July was the wettest in Belgium in 40 years with more than double the average rainfall. With towns and villages flooded and a large loss of life this year will go down in history as a disaster. Farmers have lost a lot of crops and growers in general are faced with sodden water logged ground …Read More about August: Summer washout?
Growing Tomatoes
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
Training tomatoes
All tomato plants benefit from support as they grow. Besides supporting the plants in winds or bad weather, supporting the plant’s shape as it grows increases the eventual harvest and helps ensure good air flow around the plant preventing disease. While pot or bush tomatoes grow well on a single garden cane, climbers and vine …Read More about Training tomatoes
Tomato Gallery 2019 (Part 2)
As a general rule it is better to grow the smaller varieties of Mediterranean tomato in city gardens where they have restricted exposure. However, over the last 2 years the raised bed in this garden has been used to experiment with Eastern European varieties which produce larger tomatoes and can put up with the restricted …Read More about Tomato Gallery 2019 (Part 2)
Tomato Gallery 2019 (Part 1)
Tomatoes grow well in small city gardens. A raised bed is the best way to grow them though large pots work well also. This raised bed is 5m by 1m with the garden wall behind it and a support framework of aluminium poles built over it. This year the bed was used for 18 types …Read More about Tomato Gallery 2019 (Part 1)
September: Harvest time
Gardeners always like to complain that last year was better in the garden. Last year was better in the garden. The cold start to this year, the heavy bouts of rain and sudden heatwaves meant most the plants have stopped and started all season. Now there is a sudden glut of produce in the garden …Read More about September: Harvest time