Gardening

[hifilover1979]

Carrots do seem a faff for something you buy so cheaply in the shops but we do put in a row of those boutiquey mixed colour jobs and pull them immature because they look interesting in the salad bowl - yes, really. Some grow to maturity and the flavours are identical so far as I can tell.

S'not the point though... Nothing tastes better that what you have just pulled out of the ground...

Plus what I grow tends to last us very well and sometimes into the following year (last year/this year has been parsnips, beetroot and kale for us)

But carrots (like celeriac) are my nemesis it seems

 

[Vinny]

But carrots (like celeriac) are my nemesis

Celery/celeriac is naturally a plant of marshy/boggy places - it is a native UK wild flower, so that should give a clue.
Celeriac is even more difficult to grow than good celery and along with swedes is generally best left to the professionals.

I have grown modest-sized roots of celeriac but it isn't easy and they are often woody. They do need constant dampness, so can be generously mulched but some of the root needs to be exposed for best results. Careful and very selective removal of the lower leaves is also helpful, but remove too many and the plant will suffer.
Humus-rich soil is really essential, but not recently manured - celeriac normally makes plenty of spindly roots, having them fang just makes the root almost useless.

There are lots of interesting, tasty veg' that supermarkets never stock that are far, far easier to grow in the same space - salsify, scorzonera, even Hamburg parsley is easier and that has a growth habit very similar to celeriac (and very tasty). There are plenty more if you hunt - try some of the oriental veg', which are not closely related to European brassicas, despite their common names.

 

[mjw]

@hifilover1979, at least when pulled immature for salads they’re less likely to have fly holes so I’m with you there.

 

[Vinny]

Carrot fly don't eat anything - it is the maggots that eat carrots.
The flies find carrots by scent, so always be extremely careful when pulling them and weeding/hoeing. Even avoid bruising the foliage.

 

[hifilover1979]

Carrot fly don't eat anything - it is the maggots that eat carrots.
The flies find carrots by scent, so always be extremely careful when pulling them and weeding/hoeing. Even avoid bruising the foliage.

Best way to avoid this is to grow them alongside spring onions or leeks... Their scent puts the flies off

 

[dweezil]

It doesn't say where the samples were taken, PAN is not just UK.
All residues are obviously legal, probably, near certainly, massively inside legal limits, otherwise this would have hit the news seriously big time.

Like brassicas? Guess what the characteristic tastes are from? A great deal are natural insecticides, such as mustard oils, several of which are extremely toxic/carcinogenic. But unless you eat several pounds and more each day, try not to worry.

I am also highly suspicious as the article claims that the UK tests 3000 samples per year. It used to do very, very few as imported stock primarily came in through Rotterdam, who did all the testing, and do none for the UK now that we have Brexited, and the Uk has introduced none to cover this.

We regularly get test results back for onions and potatoes; a fail would be a serious problem so we obey all the harvest interval guidelines plus a margin.

 

[hifilover1979]

Finally got the greenhouse sorted and start to earn it's keep



4 varieties of toms, 2 types of courgettes, kalettes, 3 sweet and 3 chilli peppers sown

I've got parsnip, carrot and beetroot seeds to sow in the beds in the next week or so and that'll do it for this year...

Oh. Planted a horseradish root that'd started to sprut too. Be interesting to see how that fairs.

Rhubarb just getting going and the herbs have taken a battering over winter, but they're starting to come to now

 

[Vinny]

Oh. Planted a horseradish root that'd started to sprut too. Be interesting to see how that fairs.

Not quite on the same scale, but horseradish is a bit like mint - only plant it in an open garden if the garden is measured in acres.
Around here, there are a few big stands on some wide verges, if I was inclined to try my hand at making my own sauce.
If you haven't made your own sauce from it before, the balance of flavour v. heat comes from the ratio of thick main (tap) root to side-root whiskers that you use.

There is a variegated form that some people find attractive as a foliage garden plant (the flowers are insignificant).

 

[hifilover1979]

Not quite on the same scale, but horseradish is a bit like mint - only plant it in an open garden if the garden is measured in acres.
Around here, there are a few big stands on some wide verges, if I was inclined to try my hand at making my own sauce.
If you haven't made your own sauce from it before, the balance of flavour v. heat comes from the ratio of thick main (tap) root to side-root whiskers that you use.

There is a variegated form that some people find attractive as a foliage garden plant (the flowers are insignificant).

Haha yup...

It's next to the rhubarb, so it'll be allowed to grow and be free there as its the end of one of the raised beds that nothing else gets planted there...

I have actually got another price and some burdock root I'm going to plant in a clearing in the woods I've made to see how it fairs.

Fancy making my own dandelion and burdock and we've plenty of dandelions! Some bloody huge ones too in the woods, main root bigger than a parsnip!

Re the horseradish. I've made a few different sauces before, some hotter some not. Grated and mixed with some creme fresh, olive oil etc it's lovely with a bit grated on top too

 

[Rockmeister]

Best way to avoid this is to grow them alongside spring onions or leeks... Their scent puts the flies off

I do, French marigold/carrot/marigold etc in alternating rows. The best type of marigolds are a tad higher than the carrot tops so...not a problem! Tho this is Scotland so maybe carrot flies just don't like it cool and wet

 

[hifilover1979]

Last of the parsnips dug





Turned that main bed over and added compost from the compost bin (an old concrete coal bunker at the bottom of the garden); will leave that for a good few days and then sow the beetroot, parsnips & carrot seeds later in the week

There's only so much I can do currently, so that's enough for today

 

[Vinny]

Root crops + newly manured ground = fangs (as in the first pic')

 

[hifilover1979]

Root crops + newly manured ground = fangs (as in the first pic')

Nope; it was a huge stone...

It's the only one that did it

Thanks though...

 

[Vinny]

Nope; it was a huge stone...

Yup, fanged.
I was illustrating what fanging is, not what had or had not caused it.
Many people wouldn't have a clue what it meant.

 

[Mike Reed]

Root crops + newly manured ground = fangs

Ye-ha ! De fangs one picks up here !

Currently have both greenhouses, my first early plot and extensive bean plot under 3 or so inches of horse manure. Outside well washed in by this incessant but useful rain; greenhouses by copious watering using excess precipitation and turned over twice. Never seen so many worms in there. Am trying for equestrian-flavoured tomatoes this year; hope they don't give me the trots.

 

[hifilover1979]

Ye-ha ! De fangs one picks up here !

Currently have both greenhouses, my first early plot and extensive bean plot under 3 or so inches of horse manure. Outside well washed in by this incessant but useful rain; greenhouses by copious watering using excess precipitation and turned over twice. Never seen so many worms in there. Am trying for equestrian-flavoured tomatoes this year; hope they don't give me the trots.

It's cracking the flags here for a change; forecast warm & sunny until Wednesday thankfully

The greenhouse is currently 31ºC! Only 11ºC outside but with a cool breeze

 

[gavreid]

4 varieties of toms, 2 types of courgettes, kalettes, 3 sweet and 3 chilli peppers sown

I normally hold off on the courgettes for a few more weeks. If it's a bit too cold in May they can be a bit of a nuisance in the greenhouse. Frosts right through to the end of May are a concern around here - sometimes people quote the average last frost date as if it's set in stone.

 

[hifilover1979]

I normally hold off on the courgettes for a few more weeks. If it's a bit too cold in May they can be a bit of a nuisance in the greenhouse. Frosts right through to the end of May are a concern around here - sometimes people quote the average last frost date as if it's set in stone.

It's absolutely fine ta; I've got the paraffin heaters on low overnight and never had any issues before in the 30 odd years I've been growing them from seed at this time of year

 

[dweezil]

First plants hardening off now it's warm, bit chilly last night and i'll have to keep an eye on forecasts for another month.

Carbon, Cherokee Purple, Matina and Crimson Crush tomatoes plus a few chillies Bahia and Serafina iirc.

 

[TalYWaun]

1st watering of the vines growing in my shed, since Autumn last year. They have been growing there for 3 years but have yet to produce any grapes (two white varieties and two red). If they don’t produce this year they will get evicted to a corner of the garden, although they are useful as a sun shade during the summer that stops the shed becoming unbearably hot.

Vines by Mark Edwards, on Flickr