Edible Gardening

id really prefer to use john innes type compost here, or use the water retaining gel with the compost

Seems the general advice is to plant in a separate plot and see! In this country pests aren't a great problem for corn, but you could try some companion planting to help. A border round the corn of geraniums, parsley, radishes will help to prevent beetles and other pests. Where space is...

I grew them last year, bolt hardy variety, some were as big as small swedes.When you boil them, leave them in the water to cool, this makes them tenderer.When they are cold, its a matter of just rubbing off the skins.Cold,sliced on cheese sarnies.................beautiful. [ 21. January 2006,...

What a great link...Thanks :eek: :D

Most wives do Hans

Has anyone else got a dehydrator? My daughter gave me one for Christmas a few years ago, and you can dry fruit, veg etc in it. Lovely for snacks. Tomatoes can be either dried for use in soups later on or semi dried for snacks. Most useful for excess fruit [cherries, apples, pears, strawberries...

Soil well manured from a previous crop will help. I have a farmer friend an he and his wife bring us a load of 'muck' [farmyard manure] I leave it covered for 1 year or so before using. It seems to put the soil right and you don't need a lot of bonemeal or simmilar.[organic]

Might check that out. Thanks Chan.

basically all you need to do is take a ph test and find out what your soil is like and call the councill, i should think they will help, Aaron.

I have two boys - 7 and 10 - and each Christmas, Nanny gives us a jar of "home" pickled onions, which they devour at break-neck speed... this Christmas, we tried other pickles too, and all decided shop ones didn't even come close to home made, so later this year, we are going to do our own...

damn you! that place isn't *that* far from meI'm seeing a visit coming on soon :D

Thanks for that paladin

Hi, I'm glad you are pleased with your plants. Sometimes with mail order you don't always get quite what you'd hoped. Will be interested to know how they progress, and if they taste as good as expected! I now know a lot more about gooseberry varieties than I did before - one of the many...

Pete, watercress is lovely in a salad and is extremely good for you, has lots vitamin C and helps prevent cancer. Also, as Jamie Oliver says, 'it's got a nice peppery taste'!! :D [ 30. November 2005, 09:58 AM: Message edited by: jjordie ]

Cranberry tablets available from www.healthspan.co.uk [ 21. November 2005, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: jjordie ]

Re Gooseberries, I contacted "Future Forests" in Ireland and for a modest price they are mailing two bushes one.. Golden Drop and I settled for a red.. Crown Bob which I had never heard of, be interesting I will keep you posted.

hmm i planted some b/beans early october . as recommended on the packet......theyre now flowering, although only 12" tall, so i ve been using tops as veg and i expect rest will end up in the soup pot ,,,,,, along with carrot sown August....... now 2" long and rather ,, well small i think they...

Out of the citrus plants grapefruit is the one that will often flower as a small plant, grown them all myself and have had a good few seedling grapefruits flower

Yeah I always grow shallots now instead of onions. As you say they do keep well, but usually I cant grow enough to last much passed Feb, as we eat them all the time, instead of onions.

This does sound rather like course homework so really you should do your own research.However, suppose you were to cook a vegitarian meal, what sort of raw ingrediants could you use, what would you choose them for and then look at how they are grown and harvested.Big hint Google/Ask...