Page 41 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2021

Reminiscing on
Last Year’s National
Trust For Jerseys
Black Butter Event
After all the shows and Jerseys Island attractions being cancelled because
of COVID last year we as a society still managed to showcase some of Jerseys finest produce including a floral display
for The NATIONAL TRUST OF JERSEYS black butter event. This is an old Jersey tradition of making black butter (LE NiERE BEURRE ) Which is a concentrated apple preserve made with apples, cider, sugar and flavoured with spices that are cooked in a giant copper Bachin over a wood fire.
AUTUMN 2019 SHOW CASING JERSEY PRODUCE AT ITS BEST
For some years now our Jersey District Association have been invited by the National Trust for Jersey to set up a floral and vegetable display to enhance their event. Which we are of course are honoured to be of assistance. This is normally set up
in their pressoir amongst the volunteers who beaver away Peeling apples, but on this occasion it had to be outdoors adjacent to the marquee with the weather forecast at the time looking bleak.
Unfortunately because of COVID the event was greatly reduced, and subsequently a small marquee was set up in the grounds to house the volunteers who still managed to achieve their quota in peeling apples.
The display was an arrangement of Jersey produce grown locally by commercial growers and gardeners like myself. We are also very fortunate in having a highly skilled team of floral designers who are all ex Chelsea gold medallists, who I can call upon for these special tasks.
On this Occasion It was Jill Green who came with a wealth of knowledge and myself who put this exhibit together. Jill is a member of our society.
Our 2018 veg display at the Royal Jersey as there was no show in 2019:
Simply Vegetables 41
can develop in between the flags (leaves), the plant can produce double centre growths which can be disqualified on the show bench, not to mention splitting of the barrel; each plant has an optimum size before splitting, and this produces coarseness of the barrels which will be down-pointed by the judge.
Ideally the judge is looking for clean leeks with a straight barrel, without coarseness, and clean foliage with no pest damage. Plants should be heavy to handle and firm to touch.
June and July and then reduce water from early August.
Feeding Leeks
Leeks grow better if beds are prepared properly and then kept moist, rather than force fed with a liquid feed each week. If however, you have not prepared properly, and you feel you need to liquid feed, I would recommend a seaweed liquid such as Maxi-crop or a balanced chemical feed such as Chempak number 3. This is a soluble, balanced feed of 20/20/20 NPK plus trace elements. I would prefer a half strength mix, fed twice a week, rather than
Preparation of Beds
This is best done straight after the shows are held and stock plants have been chosen.
Every 2-3 years add a good barrel load of horse manure per square yard
a full-strength mix fed once a week. Again remember, DO NOT overfeed.
The best way to remember not to overfeed is to consider how uncomfortable you feel if you over-eat. Do not do this to your plants.
Firstly, you should clean
the beds of all debris and
weeds. Every 2-3 years
add a good barrel load of
horse manure per square
yard. This should be preferably at least 3-4 years old. Turn this into the soil, then give a good watering and leave until February.
Remember to spray your plants from early greenhouse stage, throughout the season. A good fungicide, should be sprayed at the end of each month and a good insecticide, should be sprayed in the middle of each month. (See article on pests and diseases – Ed)
You will not win shows with leeks that are damaged by thrips, red spider or caterpillars, or with disease such as rust, fusarium or botrytis.
I hope you have all found this interesting and helpful.
If you want to get more hints and tips, you can find them on my YouTube channel: Gardening with John Soulsby.
Send soil samples for analysis in February and then dig over again, mixing soil and manure as you go. At this point water again.
In early March add any fertiliser the samples require. DO NOT over fertilise. After the fertiliser has been applied, give this another healthy watering and then cover with either black polythene, or black and white polythene (white side up).
By early to mid-April, beds undercover are ready to plant. Plants should be hardened off for at least 2-3weeks before planting. Water regularly throughout May,
Yorkshire Blue Leek