Page 29 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2024

Fig on wall
under polythene covers with open sides to give some protection but to be able to grow fruiting lemons here in the UK is an interesting development.
Two other farms one in Wisbech and the other in Kent are growing watermelons and have produced decent crops although unless it warms up is unlikely this year! One of the farms has also trailed edamame beans and sweet potatoes both of which can be grown in the home garden or allotment so are worth a try. They can be grown reliable in polytunnels but if the summers become consistently warm will be feasible outdoors.
Apricots have been grown in the UK for many years usually against a wall in a greenhouse, but a Kent farmer is growing
Orange tree
them outdoors and produced a record harvest of 136 tonnes in 2022 which were sold at Tesco’s. Apparently, the cooler British nighttime temperatures produce very high-quality apricots as the fruit grow more slowly than if grown in France or Portugal, and it gives a sweeter taste and better colour. The fruit is ready to harvest in August and cropping continues until mid-September. It is important that the trees get good light, and it helps if they are grown under poly-cover (not a full tunnel just a roof over the plants) to help avoid the uncertainty of the British climate. In the garden they will grow well against a south or west facing wall, train the trees as a fan to make maximum productive use of the area.
Peach 'Barington'
As well as growing olives in Cornwall they are growing tea and also in Dorset
so English tea will soon be available if not already. Tea is picked from the Camellia shrub which are perfectly hardy in the UK, you just need the patience to pick and dry the leaves but if you like tea look at growing your own.
Finally, there are now a large number of vineyards in Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and other southern counties growing grapes to make wine and many produce sparkling wine similar to Champagne which have won prizes in competitions against champagne!
So, if you want to try something different there are many crops that may be worth a try depending on your local climate.
Biochar
Again, I have written in the magazine about biochar
before but thought I would add a little update as it is often advertised in gardening magazines and promoted in various media. It is a fairly expensive product to buy so does it live up to its hype and cost and I have to admit I have not tried it. Biochar was originally used by the Incas in South America and allowed them to produce highly fertile soils despite them being of poor quality when first cleared.
Biochar is made using the same process to produce charcoal, but it is slightly different and barbecue charcoal should not be used on the garden as it contains some impurities.
It’s possible to make your own biochar but it
appears to be a bit of hassle, if you fancy a go look on the internet and there are various videos and instructions. Most biochar is made from wood or woodchip but other materials like hedge cuttings and tree pruning’s can be used.
Why would you want to use biochar? Basically,
it improves the soil organic matter (which as
you should know by now, I keep banging on
about and is very important for the general
fertility of the soil), reduces nutrient losses and
increases the carbon storage, which is good for
reducing climate change. Other benefits of using
biochar is that it improves the soil microbiome which includes both bacteria and fungi which we are now realising make a big difference to plant growth owing to better nutrient availability which leads to higher yields. If applied dry the biochar will absorb and hold some water which could be useful if we get dry summers.
Biochar like charcoal is light in weight and a carbon rich
product from pyrolysis made by heating organic material to temperatures of 300 to 700oc in an oxygen limited environment. The black residue from the pyrolysis contains 75 to 80% pure carbon and can be used as a soil improver. Owing to the type of carbon produced approximately 74% will remain in the soil for over 100 years.
If applied to clay soils in a large particle size it can help with soil structure by improving both soil porosity and water holding and possible reduce soil compaction. Because it holds some nutrients this could reduce fertiliser applications thus saving
Owing to the type of carbon produced approximately 74% will remain in the soil for over 100 years
money and energy on fertiliser use.
This all looks good but research in UK
conditions is limited and more needs to be done to qualify and quantify the above advantages. The results of this research will not be available until 2028 as they will monitor the results until then. Until recently much of the research has been carried out abroad in tropical climates where the soils are often sandy and acidic. The results from these trials have been good but that does not mean they will be the same in a temperate climate like the UK. When a meta- analysis of trails carried out in temperate climate was done there was little evidence of the types
of improvements seen in tropical areas; but in acidic soils there was some improvement in yields.
If any members have used biochar, I would be interested in hearing from them and their experience / results, would they recommend it. Also, if anyone has tried making biochar, how did they get on? It could be a material for the future.
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