The war on slugs starts at home.

The war on slugs starts at home - Telegraph:
The mail-order sachets of nematodes infected with deadly mollusc-killing bacteria temporarily raise the proportion of nematodes and brings down the slug population. I’ve been an advocate for years.
However, there is also an allotment-owner’s trick for making your own slug-killing nematode potion, using nothing more than
a bucket,
some weeds,
tap water and
the slugs from your own garden.
If you are already used to killing slugs by drowning them in a bucket, you’ll find this method right up your street.
How to make your own slug killer
In any average garden some slugs will be carrying bacterial diseases or be infected by nematodes, but their low density means that they won’t devastate the rest of the population.
But, catch and confine the slugs and, if the disease or nematodes are present, you can concentrate these micro-predators and harness their natural slug-killing power.
Collect as many slugs as you can find in a jar that has a few small air holes punched in the lid with a hammer and nail – and a few weed leaves for them to eat.
The best time to hunt for slugs is after dark.
In the gloom, slugs become quite brazen and eat on top of leaves as opposed to holing up in cool, dark and damp places as by day.
If stumbling around with a torch is a bridge too far, look for slugs during the day in the drainage holes of pots, beneath stones and hunkered in long grass.
If they evade your efforts, set traps.
A classic that works brilliantly for hard-to-find small ground-dwelling slugs is to place the scooped out half-shells of grapefruits near the crowns of vulnerable plants.
Come dawn, the slugs make for the damp yellow domes, as they love to chew the pith inside.
Slugs also make a beeline for cardboard.
Lay a sheet on the ground among long grass.
Check your traps daily and gather your slimy harvest into a jar.
Once you have caught around 10 to 20 slugs – the more you have the better it works – decant them into a bucket with an inch or so of water in the bottom for humidity and a few more handfuls of leaves to make an edible floating island for your catch.
With the slugs safely inside, place a concrete slab (or any firm cover) over the top to seal them in.
The bucket is the perfect environment for the nematodes and bacteria to breed.
Nematodes spread in water, so check regularly, giving the slugs a stir with a stick.
The idea isn’t to drown them but to keep them moist so the nematodes can hunt them out.
Top tip: This is cheating a bit, but you can use a bought pack of nematodes to “seed” the brew.
Tap about a teaspoon of powder into the bucket to help it along.
After a fortnight a high level of nematodes will have built up inside the bucket and the slugs will have died from infection.
Now, you can dilute the brew: fill the bucket to the top from the tap and decant into a watering can fitted with a rose.
Prevent the weed and slug mixture from falling into the can with a filter of chicken wire folded over the can so it stays put while you pour.
Water the sieved brew around vulnerable plants – the raised nematode population will seek out resident ground-dwelling slugs and see them off.
Like the shop-bought version, this slug killer gives up to six weeks of protection.
Save the contents of the chicken wire sieve (uurrgh!) to start off your next nematode brew.
'via Blog this'

How To Make Hot Compost.

Use for compost accelerants like seaweed, urine, woodchips, juice pulp or hay.
Start with a 30cm layer of twigs,
followed by a layer of grass clippings
and finally a layer of manure,
then you can continue adding carbon rich and nitrogen.

As a rule, add 2 parts kitchen scraps to 1 part garden waste.
You need much more carbon based scraps than nitrogen waste.
If you are struggling to find nitrogen and don’t want to add animal waste, urine is a great source of nitrogen.
You might have to balance out the moisture content with something like sawdust or shredded paper.
Keep the ratio of carbon and nitrogen around 25 parts carbon and 1 part nitrogen.
Too much nitrogen and your compost will stink.
Too little and it will be very slow.

The Berkeley method of hot composting was developed by the University of California, Berkley.
Here is the procedure:

Build compost cake, layering a third each of browns (straw, dried grass, dry bracken, wood chip, sawdust, cardboard), greens (fresh grass clippings, fresh weeds, green cuttings, green leaves, seaweed) and poo.

Cover and leave for 4 days.

Turn every other day until day 18.
Anything that was once living can be hot composted, there is not so much need to be precious about what goes in the pile.
The heat breaks everything down and there is no trace of the original ingredients when the composting process is complete.
As in your planting, biodiversity is better for the compost because diversity of ingredients means a wider range of nutrients in the soil.

From:
- http://www.thisweekinthegarden.co.uk/uncategorized/how-to-make-hot-compost-18-day-compost-in-the-uk/
- How to Make Fast Compost, how to make compost in 14 days:

How to Plan a Vegetable Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Plan a Vegetable Garden: A Step-by-Step Guide:

'via Blog this'

My allotment.

The weather was absolutely glorious whole week, so I got a lots done at the allotment!
I am loving every minute of getting down there and getting it ready for planting my first crops.
My back and legs all ache like anything!
It’s all worth it though as all beds in nearly finished now!





Angelica. (Health Benefits Of Angelica Essential Oil).





Raspberry and rhubarb.

Flowers and herbs.


Honeyberry - a fruit which has been grown and enjoyed for centuries in its native Siberia.


Black currant.

Spring onions.

Gooseberry.

My crop rotation.

CROP ROTATION PLOT 1
Peas / mangetout

CROP ROTATION PLOT 2
Broccoli Sprouting - Sprouting
Calabrese
Kale
Mustard
Spinach
Swede
Swiss Chard
Turnips

CROP ROTATION PLOT 3
Potatoes

CROP ROTATION PLOT 4
Beetroot
Celery
Garlic
Leeks
Parsnips

ANYWHERE / PERMANENT
Asparagus
Courgettes
Cucumbers - ridge
Squashes and pumpkins
Lettuce
Radish
Rhubarb

Growing Quinces.

Growing Quinces | How To Grow | Grow Your Own:
"As well as the annual winter prune, quinces need a little attention early on in the year.
Give them a top-dressing of general-purpose fertilizer each February (using Growmore or Bonemeal), just before the tree bursts into leaf.
Sprinkle this evenly on the ground under the canopy.
It should be given in March of each year and raked lightly into the soil beneath the canopy of the tree.
A month or two latergive your tree its annual cloak of mulch, setting down a few inches of leafmould, garden compost or similar organic material.
The magnificent quince blossom arrives much later than other fruit trees (usually around May) but even at this time of year frosts are still a threat.
If the mercury plummets then cover the blossom as best as you can with a couple of layers of horticultural fleece.
If you plant in an area free from frost-pockets you should avoid this problem."
'via Blog this'

Growing cucumbers.

Outdoor cucumbers can be sown directly into the soil in late May and early June – or you can buy small plants from the garden centre.
Growing outdoors
Either sow seeds or plant out young plants in early June, ideally under fleece or cloches. Any fertile garden soil in full sun is satisfactory.
Dig in up to two bucketfuls of rotted organic matter, such as garden compost, and rake in 100g per square metre (3½oz per square yard) of general purpose fertiliser.
Pinch out the growing tip when the plants have developed seven leaves. The developing sideshoots can be left to trail over the ground or trained up stout netting. Pinch out the tips of flowerless sideshoots after seven leaves.
Don't remove the male flowers, and keep the soil constantly moist by watering around the plants – not over them.

When planting out cucumber seedlings or seeds, choose a sunny, sheltered spot.
Turn the soil over about 6in deep, adding compost or well-rotted manure as you go.
Leave 15in between each seedling, or put three seeds in each hole and thin to the strongest.
They can grow to 6ft so allow space between rows.
A layer of mulch minimises weeds and helps the soil retain water: cucumbers hate standing in water but the more moisture they absorb the sweeter they will be.
Weed them often but lightly, so as not to damage the roots.
Water weekly.

As far as crop rotation is concerned, ridge cucumbers can be grown anywhere in the garden or allotment. It's best not to grow them in the same position every year but they really don't encourage soil pests or diseases.

Except in very warm parts of the UK the best method for sowing ridge cucumber seed is in pots, indoors.
The best time to do this is in the second week of April 2017.
If you really want to sow seed directly outside:
Sow seed outside in open ground - The third week of May 2017.
Expert advice on growing ridge cucumbers outside:
CALENDAR FOR GROWING OUTDOOR CUCUMBERS IN THE BOURNEMOUTH, DORSET AREA
Sow seeds indoors - The second week of April 2017
Sow seed under cloches outside - The last week of April 2017
Sow seed outside in open ground - The third week of May 2017
Harden off indoor grown seedlings - The second week of May 2017
Transplant plants to open ground - The last week of May 2017
Prune main stem - The second week of June 2017

Harvest ridge cucumbers from - The second week of July 2017 

'via Blog this'

February in your garden and greenhouse.

Flowers:
Cut down deciduous ornamental grasses left standing over winter, before fresh shoots appear.
Divide large clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites after flowering and replant to start new colonies.
Prune late summer-flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from the base.
Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free.
Transplant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place, while they are dormant.
Pot up containers with hardy spring bedding, such as primroses, wallflowers and forget-me-nots.
Prune winter-blooming shrubs, such as mahonia, winter jasmine and heathers, once they've finished flowering.
Cut back wisteria sideshoots to three buds from the base, to encourage abundant flowers in spring.
Give winter heathers a light trim after flowering, removing shoot tips but not cutting back into old wood.
Prune buddleia and elder to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size.
Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space, before birds start nesting.
Cut away all the old foliage from epimediums with shears, before the spring flowers start to develop.
Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs.

Fruit and veg:
Finish winter pruning fruit trees and soft fruits, including apples, autumn raspberries and blackcurrants.
Chit first-early potato tubers, such as 'Foremost', by standing them in trays in a light, frost-free place.
Prepare veg beds for sowing by weeding thoroughly, then cover with a thick layer of garden compost.
Feed fruit trees and bushes by sprinkling sulphate of potash fertiliser around the base to encourage fruiting.
Sow mustard and cress in a small seed tray on a warm windowsill for pickings in just a few weeks.
Put cloches or fleece over strawberry plants to start them into growth and encourage an early crop.
Hunt out overwintering snails huddled in empty pots and hidden corners, to reduce populations.
Plant rhubarb into enriched soil or lift and divide established clumps.
Check if old seed packets are worth keeping by sowing a few seeds on damp kitchen paper to see if they germinate.
Protect the blossom of outdoor peaches, nectarines and apricots with fleece if frost is forecast.
Plant bare-root fruit bushes, trees and canes, as long as the ground isn't frozen.
Inspect Mediterranean herbs for metallic-green rosemary beetles if they start to look nibbled and tatty.

Greenhouse:
Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost free in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill.
Sow summer bedding and tender annuals, including cosmos, lobelia, dahlias, nasturtiums and snapdragons.
Pot on and pinch out autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage sideshoots to form.
Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator or on a warm sunny windowsill.
Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop, which you can then use as cuttings.
Monitor greenhouse temperatures with a max-min thermometer to ensure heaters are working efficiently.
Start planting summer bulbs in pots indoors, including liatris, begonias, gloxinias, lilies, eucomis and agapanthus.
Cut off hippeastrum (amaryllis) flowerheads once they fade, but leave the stalk to die down naturally.
Hand-pollinate the blossom of peaches and nectarines in the greenhouse using a soft paintbrush.
Cut back overwintered fuchsias and increase the frequency of watering to spur them into growth.
Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from overwintering plants to prevent fungal diseases.
Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in as much light as possible.

Garden maintenance:
Install a nest box with a camera, so you can watch birds raising their broods this spring.
If snow falls, knock it off evergreen shrubs, hedges and conifers to prevent branches snapping under the weight.
Make or buy a cold frame to use when hardening off young plants this spring.
Check fleece or other insulation is still in place around pots and borderline-tender plants.
Firm back down any plants that have been lifted by frost or loosened by wind-rock.
Make fat-ball feeders and hang them among roses to attract blue tits, which will also forage for overwintering pests.
Improve the soil by spreading garden compost or well-rotted manure over beds and forking in.
Sort out and clean up canes, plant supports and cloches, ready for use in spring.
Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses, before growth restarts.
Clear away old plant debris from pond margins and scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water.
Clean and service mowers and garden power tools, so they're in good order for spring.
Coppice hazel, cutting to the base, to encourage a flush of new stems that you can use for plant supports in a few years.
Spread a layer of well-rotted manure around roses and shrubs.
Remove netting placed over ponds to prevent autumn leaves falling in the water.
From: http://www.gardenersworld.com/what-to-do-now/checklist/february/

How to Grow Kale.

How to Grow Kale - Field and Feast - Field and Feast:

'via Blog this'

Lovage.

Lovage: A big plant with an even bigger flavor: "Lovage is not one of the Mediterranean herbs, happiest in dry, lean earth. It loves the rich, organic, moisture-retentive soil of my garden. About now, the leaves are starting to yellow as the plant puts all its effort into making seeds. Gardeners who treasured the leaves above all would have cut it back at this point to encourage ones to grow. But by doing so they'd miss the chance to harvest the seeds. These, too, have a celery taste and aroma, and since lovage leaves do not dry very well, the seeds are an excellent medium for keeping the flavor year-round. When the tiny fruits start to open, cut bunches of the seed stalks and hang them upside down in a paper bag to collect the seeds. Dried and ground, they can be tossed into anything as a seasoning, and are a traditional addition to baked goods such as muffins, biscuits, cakes and breads."