November 2020 - Page 2 of 3 - Garden and Allotment Tips and Advice

The Essential Allotment Guide Review

November 9, 2024November 18, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

The Essential Allotment Guide Review

Welcome to our The Essential Allotment Guide Review on the book which is on sale in multiple shops and Amazon. Here we will be reviewing the book and checking what the customers think of the product and how beneficial it is. Starting an allotment can be hard work that is why you may need an allotment book to help give you ideas on when to plant things, how to look after it and when to harvest it.

We also provide the link to the purchase the item from Amazon where you know it is safe and secure to purchase from.

The Essential Allotment Guide Review

About the Allotment Book:-

This book was written in 2009, over 10 years ago. It is full of useful information on how to obtain an allotment, how to move up the list. As well as information on how to grow fruit and vegetables it gives you information, tips and advice on allotment projects you can do on your plot from building compost bins and using raised beds.

Purchasing the Book:-

If you are thinking of purchasing this book you can click the Amazon link below which shows it’s current price at the moment. You know it will be safe, secure and trusted if it is for sale on Amazon.

Customer Reviews of the Book

Here we have what the customers think of the product from the reviews of genuine purchases from Amazon. Overall it has been purchased over 400 times from Amazon. The customers have given it an average rating of 4.5 out of 5. It has a 70% 5-star rating on Amazon which is great for a book. It shows it is defiantly worth buying.

Here is what a couple of the customers think of the book:-

Useful guide if just starting up an feeling a little overwhelmed or as an ongoing reference reminding of what jobs to do when, full of hints, tips and inspiration that’s well laid out and easy to use. iv already recommended to friends at my allotment and for its budget price its worth downloading just as a curiosity though i found it much better than most high cost publications. a lot of quality content and it’s well worth reading. vary happy customer 😀 full marks
Bought this for my husband who has just been allocated an allotment for the first time. He really things it is helping him understand what he needs to do going forward very knowledgeable information given and easy to understand. He reads it every day and looks back on anything he thinks he’s missed. Brilliant for me as my hubby is very happy and enjoying his allotment.

We hope that this The Essential Allotment Guide Review has helped you decide if you want this book or if it will make an ideal allotment gift for him or her. If you would like to find more allotment book reviews you can check them out here.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

Are you starting an allotment or planning on growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a kitchen garden? If so we highly recommend the book Allotment Month By Month. This does exactly what it does on the cover to help you with what you should be doing in the allotment and kitchen garden each month. Below you can see the link for Amazon where you can purchase the book directly. This book is extremely popular with all allotment holders as you will read in the reviews:-

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

Allotment Handbook Review

November 9, 2024November 18, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

Allotment Handbook Review

Welcome to our Allotment Handbook Review on the book which is on sale in multiple shops and Amazon. Here we will be reviewing the book and checking what the customers think of the product and how beneficial it is. Starting an allotment can be hard work that is why you may need an allotment book to help give you ideas on when to plant things, how to look after it and when to harvest it.

We also provide the link to the purchase the item from Amazon where you know it is safe and secure to purchase from.

Allotment Handbook Review

About the Allotment Book:-

This maybe an old book which was published back in 2013 but it is still relevant today and has great information for the new gardener and those that want to learn more.

Not only does this book teach you about growing your own fruit and vegetables it also provides easy projects such as making a simple compost bin and planting a fruit tree and tips to attract wildlife along with simple, delicious ways to enjoy your produce.

This book will make an ideal gift for anyone who is taking on an allotment or who loves gardening.

Purchasing the Book:-

Customer Reviews of the Book

Here we have what the customers think of the product from the reviews of genuine purchases from Amazon. Overall it has been purchased over 200 times from Amazon. The customers have given it an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. It has an 83% 5 star rating on Amazon which is great for a book. It shows it is defiantly worth buying.

Here is what a couple of the customers think of the book:-

Brilliant book, it’s my life line on the allotment as I’m surrounded by people who have had an allotment for a life time and know everything and I know nothing or so they think, and they get alot wrong, so I nod and go look it up in my book and get it right haaaaa. Get this book but don’t tell the others.
This is a really easy to read and understand book, it’s perfect if you’re just getting going on the allotment as it breaks everything down into bite size chunks and logical chapters. It’s full of pictures and useful photographs as well, quite a change to some of the daunting black and white super thick reads out there on this subject…

We hope that this Allotment Handbook Review has helped you decide if you want this book or if it will make an ideal allotment gift for him or her. If you would like to find more allotment book reviews you can check them out here.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner Review

November 9, 2024November 18, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner Review

Welcome to our RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner Review on the book which is on sale in multiple shops and Amazon. Here we will be reviewing the book and checking what the customers think of the product and how beneficial it is. Starting an allotment can be hard work that is why you may need an allotment book to help give you ideas on when to plant things, how to look after it and when to harvest it.

We also provide the link to the purchase the item from Amazon where you know it is safe and secure to purchase from.

RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner Review

About the Allotment Book:-

This has been written and put together by the RHS experts, sharing there knowldge of growing fruit and vegetables in the garden and the allotment. They provide you with the best tips and advice to gaining great crops and harvests all year round in the garden and the allotment.

They give there tried and tested methods to use and where the best places are to grow them in the garden.

Purchasing the Book:-

Customer Reviews of the Book

Here we have what the customers think of the product from the reviews of genuine purchases from Amazon. Overall it has been purchased over 300 times from Amazon. The customers have given it an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. It has an 80% 5-star rating on Amazon which is great for a book. It shows it is defiantly worth buying.

Here is what a couple of the customers think of the book:-

When i first got my allotment, I was given this book (and several others). This is the one I use more than any of the others. It’s advice about starting an allotment is very helpful – not least as it points out that it takes time. Its suggestions on what to grow is also useful – I don’t aways agree but they are only suggestions. The sections on vegetable growing with detailed info on each veg ( and fruit) are excellent – eight years on and I still refer to this book.
Definitely the best allotment boom out there – not preachy or dictatorial like so many others. Considers the economic considerations of growing and eating your own food, makes millions of suggestions but never says “do this coz that’s how it’s done and that’s it shut up and don’t argue” like so many other books do. Good advice on all the veg – even less familiar types, and even some flowers. No filler – every page is useful. the only allotment book you’ll ever need.

We hope that this RHS Allotment Handbook & Planner Review has helped you decide if you want this book or if it will make an ideal allotment gift for him or her. If you would like to find more allotment book reviews you can check them out here.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

Allotment Month By Month Review

November 9, 2024November 18, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

Allotment Month By Month Review

Welcome to our Allotment Month By Month Review on the book which is on sale in multiple shops and Amazon. Here we will be reviewing the book and checking what the customers think of the product and how beneficial it is. Starting an allotment can be hard work that is why you may need an allotment book to help give you ideas on when to plant things, how to look after it and when to harvest it.

We also provide the link to the purchase the item from Amazon where you know it is safe and secure to purchase from.

Allotment Month By Month Review

About the Allotment Book:-

This book is one of the bestsellers on the market. This is a go to book for a lot of allotment holders when starting out a allotment and even for the allotmenter who also knows quite a bit. One thing about gardening is that you are always learning new methods.

This book will give you tips and advice for the gardener on a monthly basis so you know what to do every step of the way to producing fantastic produce and harvests from your crops.

It also gives you tips and advice on preventing pests and dieases which most fruit and vegetables are prone to and can destroy a whole crop.

This is a new version of the book which has been out a few years. It has been updated with all the best varieties to grow for each vegetable. Improving your chance of better crops in the garden and allotment.

Purchasing the Book:-

Customer Reviews of the Book

Here we have what the customers think of the product from the reviews of genuine purchases from Amazon. Overall it has been purchased over 1400 times from Amazon. The customers have given it an average rating of 4.8 out of 5. It has a 85% 5 star rating on Amazon which is great for a book. It shows it is defiantly worth buying.

Here is what a couple of the customers think of the book:-

This is a great book. Easy to navigate and monthly step by step straightforward advice. I’ve had an allotment for 3 years and have a multitude of reference books. This is by far the best and is the one I now go to if want to check what I should be doing, when and how! Brilliant book.
Excellent book with huge amount of information, very well laid out. Covers each month and the work to be done, plants to be put in or harvested, pests to look out for etc., in fact everything you need to know about gardening, whether on an allotment or in your back garden. Has another section covering each individual type of plant as well, so an excellent all-round reference book. I use it constantly.

We hope that this Allotment Month By Month Review has helped you decide if you want this book or if it will make an ideal allotment gift for him or her. If you would like to find more allotment book reviews you can check them out here.

Sowing courgette seeds

November 9, 2024November 16, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

Sowing courgette seeds

Are you looking at growing Courgettes from seeds here we will explain about sowing courgette seeds through to growing them and looking after the courgette plant to get great harvests from your crops? Courgettes can also be called Zucchini. Here in the UK though we call them courgettes.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

About Courgettes

Courgettes are a very popular vegetable and they are actually expensive to purchase from the supermarket so growing your own will save you a lot of money. Having 2 to 3 plants will keep a family going all through the year. Courgettes come in many shapes and colours, not just the green ones you will see in shops. They are green, yellow, long and they can also be round courgettes.

When to sow, plant and harvest courgettes

Knowing the right times to sow, plant and harvest courgettes will help you gain bigger crops from your plants and have a longer growing season.

Sow	April to June
Plant	May to June
Harvest	June to October

Sowing Courgette Seeds

When you are sowing courgette seeds you will need to think about how many plants you actually want. You can get a great number of courgettes from 3-4 plants. You will probably end up giving lots of courgettes away to family and friends. When you have decided how many plants you want to grow a few extra as some may get nibbled away or may not get growing.

When sowing your courgette seeds these can be planted in individual plant pots. This will save transplanting them from seed trays later when they are bigger and not risk damaging the plant or the roots.

Sow your courgette seeds in normal multipurpose compost in separate plant pots in a warm greenhouse. This will help them germinate.

Planting out your courgette plants

When planting out your courgette plants wait until they are big enough and the chance of frost has passed as this can kill the plant which you do not want to happen or you will have to start some more off. You are best waiting and being safe than risk them dying.

Courgettes like to be grown in a warm sunny spot so make sure you have an area of ground ready prepared with well-rotted organic matter.

You can now plant your courgette plants out in the soil. Make sure you leave a lot of space between each plant, not just for weeding but the plants will grow quite bushy.

How to care for your courgette plants

Courgettes require a bit of care and attention when growing them. When the fruit starts to form on the plant you can start to feed them on weekly basis with liquid fertilizer. This will help give the plants the nutrients to produce more.

When watering the courgettes do not water right next to the plant as this could rot the stem on the plant, this will result in all the plant snapping off. You can sink a plant pot next to the plant and water into this as it will let the water get right to the roots. Watering the courgettes will help them swell.

Harvesting Courgettes

The best thing about growing courgettes is when you start to harvest them. The thing is with courgettes the more you pick them the more of them will grow. So ideally you are best picking them when they are small. If you are wanting to grow large ones you are best having a few extra plants as not as many will grow.

When harvesting your courgettes you are best cutting them off with a knife or secateurs do not try twisting them off as it will damage the courgette plant.

Now you will know all about sowing courgette seeds and how to grow them. You can find out more tips about courgettes here.

When is carrot fly active

November 9, 2024November 16, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

When is carrot fly active

Growing carrots can be a very tricky thing to do. Either you have the technique or they turn out wonky! You also have to try and avoid them being attacked by the dreaded carrot fly. Here we are going to give you tips to prevent carrot fly and when is carrot fly active.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

How to tell if your carrots have been attacked by carrot fly.

The best way to tell if your carrot has been affected by the dreaded carrot fly is the tops of them will often go yellow. When you cut the carrot up you will also see tunnels in the carrot. This will have been done by maggots that will have tunnelled into the root from the eggs that the carrot fly has laid near the plants.

What do carrot fly do?

Carrot flies themselves are not dangerous themselves. The only way they are dangerous is when they lay their eggs. They usually lay them in the soil. This is when they hatch and the maggots will crawl and nibble on the roots of the new carrot. This can cause the carrots to not grow in size and can stunt the growth. When the maggots get a taste for the carrots they will start to nibble into the carrots themselves and start tunnelling through them. This can destroy the insides of the carrots. It might not necessarily kill the carrots but it could stop it from forming properly.

When is carrot fly active?

Many gardeners and books will tell you that you should not mess with your carrot plants in the day time as that is when the carrot fly is active and that you should only mess with them at night. Carrot fly is active from May through to October. Carrot fly is usually in generations this is when one batch of carrot fly is born they then grow into flies and lay another set of eggs. This can be done usually three times a year.

One way to avoid carrot fly is to plant them late May this will then avoid the first generation of carrot fly that has been laid. You will then hopefully be pulling them before the next generation is laid.

How to prevent carrot fly

Carrot fly can be a real pain to gardeners, farmers and those that have allotments. Many techniques are used to try and prevent carrot fly though. Here we will go through all the carrot fly preventive measures.

Sowing:- Sowing carrots in the Summer will miss the first lot of carrot fly that hatches in Spring

Planting:- Try planting carrots in containers or raised beds, carrot fly seem to grow straight forward so planting like this can deter the carrot fly.

Horticultural Fleece:- This can prevent the carrot fly laying the eggs on the soil around the carrots. It is a worthwhile investment.

Carrot Varieties:- Why not choose a variety of carrot that is carrot fly resistant? They may not deter them fully but could produce better carrots than others.

Carrot Companion planting:– Why not try growing carrots near onions or chives? This could put off the carrot fly from the smell of the plants.

You will now know when carrot fly are most active and preventive measures to stopping the carrot fly from attacking your produce. We hope you have found these hints and tips useful.

Can you freeze Sprouts?

November 9, 2024November 15, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

Can you freeze Sprouts?

Have you grown too many sprouts in the garden or allotment? Have you bought too many for the Christmas dinner? The question you maybe asking is can you freeze sprouts?

Did you know the Brussels sprouts are actually part of the cabbage family and they grow on a stalk. You can get lots of little sprouts on one stalk – enough for a family of four or even more per plant.

Growing sprouts can take a long time, you can plant the seeds in April and they won’t be ready to harvest till around November /December just in time for your Christmas dinner. Homegrown sprouts actually taste a lot nicer than the ones you purchase in the shops. If you are tempted to try and grow some brussel sprouts we have all the tips and advice here.

When you purchase sprouts on a stalk they will taste a lot more fresher and nicer than the ones you have bought separately. You can even roast the sprouts on the stalk.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

How to freeze sprouts

Freezing sprouts is a very easy process. In this step by step guide we will go through how to freeze the sprouts that have jut been picked or purchased.

Cut the Brussel sprouts off the stalk. You can then get rid of the stalk
Put the Brussel sprouts in a bowl of warm water for around 15 minutes. This will help wash out any dirt hidden in the leaves or any critters that maybe hiding if picked from the allotment or garden.
After they have soaked for around 15 minutes then rinse them with warm water.
You then need to dry the sprouts off by using a dry cloth to pat them dry.
Once the sprouts have been completely dried they can be placed in a sealable plastic bag.
Make sure there is no air in the bags.
Write the dates on the bag of when you put them in them.
These can now be stored in the freezer for around 12 months

How to Blanche sprouts and freeze them.

Blanching sprouts is when you partially cook them and shock them and then freeze them. We will explain the process of this below. This is usually a better option to freezing sprouts as they tend to keep the flavour.

Fill a bowl with water and also add a tray of ice cubes to the water.
Boil your Brussel sprouts in a pan for around 3 minutes.
Place your sprouts in the bowl of ice water for 3 minutes.
Take the sprouts out of the water and place them on a dry cloth. Pat them dry.
Once the sprouts have dried they can be placed in a sealable bag.
Make sure no air is left in the bag
Write the date on the bag – these can be kept for around 12 months
Place the bag of sprouts in the freezer.

So now we will have answered your question – can you freeze sprouts? We hope you have found these tips and advice useful.

When Are Leeks Ready To Harvest

November 9, 2024November 15, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

When Are Leeks Ready To Harvest?

Are you growing leeks at home in the garden or on the allotment? Do you need to know tips on when are leeks ready to harvest so that they taste their best? We will explain the best time you should be harvesting those delicious leeks for your Sunday dinner or for making leek soup with your fresh organic vegetables. You can also find out more information about growing leeks here.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

When To Harvest Your Leeks

Leeks are not fast-growing vegetables. Leeks can take a while to get going in the allotment and garden. Some leeks can take around 4 months to grow into full maturity and be ready for harvesting. Leeks are often sown in January with crops being picked from September onwards in the garden and allotment. Leeks usually grow to around 2.5cm in diameter. You can always improve your crop of leeks by feeding them on a regular basis, keeping them weed-free and watered well.

You can usually tell when the leek is ready to be harvested from the garden as it will be a nice fat vegetable that has a white end that is around 7cm long. If you are wanting a long white shaft on the end of the leek you can do this by pulling up the soil around the vegetable as they are growing taller. However, make sure you don’t get soil in the leaves as this will make them rot.

Once leeks are ready to harvest they will not die back like their family member the onion and shallot. The ends of the leek will usually go a dark green in color.

If your leeks are not a winter-hardy variety make sure you pick them before the first frost as this can cause the plant to go mushy and rot.

How Do You Harvest Leeks?

When harvesting leeks do not pull them up by hand. Leeks are certainly not strong plants and they could easily snap into pieces losing all the hard work that you have put into growing them. The best way to harvest a leek is to dig it up with a fork and shake all the loose soil off the bottom of the plant before taking home to wash unless you can wash them at the allotment.

How Do You Store Leeks?

Leeks do not store very well at all so you are best harvesting them as and when you actually need them. If you are storing them they can be stored in a fridge for up to 7 days. Ideally, you should be eating them straight away for best-tasting leeks. If you are looking at freezing leeks you can find out here.

Hopefully, this article will have helped with knowing when to harvest leeks to get the best out of the crops that you grow in the garden and your allotment.

Grow Leeks

November 9, 2024November 15, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

Grow Leeks

Do you plan on growing leeks this year in your allotment or garden? Here in this article we will be explaining the best way to grow leeks to get amazing results from your crops. You could be eating some delicious leek soup from your great harvests.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.

When to sow, plant and harvest leek

Sow	February to May
Plant	April to July
Harvest	August to March

Purchase Leek Seeds

If you are wanting to purchase Leek seeds you can purchase them from the link below where you can purchase safe and securely from Amazon.

How to sow leeks from seed

Sowing leeks is the easy task of growing leeks but looking after them will take some patience and effort. If you are wanting to grow leeks there are many varieties to try and grow.

To sow leeks you can start them off in modules. Don’t start them off in seed trays as you could damage them transplanting them. To sow leek seeds in modules you need to put one seed per module. This can be tricky as leek seeds are only small so if you are doing it with a child the adult is best doing it. You can sow these seeds around late March or April. This will give them long enough to grow big.

The other way to sow leek seeds is to sow them in prepared seed beds. These seed beds need to ideally be prepared in Autumn. To do this you can add compost and organic matter to the soil. Leave it to mix in through the winter months, then come April you can sow your seeds in these beds.

When sowing outdoors make sure you sow them in lines which have been marked out so you know where they will grow. Leave spacing between the seeds do not sow them clumped together as you will be transplanting them later.

Transplanting your leeks

Transplanting leeks is a very delicate task as you do not want to snap the the young plant or damage it. When the leek plant is about the thickness of a pencil and around 15-20cm tall they can be transplanted to there final growing position. The best day to do this is if it has rained recently. If not make sure the soil has been watered the day before.

To transplant your leeks you will need a dibber. Make the holes for your leeks these need to be around 15cm deep and around 10 inch apart. Trim the roots on the leeks to around 3cm long also trim the leaves back slightly.

Drop the leeks into the holes you have made with the dibbers but do not back fill them as they will snap the plants. Fill the holes with water and this will wash the soil back down gently. Don’t worry if it does not fill the holes completely as you hoe on a regular basis they will fill up.

Looking after your Leek plants

Leeks do need a lot of care and attention when growing them to great great results. They will need watering often especially if it has been dry. Make sure you keep the leeks hoed on a regular basis as they don’t like fighting with the weeds for the water and nutrients in the ground. Leaves which grow too long on the leeks can be trimmed back slightly this will stop them from drooping on the ground.

The next main step to looking after your leeks is to get that lovely white stem which is the bit you eat. This method is called blanching. To do this you need to scoop the soil up the sides of the plants gently, only go to where the leaves are you don’t want the soil getting in the leaves and rotting the plant. This can be done twice while they are growing. It’s a bit like the method you use for growing potatoes. Obviously this does need doing as the longer the white stem the more you get to each off each plant.

Keep feeding leeks as they are growing this will help the leek fatten up. You should not feed past August though.

How to harvest leeks

The best bit about growing leeks is harvesting them. Obviously you want to harvest them at the correct time of year.

You can harvest leeks from Autumn onwards. Do not just pull leeks out though as you might end up snapping them they can be quite brittle. You are best using a fork to ease out the leeks. When harvesting choose the biggest ones first. You are best harvesting the leeks as and when they are actually needed as they don’t store well. If some of the leeks are quite small leave them in the ground and they may fatten up towards Springtime.

How to store leeks

Leeks do not store well at all hence why we said further up that it is best to pick them as and when you actually need them. If you are wanting to store some wrap them up in a plastic bag and put them in the fridge.

Now you have found all our tips on how to grow leeks. You can find more tips on freezing leeks here.

What is happening on the allotment right now in November

November 9, 2024November 10, 2020 by Gardening With Ben

What is happening on the allotment right now in November

In our 3rd Gardening With Ben podcast, we look at What is happening on the allotment right now in November.

Here you can find out what our plans are for the winter period down on the plot while not much is growing.

Through the winter months, we like to do lots of tasks and improvements to our plot ready for the year ahead.

Click the link below to listen to our latest gardening podcast on Podbean.

We hope you have enjoyed this third podcast from Gardening with Ben. If you don’t have Spotify our podcasts are also on iTunes to listen to.

Make sure you follow my profile to keep up to date with all my new gardening podcasts. These are usually added at 7 am each day so you can listen to them on the way to work or while you are enjoying gardening in the allotment.

Check out all our other Gardening with Ben Podcasts here.

Allotment and Kitchen Garden Book

You can check out all the allotment and kitchen garden books we recommend here.