Tuesday, 23 January 2007
The 3 x 3m plot at Harlow Carr has survived the gales & torrential rain of last week, & in spite of some really heavy showers, the soil in the raised beds is still workable - fine even for seedsowing. To one used to working on heavy clay, this seems like a miracle!
Spent
some time tidying up - collecting kale leaves and removing damaged
outer leaves from lettuce and chicories, & handforked over the soil
surface to break it up a bit.
The
broad bean plants sown direct in September are really sturdy now, but
have put in some extra support of twiggy sticks, and covered them with
a net cloche tunnel - we have some heavy frosts and snow forecasted for
this week. Horticultural fleece has gone over the salads to shelter them a bit also. Normally at this time of year we'd be covering the soil with plastic to warm it up ready for early crops to go in. Actually the soil has not really got cold yet, but looks as if it will over the next week, so best be prepared!
Crops to harvest from the plot include baby leaves from kohl rabi, a member of the cabbage family - these are really tasty now. All the cabbages can be used in this way, growing some for young leaves and leaving some to grow on into full size plants. The red kale which was chopped back after the wind blew it over is resprouting all along the stem, providing just such tiny fresh leaves.
There is some oakleaf lettuce under a cloche and cos-type heads still growing outside unprotected!
Among the winter salad leaves, the corn salad or lamb's lettuce is good - you can cut the whole rosette for a salad. Claytonia or miner's lettuce has a succulent crunch and a fresh taste. Perpetual spinach is still providing leaves for stir frys, etc - its used just like true spinach. The chicories are a fabulous, intense red - only use in moderation, as they have a bitter taste. Salad burnet is an attractive minty green colour, with quite a singular cucumbery flavour. So there's plenty of variety to go into a winter salad from the plot!
For
herbs, the common thyme and chives are fine; coriander still available
(it normally wouldn't be), and even some self -seeded chervil.
Work
has started on the new 3 x 3m plot, at the top of the kitchen garden -
watch this space, and I'll keep you posted as it develops. There are already some companion plants nearby - the pot marigolds and borage are flowering!!