Page 20 - Simply Veg 1 2024

Greame’s Garden News
GREAME LE MARQUAND FNVS
First of all, I would like to congratulate Gareth Griffin from Guernsey, who is one of our Jersey members, who now holds the world record for growing the world’s biggest onion, which weighed in at just under 20lb at the Harrogate Autumn Show, which has now been entered in the Guinness book of records.
From November last year to the beginning of this year most of my time is spent on tasks which I suppose, we could call a labour of love! Which for me involves topping up some of my raised beds with my own home-made compost and raising seed in the green house.
Unfortunately most of my soil is very poor with no depth, so this is where the raised beds come in very handy. Especially with the three recycled loft water tanks.
They have all been filled with some of my better soil, if I can call it that! And topped up with a good dollop of my own compost, which is a mixture of manure, grass, bracken, and small wood chips. They are now covered up with a breathable fabric which means that all the nutrients in my compost won’t get washed away and the weeds will be kept at bay. And as a matter of interest the tanks have had their bottoms cut out. They were the ones that sat on a bed of sand in my polytunnel when I grew show carrots.
So all I have to do now is wait for the right time for sowing and planting of whatever I want to grow. Last year I grew sweet potatoes in the first tank, some delicious mange tout peas in the second and back to sweet potatoes in the third.
At least none of these jobs are back breaking.
20 Simply Vegetables
Fun Carrot Competition
It was such a pleasure to see so many entries for our fun carrot competition which was held at the Royal Jersey show on the 19th of August last year. There were a total of 55 entries, most of them from children, with some of them producing some really good sets of carrots. And let’s face it, this is what it’s all about; getting children involved in growing their own vegetables, whether it’s in the garden on the plot or in containers.
Hopefully this will make some of these little green fingered enthusiasts self-sufficient in the years to
come. And who knows? Some of them might even turn out to be horticulturalists who will pave the way for others in the future.
There were fewer entries for the funniest looking carrot which meant that most of the carrots were more uniform in shape.
At the end of the day they all taste the same and I think it’s a good idea to keep the competition for the funniest looking
carrot competition going , as it is still an important part of the event.
Once again it was good to see the Salvation Army participating . The growing group a partnership between the learning Disability service and the Salvation Army submitted 13 entries. The growing group, once more were really pleased to have the opportunity to take a part in this important community event, developing skills and confidence and having fun at the same time.
The judges were Nora Treanor our Jersey judge and Gareth Griffin our
Guernsey Judge who both did an excellent Job in judging the best of the three carrots which were
the Chantenay Red Cored 2 And the Jersey Evening Press feature writer Gill Kay who also did
a sterling Job in judging the funniest looking carrot.
The Chantenay carrot seed and prize money was sponsored by Marshalls seeds. And the compost and containers by Sonnic Support Solutions.