Organic Garden Blog

Jul 20, The Organic Garden (Gooseberry Split and as Sweet as Honey)

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:35:58 GMT

Here's a warning for gooseberry growers in the U.K. But first can I thank all those who have contacted me from around the world - including the Phillipines, South Africa and North America as well as the Islands around the U.K. Coming soon - a facility to enable you to share your news with other gardeners at the-organic-gardener.com. For example, if you have experience in gooseberry growing you'll soon be able to share that here. And if you're a gooseberry grower you'll understand my passion for these lovely berries...

As Sweet as Honey

Don't be impatient. Fruit need time to ripen for sweetness. And many of my 'Invicta' gooseberries grown in the Northwest U.K. have just come right for harvest. And some of them are as sweet as honey. How to tell when they're ready.
They're not ready if the flesh is firm.

But they are ready as they become softer. A pale green berry with prominent veins becomes light yellow to bronze and with veins hardly visible but seeds more obvious.

Now The Weather Threatens to Spoil Them

No sooner had a hosepipe ban been announced last week than we have a torrential downpour this week. Great... but watch your gooseberries. After checking them yesterday I found many that were ripe so I was out picking them in the rain today.

Gooseberry 'Pax'

Not bird damage, but
the skin firms, the soil is drenched, the berries expand and split.

Shows an unblemished gooseberry next to one with a slight split.
The split grows
The inside of the gooseberry spills out onto the earth leaving a hollow shell attached.

Split gooseberries can be used immediately for a pie or crumble, then frozen. For many years I've had the same experience - dry weather then a big down pour and it splits the gooseberries open. As they're full of sugars, potassium... they draw up the water quickly and the skin can't grow any more. I suppose the answer must be to grow gooseberries in moisture retentive soil. I'll be writing a page on organic gardening with gooseberries.

Jul 18, The Organic Garden - green bird food

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:40:16 GMT

While gardening brings many pleasant surprises, it sometimes also brings frustrations and disappointments. These blogs reveal both and this one I certainly could have done without. But here's another valuable lesson. Remember my 12th of July entry when I sowed carrots next to 14 young fresh cauliflower plants. But oh dear, I didn't have time to replace the microfine netting. Well, I was very busy, I got tired... ... whatever. I thought I'd just chance it until the evening. I didn't have to wait that long. Next morning I was down the garden at the crack of dawn to replace the netting but too late. Pigeons had attacked my cauliflower tearing some to shreds. They attacked just hours after I left the net off. Although I was busy I got a glancing look at them. Well I suppose I should have pruned them back before I planted them :-) There's enough left for them to grow back, but what a shame. We gardeners have to get used to this sort of thing. But good times out-weigh the disasters so here's a tip. Don't put "all your eggs in one basket". Grow as much as you can, lots of different seeds, seedlings, cuttings... as many as you can manage. That way the overwhelming feeling will be success! You can bet on it.

Jul 16, Gardening Catalogue Summary for Organic U.K. & Europe

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:01:24 GMT

Go straight to the practical stuff you need with this gardening catalogue review. You'll can save time and money too and take the green approach.

Jul 16, Garden Plant Fertilizer

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:34:15 GMT

Fish blood and bone is a fertilizer with all around garden use. You'll find it here along with advanced organic fertilizer blends, information on how these organic materials match your plants needs, and how to use them.

Jul 16, Plant Nutrients Garden Essentials

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:34:14 GMT

Discover what plant nutrients do to your plants, how to feed your plants, and how to make them grow wonderfully.

Jul 16, Buy Plants on Offer

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:33:09 GMT

Check here to buy plants on offer from top horticultural brands

Jul 14, Organic Pest Control

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:17:14 GMT

Replace pesticides with organic pest control. Be aware and build natural pest control into your organic gardening design and activities

Jul 12, Plant & Garden Watering - the Organic System

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:54:09 GMT

Save on garden watering with the techniques described here. These organic gardening methods are becoming more critical as droughts become more frequent.

Jul 12, Gardening News Update

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:00:46 GMT

Hose Pipe Ban
A hose pipe ban is in force for North West of England - Liverpool and Manchester. The ban means that you can't use sprinkler systems or seep hoses. But you can still use a watering can - the most economic by far. It's the first ban here for 14 years after a January to June period that was the second driest for a Century. Cumbria and Cockermouth miss the ban. The story is here for U.K. gardeners Whatever part of the world you live in you can let me know how the weather is affecting your garden today using this link.

Jul 12, The Organic Garden

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:43:22 GMT

After preparing a bed with garden compost and chicken manure pellets and with a good watering I got around to plant 14 Cauliflower plants over the weekend. I'm growing a nice compact variety 'Igloo', but well fed and 9 inch spacing - that's more than the minimum - I should get somewhat larger curds. Today I raked a few handfuls of Fish, Blood and Bone into the adjacent soil and sowed 5 rows with 'Autumn King' Carrot seed. I should get around 60 carrots. Urgent jobs to do.

Melons need tying up.

More organic gardening jobs later...

Jul 10, Growing Potatoes

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:31:59 GMT

Gardeners are growing potatoes again because choice & flavour beat all you can buy. Get the tips that deliver a big crop plus links to alternative space saving & easy ways of growing on patios & yard.

Jul 10, Garden Fertilizer

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:31:58 GMT

How does garden fertilizer help your organic garden? Most fine flowers, hungry vegetables, and luscious fruit produce best with fertilizer. So it's normally essential - and you'll find the right stuff and how to use it here.

Jul 10, Organic Fertilizer & Soil Amendments

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:31:57 GMT

Use organic fertilizer to grow strong healthy plants. Natural steady growth gives you the great tasting luscious plants that you want - especially good for lawns.

Jul 9, Pre-Lawn & Shrub Fertilizer

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:18:57 GMT

Bone Meal is more than shrub fertilizer. Find out here how it's used to establish productive healthy bulbs, roses, lawns & herbaceous plants, - plus what's in it, where it comes from & what to avoid.

Jul 9, Organic Gardening Web Site Links

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:12:00 GMT

Useful links to gardening web site information & products for organic gardening

Jul 7, Organic Mulch

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:01:16 GMT

Learn about organic mulch here - homemade mulch, agricultural & forestry mulch. See my recommendations on how to use & not to use organic mulch in your garden

Jul 3, A Restless Gardener

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:24:23 GMT

How's your garden growing? For me a busy late winter turned into an almighty gardening rush in spring. And now there is just a little lull as the main things have been set up for the season in time. Yet, any idea of resting now has got to be fantasy. Why? Because now first fruit harvests are coming in thick and fast and that's only the beginning. Plants like tomatoes and melons constantly need tying to supports - that's until I get some of those free standing spiral or cage supports. See below for details If you want to contact me with any gardening news then please check out my my contacts page.

Updates and Additional Pages

Revised information has been added under the Fertilizer Essentials and Organic Fertilizer categories listed in the navigation bar <<left. Work is progressing to produce a Frequently Asked Questions Page - and I'm preparing to provide the opportunities for enthusiastic gardeners to share their own organic gardening experiences on this website. I will write another blog soon about further plans. U.K. Look for plant supports at HARROD HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIERS TO GARDENERS

BELOW - Plants Supports in America

Red Tomato Ladders, Set of 3

Jul 2, Lawn Fertilizer For Top Greens

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:48:49 GMT

Find more about organic lawn fertilizer and how to improve your lawns all year around.

Jul 2, Organic Tomato Fertilizer

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:02:32 GMT

Healthy plants from an organic tomato fertilizer that also works for several kinds of greenhouse and herbaceous fruit. To enjoy all the health benefits of your tomatoes visit here.

Jul 2, Plant Fertilizer

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:02:30 GMT

plant fertilizer for organic gardening - containers, beds and greenhouse are here. They're made from natural materials & blended for vegetables, fruit, flowers, roses, lawns... You'll find information on how they're made and how they grow.

Jul 2, Fish Emulsion & Fish Meal

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:02:28 GMT

On fish emulsion & fish meal as faster organic phosphate & nitrogen fertilizers. Brief notes on how they are made plus their use for garden plants.

Jul 2, Chicken Manure's Clean Rich Plant Food

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:02:26 GMT

Chicken manure gives your garden plants a big lift and improves your garden soil. Discover this easy to handle form of the organic fertilizer, how it helps gardens, its few limitations, along with where and how to use it

Jul 2, Chemical Fertilizer - organic v inorganic?

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:02:25 GMT

Are chemical fertilizer s changing to meet gardener's needs and expectations? How do inorganic and organic fertilizers compare? Useful chemical products are outlined along with pointers for better gardening

Jun 22, Help Save The Economy By Organic Gardening

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:07:29 GMT

The U.K. economy could be landed with an additional loss of 13 of it's income from farming. That's the warning from scientists who are worried about the decline in pollinators such as bees. Honeybees, hoverflies, wasps, bumblebees, moths and butterflies all play a vital role in feeding people through the pollination of crops says a BBC report on initiatives to study the causes of the problem. But the decline is not only a British affair. China and America are also affected by the decline of Bees - find out more here. Know one knows what is actually causing the decline. Scientists currently believe it has multiple causes which combine to affect bees. But we can't wait for extensive study to tell us what many organic gardeners already know. What can we do? We must step up our efforts to diversify the home garden environment and provide additional nesting sites for these vital insects. Organic gardeners can lead the way by growing more nectar-rich companion plants in and around vegetables, and indeed, all over the garden. For example - dare I write it - neatly mown and manicured lawns can be turned into wildflower lawns. At least that will give these charming and vital insects more of what they need to live. And of course we need to spread the word about not using pesticides on our plants. Happy gardening.

Jun 6, 1001 Organic Gardening Moments

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:25:54 GMT

My gardening is crammed full of activity so that I'm rarely able to decide which of 1001 topics to write about here. And it's the same when it comes to the doing. But recently I heard a good piece of advice - abandon the adolescent philosophy of waiting to do a task after you've done something else first... because the most successful people always act now and expect to do everything at the same time. And when the weeds start growing fast I remember my Dad's advice as well - Whenever you go down the garden path, to pick strawberries, or to get something from your shed... and you see a weed, simply pull it out there and then. Don't wait until next week. Tomorrow never comes... because then there's always something else to do. But if you've already done just 10 things, that's only 991 things left to do. And if your looking for some help to catch up on the plot inside or outside the home then check out online Rated People in the U.K.

May 28, Will birds ruin your fruit garden and cabbages?

Fri, 28 May 2010 15:30:18 GMT

I love the birds visiting my organic garden, especially their singing, and fledgelings. But, they have to be kept in their place. From strawberries to blackberries, when the birds get an appetite for fruit few things can stop them feasting on your garden produce. Not all gardens suffer. What's the difference? First the birds have to find what they are looking for. As they scatch around and explore they discover your fruit. Soon the blackbirds will be peck testing my gooseberries to see if they are ripe for picking. Adults and fledgelings then flock to feast. They are very detemined, almost frenzied. That was my experience last year. And I learned two things.
1 - to cover my fruit early so birds don't get a taste for fruit and learn the habit of return.
2 - ensure my netting is well-secured with supports and ties that won't buckle under the harrassment.
3 - use specialised bird netting or keep a distance between netting and the crop. Do it yourself net cages.

American Garden netting

U.K. Garden netting

I wanted to make this easy - it shouldn't be difficult. And by this time I was in a hurry to get the covers up. I've little doubt that most of you would make a better job than I did. But there's a few D.I.Y. lessons here. The cage supports have to be sufficiently rigid and secure.

Last year birds flew onto my netting.
They bent my make-shift cane supports
Got to within reach of the fruit and managed to peck through the ordinary netting I'd used.

Note: special woven bird netting, stops finches, and slim billed blackbirds won't be able to extract anything. But even so...

American Garden netting

U.K. Garden netting

I'd only risk a throw over net if I got it up early enough. I prefer to keep birds at least an inch or so distant. After I tightened the support structure they broke through at the bottom. There was an ugly scene with a young blackbird trapped inside going wild with fright and me on the outside doing my best to say kind words of encouragement - "that way", "no that way", "go on" "no" "oh get... lost!" After that my garden was quieter - for a few hours. I want to save a repeat of that mess happening this year.

American Garden netting

U.K. Garden netting

One last point about the netting. I used ordinary netting stretched across and secured to poles. It's best to secure netting using reinforced edges - otherwise you may tear a hole. Continued in previous blog entry below.

May 28, Slugs and Snails and a Gardener s Tails.

Fri, 28 May 2010 15:30:18 GMT

What can an organic gardener do to protect vulnerable plants, lettuce, cabbage, hostas, etc? Ummm...

Beer U.K.
enjoy Wimbledon with strawberries

Garden beer for America

Poisons in a domestic environment?
Poisons in an organic garden?
Poisons eaten by birds or pets?
Say no more. Does that make the pricey organic slug controls the only defence? Many are messy to use. Biological control is worth trying for badly infested areas every few years. But a low cost method? I wanted to check how effective beer was at attracting and killing slugs/snails. And believe it or not I tested a couple of different beers to find out. Do the slugs and snails, prefer the low cost beer to an ordinary beer? "YOUCANNOTBESERIOUS! Well... perhaps I can't keep my beer and strawberries until next months Wimbledon lawn Tennis Championship! But I did find an effective low-cost slug protector that beats proprietary chemicals (see below). Im no lawyer, but Ill hazard a guess that someone called nanny State has probably banned this. Now do you have any canned beer in the house? Are you prepared to share a little with the garden critters? Indeed I found it to be most effective bait,
and it kills the beggars too. You may have heard about caffeine or cola being used as slug bait. So I tested this too. I made an extra extra 'Wake Up Special' as my old friend used to call his midnight coffee. While this kind of stuff may attract slugs it doesn't kill them. You have to get out and do that yourself. It works about as well as water with stale milk. But I can't let the beggars take their fill and crawl on. So I would only use this 2nd best method to attract slugs and snails away from my plants. Meanwhile back on the beer test. I bought the cheapest beer available which was

Beer U.K.
enjoy Wimbledon with strawberries

Garden beer for all America

Heineken Premium
and I compared the results with
Fosters Amber Nectar
- this really isn't my territory... but, the cheapest beer easily won,
my slugs and snails showed a strong preference for Heineken Beer and
Fosters gave dissappointing results
and actually
I think the slugs have got a point, but
the Aussies might say that is the point. And please, please, wait until you read my articles on making herb teas before you decide on my sobriety. (abstract: Sage is better for you.) One sure thing - you don't need a license to serve the beer to your snails after hours. But if, like me, you would need to buy beer especially for the critters, theres a cheaper way. See previous blog below for details.

May 28, Who stole my cabbages?

Fri, 28 May 2010 15:30:18 GMT

You could be forgiven for believing someone stole your cabbages. But before you go screaming around to hurl abuse at your neighbour consider the how the conversation / dispute will go. Of course your neighbours comes around to see what is wrong and you say
look!
They say what?.
Look at my cabbages!
I dont see anything.
There gone!
Errrr ... ...cooo cooo
oh there were pigeons? Well I suppose the cabbages were too small for anyone to eat, but - I was so much looking forward to them.
Why didnt you protect them?

American Garden netting

U.K. Garden netting

end of conversation end of gardening sulk - sulk. As for bird scarers - well I like the birds really I admit - I want them nesting in my garden (except pigeons). For this reason net barriers are certainly the most organic approach and as noted below the most all around versatile approach. So let me give you 2 more examples (see also above will birds ruin my fruit garden ) where you'll find simple tubular kits to be a highly versatile, I believe 100 effective means of protecting your plants against most animals. But first let me draw a line on pigeons. Pigeons are another menace - they can wipe out a crop in one early morning swoop. And when their chicks are set loose they'll flock once again. You'll know it's pigeons as they leave bits of leaf roughly scattered on the ground. When they're really enjoying your small cabbages, and brussel sprouts, they'll leave you a calling card of poultry manure.

American Garden netting

U.K. Garden netting

Why risk your hard work by leaving plants exposed to ravages of nature? Make your scare crows for the village festival by all means. But if it's not 'closing the door after the horse has bolted' the best answer is a physical barrier - netting, fruit cages... etc. Scarers militate against the organic in my view and are not as effective. Eventually - pigeons especially - will take a chance - and they do seem to know what theyre looking for. So I'm giving you a couple of links where you can find useful information on simple versatile kits to protect your plants, from strawberries upwards. American gardeners can get throw over bird netting but I urge you to apply it as soon as possible. The kits are highly versatile. You can move them around, build them to different shapes and sizes to cover fruit bushes or vegetables and you can use different types of netting from bird netting to micro-fine mesh. Against insects Micro-fine mesh will stop everything from carrot root fly to flea beetle. No scarers, no repellants, no poisons. But as for slugs and snails. Well that needs post. See the previous blog below.

May 28, Slugs and Snail Improvised Alcohol works

Fri, 28 May 2010 14:32:09 GMT

Here's how I made some improvised alcohol to attract and kill slugs and snails. Boiled water, Poured into screw lidded 3.2 Litre / 6 pint bottle, Added lots of sugar - perhaps 5 table spoons - more always seems to work well. Put a screw top on, Allowed to cool, When still quite warm added 2 - 3 teaspoons full of dried yeast. Re-fitted bottle top and left to stand. The liquid is placed in a trap organically designed for slugs. It is positioned with rim above soil level so ground beetles don't fall in. A cap is placed over the top to protect it from rain and drinking birds. It works very effectively. But I found Heineken remains active for longer. The above describes what I did and is not advice.
Do take care with boiling water
Remember that plastic bottles may soften in boiling water
Plastic bottles may buckle with the heat and weight of boiling hot water.
Bottles may be very hot and combersome to hold.
Build up of gas pressure may need to be released to prevent a bottle exploding. Yes this was improvised alcohol because I needed something I could afford to use.

May 22, Gardening Catalog Summary for Organic America

Sat, 22 May 2010 23:00:32 GMT

Review of online gardening catalog s goes straight to the practical stuff you need for gardening, saving you time and money. Take the green approach here.

May 20, Contact the Organic Gardener

Thu, 20 May 2010 20:27:06 GMT

Fellow Gardeners & Earth friendly people, Website owners & Advertisers can contact home of the organic gardener here.

Apr 28, Organic Weed Control

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:09:36 GMT

Dos and donts of organic weed control. Discover why weeds succeed and how to control them organically.

Apr 10, Growing Runner Beans

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:17:04 GMT

Check out my tips on growing runner beans for a nutritious crop that fits into any garden. You can get a bountiful crop for freezing

Apr 1, Flower Gardening

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 21:29:26 GMT

Enjoy natural beauty around your home with organic flower gardening. Cultivation & organic style include some easy gardening techniques.

Apr 1, Growing Lawns - organic alternatives and traditional

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:29:59 GMT

Styles for growing lawns described here:- Ornamental, Utility, Wild Flower, Lazy Lawns... With organic lawns you can be formal & traditional or beautifully relaxed - plus more links to lawn info...

Mar 26, Compost Tumbler Bins - Design & Use

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:20:58 GMT

Compare compost tumbler bins with traditional composters. This pages reviews their design and particular method of use.

Mar 19, Plant Catalogs

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:46:28 GMT

You can have an amazing garden when you get planting. This page details a few top plant catalogs available online.

Mar 5, Natural Fertilizer

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:07:23 GMT

discover natural fertilizer that boosts your vegetables, flowers, shrubs and container plants while reducing additional fertilizer needs. Many other advantages too - find out here.

Feb 26, Select Potato Varieties

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:04:04 GMT

Help in choosing potato varieties to suit your cooking style & taste, the growing season - earlies, mid season, late season, to - all important - disease resistance & soil type. Make your choice here.

Feb 24, Organic Gardening, Make Compost & Grow Plants

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:19:02 GMT

Discover a healthy, more active life, that saves money with organic gardening Compost, fertilizer, gardening tools & practical methods of growing & handling garden tools are described here.

Feb 12, Versatile Garden Tools

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:33:30 GMT

Get more from your garden tools, much more... This page describes the specialised and highly efficient garden tools system that I use

Feb 11, Comfortable & Effective - Garden Hand Tool Design

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:12:29 GMT

Discover what turns a garden hand tool into a good weeder, cultivator & planter, adding comfort & efficiency to your gardening

Feb 11, Garden tool review of spades & forks

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:47:38 GMT

Compare the latest garden tool designs of spades & forks. A review by the organic gardener includes new & specialised tools.

Feb 10, Raised Bed Potatoes

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:29:47 GMT

you can expect raised bed potatoes to be clean & unblemished - early & late & no digging involved. Find more on how to grow a potato delicacy even on hard surfaces

Feb 10, Potato Bin, Buckets and Potato Grow Bags

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:36:53 GMT

a potato bin, potato bag or container, will grow a potato crop over hard surfaces such as patios or paved yards. Discover how to grow the earliest potatoes & win prizes at your garden show

Feb 9, Starting Seeds Your Way

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:48:13 GMT

Find the most a suitable methods of starting seeds for your chosen plants & garden needs here.

Jan 30, Harvesting Potatoes

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:01:27 GMT

What you need to know about harvesting potatoes - 'new', 'maincrop' - potatoes from the garden or from potato bags, tubs, and potato barrels. Also about storing your potatoes and disease control.

Jan 30, Planting Potatoes

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:01:26 GMT

Planting potatoes involves chitting or sprouting early tubers before planting. Find more here on the planting season, depth, row spacing and alternative methods

Jan 13, Certified Seed Potato

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:00:25 GMT

The meaning & importance of 'Certified seed potato' is explained & why all potato growers should plant them.

Dec 28, How to Prepare Garden Soil for Seeds

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:05:15 GMT

your garden soil needs to be a fine crumb texture to do well growing seeds. Discover how to turn your yard earth into a fine seed bed using simple organic home gardening methods.