Cucumbers are probably the most reliable of crops for growing in a small city garden. Each plant will produce over a dozen fruits over a 3 month period. They are not troubled by poor weather or ravenous slugs. Having two or three plants, either in soil or in pots should provide for most household needs. …Read More about Extra cucumber time
Archives for August 2017
Autumn salad time
This is the best time of year to start salad in the garden. Salad started in the spring invariably runs into summer heat and bolts (goes to seed). Salad started now will benefit from the cooling down in the coming weeks and months providing good quality salad right up to the end of the year. …Read More about Autumn salad time
Living with Spanish slugs
The Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) is here to stay. While it has only been a few years since the Spanish slug took over from our local snails as the main garden problem, it beholds upon the gardener to learn how to live with these creatures. Each year is a new learning opportunity for understanding these …Read More about Living with Spanish slugs
Garden composting
Vegetables will only grow as well as the soil they are grown in. It is now recognised a good soil contains a lot of organic material that is biologically active. This means it is still in a process of naturally breaking down. Shop bought soil in bags can be quite dead. Making your own compost …Read More about Garden composting
Picking tomatoes
Picking your own tomatoes is very satisfying. Fully mature tomatoes is a sign of a healthy plant often despite weather conditions and the limiting factors of a small city garden. When the tomatoes are heirloom varieties the whole exercise is one of helping to preserve a rare breed. All the seeds from these plants can …Read More about Picking tomatoes
Second Basil harvest
This year has been a good year for basil. With one harvest already taken several weeks ago it is time to take a second harvest from the plants. With luck, and a bit more summer, the remaining plants will grow out and fill out once more over the next few weeks to provide a third …Read More about Second Basil harvest