With the drop in temperature the fall salad season can get going. Lettuce and salad crops are cool climate crops best suited to early spring or early autumn. They rarely do well in heatwave conditions during summer. With mild winters over the last few years the fall planting season is becoming increasingly more useful for …Read More about Salad season open
Summer extra
Gardeners are known for reading the weather. This is becoming more difficult these days with strange swings in the weather. Belgium presently has a late summer heatwave, due to last another week before temperatures drop by about 10 degrees. This end of season extra heat is ideal for finishing off tomatoes presently green, so good …Read More about Summer extra
Tomato harvest
Tomatoes are best picked young from the plant. While bunches of ripe tomatoes are a pleasure to behold in the garden the best tomatoes are those picked regularly through the season while the fruits are firm and just coming to full colour. All tomatoes should be harvested before they start to soften and stored at …Read More about Tomato harvest
Kitchen time
The traditional idea of a kitchen garden is to have an outdoor pantry full of fresh produce for using every day. This is correct but modern gardeners are just as interested in processing fresh produce for use in the down seasons when the pantry is not so full. With simple inexpensive kitchen gadgets available these …Read More about Kitchen time
Tomatoes: Soil beds or pots
Tomatoes will grow equally well in pots as in soil beds. The main difference is during hot conditions pots require watering every day while plants in a soil bed may only need watering once a week. A raised bed (40cm height) with a mix of light soil and homemade compost is ideal for tomatoes. Large …Read More about Tomatoes: Soil beds or pots
Waiting for the storm
Belgium has just endured its hottest heatwave in 200 years of records. Next will be thunder and lightning and heavy downpours. While the fruits in the garden are now ripening nicely, though rather suddenly, the coming drop in temperatures and blustery conditions are not ideal for finishing crops. Gardening in unstable conditions is the new …Read More about Waiting for the storm