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Showing 61 - 87 of 87 comments

Garlic 20 Nov, ken cook (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): garlic is very forgiving, it would grow if you dropped one on the ground. Garlic is best using some of each crop the following years. it will acclimatise itself to the surroundings and soil type and eventually be top quality stock.alternate location to avoid disease.
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Florence Fennel (also Finocchio) 11 Sep, nicola dobiecka (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Do you have to get certain seed which can be planted now? I have some seed but the packet says to only sow it in spring/summer... it doesn't say you can sow it in autumn as well? Thanks Nic ;o)
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Radish 02 Sep, dan (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): How long does it take for radishes to seed?
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Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) 30 Aug, Diane (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): I want to grow a crop of coriander in the polytunnel between September and March. Has anyone had any success during these months, in the UK or other cool/temperate climate. Ideally I'd like to harvest around .5 of a kilo each week.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 24 Jul, Mel (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): I'm looking for Maori potatoes in the UK can anyone suggest a source please ? Thanks
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 19 Jul, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): To Ben & Tony, if you have had flowers then I'm sure you will get pods. The flowers drop off and then the pods will form, just give it a bit more time ! Tony, I've done square foot gardening this year and I crammed 6 plants into a square foot and had a great crop. Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to gardening !
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 17 Jul, ben (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): there have been no beans only flowers falling off can u help me so email me at [email protected] thanks
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 17 Jul, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Good luck Marion, hope you get a decent crop. Pinching the tops out is supposed to help deter the blackfly too. Did you know you can eat the tops like baby spinach? They're nice steamed and tossed in some butter and seasoning.
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Potato 15 Jul, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Hi Jane They should still be ok to plant and produce more potatoes. You won't be eating the main potato seed anyway, that's normally rotted by the time you harvest them. As Gareth says all green spuds are poisonous.
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 15 Jul, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Marion, if you have lovely flowers then you'll probably have lovely pods too - eventually !! My pods appeared about 5 months after I planted them but it was a cold wet winter here in Blighty. I think you may need a little more patience but it will be worth it. They're lovely when young with some mint, new potatoes and feta cheese. Yum :-))
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 13 Jul, the Skunk (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): with reference to the question 'are there chillis hotter than habaneros ?' the answer is yes ! It is nearly 1/4 of a million Schovilles (unit measuring chillis strength) , its a beast called 'the Naga bin Jokial' and is outrageous , I ate one and went blind for over half an hour , check out Chilli Pepper Pete on the net , he loves them ! Hope this helps , maybe you could use them on the possums too .....
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Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) 19 Nov, Colin (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Re: The Naga Bin Jokial or The Naga Bhut Jolokia as they are more commonly known. The heat level has ranged from 661,451 SHU for green fruit, and up to 1,032,310 SHU for ripe fruit. Normally reaching around 1,001,300 Scoville heat units! This has now been superseded by the Dorset Naga which came in at 1,598,227 SHU and the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion which as of February 2012 is the worlds hottest at 2,009,231 SHU
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Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 11 Jul, valerie (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Hi there, I live in southern Spain in the province of Murcia where it´s very warm most of the year and over 35 in the summer.Can anybody send me a few Rosella seeds?I would love to try growing them over here.Thankyou very much in anticipation. Val Fuller
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Rosella (also Queensland Jam Plant, Roselle) 13 Feb, Veronica (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): Hi - Are you still in Spain and did you ever get any seeds? Let me know as I have some from Africa. I can spare you a few.
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 03 Jul, Marie (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): I am growing silverbeet in pots sitting inside a larger pot with soil in the bottom. It is growing well but some of the leaves get a grey colourd blotch on them. I only ever water from below. Any suggestions? Over the last couple of weeks our temperature has been between 20 and 27°. I never had any problems when I lived in Australia. Maybe I am being too ambitious?
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 10 Jun, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Delia - are there any flowers yet? You get flowers first and then the beans. I plant my beans in the winter in November and they don't start producing beans until April. It's only been a couple of months so you might need a bit more patience ! Good luck :-))
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 06 Jun, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): If you are affected by aphids/blackfly if you pinch the top of the plant off when the first pods have set then you should avoid this. Don't compost the tops though, they are delicious lightly steamed and tossed in butter and salt and pepper. My broad beans are coming to the end now and only a couple have blackfly, looking at it from the other side of the coin though it does attract the ladybirds !! Good luck !
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Radish 29 May, Stefan (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): Maybe a tip from the Bavarians: slice the radish thinly and sprinkle with salt. This will neutralise the bitter taste, and the salt will wash out with the liquid. You will need about a tea spoon of salt per 300mm (=foot) of radish. The connoisseur will do ONE spiral cut along the whole length of the radish with about 1mm pitch.
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Potato 23 May, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): I put my new potatoes in on the traditional day Good Friday although that will be different for anyone in the Southern Hemisphere lol. As mentioned before they don't like frosts. Anyway, I make sure I plant them on lots of well rotted manure and earth them up when they start showing. I grow new spuds in containers and earth up with a mixture of compost and grass clippings which are free and easily available when I can be bothered to mow the lawn ! Potatoes like water and muck. When you harvest them they taste nothing like shop bought spuds !! Good Luck !
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Tomato 02 May, Emma (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Annie, If you have loads of green tomatoes then pick them and make green tomato chutney - it's fab ! I did this last year when it rained most of the summer and we're still eating it now.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 09 Apr, Anneliese (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): how do you know if the sweet potatos are ready - mine have been in the ground for 6 months now
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Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) 14 Mar, Lesley (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): I was looking for advice on how to cook - some say remove the thick white part before cooking...... but all advice I have is to cook (whether with or without onions and garlic) in MILK. You don't seem to mention that here. I also understand that those who grew up eating this vegetable prefer it with nutmeg. Am just going to prepare -for first time - wish me luck!
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Pumpkin 31 Dec, Dave (Spain) (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Squash/pumpkins are ready usually from november through till feb,depending on when you sowed them.You can freeze cubed,without blanching ...easy!!
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Rocket (also Arugula/Rucola) 16 Aug, Addy (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): I grow rocket all year round here in Brisbane, I just keep picking the leaves till the plant goes to seed. To keep growing leaves I break off the budding tips and it grows almost bushy. Broccoli puts out side shoots and more florets after the first main "globe" is cut off.
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Cauliflower 07 Jul, Beth (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): I have Cauliflowers that have formed small heads which are visible. I suspect there is a problem as it is too soon for them to be mature. My query is- Will the head keep growing or should I harvest them now. I have covered the heads with outside cauli leaves to stop the sunlight yellowing them.
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Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) 23 Jun, Leslie Reed (United Kingdom - warm/temperate climate): Great Stuffed Zuchinni Cut lengthwise, hollow out, par boil in hot water for 5 minutes for better taste. Meanwhile take insides and chop into bitesize pieces, saute with chopped onion, garlic, when almost done add in some chopped tomatoes. Can do many variations with Rice and even can add tomato sauce... whatever you like can be creative of just follow recipe. Mix with 1 lb sausage, hamburger or Turkey Burger precooked until done, drain off grease. Put in baking dish and Top with Parmesan Cheese and bake at 350 until cheese browns and Serve YUMMY!
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Broad Beans (also Fava bean) 10 Jun, bella (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate): I have sprayed mine with washing up liquid and water, hopefully that will help
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