Campbell McKee

Talkback: How to grow garlic

I buy garlic from a garden centre that is bred to be grown in this country. I tried planting some from the supermarket and had no success.
If it goes to seed it will still be ok- unlike onion or leeks. You may get a little row of mini garlics growing a few inches up the stalk though.

Talkback: My favourite harvest recipes

Last year saw a fantastic crop of tomatoes that we were eating right up to a few days before Christmas. Tomato soup made from fresh tomatoes is fantastic andas different from the tinned stuff as chalk and cheese. I fry a couple of onion and chuck in the cut up toms. I don't bother skinning them as both my wife and I like the taste of the skins. If I've got some potatoes left over from a previos meal I my add that as a thickenning, otherwise I put in some rice or lentils. Once cooked I whizz it up. I have to admit I add some sugar if the toms are particularly tart.

Slug invasion

The trouble with many of the chemical free methods of slug attack is that they are not suitable for a large space like an allotment. I have got on top of them at home and can now grow slug delicacies such as delphiniums and lupins, but it is a different matter on my allotment.

Part of the problem is that there is plenty of wildlife there (pheasants, partridges, ans pigeons) many of which want to eat my plants as well. I'm sure the anti-bird netting I use also keeps birds that might eat the slugs away from the plants.

Slug invasion

I've tried most of the ways suggested in both the link suggested and by Pippa in her blog. 

I have successfully reduced the slug abd snail population of my small house garden, mainly by early evening hunting with my 'snail scissors', but that wouldn't work on my allotment as it has to be done frequently. 

I've considered nematodes but have baulked at the cost of treating my plots. I have resorted to usuing slug pellets, which I apply under the nets to keep birds of fruit and brassicas. 

However the slugs that are doing the most damamge and are at epedemic proportions are the tiny black/brown slugs which don't seem to be attracted by the pellets (or I can't find their dead bodies).

It's frustrating, and means that veg needs to be very scruporously cleaned, but hasn't put me off yet! I'm actually praying for a week of good cold weather!

Slug invasion

Despite a very dry start to the year where I had difficulty getting seeds to germinate, or plants to establish ( we don't have piped water on the allotments, and the captured water ran out very early), the end of the year has seen a massive slug invasion. I have lost a lot of potatoes to them, and my over wintering greens are being eaten alive.

I know one cure would be a good cold spell but has anyone else suffered, and what have they done to overcome slugs in epedemic proportions?

Talkback: Tomato blight

I lost a huge crop of tomatoes last year from blight. I chose blight resistant potatoes last year and they were successful, but I didn't particularly like te taste of the varieties.

This year I sprayed both potatoes and tomatoes from july onwards with copper sulphate (available from Wilco) and had huge crops of both. I gave away pounds of tomatoes, cooked ate and froze them and was eating them until a week before Christmas. Potatoes I am still giving away because I grew a massive crop in order to clear my third plot.

I'm fairly sure the copper sulphate is organic, I am certain my tomatoes were delicious and going back to tasteless shop bought is difficult.

Welcome to the fruit & veg forum

I have had an allotment since I took early retirement, about 3 years now. (Yes, aren't I a lucky boy!) I cannot grow sprouts - not club root but pathetic minisprouts! I also cannot grow carrots or parsnips. Carrots because of carrot root fly, parsnips because they just don't  germinate.

However I have huge crops of currants, strawberries, potatoes, beans and tomatoes (Tigrella was a superb succes this year) and have the space and time to have another go at my failures.

Slug invasion