Bolting Early - Help from GIY

You just can’t have too many runner beans.

This month is a bit fragmented or me in the garden. Some things I am trying to speed up, like ripening the tomatoes and sage cuttings. Then on the other hand I am trying to slow down the spinach and lettuce to stop them bolting. 

 

I have three types of tomatoes growing, I can’t remember their names but some are bigger than others and they have all been left to do their own thing barring the odd comfrey feed and nipping out a few side shoots. If they don’t start to ripen soon we’ll be eating a lot of green chutney. The lettuce, mustard and spinach on the other hand has no problem maturing. I bought the “cut and come again” type, but maybe I am not doing it properly (I really don’t know if you can do these things wrong) the resulting plants are bolting even before the leaves have had time to mature.

What is Bolting?

I’ll pass you over to Michael Kelly, a freelance journalist, writer for the Irish Independent Lifestyle pages and founder of GIY (Grow It Yourself www.giyireland.com) Ireland to explain.

“Bolting is a horticultural term which refers to vegetable crops that run to seed before their time.  The plant is essentially rushing in to procreation mode - trying to spread its seed (by producing flower or seed heads) before it dies.  It is a perfectly natural part of the plant's lifecycle, but unfortunately it usually renders them inedible.”

What causes the problem?

 “It is often caused by a cold spell, changes in day length or other stress in the plant such as lack of water.  Some plants such as lettuce, rocket and annual spinach are particularly susceptible.” 

 

When does it happen?

“Though bolting occurs as the plant reaches maturity it can happen much earlier.  In annual crops this is usually caused by changes in day length but can be worsened by stressed conditions (lack of water etc).  In biannual crops it is caused by unsettled weather conditions or a cold spell early in the propagation phase. Cold nights, followed by hot days will also cause it, as will late frosts.”  

So how do we minimize the amount of bolting in our veg patch?

“Watering well and regularly is key since dry soil encourages bolting.  Delay sowing cold sensitive plants like chard, onions, beetroot until temperatures have risen or raise in modules in a greenhouse and plant out when temperatures are warmer. Succession sowings will help to beat bolting and provide a constant supply of produce.  Bolt resistant varieties are specially bred to resist bolting - examples include Boltardy for beetroot. There are also bolt resistant varieties of spinach, onions, carrots and turnips.” Michael concludes.

I’m taking Michael’s advice here and sowing new salad plants every few weeks and it seems to be working as we have had a continuous supply all summer, barring tomatoes of course.

Runner Beans

The Runner beans are prolific and are talking the place of mange tout which have all been eaten. The beans are as long as spaghetti and after being put through the slicing machine look great mixed into the pasta. They are the lads favourite vegetable and I can see why, they are soft (when young anyway) and tasty and go with most meals.

Catch the Cabbage Whites

One thing I have to do every morning is play “grab the Cabbage Whites” in the polytunnel.  Every day I am removing at least 20 of them as they tap on the plastic and look for somewhere leafy to multiply. They are after the curly Kale and broccoli of course and every day I have to check for the small yellow capsules under the leaves that soon turn into caterpillars. I’m being very lenient on these butterflies and although it’s tempting to kill them I am catching them gently and letting them go outside of the tunnel door. Right into the path of my outdoor brassicas. You have to give them a sporting chance.

There are a couple of sun loving plants mature enough for harvesting to entertain me until the tomatoes are ready.  The sweetcorn is full to bursting and this year I have grown my very first chillies.  Time for a runner bean and sweetcorn curry I think.

Kickstarting A Bright Idea

 

Vincent shows us his new Ring Weeder invention

Just occasionally I see something new on the market and ask myself “Why didn’t I think of that?”  My last great idea was back in the 80’s when I designed an automated tarpaulin sheet to cover perishable asphalt on HGV’s. The mechanism was simple and did away with all of the fiddly catches, saving the driver time enabling them to move more loads and make more money.  Unfortunately I kept the idea in my head and someone else developed it in the late 90’s. Such as life.

Some people are a bit more organised than me though and actually go ahead with an idea they have and put it into production. This “Why didn’t I” device is just one piece of moulded plastic that fits over your index finger to help you weed in awkward places.  I have lost count of the amount of gloves (all left handed) I have worn out by pressing my finger into the soil to get out weed roots.  This simple device does away with all of that. I thought it was so good I contacted the inventor Vincent Suozzi, who lives and teaches in NY to explain what exactly the device is and how it all came about.

What is the Ring Weeder and how does it work?

“The Ring Weeder is a garden tool that slips onto your index finger that helps when pulling weeds by hand in those densely planted areas where larger tools won’t fit.  The Ring Weeder allows you to get the whole root which will save you time and effort in the long run. Better weeding, fewer weeds.”

Where could it be used?

Vegetable gardens, flower beds, and every space in between, they all need to be weeded. I want to improve the process so you spend less time weeding and more time enjoying the fruits of your labour!”

How did the idea come about?

“While weeding a flower bed using a screw driver-like tool, I came up with the idea of something that attaches to my hand to make the weeding quicker and more efficient. I am right handed and didn't like to use my left hand to pull out the weed which forced me to put the tool down and then pull out the weed with my preferred hand. This made for a slow and boring process.

I misplaced this tool one day and spent twenty minutes searching for it since I didn't want to run it over with my lawn mower and risk damaging the machine or even worse: potentially hitting someone with it. That’s one reason why the first production models are bright orange!”

How did you go about developing the idea?

One day in 2012, I went to a friend called Tom Malloy who specialises in welding. After carefully explaining my idea, Tom went to work on what was dubbed "The Garden Claw" which fitted over three fingers and looked like something out of the film Edward Scissorhands!

I realised that using only one tool on my index finger along with the help of my bare thumb felt more natural and comfortable than my first idea.” I called the next design the “Garden Nail.” After testing, it was clear that rotating the nail tip under the finger greatly improved leverage and comfort. Soon after, the name "The Ring Weeder" emerged since you actually slip the device on your finger like a ring.” 

 Are you doing this on your own?

“My wife has been supporting me all the way and I have a Mechanical Engineer and Project Advisor onboard now to make sure every angle is covered in the project which really helps at this stage.  My sons have been an important part of the process too and suggested I get funding from a website called Kickstarter.com. Kickstarter is a website which helps finance creative projects by individual donation or “Crowdfunding” By placing an order for $8 you get one of the first Ring Weeders off the production line and this has given me the development funds I needed to progress.”

How much have you raised so far?

The Ring Weeder has so far raised over €20,000 of startup cash from over 820 people who have pledged money for the first ones produced.”

How will the money raised from Kickstart help with development?

“With the help of the pledges I will be able to get the tooling needed (cavity mould) and the first production run of The Ring Weeder.”

Any other ideas for the garden?

“Maybe I have a few, I’ll keep you posted!”

 Vincent is passionate about his idea and leaves us with a pearl of wisdom: “I always tell my students and my two sons to always give everything your best effort, because if you don’t, you will always have regrets.”

Pledge Now

The initial pledge on Kickstarter runs until Saturday (Aug 17^th) so you still have two days to put in your pledge for the first batch.  Ring Weeder on Kickstarter.com

Blankety Beds

Paul’s favourite nibble might not suit all tummies!

My mate Paul came over from Nottingham for a visit this week. He and the family spent time in the wilds of County Cork but as usual had the irrepressible urge to come and visit the wonderful Inishowen, maybe they came to see us, I’m not sure.  They didn’t stay with us this time as they came over with their dogs, one of which, an Airdale terrier loves to fight – and is very good at it. So we thought it best for our own dogs if they were kept apart. They opted for a campsite on the border near Bridgend.

Paul is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to self reliance and loves the companion planting methods of veggie growing. This wide mixture of planting wild flowers and numerous types of vegetables together has kept his own veggie patch totally weed free.  His latest raised bed idea hugelkultur (pronounced hoogleculture.

Hugelkultur

Hugelkultur is more or less making raised garden beds and then filling them with rotten or fresh wood. This makes for raised garden beds loaded with organic material, nutrients and air pockets for the roots of what you plant. As the years pass, the deep soil of the raised garden bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets which can accommodate roots and soil, so the hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling. The first few years, the composting process will slightly warm the soil giving a slightly longer growing season, similar to a normal bed. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water - and then re-feeding that to the garden plants later instead of being leeched away.  By holding so much water, hugelkultur could be part of a system for growing garden crops in the desert with no irrigation. I ask Paul what other considerations are there for the beds.

“There are a few types of wood that don’t really work well”.  Paul tells me.   “Cedar, because of the natural pesticides and herbicides (which we need in good soil) and walnut, which takes forever to rot down and conifers are a bit too acidic really, but if you have a bit in there it’s be fine I’m sure.  

Most other woods are fine. Really good types would be: alders, apple, poplar, willow (dry) and birch.” 

Paul highlights the importance or well rotted wood. “Really well rotten wood is better than fresh wood, but it really doesn’t matter. Freshly cut old wood could be impregnated with fungus. I used shitake mushrooms on mine.” He tells me.

“Another thing to keep in mind is that wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen to do the compost thing. This could lock up the nitrogen and take it away from your veggies. But well rotted wood doesn't do this so much. If the wood is far enough along, it may have already taken in loads of nitrogen which will really benefit the plants”.  Paul concludes “The beauty of this idea is that the beds improve yearly as the wood rots. Watering could be a thing of the past too as the rotting wood acts as a sponge holding the water in dry weather.”

I think it’s a great idea and will be implementing one in my patch next year, goodness knows we have enough wet, rotting wood around Inishowen to be going on with!

Broad Beans

As Paul was wandering around the garden telling me about his rotting wood, he was happily munching away on some young and tender, raw broad beans. I was a bit concerned about this as I thought these were poisonous uncooked. “Yes they have been known to kill, but that’s really rare, there are some enzymes which could cause an allergic reaction.” He tells me. “If you build up slowly then the only side effect could be flatulence if you eat too many, he says with a grin.” I’m pleased that I am not sharing the tent with him.

Along with the broad beans we have loads of things maturing in the garden at the moment, peas, mange tout, runner beans and sweetcorn are all ready for picking on a daily basis. If only we had a longer season! I would love to eat fresh product like these all year. I’ll be experimenting in the tunnel and try and lengthen the growing season. If Sainsbury’s can increase their yield time of strawberries from 8 weeks to 8 months then there’s a slight hope for me. 

Talking of fruit, we have bowls full of currents, strawberries (it’s been a good year) gooseberries and raspberries courtesy of Julie’s mothers garden. Creating a fruit patch in the garden is top of my list of priorities for next year so maybe Paul could eat those as we walk around the garden instead.

Living Under the Donkey's Belly

A happy day spent looking at flora in the Gran Canaries desert.

I had so much fun with my new Panama hat last week that I decided to take it on holiday. 

I have just returned from a very enjoyable week away on the island of Grand Canaria staying in the city of Las Palmas on the north of the island. I took the family with the hat too, just for the laughs.  It’s funny how I thought I would be part of a large group of people sporting these head protectors but over the week I didn’t see anyone else wearing anything similar, it looks as though peak caps are the order of the day.

Preparation

Back home, I couldn’t just leave the garden in the recent heat wave, so before I left I did a week’s worth of preparation. In that time the hosepipe got lots of use.  The tunnel was soaked everyday and I added a lot of water retaining gel to the hanging baskets along with upturned bottomless plastic bottles pushed into the soil full of water.  I have a lot of young seedlings and cuttings coming on in module trays which I immersed in a tray in an inch of water.  All of the legumes, peas, beans mange tout got a daily watering and the grass was cut really short.  I could have asked friends or family around when I was away to look after things but I set myself a challenge of having the garden totally self reliant for a whole week whilst I was away. 

First Impressions

When the plane approached the runway at Las Palmas airport I couldn’t help commenting that the landscape looks very similar to Inishowen, or at least Inishowen if it never rained! The outline of the hills was similar - if you squinted, but everywhere was grey with volcanic soil and rock. We’d have to go a few years without a drop of water to get a landscape like the one I was landing in.  

On the drive into the city I noticed there were a lot of tan coloured net structures covering vast areas of ground. These structures were initially built for growing tomatoes in. Some of these shaded growing houses covered as much as 10 acres each. It was big business for years, a bit like the mushroom growing here, but eventually they were priced out of the market by competition overseas. One disadvantage I could see was that to grow the fruit , soil had to be shipped in then put into grow bags to enable the crops to grow well, as the existing soil lacked any real structure or nutrients, which isn’t very sustainable. 

Things were looking a bit bleak on the flora side of things in Las Palmas.

More exploring

My impression soon changed as I explored more. I spent a day in the dry desert looking at the cacti and other successful succulents. There are over 100 species of plants on the island not found anywhere else in the world, but I wasn’t really sure if I found any although I enjoyed looking. 

The city area was full of municipal planting and raised beds from the canopies of large palm trees down to the ground cover shrubs, some of which like cineraria and we use here as annuals in bedding displays.  Holding all the plants together are large pumice stone rocks of a deep red colour which brings out the beauty of the plants and shrubs. Weeding isn’t an issue on the beds as the plants are watered by a drip feeder pipe giving water only to the roots of each plant to conserve water. The rest of the ground is hard baked and nothing could grow.  Some of the succulent leaves dripped wet in the evenings as they had the ability to collect moisture from the air.  Las Palmas city is under a bank of trade wind cloud in the summer (thankfully for me being used to the Irish weather) It’s something the locals call the “Donkey’s Belly” which comes from when the farmers took a siesta in the afternoons and would lay under a donkey. I might try that myself.

Swimming Hat

Similar sorts of planting was done at a water park on the south of the island, idyllically set in a desert surrounding. I did go swimming in a pool for a few minutes - complete with my Panama hat of course (which a lot of people seemed to find entertaining for some reason but it was clear skies away from the Donkey’s Belly” and I didn’t want to get sunburnt)  I preferred to spend the hours looking at the plants in closer detail making sure I had the factor 30 suncream on.

 

Paid Off

Coming back to a lush green Ireland I was really pleased to see that although Inishowen had more sun than we did whilst away, my excessive watering the previous week had worked!  All of the plants and vegetables are now flourishing both outside and inside the tunnel, the hanging baskets are in full bloom and all I have to do is give the lawn a light hover vacuum in the morning. I’ll have to go away more often, as long as the preparation work is done beforehand.