algae in greenhouses or tunnels/cloches
You may notice algae growing on the soil in greenhouses or polytunnels, or under any cloche tunnels. This is actually quite common at this time of year when the surface…
Has your cabbage not formed a head?
If you’re growing cabbages at the moment, then hopefully you have some lovely, mature-looking cabbage heads that you can harvest over the next few months. If, however, they look loose…
Growth will start to slow down now
Now that we’re reaching mid-November we move into lower and lower light levels, and the temperatures will keep dropping, too. You’ll most likely notice a fairly significant slowing of plant…
Watch out for Leaf Spot
If you’re growing spinach or chard at the moment, or any other beet plants, you may notice some chocolate brown/purple spots appearing on their leaves. It can be more prevalent…
A Pre-Winter Health Check for Leeks
You can harvest spring-planted leeks anytime from now onwards really, and for the most part they will stand in the soil well until you need them. There are one or…
How Best to Store Winter Squash
Most winter squashes are very easy to store as long as they have fully reached maturity and developed nice thick skins. You’ll usually find that those that have a good…