Boy, did we panic about psyllids when they first arrived on our shores. And rightly so! Our tomato and potato crops got hammered as we figured out how to cope with them. And figure it out we did. We’ve got it sorted! So moving on from the panic, let’s make like a scout – Be Prepared. […]
How to Grow Yams
By | LastUpdated October 30, 2024
Yams (oca) are the easiest crop I’ve ever grown. No issues with pest or disease, and once they are planted – you can pretty much forget about them. The only negative is that they are in the ground for a long time, so if you are short on space plant them beneath fruit trees, in […]
Video: Sowing Carrots the Edible Backyard Way
By | LastUpdated February 29, 2020
In this short and sweet little video learn how to sow carrot seed. People often find growing carrots a bit tricky, so here I am showing you my top tips for getting a great crop of carrots every time! Use this method for all the rootcrops – beetroot, parsnip, florence fennel et all. You’ll get […]
Oh Brave New World – My Copper Free Orchard
By | LastUpdated September 1, 2016
The early plums are bursting out! The bees are in! Mid season plums are on the move! If copper is your thing then get it on as the buds move. Which means right at the beginning while they’re still a ball – at the very first peep-o (blink and you’ll miss it!). Spray again a […]
From a Notch Springs a Branch
By | LastUpdated July 31, 2020
This time last year I wrote you about notching, an old fashioned technique that turns a bud into a branch, on a fruit tree. You do this when there’s a gap in the trees framework and you wish a branch to fill it. (Tree’s don’t always share our vision – a bit of coercion is […]
Tomato Miso Soup
By | LastUpdated March 14, 2016
I adore this soup, its one of the highlights of my tomato season. Best of all there’s no fiddly peeling or de-seeding to do – you’ll be slurping soup 15minutes after you picked the tomatoes. For 1 soup bowl: 4 or 5 homegrown tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed 100ml stock or […]
