What Courgette Shortage?

Is it April yet?   

 Last week’s warm sunny weather would have you think so and so would the shops.  I was down at one of our local bargain stores the other day looking up and down the “buy cheap, buy twice” isles when I came across the huge range of products dedicated to gardening. 

These displays appeared straight after Christmas, the leftovers of which are now demoted to the end of the isle in the reduced to sell section.  Most of the garden products seem to be impulse buys and it wouldn’t be long before the basket was full of things that you didn’t need and probably never use. It seems as long as it’s under a couple of pounds it doesn’t really matter if it breaks or never used. It really does, especially if you are putting all your trust in a dodgy hand trowel that snaps when you are putting pressure on it. Not good.

Anyway, I digress, I’m not here to rant about the disposable direction gardening devices are going, it’s more to highlight the fact that I am no way near to even thinking about buying anything, not even a ball of string or a seed packet yet, my hessian string from last year is still dangling on the bean poles near the compost bags.

Jobs to do in February

I used to welcome the dormant season in the garden but we just don’t seem to get one now. It’s a mad rush to get growing again even though in my mind it’s still the middle of winter. The list of jobs to do below then is only a recommendation. I might actually do one or two of them myself in the coming weeks.

Actually, you know what? I’m not even going to bother writing them down. If you want to go and do a bit of spring preparation you are on your own, I’m staying indoors for a while longer!

Courgette , what crisis?

One vegetable that doesn’t like cold snaps is the courgette. So much so that they are apparently in short supply this year. The growers in Europe had a lot of their crops fail because of the drop in temperatures. This isn’t the main reason we don’t see them on the supermarket shelves though. It’s down to pricing, the growers needed to at least triple their prices to get a decent return on their investments but the supermarkets felt that customers wouldn’t be prepared to pay €5 a kilo for them and refused to buy them in.

So for this season at least we’ll cast courgettes into the same void as asparagus and avocado which are classed as “Treat vegetables”, Pay day vegetables or “not for the likes of me vegetables”.

Benefiting

Just like in any type of crisis, be it financial, emotional or geographic, there’s always someone to benefit from these types of issues.  One company has started shredding the courgettes into spaghetti shaped lengths, putting them in a plastic bag and fancy cardboard box with a little window in it. It says on the label “made from one whole courgette”, although it can’t be larger than a pencil as the dried material would fit into an eggcup. It weighs in at 20g and retails for about €2 so I reckon the courgettes in question would go for around €100 a kg at my calculation. In fact I’ve missed a marketing opportunity here as I had loads last year and could have made mine into spaghetti. A few of mine are still on the microwave turning from green to yellow as I’ve not got around to eating them yet, at the current rate they are going for I’d get about €50 down on the market, they’ll soon need to lock then in protective cabinets or tag them with an alarm. 

I also have one in the back garden that I have watched with interest over the last few months as nature reclaims it. All that is left is the hard outer shell which is so fragile you could poke a finger though it. 

I’ve just realized that the whole of this week’s article is about me having a bit of a moan. I think I know the problem; I need to get into the garden and do a bit of preparation.  Marketing and advertising aside, I think it’s actually just good for my health to be stood in the garden pottering around regardless of what needs doing. There’s no right or wrong time, we gardeners just do.

Polytunnel Care

                                                All worked has stopped because of a frog

As the weather was cold and stormy this week I decided to take shelter under plastic and clean out the polytunnel. 

I had a lot of dead and decaying greenery in there, like old sweetcorn and sunflower stems. Every time I walked in and brushed past them there was a waft of dusty mould. I’m sure it wasn’t good for my health so the dust laden leaves needed to go on top the compost pile outside.  

I spent a happy half an hour ripping up roots and hacking back rocket plants until I saw a large frog out of the corner of my eye giving me the eye in much the same way “Hypno toad” does in the TV programme Futurama.  I have a small pond (well sunken bucket really) in the tunnel and did put some frogspawn in there last spring. 

Most survived but disappeared quickly as they went on to puddles new. This one either took up permanent residence or has come back to hibernate in the warmth. Whichever reason, it wasn’t happy and somehow forced me with its hypnotic eyes to down tools and leave the plants, soil and mould alone. I don’t need much of an excuse to do nothing in the garden but I’ve never used a frog as the main reason the tunnel will be left untouched for at least another two months. 

Only then will I start clearing which hopefully will please my staring frog.

If, unlike me you can do a bit of work under cover, now would be a good time to get clearing the tunnel ready for seed sowing and planting.

Clean, wash, disinfect, rub down 

I don’t tend to wash down the plastic on polytunnels. The build-up of algae and moss don’t really bother me or the plants. There can be a bit of muck on the outside top but I find a good storm gets rid of that as it’s like a pressure washer. I just feel as long as the plastic is in one piece I’m happy and I can get into a lot of mischief with a brush on the end of a stick covered in suds.

The dead and decaying matter should be all right in the tunnel but if you do know of anything that was diseased this could do with being removed before any sowing is done.

Insect eggs and fungal spores lurking on old infected crops can rapidly infect any new tender plants and ultimately affect your produce all summer long. I tend to find a lot of Cranefly larvae and other moth pupae in the hidden crevices around the tunnel frame so I pick them off.

Right Place, right time, right plant.

Some areas of the tunnel will be hotter or sunnier than others so picking the right place for young plants might need a bit of thought. You could probably get away following seed packet planting times in a tunnel too. I have grown some plants in the tunnel before that I wouldn’t do again I definitely wont plant brassicas as they grow too fast, get all juicy and fragile making it so easy for cabbage white butterflies to get in and destroy the crop with tier caterpillars.

Some plants are trouble free though and they don’t have to all be edible either, some perennials and annuals do well with a bit of protection and add to the diversity in the tunnel in the form of companion planting.

Light and air flow. 

Ample air movement helps foliage dry quickly after watering and therefore helps to dodge diseases and pests, I tend to leave the doors open as much as possible, even in winter. Try and give the crops plenty of space. If your plants have the right amount of space, water, light, temperature and the appropriate soil conditions they won’t be under any unnecessary stress and will thank you later in the year with a fabulous, fruitful harvest.

Manage water.

 If possible, group plants in the polytunnel according to their watering needs. Allowing your plants to get extremely dry and then flooding them will results in uneven growth, irregular growing foliage, and reduced yields.

Rotation.

Do a bit of crop rotating.  Different crops have different nutrient requirements and rotating crops annually helps to reduce a build-up of crop specific pests and nasty disease problems.

Valuable organisms.

There are beneficial nematodes that attack and kill insects, slugs and other bothersome things that lurk in the soil. There are also lots of helpful insects and other little critters that are willing to eat irritating pests that want to scoff your crops before you do. Ladybirds, frogs, toads and spiders can all help to get rid of insect pests for you. If you manage your polytunnel to protect these, they will help you manage the pests. This is the best reason I have not to be washing the inside of the plastic as I think any chemical cleaner would damage the balance.

Clean gardening tools

It’s a good idea to give your gardening tools a decent spruce up and a quick sharpen to improve their performance. Clean those secateurs!

Kokedama

I had a large bag of moss left over from my attempts at creating driftwood sculptures. I didn’t want to throw it away so looked for a good use for it. As its way too early to make hanging baskets I delved into the process of making up Kokedama displays. 

What is Kokedama?

Kokedama or “moss ball” is the practice of getting a bare rooted plant, rolling the roots up in a muddy ball and then wrapping the whole mess in moss before winding it in string or cotton. This can then be either hung up or displayed on an altar-like platform like they originally did in japan. The most popular place to see them is on wedding tables at the moment.

History

Kokedama is a contemporary form of bonsai. The history of kokedama is a bit vaugue, but is said to be an offshoot of the Nearai method popular in Japan’s Edo period (1603-1867). In the Nearai style, the bonsai is grown so fully and tightly in a pot that the root and soil maintain its shape when taken out of the pot. Essentially the bonsai was grown in a pot until it became so root bound that the soil and roots would stay in place when removed from the pot. The plant would then be placed on a stand, without a pot, to be enjoyed.

Kokedama takes the planterless bonsai method a step further and covers the root base with moss. There needn’t be any root trimming as with bonsai and we can make displays from any indoor plant.

Creating a masterpiece

For my displays I chose variegated ivy but any low maintenance plant will do. Putting together the display was surprisingly easy.

 

The only things needed are a plant, a big piece of moss, some compost/soil mix and some string.

• Soak the moss in some water and squeeze the excess water out of the piece of moss. Trim off any really brown bits and compost.
• Remove the plant from its pot, you can tease out the roots and remove some of the compost too if it’s too large.
• Wet the compost/soil mix and form the soil into a sphere.
• Put the soil in the centre of the piece of moss, with the moss facing downwards.
• Fold the moss around the soil and firmly mold it around the roots
• Wrap the string around the construction. Make sure you use enough rope to ensure the moss stays on.
• Secure the string firmly; I used cotton on some of mine as it’s invisible. I’d think waxed types are better as they will last longer.

Care of the planters

I’ve put one or two of mine on concrete bases and I think they look pretty good. I’ve suspended the ball on a large screw and if you decide to display yours in a dish it might a good idea to have a few stones under the base to allow for air flow so the moss doesn’t get all gungy.

They can be hung on pieces of string too and make a really useful addition to rooms with no display areas as they can be hung in awkward places. 

Types of plants

The displays benefit from indirect sunlight to keep the moss green so this will also guide you to the type of houseplant that will thrive in these conditions. Ferns, ivies and other shade plants will do well.

Watering

My watering techniques differ. The stand ones I immerse in water in a bowl or put under the tap with tepid water. The hanging ones I put a bowl of water up to them and let the water soak in for a few seconds. They are like sponges so it takes no time at all. 

They do dry out pretty quickly so ferns will need a drop of water every few days. Succulents on the other hand can go a week or two without water although it’s the moss you’ll need to keep moist so they will benefit from a mist spray of water quite often. I am finding that there are types of succulents that are a bit too delicate for the displays but you’ll soon get a feel for what plant is right for you  display, if they don’t get knocked about there’s no problem.

Water the kokedama when the plant base becomes dry and light. 

Gently squeeze your kokedama root base to get rid of excess water and lightly reshape after watering as they can drip for a while afterwards (my dogs think it’s always raining as I have one over their bed in the house)

All kokedama appreciate bright, indirect light as this keeps the moss green. If you don’t think they will be practical in the house you could try planting up violas, geraniums, bulbs, alpines, in fact any drought tolerant plant and hang them outdoors. It’ll give the kids something to hit with their tennis rackets.

Aquaponics, What's all that about then?

 Thanks to Milkwood for the pic

Seed catalogues are a welcome browse for the New Year. You can get online ones but there’s something more satisfying turning the glossy pages of your favourite seed companies. I do order online though after flicking through the pages and try to get the packets by at least march for planting in April.

Klaus Laitenberger from Milkwood farm always says that the most common garden activity is sowing seeds too early in the year. He and I think it’s far better to wait until the farmer warms his bottom on the soil (or so I’ve been told, I’d opt for a thermometer in the soil).  With the exception of a few vegetables the majority should only be sown/planted from April or May onwards.  Sowing too early often means poor or no germination (each crop has an optimal germination temperature), poor growth and more pests and diseases.

There are exceptions for early planted crops such as early potatoes (planted in mid-March), onion and shallot sets (planted from mid-March onwards), garlic (February to March at the latest), broad beans (February to early April) and Jerusalem artichokes (planted March).

Planting now

Try sowing the seeds of aubergine, beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, leeks, onions if you really feel the urge to start early as these are pretty hardy.

If you fancy starting some flower seeds then choose for a wide range but remember again to keep them protected. Choose from: Achillea Antirrhinum Begonia- both seeds and tubers, cactus, cineraria, coleus, cyclamen, delphinium, geranium, lobelia, lupin, sweet peas, verbena and a host of other annual and perennial plants.

No Soil gardens

If the thought of tidying up the garden and getting mud through the house for spring is a daunting prospect, how about relaxing, staying clean and growing with just water?

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is the up and coming way to grow vegetables and other plants in environments that are too harsh for regular growing. Aquaponics is essentially the combination of Aquaculture and Hydroponics and can be as small as a fishtank or as large as a farm. 

Definition:

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, aquatic plants, algae, and other aquatic organisms. 

Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture, which is the growing of plants in a soil less medium, or an aquatic based environment. Hydroponic growing uses mineral nutrient solutions to feed the plants in water, without soil.

Both aquaculture and hydroponics have some down sides, hydroponics requires expensive nutrients to feed the plants, and also requires periodic flushing of the systems which can lead to waste disposal issues. Re-circulating aquaculture needs to have excess nutrients removed from the system; normally this means that a percentage of the water is removed, generally on a daily basis.

This nutrient rich water then needs to be disposed of and replaced with clean fresh water.

While re-circulating aquaculture and hydroponics are both very efficient methods of producing fish and vegetables, when these two techniques are connected, these negative aspects are turned into positives. 

How it works

It needs a container for the fish and one for the plans with a circulation pump. The plants extract the water and nutrients they need to grow from the water, cleaning the water for the fish. There are bacteria that live on the surface of the clay ball growbed media that holds the plant roots in place. These bacteria convert ammonia wastes from the fish into nitrates that can be used by the plants. The conversion of ammonia into nitrates is often termed “the nitrogen cycle”. The fish water can be filtered through a worm bin.

Sensitive ecosystem – The system relies on the relationship between the fish, bacteria, worms and plants to maintain healthy ecosystems for each of the species. Water is only added to replace losses from absorption into the organisms, transpiration by the plants and evaporation from the tanks. As a result the system is very water-efficient compared to conventional vegetable production and ideal for areas with little available water.

Local initiative

There is a system in place at the Playtrail in Pennyburn, Derry.  It’s a partnership between students from The Playtrail and Ardnashee School and College and the Nerve Centre’s FabLab. It’s funded by Comic Relief and almost 100 young people are involved in the region’s first social enterprise aquaponic digital farm.  The idea has gone from the initial concept, design to build and maintenance and is still being developed. Some lucky members are going on a fact finding mission to a larger set up in Bristol to find out more about the idea and how to improve the system.

Using state of the art digital fabrication equipment from the Nerve Centre’s FabLab, students are receiving hands-on training and experience in a range of digital design and making techniques, allowing them to design, build and operate an aquaponic farm for themselves. The initial system at the playtrail is already in place and supplying fresh herbs and salad plants to a cafe in the city.