Help ripen tomatoes

One of the common questions we get at Kitchen Garden magazine is why are my greenhouse tomatoes not ripening? This is often seen as a problem when the fruits start to form but they are slow to colour up. It is often just patience that is needed because once a […]

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Warm up the soil

At the end of winter about February or early March you could cover a small section of your plot with cloches or plastic sheeting (black is ideal but clear is also fine). This will have the effect of helping to warm the soil up and dry it a little. It […]

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Support your melons

Melons are great fun to grow and do best in a greenhouse. Their thin trailing stems can be trained up strings and wires attached to the roof of the greenhouse. This means you can pack more plants into a tighter space. The disadvantage is the fruit develops without any means […]

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Potato chitting advice

If you want to plant some potato tubers in March or April it is best to buy them in February and chit them first. To chit potatoes it means to encourage them to produce shoots which, when planted, will grow to form the leafy stems above ground. Ideally place the […]

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Garlic: Softnecks or Hardnecks?

There are two types or sub-species of garlic, softneck and hardneck. So which is best for you? Softneck (Allium sativum var. sativum) • Produces more cloves than hardneck but they are smaller • Stores better than hardneck • Not as hardy as hardneck (can be grown in autumn or spring […]

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Signs of carrot fly

They may not be the fastest veg to grow but they are well worth the effort – the aroma of freshly pulled carrots and fresh to the plate is a joy not to be missed. Oh dear, but what are those black streaks? These are the tell-tale sings of carrot […]

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