
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!
Growing Asparagus
As said before asparagus really hates boggy heavy and clay soils so the key to growing the perennial vegetable is making sure its growing site is well suited to its needs.
Now if you have the wrong type of soil don't despair, build a good raised bed and fill it with a mix of sand, small gravel, light top soil and well-rotted manure or compost to the result is light and fertile with a pH of 6.5-7.5 ideally.
Feed the bed twice a year, once in March and then again after the cropping season has ended to build up a strong crown. At the end of the growing season the foliage will start to turn yellow, when this happens it is time to cut the tops down to around 2-3in above the soil, and then mulch the bed with well-rotted manure or compost.
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!
Irish Stew with Parsnips
The Parsnips are by no means traditional in this recipe and are optional but my wife loves them so what you going to do?
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
Sow seed outdoors
Vegetable growing really takes off this month. Chit and plant out second early potatoes in the first half of the month, maincrop potatoes in the second half. It's also time to sow seed outdoors in well-prepared soil.
September marks a change in the seasons, you'll be harvesting the last of your summer crops if you haven't already done so, crops like tomatoes, beans, peppers, sweetcorn will be finishing, but on the other hand the first of the Autumn crops will be nearing ready or may be ready like Apples, Pears, Main Crop Potatoes, Winter Squashes to name but a few!