Saturday 26 March 2022

Huw Done It

I am trying so hard to be a gracious learner. But this week I have got rather frustrated with dear Huw and his book, which has become my vade mecum. My first problem was Row 10 of the raised bed. March instructions say plant two rows of radish seeds, 2 weeks apart. So I did that...
You will observe that the first line has germinated 😊👍.
At the very end in the centre of the row is one miserable garlic shoot. But in October I planted twelve fat organic cloves. Where are they? I gently probed the other end of the row, but can find anything. I read through the book, and I'm supposed to harvest them in June/July. I don't eat a lot of garlic, so I guess I am not too fussed. But I have a question - Huw says the 'regular' supermarket garlic is treated so it will not sprout in storage. You have to buy organic if you want it to grow. But if that's the case, and I did have 12 lots to harvest, how could my organic ones be stored? K sent a picture of hers, planted last autumn in a pot. I think she really likes garlic, and I am genuinely pleased for her.
Next thing. Kale. I'd diligently gone through the book and listed all the plants and varieties suggested, and sent off for my kale seeds [and these are National Trust recommended so I have high hopes] Then I got a little bit carried away in a garden centre recently and bought two packets of seeds' off the list' [This 'buying for the garden' thing is a slippery slope isn't it?]
I had some white kohlrabi seeds- now I have some purple ones too, for planting later in the summer. I also purchased a packet of kalette seeds.
I was quite taken by the description - "kalettes have a texture like kale, with the nutty flavour of a brussels sprout. The cross pollination of these two vegetables means you get a crunchy and earthy addition to any dish"
The packet says I can plant them now. I have done so.
Then I got to wondering, "so when do I plant my actual kale seeds?" Answer- I don't - Huw suggest purchasing some actual plants in a few months time.
I acknowledge that was my mistake, I didn't read the book carefully enough. But I wish he'd put a note in the March section saying "If you want to grow kale from seed, plant it now
There's a tray of kale seeds in the greenhouse. If they don't germinate, I shall just and buy some plants when the time comes. I notice that the East Anglian seed company of Mr Fothergills has just been sold in a £100million pound deal. John Fothergill, son of the co-founder, has just left the company [presumably, a very rich man!] I hope they don't put up the prices of their products too much.
But I am still confused about storage of organic, sprouting, garlic!
One other thing- this name kalette - is meant to represent a cross between Brussels Sprouts and Kale, and they are sweet little things on a stalk.
I get 'little kale = kalette' but shouldn't the sprout get a mention? I suppose that would make it a bralette, which is a completely different product from M&L lingerie dept.

22 comments:

  1. Yes - you are well on the way on the slippery slope!
    I always buy all brassica plants - growing from seed takes a lot of the right weather and no pests - a combination which never happens!
    Tried Kalette but they had so many creases and folds for white fly to live they had to be chucked out.
    Sorry - just realised this is a very discouraging comment. Good luck

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    1. Don't apologise! Now I shan't feel so bad if they don't thrive, knowing experienced gardeners struggle with them. I'm just grateful for everybody's comments and suggestions re my new hobby.

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  2. I generally seem to have more luck with seedlings/plants purchased from the nursery than with sees. Every year, I seem to spend more on things to plant or needed to encourage the plants to grow than I'd spend if I were to buy the vegetables and fruits, but, growing them is half the fun, isn't it? :)

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  3. I'm keeping accounts. I suspect some of these veg may prove rather expensive - but others will definitely make a profit

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  4. I never try to grow sprouts and their relations. Sometimes it is easier to just buy a few seedlings which then can be nurtured rather than waiting for seeds to germinate. Cos sometimes they won't.

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    1. I am certainly hoping The Tomato Guy round the corner has seedlings again, if mine do not develop as planned.

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  5. Oh dear. I'm not a fan of those types of books which make you feel a failure because things didn't turn out the way they say they should. Gardening is all about trial and error, giving it a go, if it grows it's a bonus, if it doesn't move along and try growing an alternative. Are there any allotments nearby that you could ask advice about your garlic. I always thought you could hang the strings of bulbs up to dry, like you do for onions? Aldi and Lidl sell packets of seeds at a fraction of the price of the garden centres. My local flower show is back on this year. Look out for similar in your area. Great sources of information and inspiration.

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    1. I suppose if they dry out completely then they won't sprout. Packets of seeds vary enormously in price don't they?

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  6. My gardening skills are terrible, but I'm attempting it again this year. We shall see! I grew kohlrabi one year and they did well. Turns out though that no one liked it! Oh well!

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    1. There is the issue of 'what if we don't like it?' I shall cross that bridge when I come to it. Maybe Bob can knock up a little wooden hutch in his Lathe Palace, and I can display such veg with a FREE sign by my front door!

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  7. I had harvested my garlic last July and still have about 10 cloves in the cupboard.
    I have only had success with spinach provided by others. My own never grew.
    Now is tomato time. 4 or 5 of my 6 seeds have germinated in the egg box so I will move them to pots this week or next.

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    1. I have two runner beans planted from your seeds which are coming on nicely, thank you.

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  8. Kale should sprout quickly and easily like the radishes, so that shouldn't be a worry, planting it from seed. (I always grow mine from seed...in fact, I overwinter it and then let it go to seed in the spring and it plants itself...Ha, ha.)

    You let your garlic dry out when you harvest it mid-summer, then clip the tops, clip the roots, and clean them off, then store them somewhere dark and dry...preferably a little on the cool side. I usually keep mine in a cardboard box or in a paper bag, depending on how many heads you have. They shouldn't really sprout until about this time of year, which is usually okay, as it's not all that long until a leaf or two and then the scapes from your fall planting can be harvested for garlic flavour in cooking until harvest time again.

    Hope that helps!

    Jen.

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    1. This is really helpful. Thanks for taking time to share all this info. It will be so useful 👍

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  9. Hah! I have coped with Huw because my 'raised bed' is actually a number of large patio tubs. So I just stick a 'row number' label in a tub as I go along. I discovered that my spinach would have been sown in Autumn to over-winter, so I have sown some now in an as yet unnumbered tub. I sowed kale seeds into pots in my new mini greenhouse today.

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    1. Numbered Tubs is a sensible way to go if you do not have a raised bed.

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  10. It's hard to think about starting seeds when there is snow on the ground but it is time to do so. However, with a poor track record in gardening, I might just wait for my next door neighbour to have her honour system plant sale table on the roadside later on, and buy some from her!

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    1. Fortunately we are enjoying a spell of warm weather right now

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  11. I don't want to be the sort of person that plants bralettes...

    I haven't planted anything. I suppose that I ought to make an effort to at least thin the dandelions. I look forward to hearing about the kalettes.

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  12. Fresh young dandelion leaves are supposed to be good in salads...

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  13. I agree that Brussels Sprouts should be mentioned in the name but I suppose that "kaleouts" doesn't sound very enticing, which is a shame as they are delicious. I have only just discovered this vegetable via a reduced packet in a rare trip to Waitrose recently. I liked them so much I asked my husband to buy some seeds to grow them for me. You have reminded us that it's time to plant them. Thank you.

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    1. I sowed my seeds a week ago and a couple have germinated, tiny leaves peeping thru. I am ridiculously excited

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