In My Seed Box For 2025 - Potatoes

 

Most companies historically dispatch & delivered around the end of January/ start of March. I have all the insulated chitting boxes made a couple of years ago ready to rock and roll. I have one order in at the moment with Marshalls Garden and I'm pondering what other varieties from other suppliers to try this year. 

                                                  

10506911 - Arran Pilot  - First Early Taster Pack - Marshalls 

10506914 - Charlotte - Second Early Taster Pack - Marshalls   

10506913 - Cara - Late Main Crop Taster Pack - Marshalls

 10506847 - Heidi Red - Main Crop 1 kg - Marshalls

##### - Variety Name - Type - To Be Determined  

 

Taster Packs are New to Marshalls this year, basically you get 5 Tubers and the cost is reduced. Just 5 tubers can produce at least 2-3kg of potatoes. These packs are great value if you only want to grow a few potatoes, or only have a small space. Ideal packs to try several varieties without filling your whole plot with just one variety.

The same potatoes are available in 1kg (Approx. 12 - 15 Tubers) & 2kg  (Approx. 25 - 30 Tubers) packs.

There are three main types of potato to grow, named according to when you plant and harvest them.

First early or ‘new’ potatoes are the earliest to crop, in June and July. They don't store for long so are best eaten fresh.

Second earlies (also called ‘new’ potatoes) take a few more weeks to mature and are harvested in July and August. These also don't store for long, so are best eaten fresh. Salad potatoes have a firm, waxy texture and many have an intense, nutty flavour. They are usually first earlies or second earlies.

Maincrop potatoes take the longest to mature and are harvested from August to October. They are suitable for baking, roasting and mashing, and can be stored for a few months.

First early potatoes

First early or 'new' potatoes are so-called because they are the earliest to crop, in June. They take 10-12 weeks to mature. Plant 30cm apart, with 60cm between rows, around 12cm deep.

Plant: March (with frost protection)
Harvest: June and July
Recommended varieties: 'Arron Pilot', 'Red Duke of York', 'Lady Christl', 'Orla' and 'Rocket'.

Second early potatoes

Second early potatoes take 14-16 weeks to mature. As with first earlies, plant them 30cm apart, in rows 60cm apart, 12cm deep.

Plant: March (with frost protection)
Harvest: July and August
Recommended varieties: 'Charlotte', 'Maris Peer', 'Ratte'

Maincrop potatoes

Maincrops take 16-22 weeks to mature. Plant 40cm deep, in rows 75cm apart, at a depth of 12cm.

Plant: mid to late April
Harvest: August to October
Recommended varieties: 'Pink Fir Apple', 'Desiree', 'Cara', 'Helidi Red', 'Maris Piper', 'King Edward', 'Sarpo Mira'

Salad potatoes

Salad potatoes share a firm, waxy texture and many have an intense, nutty flavour, perfect with a knob of melted butter or cold in a potato salad. They are usually first earlies or second earlies.

In My Seed Box For 2025 - Index

Marshalls Autumn 2024 Catalogue

 

Click Photo to view the Marshalls Autumn 2024 Catalogue 

How To Grow Onion Shallot and Garlic

 

How To Grow Onion Shallot and Garlic advice from Marshalls Garden 

Every kitchen should have fresh supply of Onions, Shallots and Garlic, adding intense flavours to a huge range of kitchen dishes. Growing them is a pleasure and simple to do. Follow these guidelines for your own harvest of these delicious and versatile vegetables. 

Planting sets and cloves will give you a great harvest but can be slow to establish and birds do like to pull at them to get to the earthworms below, that have been attracted by the explosion of microbial activity in the rootzone.

Using pre-rooted sets and cloves gets the plants off to a quicker start, leading to larger and earlier crops. Plus a lot harder for the birds to pull them up too!

Pages quoted are from Marshalls Autumn 2024 Catalogue 

Prepare the soil: Onions, Shallots and garlic prefer an open, sunny site and light, free-draining soil. If you have heavy soil, dig a generous amount of grit and organic matter into the planting area to ensure better drainage. Avoid planting in very heavy or freshly manured soil. Onions are sensitive to acidity, so if you have acid soil add some Garden Lime to the area well before planting, or a Pre-planting Onion, Shallot and Garlic Fertiliser.

Planting: Both autumn and spring varieties can be planted straight outside into prepared soil. Loosen the soil and dig in some Pre-planting Fertiliser for added nutrients.

Plant onion and Shallots with the tips of the sets showing at the soil surface. Onions should be spaced 5-10cm (2-4in) apart with 25-30cm (10in to 1ft) between rows, and shallots 15-20cm (6-8in) with 30-45cm (1ft to 18in) between rows.

Garlic cloves should be planted so the tip of each clove is 2cm (1/2in) below the soil surface. We suggest leaving 15cm (6in) between individual cloves and 30cm (12in) between rows. Plant pre-rooted plugs deeper than the plug they are grown in.

Aftercare: During the growing season, water if the weather is dry and give an occasional feed with a general liquid fertiliser, and keep the area weed free. Keep the water going in especially towards harvest time, as the bulbs can almost double in size in the last 4-6 weeks before harvest.

You might not know, but hardneck garlic varieties may produce a curly flower stem (commonly known as a scape) and cutting this off can increase the bulb size. The scape has a fresh, garlicky flavour that is absolutely perfect for stir fries!

Harvesting: Onions and Shallots can be lifted fresh in summer as soon as they reach a useable size, however if you’re harvesting for storage we recommend waiting until the foliage bends over and dies down naturally before lifting.

When harvesting garlic, we’ve found that a good indication is when their foliage starts to turn yellow and wither. Use a fork to gently remove the bulbs from the ground.

To lift, you should ease your bulbs out of the ground and allow them to dry outside for a couple of weeks (if the weather is fine) or in a well-ventilated greenhouse or shed.

Storing: Onions, shallots and garlic are ready for storage when the skins are completely dry and papery. They should be kept in a light, cool and well-ventilated place. Onions can be braided into long bunches and hung up to improve length or harvest and look great too!

Pests and Diseases: Onions are prone to various fungus-borne diseases, so we recommend trying to rotate their growing position each year so you’re not planting in contaminated soil.

Here are some of the most common pests and diseases to look out for!

Rust disease – Rusty spots form on both sides of infected leaves and break open to release dusty, orange airborne spores. Severe attacks may cause the leaves to shrivel prematurely and will reduce vigour.

Unfortunately, there is no solution or cure to rust disease. We recommend keeping a close eye out for the signs and removing and destroying any infected plants to help it spreading.

Onion white rot – The leaves will start to turn yellow and wilt, which prevents the bulbs from forming properly. A good way to tell if the bulbs have been infected is they will have white, fuzzy spots.

We recommend watching out for rot and removing any infected bulbs from the area to prevent it spreading.

Onion fly – The leaves will start to wilt and turn yellow, preventing the bulbs from developing. Onion fly can affect garlic and leeks as well as onions. The larvae of onion fly live in the soil and eat the roots of the bulb, eventually burrowing into the bulb itself.

Protect your crops with Insect Netting. However, if you do have issues with onion fly, we recommend simply discarding any bulbs.

Onion downy mildew – The leaves will begin to turn yellow and die off from the tip downwards. In wet weather, white mould develops on dead parts often turning a darker colour later. Remove and destroy any affected bulbs.

Onion neck rot – This fungal disease can occur in storage. We have found that to avoid neck rot, you should water regularly and stop feeding in August, in addition to keeping your crops dry after harvesting.

Path Between Raised Beds 16

Mega hot and sunny today so just a couple of hours on the allotment to work on the path between the two raised beds at either end of what was bed 16. The path is constructed using some of the paving slabs I picked up in the last couple of weeks from Freecycle.

Next work on the bed to excavate the soil out of the bed on the left into square flower buckets and then re fill with branches and woodchips up to the top of the first level of timbers.

Why Are Worms Important

You may not think they're the most attractive creatures, but worms play a vital role.

These fantastic burrowing creatures are the living, breathing engineers of the underworld. They eat and recycle organic matter to keep our soil healthy.

The intricate network of tunnels that earthworms create is extremely important too. In fact, Charles Darwin said: “It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organised creatures.” Strong praise indeed!

So why are worms so important?

1. They recycle nutrients

Worms are hungry little creatures and have the capacity to eat their own body weight in food every day!

Amongst other things, their diet consists of:

• dead plants,
• fallen leaves,
• fungi, bacteria and
• even dead animals.

When they eat, worms break down and recycle this organic matter within the soil. This naturally fertilises the earth and packs it with vital nutrients.

The little mounds you sometimes see on top of the soil are called worm castings (essentially, worm poo!) and are the end product of this recycling process.

Their casts can contain 5 times more nitrogen, 7 times more phosphorus, and 1000 times more beneficial bacteria than the original soil that helps plants grow.

2. They improve soil structure

Earthworms loosen, mix and oxygenate the soil as they burrow channels.

They improve the soil's structure, leaving space for water to be drained away from the surface and stored in the soil.

Research has shown that soils without earthworms can be 90 percent less effective at soaking up water. This means more water run-off, which can lead to erosion and flooding.  

Worms don’t like living in very poor-quality soil. To survive, worms need moist soils that contain enough organic matter for them to feed on. So, by digging up a spadeful of soil and counting the number of worms, farmers can get a pretty good idea of their soil’s health.

3. They repair damaged soil

Worms can also help clean up contaminated land by enhancing ‘bioremediation’. This is when micro-organisms break down environmental pollutants and turn them into non-toxic molecules.

By wriggling and burrowing, worms' movements spread these micro-organisms around the soil.

So, while they have a reputation for being dirty – they clean up fairly well!

4. They provide a food source for other important species

As important as they are alive, worms are also very important in the food chain.

They provide an important protein-rich source of food for other species like birds, hedgehogs and frogs.

Our underground allies are pretty amazing. Protecting these animals is crucially important to help protect the health and balance of nutrients in the soil.  

Find out more about the unsung heroes looking after our soil.  

Second Raised Bed On Bed 16

A visit to the allotment between 2pm and a little after 6pm working on the second raised bed on what was bed 16.

Weed membrane under the paving slabs exposed and the woodchip. mares tail and bindweed roots removed.

Weed membrane under the paving slabs exposed and the woodchip. mares tail and bindweed roots removed

Woodchip barrowed in from the car park and compacted around the outside of the new raised bed frame footprint.

Plastic barrier held in place with bricks so that the rear of the bed could be filled with woodchip and compacted

Bottom frame that was prepared earlier in true Blue Peter fashion was moved into place. Woodchip levelled out between the two raised beds and weed membrane laid on top.

Weed Membrane laid between the two raised beds and paving slabs laid and then washed off with the hose and given a scrub with the yard broom, as they were a little grubby when picked up.

Next visit the spoil heap in the frame needs to be decanted into the square flower buckets and then backfilled with woodchip up the path level then capped off with magic cardboard and more woodchip and branches added to the first frame of the raised bed.

Bed 16 Raised Bed Filled

A couple of hours on the allotment this afternoon filling the top level of bed 16 first raised bed with soil, weeding and removing glass fragments as I backfilled. I will be putting a covering mulch layer of soil improver on the bed once it has compacted a little.

The frame on top is the bottom frame for the other side of the 2.4m x 1.2m footprint.

I slipped the next raised bed frame off the filled raised bed, so I could visualise what they are going to look like better.

Trimming the path either side, exposing the weed membrane under the paths. Then reducing the level where the new path will go between the two smaller raised beds on the 2.4m x 1.2m footprint.

Save Our Fruit And Veg

Nearly half of UK growers believe they'll be out of business within a year. At the Soil Association we're doing everything we can to save our failing fruit and veg sector. We're calling on the Government to provide better support for fruit and veg production - including incentives for farmers to switch to nature-friendly methods. We're aiming to double the land used for growing fruit and veg, and boost the demand for UK fruit and veg - starting with schools. Over 15,000 people have already added their name to show their support - help us take this campaign further by adding your name to save our fruit and veg today.  Add Your Name

 

Freecycle Find & More De-banding Boards

A couple of hours on the plot this afternoon after my visit to the nurse in the morning and picking up todays Freecycle find which was the Hozelock Kneeling Stool. Sadly no longer available new, but so robust and doubles as a nice seat that I will be able to sit on when tending my two timber high raised beds.

More bands removed from a number the 1.2m scaffold boards for the raised beds.

Cutting into the raspberries and re opening the paths between the different varieties that have been overtaken by bindweed. Noshing way too many raspberries straight off the plants again today.

Harvested two cucumbers and another load of Lazy Housewife Climbing French beans.

De-banding Scaffold Boards

End Band removed from a number of the 1.2m (4ft) scaffold boards this morning and another level of raised beds screwed together. I stacked the new frame on the two already installed and now I'm so tempted to make the raised beds 3 frames high it's untrue, no real bending involved at all at that height.

Would you go the extra frame height?

Scaffolding board end bands are used with scaffold boards in an attempt to stop the ends of timbers from splitting.  

The ones on the boards I have bought are not in as good a condition as those in the photo 

I've treated myself to a 260mm (10") diameter Copper Effect Garden Wall Clock With Thermometer and I mounted on the side of the Plot 1 Shed today.

No more squinting at my Fitbit or phone in the sun to see what the time is.

I can also now see what the temperature is outside of the greenhouses and the potting shed.

The plot 1 shed really needs a coat of paint again this year if I can squeeze it in around the infrastructure works and painting the potting shed.

Too Many Cucumbers ?

By rights I should be in the position of having way too many cucumbers, but the slugs and snails not only ate my 105 germinated parsnip seedlings this year, they also wiped out my 5 different varieties of cucumbers I was growing. 

However, if you have been blessed with too many cucumbers, here is something you can do with them 

Home Made Weed Killer

Now it has to be said that I have been know to use weed killer on my paths on the allotment, to tackle outbreaks of bindweed in the past. But since the EU limited what we can use even if you buy the varieties that boast results in 24 hours, not a lot happens and they really are not as effective as they used too be. 

So I've heard about the cheap DIY Weed killer that you can make using vinegar, salt and dish soap, so I did a quick google search and found this 

"To make homemade weed killer, stir together 1 gallon of vinegar, 1 cup of salt, and 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Pour it into a spray bottle and thoroughly spray the weeds. This solution is most effective when it's applied while weeds are actively growing."

Now I was metricised in 1974 in my last year of senior school when they had a panic and said forget Chains, Yards Feet and Inches and Stones, Pounds and Ounces you now need to understand Metres, Decimetres, Centimetres and Millimetres, Metric Tons, Kilograms, Litres and Millilitres because the UK is going decimal !

The last thing I ever measures in Gallons was petrol for my Yamaha YDS250 motorcycle in the 70's, so the first thing I looked for was vinegar which is sold in 5 Litre containers or bottles 

When looking to purchase the vinegar I found that its sold in 5 Litre Bottles not Gallon Bottles which is not surprising as we have been metricised since 1974.

Vinegar with a higher concentration of acetic acid tends to control weeds more effectively. Household vinegar is generally 5% acetic acid. Some herbicidal vinegar products are 20% or 30% acetic acid. In general, 20% or 30% acetic acid is more effective because it more completely kills young leaves and growing points. 

The receipt also used the measure of "Cups" and "Tablespoons" which surprise, surprise are different for different countries. 

Searching google I found that 1 Cup is equal to 8 fluid ounces in US Standard Volume which is about 237-240 ml. 1 metric cup is 250 ml (which is about 8.5 fluid ounces).

The unit of measurement of a tablespoon varies by region: a United States liquid tablespoon is approximately 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz), a European, United Kingdom and Canadian tablespoon is exactly 15 ml (0.51 US fl oz), and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml (0.68 US fl oz).

I was going to do the conversion on what I thought best as I gallon = 4.55 Litres, then though, save time do some more google searching until you find results in metric measurements, and I found this. 

For a small batch, simply mix 500ml of vinegar with 30ml of cooking salt and a tablespoon (15ml) of washing up liquid. Pour the vinegar into the pressurised sprayer first, followed by the cooking salt and dishwashing liquid, reports The Express. Then, you should give the mixture a good shake before using it.

All the items can be purchased cheaply, with Tesco vinegar coming in at just 35p, Ocado table salt costing 40p, and Asda washing up liquid costing 55p.

They said that the best time to use the solution is "on a hot and dry day", as this will be when it's most effective. "Once applied, the weeds should begin to wilt within 24 hours and be completely dried out within 48 hours.

Doing more searches I found variations on the ingredients' and the quantities of each. 

So going back to the original and modifying for the difference between I gallon = 4.55 Litres

5 Litres White Vinegar 

1 cup salt = 250ml / 4.55 x 5 = 274.72 say 275ml 

1 tablespoon of washing up liquids = 15ml / 4.55 x 5 = 16.48ml  say 20ml as I like nice round numbers and as the modified Australian tablespoon of 20 ml/ 4.55 x5 = 21.98ml   

Surfing ebay for cost of vinegar including delivery I even found a 40% version available, but as expected the stronger the vinegar the higher the price, typically this is what I found:-  

  5% White Vinegar £5.99 for 5Litres reducing to £5.00 per bottle based on a quantity of 4 or more   

20% Very Strong White Vinegar £12.99 for 5Litres reducing to £10.39 per bottle based on a quantity of 4 or more 

30% Very Strong White Vinegar £14.99 for 5Litres reducing to £12.74 per bottle based on a quantity of 4 or more 

40% Very Strong White Vinegar £15.99 for 5Litres reducing to £12.79 per bottle based on a quantity of 4 or more 

For the moment with the bindweed problems I have on the allotment, I went for a White Vinegar with 5% acetic acid, but I will buy one 5Litre bottle at 40% to trial on the mares tail area, and may add some lemon juice to the mix. 

I also found one post that suggest that if you want "Weed Killer for areas never to grow again that you mix two cups of ordinary table salt with one gallon of white vinegar to kill all vegetation in walkways, driveways, and other areas where you don’t want any living thing to grow again. 

Do this in a container larger than one gallon capacity so you have room for the salt. Apply the lid and shake to dissolve the salt. Salt dissolves more quickly in vinegar than in water, but it takes a bit of doing. It may not completely dissolve, but that’s okay."

Not something I want to do on the allotment as when the woodchip paths start to support weeds other than mares tail its time to replace the woodchip as it's decaying enough to be used as browns in my composting Daleks.

Other weed control apart from using a hoe or pulling by hand include:- 

1. Boiling Water: Offers immediate weed control by scalding. Pour directly over weeds to destroy them from the top down.

2. Rubbing Alcohol: Causes rapid dehydration in weeds. Mix with water and apply under the sun for quick evaporation and minimal harm to surrounding plants.

3. Dish Soap: Breaks down the protective layers of weeds, leaving them vulnerable to dehydration. It's particularly effective on young, small weeds.

4. Lemon Juice: The citric acid in lemon juice scorches weeds upon contact, disrupting their cellular processes and leading to their demise.

5. Borax: Utilizes boron toxicity to impede weed growth. Apply sparingly to avoid soil toxicity and damage to desired plants.

6. Cinnamon: Acts as a natural herbicide and pest deterrent. Sprinkle around plants to prevent weed germination and growth.

7. Sugar: Disrupts soil nutrient balance, particularly nitrogen, slowing weed growth without harming established plants.

8. Chili Pepper Powder: Capsaicin in chili peppers interferes with weed cellular functions, preventing photosynthesis and growth.

9. Coffee Grounds: Their acidic nature and nutrient content make grounds effective in suppressing weed germination and growth.

10. Hydrogen Peroxide: Oxidizes weed cells, causing damage and death. Mix with water and apply to target weeds directly.

11. Epsom Salt and Vinegar: A lethal combination that dehydrates and kills weeds through a potent desiccant action and pH alteration.

Application Wisdom

While these kitchen remedies offer a gentler approach to weed control, mindful application is important. Direct application to the weeds, careful avoidance of desired plants, and sparing use to prevent soil alteration are key strategies

For those concerned about the environmental impact of traditional herbicides, these kitchen staples present a viable, effective alternative. Not only do they provide a way to repurpose common household items, but they also align with the principles of sustainable gardening.

Freecycle Daleks & Raised Beds

Two Daleks picked up today won on Freecycle yesterday, one collected in the morning before going to the allotment and the other collected after lunch and dropped down to the allotment. These will replace the older less well made compost bins that have become brittle and have started splitting, and I'm going to squeeze in a couple more and I'm going to replace the tumbling composter as it's a pain to keep turning it.  .   

An additional wheel barrow load of woodchips were added to the bottom frame. I then removed the banding on the 1.2m (4ft) scaffold boards and screwed the next raised bed frame together, and placed it on top of the base frame.

I've laid a couple of 900mm (3ft) scaffold boards to show how wide the path will be between the two new raised beds placed either end of the old 2.4m x1.2m bed footprint.  

Two scaffolding board raised bed frames brings the height of the raised bed up to 450mm (18") from the surrounding paths. The narrow beds being 900mm wide which will make leaning over the bed to work it easier than 1200mm wide beds. 

Slow Progress But Progress None The Less

Today, as there was a degree of cloud cover I visited the allotment in the morning and I managed to leaver up the 2.4m x 1.2m frame to this years parsnip bed and place one side on paving blocks. I then lifted the frame and as I did one of the 1.2m ends fell off, as it was half rotted away where it had been in the ground.

With the large bed fame moved over on the bed next door, I placed the first 1.2m x 0.9m raised bed frame in position.

I then lined the bottom with magic cardboard, and then filled the raised bed frame with the rotting timber from the old frame and three barrow loads of woodchip from the car park.

I watered the woodchip to assist the settlement and consolidation process.

Next visit I will top up the frame up again with woodchips, and make the next raised bed frame, then excavate the humus material from the other end of the 2.4m x 1.2m bed and fill the 2nd Raised bed frame with the spoil.

I also went around the beds & the patio with weed killer again, and gave the bindweed that had grown up a bamboo frame a good drenching.

By the time I had finished I was well and truly knackered, but it was a good kind of knackered. The kind that lets you know you have been busy and blessed that gradually you are getting your strength back, and on the road to a better level of fitness than last year.

Dropping Off The Terracotta Pots

Way too much heat lack of cloud cover and high UV levels to visiting during the 10am - 4pm hot zone, so I came to the allotment between 4pm - 6pm to drop off the terracotta pots picked up yesterday, and I also did some more trimming around the gates and the hedges, trees and bushes to the left of my car to make backing in and getting out easier. 

There were also brambles growing from either side and I don't want my legs to get caught by them and we have more children coming onto the allotment these days so I trimmed those back as well. 

Freecycle - Terracotta Pots

I saw these Terracotta Pots on Freecycle yesterday, asked for them and was informed they were mine, I went to collect them this afternoon before picking up my daughter from work as her car is in for repair at the moment. 

When I arrived they had found many more pots. I'm going to use some of these as slug traps filling a smaller one with soil and making nice and wet, turn it upside down then put a larger one on top and the slugs will make it there home.

I can then lift the pot off and eradicate the beasts, or perhaps place some blue pellets of death under. This will protect other wildlife from consuming the bodies and from eating the blue pellets of death.  

I spent a couple of hours on the allotment early this morning as it was overcast, and I had dropped my daughter off at work. I spend my time pulling the bindweed off the paths and from around the beds.

I also started to pulled the weeds in the Red Baron onion beds to find that the slugs and snails had eaten the leaves, off the onions. The bulbs are not much larger than the sets that were planted. 

So disappointing this year and I only grew the one variety. I shan't be doing that again in a hurry!