
The Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Read moreThe Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Read moreRhubarb & custard cocktail
An elegant vodka-based drink that'll wow your guests - it's made with creamy advocaat iqueur and homemade fruit syrup
The Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Plant out your Oca when all chance of frosts have gone towards the end of May. They do best in a site where you have been successful with potatoes in the past. As they are not related to the humble potato you can use these a a crop rotational plant.
They develop into quite a bushy plant so give them plenty of room for good tuber production about 90cm(36") between plants. Stems which lay on the earth will put down roots and will develop tubers also adding to your crop. This can be encouraged by softening the soil in these areas and lightly covering the stems but leaving a good amount of foliage on top.
I like to cloche mine for a few days to get them well established after planting out but isn't essential, but protects them from an unexpected late frost should we get one.
Baked Salmon & Asparagus with Jersey Royal's
Tasty and so easy to make, great dinner party dish or a cracking family treat, and a healthy dish too especially if like me you have an Asparagus Bed or two!.
Rhubarb & Grenadine Crumble
This has a great twist, the Grenadine adds great colour and taste to the rhubarb that will add that something special to your dessert!
Now is the height of summer, the days endlessly long, temperatures usually at their peek and you should be reaping the rewards of your hard work in the preceding months. Watering in this month is crucial to stem off premature bolting, tomato blossom end rot and splitting skins.
Hopefully by now we are now standing on the threshold of Spring and the new gardening season. The days are beginning to lengthen and although it may not feel like it at times the temperatures are slowly increasing day by day. More importantly the longer days are the real trigger to new growth and you will find that with the help of a little protection you can really go for those early sowings
August is the month of plenty, virtually everything you planted and sown will be giving you a crop, daily trips to the plot are recommended this month, harvesting, watering, and weeding all needing doing this month!