WELCOME TO LOTTIEBLOGS

These Hints and tips have been forumlated from our experiences in our years of allotment gardening, and of course should be followed with consideration of your own soil and land type, we hope you find them helpful. All tips should be followed with care and attention should always be payed to manufacturer or sowing instructions.

Again this is not a comprehensive or thoroughly detailled list of the veg we grow year on year, but by categorising them into varieties, we hope to give a number of useful tips which can apply to each type. So aiding the gardener in hopefully, whatever problem or dilemma they mght face in handling the nutrure and harvesting of veg.

BEANS

- Can be raised from seed in pots and trays or planted directly into the ground into thier final position.

- Plant out (apart from broads) when the risk of frost is past, and train up stakes or canes (most beans tend to do this naturally).

- Feed well, they appreciate lashings of organic matter.

- Water regularly and use shredded paper/mulches to coserve water.

- When  they begin to pod, pick regularly and pick young to prevent the plant investing in seeds which have managed to set.

- Beware in summer and as the plants become heavier, there is a risk of supports toppling under the weight, keep an eye on canes and other supporting structures, repair and put upright as necessary.

- Keep a keen eye out for pests, blackfly is the classic on broads which can be remedied by pinching out growing tops and spraying organic repellants.

- Take care whilst hoeing around thier bases as it is easy to accidentally snag or cut a slender stalk and lose a whole cropping plant.

- When the crop is past its best allow some pods to mature and help you gain some seed stock of your own for the following year. Harvest the seeds when the pods are dry and crinkly, then you can remove the whole plant and store your seeds in bags or paper envelopes ready for use next season.

- You can then also leave the roots of the plants in the ground to take advantage of thier nitrogen fixing properties which should make the spot very fertile next year as they rot down.

- Due to thier copious foliage bean plants make a welcome addition to the compost heap at the end of the season, however due to thier volume also remember to add some dry materials such as paper or straw to prevent the heap becoming slimy.

PUMPKINS AND SQUASHES

-Traditionally raised from seed indoors, then gradually harden off and transplant into bigger pots as they grow, they should be ready for planting out by late May after the last frosts.

- Can be planted out with simmilar cucuirbits in patches or with thier native american companions of beans and sweetcorn.

- If planting a pumpkn or squash patch it is adviseable to plant through weed suppressant fabric as the bare soil beneath the growing plants and foliage often becomes inhabited by unwanted flora, which can obviously itself set seed and become difficult to eliminate.

- When planting out, dig a large hole, add some fertiliser of some description (organic chicken manure pellets or compost) to the bottom of the hole. Then add your plant and cover its roots with soil, making sure the height it is planted at is lower than the surrounding soil, so as to make a trough to preserve and catch water.

- Plant squash plants at least a meter a part and feed during the growing season with combinations of compost, muck and even tomato food..

- Be aware of where it grows, train into areas where it is not going to smother or stifle the growth of other plants and nip out the tips of its stalks when it has gone as far as it can go.

- The efficient use of space is everything when you are planning to have a large part of your plot or garden dedicated to pumkins and squashes. As obviously you dont want fallow ground wasted, hanging about waiting for your plants to go in and cover it, but also you do not want to provide them with not enough space to expand. The way us lottieblogers deal with this is that we dedicate a small area to house a central ring of plants in early summer. This area is skirted by other crops which will be out of the way by the time the pumpkins are in full swing (in our case early potatoes on one side and onions from sets on the other) and so the soil will be free for them to ramble over at thier leisure. Of course there are other options such as catch cropping to deal with this issue.

- When the plants begin to produce flowers ensure that male flowers manage to spread thier pollen, this is normally done for you by the local insect life but a cotton bud and a bit of patience can be just as good.

- Use markers or coloured cloth to show where the root balls of pupmkin and squash plants are as they become more established, to help prevent time being lost trying to locate the actual plant in amongst all its extremities for feeding or watering purposes.

- Eventually, some of the female flowers develop a bulbous base which should set into a fruit, remember however until they establish and start swelling profusely they are not gauranteed not to rot off and die. To help avoid this consider thier position, if they are in a  divot and likely to be sitting in water, place something to lift them out of the divot beneath them. Be careful not to damage them when moving around your patch or inspecting them and finally, keep them clear of any stalks or foliage from the plant or its nearby companions whcih might grow over or around them and restrict its growth or cause damage.

- In autumn it is likely that your plants wil suffer from powdery mildew, a  common pumpkin problem, personified by powdery white deposits forming on its leaves. Youll be happy to know this should not effect your crop or fruits in any way and requries no treatment, all we do is remove the worst effected leaves for aesthetic reasons.

- As october turns the corner you should be ready to harvest, cut the stems with shears leaving as little of the stem on the fruit as possible.

- Pumpkins and squashes need ripening before they can be stored for long periods, a week or so on a warm sunny windowledge or in a greenhouse should do the trick and harden off thier skins nicely. However rotting is an ever present danger and should be checked for regularly, wipe off any mould which appears on stalks, give them a good prodding to ensure they havent gone soft and keep an eye on any damage, discolouring or indentations to the skin.

- Save seeds from your fruits for next year as you use them, although many are hybrids and so the future plants may revert to type somewhat and provide you with some unexpected results at the end of next season.

- Pumpkin keeps well in the freezer, skin and cut into chunks for this purpose or turn into soup and freeze as a liquid.

POTATOES

- Spuds should be one of the easiest and most productive veg to grow, however there is more to getting a healthy crop than you might at first think.

- Remember you dont have to grow vast quantities of them to enjoy thier freshness, four early tubers of your favorite variety in a large pot with some newspaper on the top and bottom of your compost to preserve moisture will provide you with a lovely suprise towards the end of june or in early autumn.

- But if youve got the space, we say go for it, plant in March in a  ditch in the ground mound up the earth on top and see where they take you.

- We at lottieblogs prefer to keep to the earlier varieties of potato as our site does seem to be prone to blight (which earlies are less suseptable to) and the fact that we absolutely love them. The can be harvested in June/July and have kept for us right into winter.

- Our preferred varieties can be found on our "Seed amd cultivation diary", but we are still expertmenting. We are also glad to see that local garden centres seem to be expanding thier range in "buy to grow spuds" and even havng sections where you can choose individual tubers of traditional, rare and heritage varieties, which is  avery welcome site and hopefully will encourage folks to have a go, even if its just one tuber on its own in a pot.

-Bury deep, form our experience burying your tubers deep and creating a large mound on top is the best way to protect from frost initially, sunlight during the tubers growth and eventually, even blight.

- We have had good experiences with adding shredded paper or newspaper in the trench when planting our tubers. This helps conserve moisture in the drier months and seems to protect against tubers spillting or suffering scab.

- Mound up earth onto your pile again when you start to see the frst shoots appearing above the soil and continue this throughout the summer. Coverings of mulch or straw can also be good if space or soil is scarce in the area you have planted.

- Watch for blight, the signs are blackening & rotting of the leaves which eventually extends underground.Remove infected foliage as soon as you see it and there are treatments available such as Bordeaux Mixture to keep it at bay, however we feel by preventing the rot getting to ground level can also deal with the problem. Once the  majority of leaves on the plant is infected (be vigilant as the infection can move very quickly), remove the foliage and place in a pile for burning, then dig up your tubers as early as you can and use them.

- Keep watering regularly and when the harvest season comes, choose one end of  your ditches to dig up and see how the tubers are doing. If they are ready or showing any signs of disease, get em up, out and use them.

- Allow to dry off in the sun for an hour or so after harvesting, then brush off as much dirt as you can (do not wash them as this will reduce thier keeping qualities).

- Take note of your harvest, see how healthy, prolific and long lived your crop is as this is often a good indicator of if your site & soil likes that variety of potato. If it doesent seem to, try something different next year.

- Store in a well ventilated shed or garage, in hessian sacks, do not fill the sacks too full and regularly check for any pests, rot or diseases which may appear.

- We would not reccomend the saving of tubers frm your harvest for use int he next season as seed potatoes. It is best to buy guarenteed, virus free stock when you need to. This, we hope will also help encourage people to experiment and see which varieties they and thier soil prefers.

PARSNIPS

- Seed fresheness is everything when growng parsnips, as it is famously tempremental to germinate. So buy fresh seed every year and use it. 

- To give them a head start you can place some seed on damp kitchen towel in a warm place until they start sprouting, and then place them onto the warmed ground in thier final positions.

- Failing that wait til early spring and plant in rows directly into the ground, place 3 seeds at each interval where you want to have a root, you can always thin them later.

- Other than that parsnips need very little tending, keep watered and maybe use a handful of garden lime about thier tops in summer & late autumn to try and help protect against canker.

- Occasionally it is worth digging up a premature root to see how the stock is going and they make a very tasty, early contribution to your sunday lunch.

- In autumn the leaves will die back and rot off, which is a very natural process and nothing to be alarmed at, it may be worth however marking where the leaves were so that you have an idea of where your parsnips are for when you dig them up later. This problem remedies itself in late winter as the parsnips begin to sprout new little green leaves and reveal thier position once more, this is also useful if there are any you have missed in your bed which can then be dug up and put to good use.

- Late autumn and winter is the time to be harvesting your parsnips, use a fork to lift them and dig a large margin a round where you think they are so as not to pucture or damage the root.

- Dont be afraid of the larger ones you grow, they have an awful reputation for being woody and innedible but in fact have been some of the sweetest, tenderest specimines we have ever tasted and believe you me, you dont get many more economical veg.

- It is best to dig up parsnips when you need them rather than all at once and have to store them in buckets of sand or soil, an added bonus is they will continue to grow and be frosted over the winter, turning sweeter with each passing cold night.

CABBAGES, BROCCOLI'S BRUSSELS AND OTHER BRASSICAS

- Sow autumn/winter crops indoors in early spring and ensure they have grown onto a good size before plantng out as such, transplanting into bigger pots is definately going to be required, but will be well worth it.

- Plant into thier final positions in early summer.

-  Use a handful of garden lime at the bottom of each hole you are planting in to try and help protect against clubroot.

- Watch carefully for any plants which decide to "blow" or "bolt to seed" in the summer months, one way of dealing with his when it does occurr si to nip out the bolting end as soon as you see it which can hold the whole process back and save your crop in the later months.

- For cabbages it is often advisable to place rims of plastic or material around thier stems where they contact the ground to try and dter cabbage root fly.

- Protect your crop against damage from local Bird and Pigeon populations, (even in the more productive months) with the use of netting. A stucture to house this can be as simple to make as inserting a few vertical bamboo canes in the ground around your plants tieing a few more horizontally at the top of the canes and draping your netting over it.

- Keep this protection on over the winter periods to keep pests away, esnure there is a way to access your plants in order to harvest them.

- Support plants where necessary using canes, often the weight of a heavy brassica (or worse still a heavy pigeon sitting on and eating the top out of a heavy brassica) can often result in disaster in the form of breakages. Whereas staking or supporting using canes can often assist them enough to grow and crop well.

- Pick brussels sprouts regularly as they mature and ensure to remove any blown buttons which may hamper the growth of thier newer siblings.

- Keep the ground around them weed free and dress with manure in the winter for a bit of extra fodder for them.

- Harvest as per the instructions according to the variety you have and use as soon as possible, keeping cut setms/hearts or buttons in a fridge or cool outbuilding in the interim.

- When removng brassica roots from the soil enure to inspect them carefully for any signs of clubroot. This will take the form of bulbous nodules on the roots. This is very bad news as it can remain in the soil for decades and infect new plants whcih come into contact with it. If you are  intending on growing brassicas, this is one of the main reasons why rotating your crops is so important, to try and stop the buldup of pests and diseases such as these.

- Burn the roots removed if you discover it, make a note of where they were growing, do not put brassicas in that spot for as long as possible afterwards and treat the ground with lime on a number of occasions to try and beat it.

SALADS

- Now these are one of the easiest and quickest vegatables to grow and are suitable for containers, seedbeds and windowboxes and come in vast and interesting varieties for you to try and to experiment with.

- Sow in early summer and very soon after youll be reaping the rewards, ensure to keep well on top of your watering to keep and grow them in top condition.

- Use mulches such as grass clippings or leafmould to help preserve moisture.

- Most salad vegetables and leaves prefer the shade due to thier delicate foliage so when planting or sowing consider the orientation of your land according to the sun and possbily plant between tall or leafy crops to provide some protection (as we are doing this year between the sweetcorn and the beans this year). 

- Sow sucessionally so as to have a steady supply throughout the summer, once agrvested (apart from "cut and come again varieties" remove roots from the patch, work over with a fork and a rake slightly and start all over again for this purpose.

- Watch out for the ever present slugs, who will be most happy to munch thier way through your crop, use organis means of detering them from doing this.

- Harvest as soon as the salads are a size big enough to be useful, however we would definately advocate only picking them when you need to use them immediately as (with many organic veg) they do not keep well even for reasonably short periods or when refigerated.

- With "cut and come again" varieties, even when picked down to the ground they will re-sprout and provide another crop quite shortly afterwards.

- When you have harvested and bought your stock home for use, ensure to thoroughly wash and inspect your produce before you put it on your plate in case of any "livestock" which seem to delight in the home salad leaves can provide for them. Take our word, there is nothing so off putting than munchnig into a delicious and organic salad then when you find a slimy revolting slug in the middle of it when your halfway through.

BEETROOT

Sow in springtime in Drills, cover initially to deter pests.

Beetroots are reasonably quick maturing and as such so sow sucessionally and once a patch has been cleared by harvesting it is will be well worth while to stick a few more seeds in to grow, even if it towards the end of the growing season as youll reap a small but welcome later harvest.

Once your seeds have sprouted and are about an inch high, thin them to one every 5 cms or so to prevent overcrowding as they grow. This is qute inevitable if thinning is not undertaken, as most beetroot that you sow are in fact a small husk containing a number of seeds. Due to a high germination rate a patch can get very untidy and in the long run unproductive housing more roots than is beneficial.

The thinnings are delicious used in salads in thier own right.

Water and weed regularly during the growing season and keep thinning should overcrowding of crops continue.

Be aware for any root splitting or damage. Beetroot is a favourite of mice and other rodents so keep an eye out for any large gouges, damage or nibble marks.

Harvest when the roots are big enough to be of use, this is often a very personal thing and dependent on the variety you ahve grown. Some like baby beets, others like them big for boiling at eating unpickled, whereas some long varieties can be left for longer periods to create a greater yeild for pickling.

Simply pull the roots from the ground using thier tops, taking care not to disturb any nearby but  still growing neighbours it may have.

When removing the leaves from the bulb after harvesting, do not cut with a knife as this will increase the risk of bleeding, simply tear off the tops as close to the root as possible, youll get a bit of a messy hand but in the long run its better.

Wash and boil your roots, after which you should remove the skins, slice and place in jars of vinegar should you wish to pickle them, or keep in a sealed container in the fridge for other uses. Unfortunately we cant really comment on the best way to store raw, harvested roots as they never seem to hang around without being processed long enough for us to take note.

RADISHES

- One of the easiest and quickest crops to grow can often be used as a catch crop or markers for slower germinating varieties such as parsnips.

- Radishes are an excellent veg to get kids interested in growing thier own, its colour, size and quick growing nature fits perfectly with thier short & visual attention spans and at the end they have a minature vegetable of handlable size and instant eddibleness to call thier own.

- Sow from mid spring onwards sucessionally, keep a close eye and harvest regularly to avoid overgrown and inedible specimines.

- Regular weeding and thinning will help ensure a good crop, however be careful hoeing as the delicate seedlings are easily damaged and uproted.

- Can suffer from some winged and slimy pest damage so be vigilent with young seedlings, horticltural fleece during the early stages could be adviseable.

- With a whole plethora of varieties and types to choose from varying in size, shape, colour and taste exploit its profuse and quick growing nature by experimenting throughout the season to find a variety you like and which suits your soil.

- Harvest roots as soon as they are of eddible size, use as soon as possible after picking.

- Beware home grown varieties in our experience tend to be quite a bit hotter than commercial ones, especially when left to grow slightly larger.

- Towards the end of the season it can be a good idea to allow some of your more mature radishes so go to seed as they can help to attract beneficial, pest-fighting insects and you will be able to gather a small ammount of your own seed for next year. However, it also can encourage powdery mildew onto your plot and be quite unsightly so consider carefully.

GARLIC, LEEKS, ONIONS AND SHALLOTS

- Most menbers of the Allum family (Onions) are relatively easy to grow and low maintenance, its is also safe to say there are few things in the world which look better than a well tended onion crop or taste better than a fresh, juicy and strong bulb just picked from the bed. Definately worth a go!!

- We have found the best way to grow bulb onions is from sets, minature onions grown from seed the previous season.

- Plant in early spring, place the sets in rows in your seed bed, dib or dig a hole just deep enough to accomodate the onion and cover its top.

- After a few weeks the first green top shoots will begin to emerge from the soil, be cautious at this stage as local birds and rodents can upearth or pull out the bulbs using these shoots hoping to disturb the ground beneath and snaffle any unsuspecting worms.

- Bulb onions need very little attention during thier growing period, regular weeding and occasional watering (especially during wet weather to try and prevent white rot forming on the bulbs) should see them through.

- In mid summer  when the leaves begin to die, dry out and rustle in the wind get ready to harvest. Pull the bulbs up witht he help of a fork in the ground atthe roots to try and prevent any damage, allow to dry in the sun for a few hours and then transfer to open weaved bags (or a pair of old tights) for storage in a cool dry place for about teh next four weeks before processing.

- When the crop is fully dry remove from tthe bags, inspect and rmove any dirt or old foliage from the bulbs, discarding any soft or damaged specimines. The remaining crop can be tied into ropes for storage or returned to clean open weave bags.

- Onions and thier relatinos are susceptable to a number of problems, too much water or rain during the growing season can cause white rot which can stay in the soilf or many years, Onion fly can be transferred from placing your plants too near to crops sucha s celery which also harbour such pests. Harvesting can cause damage at the root end and rotting whereas neck rot in undry bulbs can be an issue. All in all some fo these things are bound to strike if you are going to grow even moderate numbers of these yourself, so our onlty advice is be vigilent with your plants when planting,  growing and in storage and as soon as you spot them remove and destroy any infected or rotting bulbs.

- Well prepared onions should keep well into winter and early spring the next year, regular inspection is essential to ensure any which do rot are removed and do not contaminate its neighbours.

- In early spring you may find some of your stored onions beging shooting ready for the new season, sue these as soon as possible and discard any green or growing bits when preparing to use in cooking.

- As with all the onion family a careful eye should be kept for bulbs or leeks which bolt or try to go to seed. This is personified by the plant in question producing a long spiky leaf with a flowerhead on top. When these are detected the head should eb removed and the plant marked as it will fail to keep well or prove stringy once cooked. In some ways this is a shame as the flowerheads are very attractive and aesthetically pleasing in thier own way.

- Shallots are grown and prepared for use in exactly the same way, they ca also be stored in rope form, however also make delicious picked onions.

- When preparing shallots for pickling initially, peel, top and tail them (trhis can be done underwater to avoid streaming sore eyes) then put them in he jars you intend to picklet them in and fill to the top with a saline solution. After 24 hours like this they can be strained, rinsed in clean water, returned to teh jars and vinegar added. They must then be kept in the dark to mature for 8 weeks, after which they should be re ady to use, do not open the lids until this time.

- Leeks are a slightly different kettle of fish, sow these in late spring, in a row along the side of the bed in which they will be ovewintering, one row the whole length of the bed should fill the whole space with dibbed seedlings in a  few months time.

- When the seedlings are about 6 inches high (normally early autumn) and the thickness of a pencil, dig up the whole row, carefully shake the soil from the bare roots and rake over your patch. Dib deep holes in rows to cover the whole area then place in your seedlings, ideally it should just be able to have about an inch of growth showing above the ground.

- Dibbing deep rather than planting shallowly in the ground helps produce tender, strong stems ideal for culinary use.

- Do not backfill the hole with soil, simply water in to provide some moisture and settle the roots.

- By december you should have some decent size leeks to take home, use a fork, dig deep and pull up the biggest first allowing the smaller ones to grow on and trying to avoind disturbing the soil too much.

- It is best to harvest leeks when they are needed than try to keep them at home in the fridge howerver if the crop has to come up for some reason, e.g. autumn soil preparations, the crop can be lifted and placed on its side in a smal trench, re covered with soil until needed and keep perfectly well.

- Wash leeks carefully and be cautious of soil which may have ended up between the internal skin layers before cooking or kitchen use.    

CARROTS

- Carrots although one of the most commonly known vegetables for us have proved not the easiest to cultivate. In our history of growing them on the plot we have been sufferers of poor germination, Motley Dwarf Disease and Carrot fly making the majority of our harvests dissapointing. However, the right variety, in the right soil, with the right care can be a true story for success.

- Sow in drills in mid to late spring, water regularly and keep the areas between rows weed free so as to prevent confusion of seelings with weedlings (you would be amazed how many carrot like imposters there are out there in the vegetable gardening world).

- Sow sucessionally and regularly to keep a steady stream throughout the season, try a few different varieties as well, such as stump rooted or baby carrots to give you differnt yeilds, uses and tastes and keep a not of what is sucessful so that you can tell what varieties like your soil.

- Another method of planting to try and avoid the dreaded fly is to sow and grow in barrels of compost so as to raise the plants too far off the ground out of reach of the flies. We prefer ourselves to stick everything in the ground and work fm there but have had reports that this can be an effective method at keeping your carrots pest free.

- When the first shoots appear above ground immediately earth them up with soil to try and prevent carrot fly attacking frm the start.

- Once large enough to poke back through the layer of earth again, you need to decide what action you want to take to deter carrot fly for good.

- You have several options at this point, the use of horticultural fleece as a barrier, chemical pesticides or companion plating in order to confuse the adult flies by the use of scent and smell of other strongly smelling plants and flowers. We, this year are intending to use a  combination of high screens of horticultural fleece and companion planting (Specifically Garlic). On a crop such as  carrots (as we try not to in general) who are so very prone to holding onto pesticides in thier soft skins, we would never advocate the use of chemicals and feel they should be avoided if at all possible. If you are determined to spray, please condsider using natural alternatives such as easily manufactured organic liquids such as Rhubarb or Nettle waters which can act as a repellant.

- Once yo ahve your plant protected its juts a case of regular watering, weeding and observation until the c rop is ready in mid- late summer depending on your variety. Water little and often to prevent roots splitting.

- Watch for any discolouration or stuntage to the leaves which could indicate unhealthty or diseased roots, if it turns out to be a true omen, remove and burn any offending specimines.

- Harvest with the use fo a fork to loosen the soil around your roots and lift them out of the soil, keep in the soil for as long as possible until you need to use them because as with most home grown vegetables they do not seem to have the keeping qualities of commercially grown ones.

- When you have gathered your roots examine them closeley to see if they have had any damage from pests, minimal damage can often be cut out and wont hurt the usage of the rest fo the root. However, weigh up how much useful flesh you are going to get if the root is riddled with holes.

- If you have to harvest more than you need for some reason, consider keeping them in layers in a  bucket of damp sand or soil in a cool place which should help to preserve them.

SWEETCORN

- Sweetcorn seems to be doing increasnig well growing in the british isles, originating from America it has taken time to accumulate varieties whcih can accommodate our cooler climate. And just for the sake of the taste of home grown cobs, we suggest they are something definately worth growing if you have the space.

- Sow in trays indoors in early april and plant out when they reach about 6 inches high and thier first true leaves begin to droop under thier own weight.

- Plant out in blocks of plants rather than rows as they have a tendency to pollinate better.

- Weed cautiously around the roots and earth up, then firm with a heel where necessary to give the

plant strenghth and additional support from the ground up as they can soemtimes topple over. Of course stakes can also be used to support the stems.

- During the summer give a good dressing of compost or well rotted manure to feed the plant and water regularly.

- Once they reach over 5 foot high (all but for dwarf or minature varieties when it will be earlier) they will produce seed spikes (see above) and stringy cob flowers. Give the plants a regular good shake to ensure the pollen from the spikes falls onto the flowers.

- Later in the season when the cobs have swelled and the strings on the top of the fruit have begun to turn brown, you will be nearing harvest time.

- Deciding the right time to take the cobs off the plant can be difficult. We find that peeling back just an inch on the top of the cob to reveal the fruits inside does the trick, if the fruits are a very pale yellow, with a milky liquid seeping out of them when popped, they are ready. Doing this will also let you know if you have a cob worth bothering with, if has been poorly pollinated or watered there wil be no fruits formed inside and you may as well taek the whole thing off so that the plant can concentrate its efforts iunto any otehr healthier cobs it may have.

- Beware of leaving ripe cobs on the plant too long. We know we harp on in this section about only taking the veg away from the soil or its mother plant when you need it, unfortunately this does not seem to apply to sweetcorn. Although they also suffer from poor keeping qualities if you cant use them immediately, too long on the plant and they can completly dry out and be useless. All we can suggest in this scenario is to make lots of seasonal dishes whcih will help you to use up your glut.

- Once you have harvested all that there is to be had, dig up your plants and thier roots and add to the compost bin.  We suggest you chop them up into 6 inch peices in order to help them break down as from our experience they take vast quantities of time to do this without and can remain whole in your heap for almost years! Be prepared however, you will need to use a very sharp knife or machete carefully for this job as the stems are incredibly tough.

TOMATOES, CHILLIES AND SWEET PEPPERS

- Chillies and tomatoes were one of our first plants when we caught the growing bug and we were astounded in our first summer how prolific and productive they could be. Now 5 years on and over 2 years of allotmenting later they still hold a very special place in our gardening year.

- The varieties of tomatoes on the market these days are mindblowing and no matter what your space, soil type or resources youre sure to find one which suits you, so do some research, try a few different types and see which ones you like. We have had success with Sungold, Alicante and Moneymaker in particular.

- Sow  both chillies and tomatoes indoors in trays in april and gradually harden off to be able to cope with cooler conditions as they grow, transferring them gradually into more and more outside spaces.

- Plant them into thier final positions when the last risk of frost has passed and support with canes which they shoud be tied into regularly as they grow to prevent toppling.

- We grow our tomatoes and chillies in a home made mobile greenhouse on the allotment we have nicknamed "The Monolith" but they can just as well be raised in deep pots in greenhouses, conservatories, widowsills or even just open to the elements.

- Feed regularly as they grow and begin to fruit, water with tomato food and remove side shoots towards the base of the plant to ecourage airflow and top fruit growth. If growing in pots it is often a good idea to give a regular dressing of chicken manure pellets just to give them a boost and prolong the fertility of the soil they are in.

- Water frequently especially if the plants are in greenhouses or conservatories where they could dry out quickly which in turn may damage or split the fruit.

- As the flowers begin to form watch carefuly to ensure pollination, normally this is done by your local insect life (often that you do not even know were there lurking inside your home or conservatory) but if help is needed a few swabs of the flower with a cotton bud normally does the trick.

- Be careful at this stage so as ot to knock the flower off and so lose the possibility of fruit, be vigilent as well for flowers rotting off which could be a sign of faulty watering. More developed fruits which begin rotting from the blossom end are also as a result of this and your watering regieme should be altered accordingly to combat it.

- Once the fruits have set its just a case of keep watering, tending to new sets of flowers above them and waiting for the harvest, pick the fruits off as they ripen and use as soon as possible to take advantage of thier supersweet taste.

- Blight can be a problem with toms (not so much chillies) in the same was as it is with spuds, especially in warm very damp weather and unfortunately, the two can also cross infect, as we found much to our dissapointment in 2007. Blight begins as dark patches on tomato plant leaves and stems and spreads rapidly. Once detected the infected material should be cut out of the plant including a large margin in case it has spread further than is currently visible and the foliage and stems removed burned promptly. NEVER ADD DISEASED MATERIAL TO THE COMPOST HEAP. Also ensure that any infected but already dropped leaves are removed from the floor or ground surroundint the plants to preevent further infection. This may just put it off enough for you to salvage some kind of crop thanks to the side shoots which should form, but our advice is to be prepared for the worst and then you can only be pleasantly suprised.

- Towards the end of the season should you find you still have large quantities of chillies or toms which are green and unripe, there are several choices for turning them into a useable yeild. You can unearth the whole plant, turn it upside down and tie it somewhere for a few weeks so all of the juices and flids from the plants flow into the fruits, or if you want to pick them off, place them in paper bags along with overripe household fruits such as bananas which will encourage them to ripen.

- Chillies can be tied onto strings and dried to preserve them, they will cotinue like this for many many months if not years in a useable condition. Beware however, when a chillie is dried it becomes hotter than when it is not, so use sparingly.

- Chillie peppers do not unfortunately keep this way, we have found it best to use them in dishes immediately or in meals which can be frozen whole and re-heated (such as stir fries) or added to chutneys and preserves to which they give a wonderful depth of flavour. Tomatos share this problem with longevity however have one more level of versatility than the chille pepper, namely they can be cooked, pulped and frozen.

 - Saving seed from tomatoes and chillies is not adviseable as most ofthem are hybrid varieties and so thier positive attributes will not be carried over into the next season.

CHARD

- Chard is a very hardy, low maintenance, prolific and easy crop to grow with a beautiful colour, good cooking qualities and a nice flavour.

- Sow directly into the ground in rows during springtime and cover with a cloche until established.

- Water regularly, thin overcrowded plants and remove any weeds.

- Once the plant reaches about 2 feet tall it should have some significantly big leaves & stalks ready to harvest, which in itself couldnt be simpler. Take a sharp knife and cut the leaf you want off as close to the base of the plant as possible, taking care not to damage any of its neighbouring stems.

- Once harvested use a s soon as possible as the leaves quickly wilt, even when placed in bags in the fridge, wash thoroughly and inspect for any creepy crawlies before use.

- It has a flavour simmilar to spinach and makes a wonderful addition to stews, casseroles and can even be used a s a substitute for early spring greens. The stalks as well as the leaves can be used, chop fineley and steam gently to help maintain thier colour and nice flavour.

- Chard copes well with the winter months and can bring a splash of colour to the allotment and your dinner plate during the darker weeks. Some of the foliage on the plant will rot down over the winter so be sure to remove this from the ground around the plants as you see it, mainly for aesthetic reasons and regularly check for your plants boling as the weather warms up int he early montsh of the year in case it treis to go to seed.

- Eventually you will need to re-sow and start off some new young plants but for the space they use, the colour they bring and the ammount you can havest from them (even when most of the hardier winter veg are loking rather strung out) they are incredibly worthwhile plants.

COURGETTES

- Courgettes and Marrows are from the same family as pupmkins and squashes, so please refer to that section for the majority of relevant hints and tips. However there are certain individual issues.

- Sow indoors in april or mid spring and plant out in the same way as the rest of its family.

- The plants we have experienced are not sprawling in nature instead rather nice and compact, so ideal for smaller gardens or containers if necessary and means on larger spots of ground,  they can be grown in numbers.

- Water regularly, feed as per pumpkins and weed well around them, there is no need for supressant fabirc (unless you wish to use it to retain moisture) as due to the compact nature of the plants it is easy to remove the weeds by hand.

- Remove friuts regularly as you will be surprised how quickly they wil turn into marrows should you leave them on, be careful to inspect under the lower leaves of the plant as well in case any well camouflaged specimines may be unwittingly lurking and romping away unnoticed.

- Courgettes can also be suscepible to powdery mildew but as with pumpkins this causes no actual harm to the plant or its produce.

- Once the firsts frosts hit in the winter you will find the majority of the leaves will wither and die. This is a time to be removing the plants and compostng them, as well as making your final harvest. Remember however any fruits which have been caught slightly by the frost themselves will be likely to go soft so use them quickly.

- Courgettes keep reasonably well in a cool dry environment for some time. Regularly inspect for softness or rotting at the cut and and use as necessary. Courgettes are often a good bulking agent in chutneys or preserves and once sliced, lightly steamed steamed and frozen will do well in dishes where thier texture is not essential such as soups or risotto's.