Chris and Steve's Weblog - City Chickens » Salad

Strawberries, Salad and New Potatoes

Chris — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:36:48 +0000

Once again I have brought home a large bowl of strawberries and a couple of massive butterhead lettuces. I also managed to get enough potatoes Sharps Express for a meal tonight. The potatoes have been slow to grow as we had a cold start to the season followed by a very long dry period. The tops are looking green, lush and healthy but few potatoes up to now which is bad news in one way but good news for my belly because I can’t resist freshly dug potatoes.

Rain at Last

Chris — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 06:06:06 +0000

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain. We have had a couple of weeks without a drop and have enjoyed rising temperatures and sunshine which have been welcome after the coldest Winter in a decade. Ideally I would want light rain overnight every night followed by dry sunny days but unfortunately nature isn’t controlled by a switch so we have to deal with what we get and in this country we are blessed with mild, changeable weather. However the sound of rain this morning was welcome. The garden and the allotment plot were dry and dusty which is not great for new plants and seedlings or the newly seeded lawn at home.

We spent a couple of hours this morning at home in the garden then popped to the plots for an hour. The rain kept off and the hour turned into four hours. We sowed more seeds of Parsnip Hollow Crown and Carrot Nantes into the bottom bed.

There was great excitement when we saw two asparagus spears peeping through already.

Rob put in some Peas Kelvedon Wonder in the bottom brassica tunnel. I had been swishing them for a few days and they were already germinated so should be off to a good start. The Hurst Green Shaft that I put in the top tunnel are well up now and the Meteor are showing through too.

Rob has moved the obelisk that I grow the Sweet Peas up and I have planted the Spencer Mixed raised from seed at home. They are now situated at the bottom of the plot by the seating area.

We came home with another bunch of Raddish French Breakfast, my favourite. I shall have to sow more next time we go down.

At home I have pricked out the Gardeners Delight seedlings and potted on some Alicante and Black Cherry.

Tomato Gardeners Delight

Chris — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:43:07 +0000

This afternoon I have sown ten modules of the tomato Gardeners Delight. This is a reliable favourite producing tasty smallish fruit that all our family enjoy. Germination should be in seven to ten days and plants should be moved to a 7″ pot when roots are seen at the bottom of the module. They should be ready to plant outside during May.

Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants and are rich in Vitamins A and C and lycopene, all helping to stimulate your body’s immune system.

Growing Nasturtions in The Salad Bed

Chris — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:26:35 +0000

Last year I grew Nasturtions along the edges of the salad bed. I sowed them directly into the ground and was overwhelmed by how vigorously they eventually grew. Unfortunately they stifled the smaller plants and moved over to cover the corn bed too. As the corn was high they survived and may even have benefitted from the moisture that was not lost because the Nasturtions shaded the ground between the corn plants. I saved loads of seed at the end of the season. This year I want to be a bit more in control and so have sown a tray indoors. I shall probably sow some seeds over in the hedge on plot 18 as it is all brambles and hawthorne at present not to mention a fair bit of rubble and bricks so I hope that they will mask it a little.

Sow directly March-May, flowers June-September. Nasturtions flower abundantly in poor soil and transform hot, dry places into a blaze of colour. Flowers are edible, and ideal for use in salads.