Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Spring Plantings

 Now that I'm living down here in Hampshire, I made a trip across to the Isle of Wight recently.  I bought some Elephant Garlic cloves.  I know they are a very mild type of garlic, rather like the taste of leeks, but I thought they might be fun to grow.  Have you tried them?
 The Garlic Farm also does an amazing cooked English Breakfast, and they are also dog friendly!
 Meanwhile back at home I started a new venture.  I am planting an asparagus bed.  This patch of ground gets sun most of the day in Summer so I am using this place behind the greenhouse. I don't need access much of the time so it will be fine. 
 I chose 3 different varieties, Gijnlim, Connovers Colossal, and Pacific Purple.
 Prepared the ground and added well rotted horse manure, some superphosphate and I used mycorrhizal fungi on the roots to encourage healthy root development.   I won't be picking a crop for a couple of years, so patience will be needed until then.
 Meanwhile at home on a rainy day, I ground up my dried chilli.  Joe's Long Cayenne, and Targu Mures Transylvanian Paprika.
 My tomato and chilli seedlings are doing well on a windowsill, and under some grow lights.  Time to prick them out.
Found this handy little windowsill propagator, so they are now happy in their new trays.  Varieties here, are Sungold, Golden Jubilee and Pantano tomatoesOrange Kilian and Joe's long chilli.

3 Comments:

At 9:21 PM, Blogger Robert Brenchley said...

I've grown elephant garlic for years. It's extremely mild; hardly garlicky at all to my taste. It's good chopped up and used in soups and stews.

 
At 9:24 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I grow elephant garlic every year. They are milder but not that mild, at least the ones I grow. I still can't eat it raw. It's good roasted when having a bbq.

Lee

 
At 9:27 PM, Blogger Nathan said...

your tomato seedlings look great. Mine are around the same size. have you all your seedlings in a greenhouse?

 

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