Problems Growing Asparagus

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Asparagus Beetle:

Adult beetles and their larvae strip the outer bark and leaves from the stem. Damaged areas become yellow-brown and desiccated. The black beetles are 6-8mm long with a red thorax and six yellow blotches on the wing cases. Larvae are grey-black in colour, 1cm (½in) long, with three pairs of legs.

Remedy:

Destroy overwintering beetles by burning old stems at the end of the season. From late spring, search and destroy the pests by hand. On larger plots, use sprays containing pyrethrum.

Slugs and snails:

These feed on the young seedlings and you'll see the tell tale slime trail on the soil around your crop, as well as on the leaves.

Remedy:

There are many ways to control slugs and snails, including beer traps, sawdust or eggshell barriers and copper tape.

Aphids:

Look for colonies of greenfly on the soft shoot tips of plants or on leaves. They suck sap and excrete sticky honeydew, encouraging the growth of black sooty moulds.

Remedy:

Use your finger and thumb to squash aphid colonies, spray with pyrethrum, insecticidal soap, plant or fish oils.

Category: Recipes

Irish Stew with Parsnips

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?

Aubergine Parmigiana

This simple aubergine parmigiana recipe from Italy makes a cosy mid-week meal. Serve this cheese, tomato and aubergine bake as a vegetarian main dish, with some wholewheat garlic bread or a peppery rocket salad, or you can also make it as a hearty side for for a meat dish.!

Lamb Cutlets with Butternut Squash & Mint

Simply delicious one of my all time favourites

Category: The Growing Season

Jobs to do in February

Time to do some groundwork

We get a glimpse of the early signs of the arrival of Spring this month. The soil begins to warm up around the middle of February and we can see for the first time this year the buds beginning to swell on fruit trees and bushes. Overwintering vegetables begin to look less sorry for themselves and they start to produce new growth.

Jobs to do in October

October is the month when it feels like the season is about to turn, the days start to shorten and the sun appears lower in the sky, the leaves change colour and fall to the ground and temperatures drop. The first frost are likely too, which will be the end of many of your crops out in the open so if you still haven’t harvested frost sensitive crops now is the time before Jack Frost gets them!

Jobs to do in June

Summer should be here!

Usually the risk of frost has passed by now, and with longer days there comes more sunshine and time to be in your allotment. If the weather is dry, then water your seed drills well before sowing any seeds – this way the young plants will develop a good root system.

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