Page 5 - Simply Veg 2015 Issue 2

chairman’s thoughts David Allison
Welcome to the Spring issues of our magazine. I know from Kelvin that he has a bumper packed edition for your enjoyment, and as I write these notes in early February, I am looking forward to the season ahead.
Gardening, and particularly veg growing can, and is to some, a 12 months of the year hobby.
this year’s sets are now in trays for chitting.
I like to get some first earlies with decent developing sprouts in the eyes for setting up about now, to go in florist’s buckets for that new potato taste in late spring.
I have grown perennial kale for the first time last year, Daubenton’e Green, and as it doesn’t set
bed, as the tubers
have spread into my
asparagus bed and in
danger of crowding
out the asparagus,
so they have to go.
It’s like digging to
Australia to get all the
dormant tubers out,
but out they have to come as if you leave just one small tuber it is guaranteed to grow. To control the crop for this year I’m replanting the some of the tubers in a 30 litre pot,
one to a pot. In view of the effect on your digestive system they should really be called f***ichokes not artichokes.
I still have leeks
out on the veg plot to harvest, whereas in the greenhouse this season’s young plants are growing away as can be seen from the pictures below.
...they should really be called f***ichokes not artichokes
seed, propagation is by cuttings. The mature leaves were taken off for eating during the Summer/ Autumn period, and now young shoots are taken off the
Onions for the large classes are also growing away from seed sown at the end of November and we still have onions in store from last year’s crop.
Potatoes in store are keeping well, but
Pot leek, The Cumbrian potted on into 7” pots
Last year’s onion in store, mainly toughball.
parent plant to root. I now have young plants growing away for planting out later in the spring, it’s so easy. You only need to buy or beg one plant and you have them for life.
I’m digging out an old Jerusalem Artichoke
Blanch leek, LLanberris, both supplied by David Metcalfe.
Marcus Powell’s toughball growing away this year.
For those that haven’t renewed their membership, this will be the last edition you will receive, if you
have lost your renewal papers, a form is available within these pages for
you to complete, or you can renew on line via the website.
That’s all for now, enjoy the challenges and opportunities the season ahead will bring.
David, Chairman
A couple of admin notes;
a) We are still looking for a Vice-Chairman, and Media Marketing and PR executive to join the board of trustees,
if you feel you have the skills and time to undertake either of these posts, please give serious thought to putting your name forward, and
b) We now have a new Facebook page, the website continues to be updated, and shortly we hope to have twitter and e-newsletter available to members, to enhance our social media offering to members. A big thank you to Emily, our webmaster for developing and running these for us.
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