Thursday, 11 January 2024

In My Seed Box For 2024 - Celeriac

Celeriac is something that I have not grown before but something I have wanted to try for a while. So, when I saw that Mr Fothergill’s had added Neon F1 to their catalogue for 2023, it was a bit of a no brainer.  Because of my battle with cancer and mobility issues in 2023 I didn't manage to grow any, so hopefully the magic will happen in 2024. 

Celeriac – Mr Fothergill’s 

250 Seeds – £ 2.59 - Item code 38531 

Plants produce large roots for high yields. Known for its excellent garden performance and reliability. The white flesh roots are to use raw or cooked. An excellent source of vitamin C.

Sow Indoors a warm kitchen windowsill is all you need for starting these seeds, Sow 13mm (1/2") deep in trays of seed compost. Water well and place in a warm position. 

A temperature of 15-20C (60-68F) is ideal. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days.

Transplant to other trays 50mm (2") apart when seedlings are large enough to handle. Grow on in cooler, but not cold conditions. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions (avoid frost, before planting out 250mm (10") apart in rows of 300mm (1ft) apart. 

Plant so that the upper part of the root sits on the surface of the soil. Water well and remove outer leaves as roots swell. 

 

In My Seed Box For 2024 - Index


Below is what I found doing a google search on "Celeriac" 


What is celeriac?

Celeriac may look weird, but its flavour is familiar and its applications in the kitchen are practically endless. It's time to work this quirky root into your vegetable rotation. Here's what you need to know about celeriac (aka celery root).

Celeriac, or celery root, is one of the unsung heroes of the root vegetable world. It can be eaten raw or cooked, is a terrific substitution for potatoes in many applications and is wonderfully healthful! Whether you want to make a killer mash or a new refreshing salad, it's time to get to know this unique vegetable.

Celeriac is a root vegetable closely related to celery, parsley and parsnips. Its scientific name is Apium graveolens var. rapaceum, and it's also known as turnip-rooted celery, knob celery or celery root. It's a large, bumpy, brown vegetable that's harvested in the wintertime. It originated in the Mediterranean and belongs to the same plant family as carrots. It features in both classic recipes like celeriac rémoulade, a light salad that is similar to a coleslaw, and modern interpretations like gratins or purees, where it can be used as a lower-carb swap in for potatoes.


What does celeriac taste like?

Raw, celeriac has fantastic crunch and a super nutty, celery-like flavour that makes it perfect for salads and slaws. Cooked, it takes on a slight sweetness that works well mashed, baked, roasted or boiled.

 

Is celeriac healthier than potato?

With only 5.9 grams of carbs per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of cooked vegetable, celeriac is a healthier, lower-carb alternative to potatoes. Plus, a crunchy, fresh, 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of raw celeriac has only 42 calories and 0.3 grams of fat — making it an excellent low-calorie food.


Is celeriac good for diabetics?

Contains only 15 grams of carbohydrates per cup, making it a great root vegetable for diabetics. 

 

What is celeriac good for?

Celeriac is a versatile, flavorful ingredient for soups, mashes, side dishes, and salads. It is a plentiful source of vitamins C and K, which can help support heart and bone health.


What does celeriac taste like?

Celeriac has a mild celery flavor with a refreshing crunch and a little bitterness when raw, and a subtle undertone of sweetness when cooked. If you like radish and turnips, you will love celeriac raw, and if you enjoy potatoes, you will like the cooked version.


How to select and store celeriac?

As with any root vegetable, you want to choose a firm root that feels heavy for its size and does not have soft or bruised patches. Celeriac has a thick outer skin that is often crusted with soil, and may have squiggly roots attached. Keep it in its original state in the crisper drawer of your fridge until you want to prep it for cooking. Kept cold and uncut, celeriac can last for a couple of weeks in your fridge.


What are the health benefits of celeriac?

Celeriac is packed with antioxidants (which can help fight inflammation), vitamins and minerals. When raw, it is an excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin B6, vitamin C, phosphorous, magnesium and calcium. It is low in carbs and high in fiber, which can help support a healthy heart and gut . Also, it is naturally low in fat, making it a light, nutritious and refreshing add to your meal.


How to prep celeriac for cooking?

To prepare celeriac, slice both top and bottom off, then remove the thick skin. There is often a line that shows where the tough skin ends and the tender crisp flesh begins, so just follow that line. Once peeled, the celeriac can be grated, or cut into batons or cubes, or diced.


Uses for celeriac 

Celeriac is terrific in all sorts of dishes. In salads, raw, it provides excellent crunch and does not wilt quickly, so it is an ideal addition to slaws. Boiled or steamed, it can be pureed very smooth, providing creamy texture to soups or sauces. Roasted, it will brown and crisp on the edges, and get sweeter, making it ideal for any mixed roasted root vegetable dish. Because the texture can be similar to that of potato, it is great in gratins and mashes, but it does not exude starch the way a potato does, so often it is used with some potato to ensure that texture, anywhere from a 1-to-1 ratio to 1-to-4, depending on the dish. And it will retain excellent crunch when cooked hot and fast, so it can be a good addition to stir-fries and sautés. Finally, it makes for interesting pickles, either with other vegetables, as in a giardiniera, or just on its own.


In My Seed Box For 2024 - Index

References 

What Is Celeriac and How Do I Use It? | EatingWell

How to Cook and Serve Celeriac - Harvest to Table

This Is What Makes Celery And Celeriac Different From Each Other (mashed.com)


 

Wednesday, 10 January 2024

In My Seed Box For 2024 - Tree Spinach

 

In 2023 I was planning to try Chenopodiumgiganteum (Tree Spinach) from Mr Fothergill’s Item Code:39203 £2.70 for Approx 1000 seeds. Due to fighting cancer it didn't happen last year, so I'm planning to make the magic happen this year.

Tree spinach has eye-catching bright magenta with almost sparkly growing tips. Spinach plants can grow up to 2m tall, hence the name Tree spinach.

This vigorous plant can be harvested as a cut and come again leaf from 25cm tall. Easy to grow, adds columns of height and colour to the veg garden.

It has intense, almost glittery, brilliant pink baby leaves which look dazzling in a mixed leaf salad. Best picked when tender and very young, for use in salads or as a spinach substitute. It is fantastic melted in butter and keeps its magenta when cooked. Once it's tall, it does become a lot coarser.

Chenopodium giganteum self-seeds prolifically, so keep harvesting the plants before they flower, or whip them out to feed to chickens or put on the compost before they run to seed.

Here is an article about Chenopodium giganteum (Tree Spinach) from Alys Fowler: Tree spinach | Gardens | The Guardianthat I did find informative

Now I did go looking for YouTube videos about Tree Spinach but what I found was not the variety Mr Fothergill’s is selling and Alys Flower has written about, that variety Tree Spinach (Chaya) cannot be eaten raw as salad and needs cooking for 20 minutes as there are traces of Cyanide in the leaves! 

I thought they may be different varieties and wrote to Mr Fothergill's Marketing Services manager to ensure I was correct? 

Hi Alan

These are two very different type of Tree Spinach. Our tree spinach Chenopodium giganteum (the one Alys Fowler also mentions) is completely different from Chaya- Mexican Tree Spinach Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (or Mayan Spinach). So, while the latter requires care in preparation, the former is completely safe.

 Hope this helps.

It did help to put my mind at ease, so remember if you find YouTube videos about Tree Spinach it's more than likely going to be the Chaya variety.   

Cultivation

Grow in any well-drained fertile soil, in a sunny or semi-shaded position. In the ideal growing conditions, they can grow quite rapidly and may require staking if they become too tall

Propagation

Sow indoors in early spring or sow direct in early summer, once the soil has warmed up

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants

Pruning

Harvest the leaves as required, to keep the plant compact and cropping well

Pests

Generally, pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free


In My Seed Box For 2024 - Index

Monday, 8 January 2024

Spring Catalogues

 


It's that time of year when I start looking at the Spring Catalogue's to see what's new and interesting and what I may want to trial later in the year. The post-it tags help me find all the New varieties added and that I may be interested in. 

What else is there to do when it gets dark so early and the weather prevents you getting down to the allotment early evening? 

Do you like to try out new varieties or perhaps something you have never tried growing before each year ?

Sunday, 7 January 2024

In My Seed Box for 2024 - Parsnips

   


In 2023 I ended up growing nearly a full bed of Parsnips, didn't quite get the full 105 but 96 was close enough.  After discussions with my daughters we have decided to grow two full beds of parsnips using the germinate on damp kitchen roll in a Chinese take-a-way container and transplant into a loo roll technique.

The 105 sheet planting membrane will be used again in 2024, as the spacing of the planting holes gives reasonable sized roots.  


In 2023 I grew Tender and True, Gladiator F1 and Student. The germination rates in the Tender & True & Student were not good, but the Gladiator F1 was, so that's what I'm going to grow in 2024. 

So my mission for this morning was to see what the differences are between number of seeds and price per pack from all the UK seed companies I have listed on the left margin at manvslug.uk  

.
Parsnip Gladiator F1 has become an established leading early to mature variety. The smooth skinned roots that is easy to peel, and because most of the parsnip flavour is just behind the surface, it keeps more of its delightful really sweet flavour and a bonus is that this variety is canker resistant. 

Parsnips generally get sweeter after a frost because freezing converts part of the starch into sugar.

Germination seedlings appear 14 - 32 days 

Protect early sowings with cloches if soil is cold and wet

leave roots in the ground as flavour is improved by frost. leave remaining roots in February and store undamaged roots in sand in a dry frost-free area or process and freeze.    

Varieties Grown over the last 10 years 

Gladiator F1
Palace F1
Picador F1
Student  
Tender and True
TZ 9045 F1
White Gem
Warrior F1  

Questions
        
What Varieties do you grow and had the most success with?

When do you sow your Parsnips?

Do you chit the seeds or Sow Direct?

Saturday, 6 January 2024

Growing Carrots in Water Butts

 

I have cut down the large water butt that is cracked on the bottom and sawing the top off, I have made some additional drainage holes in the bottom of the water butt. 

I have a lot of soft sand over from when I was making  "soft bricks" that were milk bottles filled with sand for holding down weed membrane and netting. Due to the milk bottles being biodegradable replacing these became a time consuming task and in 2021 I replaced all of the soft bricks with paving blocks I picked up off freecycle in addition to some I had left over from when my own drive was constructed. 


So the water butts has been filled with soft sand and will be watered so that there is some cohesion between the sand particles. 

I will then make bore holes in the sand using a rainwater down pipe, and broom handle for the last few inches. I'm looking to bore the holes and fill them one at a time as I don't want the bore to collapse as I'm boring holes nearby or filling them. 

I will make a mixture of bought compost, my own compost, some soil from the beds, coir and a little fertiliser, which will be sieved so as to be large lump free. I'm also thinking that I will try different composts in different bores to see which perform the best and announce the winning compost at harvest. 

Using a funnel with the bottom cut off I will then slowly fill and tamp the compost mix into the bore until its full to the top.   

Each bore will be sown with 3-4 seeds then thinning to healthiest looking plant.

Bamboo canes will provide posts to support debris netting will be used to prevent any high flying carrot root flies from getting at my carrots.   

I'm not looking to enter or win any competition I just want the enjoyment of harvesting some Bugs Bunny type carrots and not some deformed mutants like I've had in the past.  

The Bugs Bunny type carrots that I'm going to grow both come from Dobies and were New Varieties in 2022.

Dobies - Mercurio F1 - Code 43 39 81 -  300 Seeds - £2.99 non members  

Mercurio F1’ is the early harvesting carrot variety. It has good bolting resistance so it stands on the ground longer. Vigorous and upright habit, smooth skin and excellent colour. 

180-200 mm long roots, 30 - 50 mm wide, delicious raw or steamed.

Sow:      February to April
Harvest: Late June to September 



Dobies - Ibiza  - Code 43 39 21 -  400 Seeds - £3.49 non members on offer at the moment at 89p 


Ibiza F1, offers the quality and taste of a Nantes, with the shape of an Imperator. Incredibly sweet, perfect for snacking, has better colour and taste than 'SugarSnax 54'.

300mm long, tapered, smooth roots with 30 - 40mm wide shoulders and very dark orange colour. Look great in raised beds and borders. 

Sow: March-June 18mm (3/4") deep in drills 230mm - 300mm apart. Thin seedlings when the first rough leaves appear. repeating as necessary until plants are 50mm - 75mm apart. Sow thinly to minimise thinning (which can attract Carrot Root Fly)

Harvest:  June-October.

There will be blog posts when I set up the cut down water butt and try growing these varieties June - October we will see the results. I may even try some successional sowings between February - June of both varieties so that I can extend the harvest period from June to October If I can find more water butts or make some small raised beds and have enough sand.  

Friday, 5 January 2024

In My Seed Box for 2024 - Carrots

If packs of seeds are kept in ideal conditions, then the life expectancy for Carrot seeds is 3 to 5 years. Most seed companies give you the year packed and the sow by date which is normally 2-3 years. Dobies - only give the packed year ending date and I have set a 2-year sow by like most other companies.

2023 was supposed to be the year of the carrot, but because of the tumor the magic didn't happen. I still plan to grow the Bugs Bunny Carrots in the blue barrel of sand, but that didn't happen last year, but it's going to happen this year.   

Prices per pack at the year purchased / packed.

Review Of Seed Stocks in Packets Sow By 2024

Autumn King 2             - 1100 Seeds - £1.99 - Suttons           - Packed YE 2021
Carisma                                                    49p - Lidl                - Packed YE 2022
Snowman F1               -   350 Seeds - £2.59  - D.T.Brown     - Packed YE 2021
Carrot Cascade F1      -   500 Seeds - £2.99  - Dobies           - Packed YE 2021

Review Of Seed Stocks in Packets Sow By 2025

Autumn King 2           - 1100 Seeds - £1.99 - Suttons             - Packed YE 2021  
Ibiza F1                        - 400 Seeds - £2.99  - Dobies            - Packed YE 2021
Mercurio F1                  - 300 Seeds - £2.99  - Dobies            - Packed YE 2021
Mercurio F1                  - 500 Seeds - £2.69  - D.T.Brown       - Packed YE 2022
Nerac F1                      - 350 Seeds - £2.55 - Mr Fothergill's  - Packed YE 2022
Ranbow Mix F1           -   200 Seeds - £2.99 - Unwins            - Packed YE 2022
Royal Chantenay 3     - 1000 Seeds -   75p^  - wilko              - Packed YE 2022      
Resistafly F1               - 1000 Seeds - £1.00^ - wilko              - Packed YE 2022

^ Purchased in the wilko 50% end of season sale   

Review Of Seed Stocks in Packets Sow By 2026

Black Nebula                  -   300 Seeds - £2.99 - Sutton       - Packed YE 2024
Burpees Short N Sweet - 1000 Seeds - £2.49 - Sutton        - Packed YE 2024
Volcano F1                     -   300 Seeds - £2.49 - Dobies       - Packed YE 2023
  

Alphabetical Listing of Carrots I have grown 

                                            Sowing            Harvest
Amsterdam 2 (Solo)          - Jan – July         Apr - Oct
Amsterdam 3                     - Jan – July         Apr - Oct
Autumn King 2                   - Mar – Jul         Jun - Nov
Cascade F1                       - Feb – Jul          Jun - Nov
Charisma F1                      - Mar - Aug         Jul - Oct 
Chartenay Red Cored        - Mar – Jun        May – Oct
Chartenay Red Cored 3     - Apr – July        Jun – Nov
Early Scarlet Horn              - Feb – Jun        May - Sep
Early Nantes 2                   - Jan – July        Jul - Dec
Early Nantes 2 Frubund     - Feb – Oct        Apr - Nov
Early Nantes 5                   - Mar – Jul         May – Oct
Flyaway                             - May – Jun        Aug - Oct
Ibiza F1                             - Mar - Jun          Jun - Oct 
Jitka F1                              - Mar – Jul         Jun - Nov
Mercurio F1                       - Feb - April        Jun - Sept
Nandor F1*                        - Mar – Jul         Jun - Oct
Nairobi                               - Jan – Jun         Jul - Nov
Nantes 2 – Frubund           - Feb – Oct         Apr - Nov
Nantes 5                             - Mar – Jul         May - Oct
Nerac F1                             - Mar – Jul         Jun - Dec
Nigel F1 Hybrid                  - Mar – Jun         Jul - Dec
Paris Market - Atlas*          - Mar – July        Jun - Oct
Rainbow                             - Apr – Jun         Jul - Oct - Thompson & Morgan
Rainbow Mix                      - Mar – Jun           Jun – Sep - Marshalls
Romance F1                       Feb – May          Jun - Sep
Rondo
Royal Chantenay 3           - Mar – Jun           Jun – Oct
Silvano F1                         - Apr  May          Sep - Mar
Snowman F1                     - Mar - Aug           Jun - Oct 
St Valery                           - Mar – Jul           Jun – Nov
Sugarsnaps 54 F1             - Mar – Jul            Jun - Nov - Mr Fothergills
Sugarsnaps 54 F1             - Apr – Jun            Aug - Mar - Unwins

*  Short ideal for starting in loo rolls

Sow Date Listing for Varieties that have historically been in My Seed Box

                                        Sowing

Amsterdam 2 (Solo)         - Jan
Amsterdam 3                    - Jan
Early Nantes 2                   -Jan
Early Nantes 2 Frubund   - Feb
Romance F1                    - Feb
Mercurio F1                      - Feb
Autumn King 2                 - Mar
Chartenay Red Cored      - Mar
Early Nantes 5                 - Mar
Ibiza F1                            - Mar
Jitka F1                            - Mar
Nandor F1                        - Mar
Nerac F1                          - Mar
Nigel F1 Hybrid                - Mar
Paris Market – Atlas         - Mar
Rainbow Mix                    - Mar - Marshalls
Royal Chantenay 3          - Mar
Snowman F1                   - Mar
St Valery                          - Mar
Sugarsnaps 54 F1           - Mar
Rainbow                           - Apr - Thompson & Morgan
Sugarsnaps 54 F1            - Apr
Chartenay Red Cored 3   - Apr - kings Seeds
Flyaway                            - May

Germination 10 - 21 days

Rows  250 - 300 apart

An interesting thread re the different sowing times for Sugarsnaps 54 F1 and Varieties that will over winter on the Grow Your Own Grapevine Carrot Confusion

Other cold tolerant varieties are Eskimo (T&M) and Marion (Marshalls),


Thursday, 4 January 2024

Onion Growing Tips

Onion 101: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Onions and Spring Onions from Seed


Onions from seed have less disease problems than onions from sets. Charles Dowding shows a simple multisow method to start them undercover, and the high yield of bulbs - 12kg/26.4lb from 8 modules. Plus a harvest of 1.3kg/2.8lb spring onions. Also see how to grow early spring onions, from a sowing in late summer.

Wednesday, 3 January 2024

In My Seed Box for 2024 - Onions From Seed

  

Updated 2nd Jan 2024

I have grown Onions from seeds in the past and was quite successful but for the last few years I have been using sets. I did have problems with white rot on Mill Green Plot 1A and I tried growing on my old plot on Spencer Road and still had white rot problems. 

I think the art is to watch and harvest as soon as one sees the signs of white rot and of course rotate the crops on the plot. I have decided that it's once again time to try growing Onions from seeds and I have just ordered some exhibition seeds. 

In the beds where I historically had some white rot in 2022, I have grew Calient Mustard that's a great organic means of creating a soil environment that's uninviting to the disease.

Review of Seed Stock in Packets with sow by from 2022

Red Baron                       - 175 Seeds - Mr Fothergill's (GYO)     -  Mag  - Sow By 09/2022
Senshyu Yellow               - 400 Seeds - Premier Seeds Direct    -     99p - Sow By 09/2022
Fasto F1                          - 350 Seeds - Marshalls                       -            - Sow By 09/2022

Review of Seed Stock in Packets with sow by Dec 2024

Welsh Onion                    - 250 Seeds - D.T.Brown                     -  £2.19  - Sow By 12/2024

Review of Seed Stock in Packets with sow by Dec 2025

Onion Galacticus Seeds - 100 Seeds - Dobies - £3.49
Redlander F1                  - 150 Seeds - D.T.Brown -  £3.99


Redlander F1 - D.T.Brown

The world's first downy mildew resistant variety, for reliable crops of delicious red globe onions. Expect excellent yields of mild tasting, large red bulbs which store very well when kept in cool, dark and dry conditions. The bulbs are of good quality and have a mellow flavour which is well suited for serving in summer salads.


Welsh Onions - D.T.Brown 

Despite its common name, this perennial onion is widely grown in its native China and Japan. Virtually evergreen, this versatile onion is great for giving a continuous supply of leaves and 'spring' onions through the year, plus white flowers in summer. It has a slightly stronger flavour than chives.




Shallot Simiane - 150 Seeds - Dobies - Cost £2.99 - Packed Year Ending 2021




Germination  10 - 14 Days

Alphabetical Listing of Onions I have grown

                                          Sowing           Sowing       Planting          Harvesting
                                          Indoors          Outdoors       Out     

Ailsa Craig                         Dec - Mar                                                Aug - Sept
Bedfordshire Champions                       Mar - Apr                             Aug - Sept
Ciboule Red Dragon                              Mar - Apr                             Aug - Nov
Fasto                                 Jan- Mar       Mar - Apr         April            August - September     
Giant Zittau                                            Mar - May                           July - Sept 
Hylander F1                      Jan - Apr                                                 July - Aug
Red Baron (T&M)                                   Mar - Apr                            Aug - Sept
Red Baron (Fothergill's)    Jan- Mar       Mar - Apr          May           August - September
Senshyu Yellow
Welsh Onion                      Feb - Apr      Mar - Sept                         March - Oct Once Established