OCD - Who me?

I was browsing on the internet late one evening, like you do, and came across something called an Ultraviolet Cleaning Wand. It looked like the latest “must have” gadget and when I found one on ebay for under a fiver, well who can resist a bargain?

The wand manufacturers claim that by simply running the ultraviolet beam two inches away from any inanimate object for thirty seconds it can kill up to 99% of all germs and bacteria. The package was delivered the next day and I took no time getting the hand held magic wand into action. It’s amazing what needs cleaning in the house when you get your eye in. In the matter of minutes I had disinfected the kitchen worktops, door knobs, pillows, telephone, computer keyboard, hair brush, dog’s bed and kitchen utensils in the drawer. We have people visiting at the moment and they and the rest of the family are all convinced that I am coming down with a case of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

I like things tidy

OK I admit that I like things tidy, for example I won’t go to the beach in the car because I have a bit of an aversion to sand on the dashboard and I will check the door handle of the house up to ten times before I leave to go shopping. That just means that I am tidy and organised doesn’t it? I suppose I am not helping the situation by coming up behind people in the bathroom and sanitizing the towels after they have washed their hands. Come to think of it I have got a few hygiene issues. There are a couple of things I dislike when I am in public. One is the fact that toilet doors open inwards so even if you have washed your hands thoroughly after using them you still have to pull on the handle. The other gripe is if someone is serving food to you and they insist on talking to someone over your plate before it’s been handed over to you. Those invisible germs float down onto the food ...gross. This thankfully only usually happens in films and soap operas and when it does the only thing I can do is shout at the telly for them to put the food down on the table in front of the customer before they start to talk to each other. It’s a bit like when I watch football on the TV, I only look at the condition of the pitch and don’t see the game.

It’s what you don’t see

On coming across the new gadget I have also found an ultraviolet device that can detect urine. Oh happy days. Ever since I saw an episode of Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares where the device was used to assess the cleanliness of a restaurant toilet I have thought I need one of those in my life. The UV rays detected stains on every surface; washbasin, handles, toilet roll holder and worryingly the toilet bowl was actually cleaner than the ceiling. I know that allowing contact to germs and bacteria actually helps build up the immune system, but this is a scary thought and one of the reasons I wouldn’t touch the communal mint bowl after paying the bill.

I mentioned light-heartedly to the family that I was working my way up to living in a big plastic bubble and getting a laser beam to zap fragments of glass off of the floor like Howard Hughes did and for some reason (again worryingly) no-one seemed to be that surprised.

Composting tomatoes

I was very pleased to be able to compost the tomato plants that we have had growing on the window ledges of the front room. They were a novelty to start with and because they were in constant visual contact I never forgot to water them. They did make a mess and cut out the daylight though and for the last few weeks we couldn’t see anything out of the windows. I got the same relief taking them down as I do the Christmas decorations and this time I have had a chance to kill 99% of all germs that have collected underneath the pots.

I picked off all of the fruit from the tomato plants and laid them on the newly cleaned surface and with the addition of the fumes of a ripe banana they are turning red very quickly. The supposed cherry tomatoes (as stated on the packet) have turned into large beefsteak type fruit and are really quite unpleasant to eat. They turn into foam when you put them in your mouth, so cooking them up in a big pan is the solution. I placed them in a bowl of boiling water for a minute or two then removed the loose skin and cooked them up with fresh herbs from the garden and a pinch of salt. To finish off I liquidised the mush to get rid of the gigantic seeds the tomatoes have produced. This tasty liquid will make an ideal base for pasta and curries. For handiness I have filled up some old plastic cups that were left over from one of the lad’s parties and put them in the freezer. And yes, before you ask, I did clean the cups with my new UV light sabre.

Seed Saving

Saving Seed from vegetables and flowers

I’ve saved seeds of one type or another for a good number of years. The resulting crops or flowers that come from these can be a bit unpredictable, sometimes good, sometimes a disaster. That’s the main reason that I only set aside small areas for this type of production, leaving main crop vegetables to the professionals and shrubs I find do better from cuttings. I don’t let that fact deter me though. Here are a few pointers I follow for getting the best out of the valuable seed crops at the end of the growing season.

Hybrid plants

I went to a hybrid growers set up a few years ago and they take great lengths to keep any unwanted cross pollination away from their vegetable and flower specimens. Great sealed mesh cages are used in case pollen blows in. The plants have their own sealed units with only filtered air. These hybrid vegetables and flowers can be wonderful but the seed is often sterile or does not reproduce true to the parent plant. Therefore if you do save the seed, don’t expect miracles. If they grew true to type the hybrid growers would be out of business.

Open pollinated

Some plants’ flowers are open pollinated by insects, wind or people. These plants include, beetroot, broccoli, , celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, cabbage, chard , kale , melon, , mustard , , parsley , spinach, squash, radish and onion. These plants cross with others within their family. The only way to keep the original variety is to grow them really far apart, so it’s not really practical.

Disease

Some seeds may transmit certain diseases. A disease that infected a crop at the end of the growing season may do little damage to that crop. However, if the seed is saved and planted the following year, the disease may severely injure or even kill the young plants.

What can you save?

Standard types of seed that have been traditionally pollinated (wind, insects) or heirloom varieties that are not cross-pollinated by nearby plants are good candidates. Many gardeners successfully keep beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and peppers. Plants you know are heirloom varieties are easy to save.

What are heirlooms?

Heirloom varieties are usually vegetables that have been grown in isolation in a particular area, and have been selected over generations (of people and plants) to produce the best crop in that area, the strongest most healthy plants are saved and these seeds go on to be grown the following year. Heirloom varieties sometimes do better in their native growing places but they will adapt well to different locations over a few years. Again cross-pollinating with other compatible varieties causes the plants to wander away from their true type.

How to harvest?

Like with the heirlooms, harvest from the best plants. Choose ones that are disease-free with qualities you are looking for such as large ornamental flower heads or tasty vegetables.
Harvest mature seed. For example, cucumber seeds when we eat them are not ripe and won’t germinate if saved. Allowing the fruit and seed to fully mature ensures that they will grow. Waiting until nearly the end of the growing season to save fruit for seed will also mean they have more vitality.

When to harvest?

Plants with pods, like beans, are ready when the pods are brown and dry. When seeds are ripe they usually turn from white to cream colored or light brown to dark brown. Collect the seed or fruits when most of the seed is ripe. Do not wait for everything to mature because you may lose most of the seed to birds or animals. Some seed heads tell us when they are ready, the poppy sounds like a rattle when you shake it. This tells us the seed are dry and ready for collecting.

Storing seed

Dry cleaning

The drying process is spreading the seed on a screen or tray in a single layer in a well-ventilated dry location, hot presses are ideal. As the seed dries the chaff or pods can be removed or blown gently away. An alternative method for extremely small or lightweight seed is putting the dry seed heads into paper bags and giving them a good shake. Beans, peas, onions, carrots, corn, most flowers and herb seeds are prepared by a dry method. Allow the seed to mature and dry as long as possible on the plant.

Wet cleaning

Fleshy fruits benefit from the wet method of storing seed. Scoop the seed masses out of the fruit or lightly crush fruits. Place these in warm water in a bucket or jar. Let the mix ferment for a few days. The fermentation process kills viruses and separates the good seed from the bad seed and fruit pulp. The seed will separate from the pulp. Some say that the bad seeds float and the good ones sink. This can be true, but not always. You will tell by looking at the seed if they are healthy or not as poor ones will lack the shine of the viable ones. Tomatoes, melons, squash, cucumber and roses are prepared this way.

Storing the seeds

Dry seeds will stay fresh and healthy; if they are moist when stored they could go mouldy. Place the well dried seed in glass jar or envelopes. Label all the containers or packages with the seed type or variety, and date. A hot water treatment can be given to certain seeds such as cabbage, turnip or tomato to kill off diseases they might be carrying. Immerse them in water held at a constant temperature of 50° C for 25 minutes. Small grubs, hidden inside the seed shells can be killed by freezing the seeds for a couple of days, but only after they have been properly dried. The seeds can then live happily in a cool dark place such as the fridge. When taken out, allow them to return to room temperature before opening. The container or water could condense on the cold seeds and activate them.

How long can I keep the seed?

Seed viability decreases over time. Parsley, onion, and sweet corn need to be used the next year. Most seed should be used within three years although they have been known to live for thousands of years.

Armagh Visit

We’ve just returned from a very enjoyable visit to the historical town of Armagh. The town is enjoying a boost to the tourism trade this year by proudly hosting the ‘Earth from the Air’ photographic exhibition. This amazing display of aerial photography has travelled the world before arriving in Ireland, and Armagh was the city chosen to host this photographic portrait of the planet, which highlights issues about sustainable development.

Earth from the Air

‘Earth from the Air’, created by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, is a spectacular presentation of large scale photographs. The astonishing natural landscapes really make you look at the earth in a different light. The organisers’ wecommunic8 are showing a world with a growing population, shrinking biodiversity, polluted lands and oceans, a changing climate and a shortage of water. It’s a positive display though and strives to show us a world of beauty and of wonder.

Navan Fort

The observatory in the City gave us another view of a wider world beyond the universe and to top it all off we went back in time to the Navan Centre and Fort. This is claimed to be one of Ireland’s most importance archaeological sites. The legendary Emain Macha (Navan Fort) is steeped in legend and folklore as this is the ancient seat of the Kings and Queens of Ulster. One feature they have is the reproduction of a willow and thatch house and an “in character” Celtic community who bring history to life in the Iron Age/Early Christian period dwelling with demonstrations of cooking, weaving, farming and advice about how to marry your children off at the age of 12. We lived for less time then (thirty five summers if you were lucky, they tell me) so it made sense to make the most of things. Wealth was measured in how much livestock you owned and wealth was displayed by eating bread (you would have needed slaves to till the ground) and by turning your fur lined garments at the edges so neighbours could see it or having a gold brooch instead of a bronze one. You could divorce your partner for belittling you in public and men and women, although having different roles had equal status. Everyone had a vegetable patch though, although the crops grown were different. These included plants that we usually see in the hedgerows; like sorrel and wild herbs. This brings me nicely back home to our own veggie patch.

Lesson learned

It’s only been a few days since we went away but a lot seems to have changed in the garden. One lesson I have learned about the garden is to only try to keep it tidy in the dormant months. There seems no point working against nature and attempting to keep things orderly. The hedges have shot up and the grass has grown a foot but I don’t care as I can tidy these up later when the growth slows down. The vegetable beds are doing really well too, yes there are weeds that are easily hoed down, but the courgettes, runner beans and lettuce plants are so large now that no weeds can keep up with the. Tthe bed preparation at the start of the season really pays off now in the most productive time in the garden.

Fixing the bed

We still have one bed that doesn’t seem to be doing much. We planted courgettes and peas but they have grown really badly. We know the problem. The bed is too close to an escallonia hedge, too shaded by a willow tree and too dry because of the two afore mentioned problems. On closer inspection the soil is bone dry and this is after three days of heavy (ish ) downpours. We have decided that it’s not too late to improve and re-plant the bed, so I have added some well rotted compost from the compost bin and teased it into the parched soil, this will help retain the moisture and give it a feed too. I decide to plant some mangetout and spinach and give them a good watering. It is a bit late really for the mange tout but if they don’t grow well enough to crop they are still nitrogen fixers and they can rot down into the soil over the winter. I should get a crop of baby leaves for the spinach too. I also plant some more salad crops, lettuce, spring onions, radishes and rocket. I replant some of the alpine strawberries. They are doing really well. I planted them from seeds last summer and they are re-seeding well this year. It’s not the best time to move them, but they are hardy little plants and will soon adapt to their new home.

Over the next couple of weeks there are a few plants that can be sown to increase the productivity of the garden. Green manures are great for sowing now and then dug into the beds next spring before planting. Field beans, red clover, radish tares and rye are all excellent.

Other veg you can grow now includes; Spring cabbage, chicory, fennel, Kohl rabi, land cress, Japanese onions, Pak choi, peas, swiss chard, turnip and winter puslane. With a bit of planning there should be no reason why we can’t be adding our own fresh herbs and veg to soups all year round, just like the characters at the Navan Centre say they do.

Nature Walk