20th December
The excitement is building as the big day aproaches. It's the day that everyone has been waiting for all year - young and old alike tremble with anticipation. Yes, Boxing Day! Hold on I hear you say, 'Boxing Day?' Of course - it's the day the exhibition onion seed gets sown to ensure success at both local and national shows next August and September! Why, what else were you thinking of? If you fancy a go at growing a big one ( or two , three or more)
check out these beauties It's the best way to start the growing year.
And the heady whiff of spring is already in the air as the seed potatoes are due any day now, the seed racks look at their best ( we don't mind sales making a bit of a dent in them!) and in particular the seed collections look fantastic. Have you seen them? You'll get a penny change from £40 and in return you get.....
this lot! It's a monumental bargain.
Right, everything is almost in place for you veggrowers and the coming year - this weeks orders are done and posted, Christmas carols on in the background and the temperature is on the rise ....must be time for another mince pie.
Have a Happy Christmas and New Year and get in touch with all your growing requests. And if it does stay mild over the next few days clean out that greenhouse, scrub the benching, rough dig that empty bed, order your seeds (pristine seed racks look out of place here!) and plant a bareroot apple tree or two. I did say have a 'Happy' and not relaxing time!
16th December
Sorry for being away for a few weeks - we've been busy updating all the products on the site and all those planters take some wading through! However, it's all done so the site is looking bang up to date. Stocks of most of our products are also looking good and with the weather still being relatively kind to us, bare root trees continue to get despatched, and planted, across the country. Seeds still make up the bulk of the orders - having such a choice is the best way to make the most of the long evenings and nights. But spring isn't that far away so do continue to order to avoid the dreaded 'sold out' notice! We're days away from the first of the seed potatoes arriving ( and thanks to all of you who ordered early - everything will be with you early in the New Year) and all the composts will be arriving shortly. Maybe it's because winter up to now has been kind (and hopefully will be for the rest of it), time has raced by and spring is almost upon us. And then it all starts to happen - so get ahead and order what you can. You'll thank us when you are the one who's organised and enjoying the busy period.
8th November
Autumn is now acting like it should - light levels low, bit of drizzle in the air and everyone getting seed orders in, preparing for the bareroot deliveries and dreaming of the best potato harvest ever ( thinking ahead to next year of course!) We've been busy updating all the photos on the site and as darkness falls on another mizzly, dank day, we are almost there (all the seeds, plants, soft fruit are done and most of the top fruit is finished) It's all computer work but it does focus us on the range we offer - and it is hard to spot a gap or even a variety we aren't stocking (and even if we have overlooked something just let us know and we can try and find whatever you want - between us we reckon we know most growers and suppliers. Quite a claim!) But saying that, it is great to get out from in front of the screen and actually see the stock. Even when most gardeners think of the season as being over, we are gearing up. It's only a few weeks before the seed potatoes arrive - and then it's everyone in the packing shed. And that's what you get when buying from us - people who care about what they sell and get their hands dirty in the process!
Right - updates: trying to get a free solar powered water butt pump to offer to one of you to test - we spotted a new company at a trade show and reckon it could be good - details to follow very soon; no news on the polytunnel so will try another company ( still quality of course) and will chase the rotovator (our fault - got carried away loading up all the fruit tree info) Oh yes, today's orders safely dispatched and on the road to keen GYO'ers, stock looking good but concerned some of the Heritage apple trees may sell out very quickly (heard that a couple of varieties that we have in stock might be on telly in a few weeks and then everyone goes mad for them!) And...got to get back and sort the last of the fruit photos. Once it's done it's done!
7th November
What a grey day - drizzle, not a glimmer of sun and a bit too wet to get onto the soil ( trampling on soil that is so wet that it sticks to your boots isn't a good idea) But...we don't care because all the potatoes are up on the site, all the Heritage apples have pics attached to them so you know what you are buying, gardeners are sending in their seed orders and to be honest, it's a great time to planning next years growing. There's never a dull moment whatever the sun decides to do!
Still chasing a decent polytunnel deal and getting closer to confirming a good rotovator deal. Any thoughts on solar powered water butt pumps? We reckon we've found a brilliant one - keep checking back for details.
1st November - late afternoon
- even more just added!! The range is phenomenal - and prices are fantastic. A lot of gardeners buy one small pack of lots of different varieties - check out the taster pack section. (
Click here for details) And now we have some really unusual varieties alongside the mainstay favourites. But please order early to avoid missing out. And stop, stop press (!) - still a few more to go on - Rooster, Vivaldi, Osprey, Anya and Ratte to name just some of the late additions. This has to be our best list of potatoes - ever! Right, off to pack the last of todays orders as the courier is due, and then back to the potato list later.
1st November
We did promise a list of potatoes - well, there's now almost fifty different varieties ready for ordering with even more to come. It's something to be getting your teeth into! Choosing which variety or varieties to grow is very much a personal decision. It's worth remembering that the same variety of potato often tastes different when grown in different soil types - so if you are new to veg growing ask neighbours or fellow plotholders for what grows well in your soil. But between all of us here at veggrower.co.uk, we've grown each variety we list, so we can give you a pretty good idea of which variety is best suited for boiling, mashing, roasting etc. We really love our spuds! So, here goes:
All rounders: if you are going to grow one or two varieties and need them to work hard go for Desiree, King Edward or Maris Piper. They will satify most of your potato yearnings!
Boiled: the best boiler we stock is Estima. It's that easy!
Mash: if lovely fluffy mash is your thing (and always use warm milk when making your mash) go for Nadine or Wilja.
Roasties: got to be Desiree, King Edward or Maris Piper.
Potato salad: Charlotte is our choice of the salad spuds.
Chips: ah, homemade chips - simply the best when you use Sante, Maris Piper or King Edward.
Wedges: Accord is the one.
'New' potatoes: International Kidney is the tastiest (in our opinion!)
But we do stock many others as we know you like to experiment and have your own favourites. It is best to order now as we don't have massive stocks of each variety - and we will be sending them out in January ( and that is scarily very close)
And you'll find them all here!
31st October
Yep, Halloween, end of October and the temperature is double what is usually is - now that's spooky! We hope that the snowy weather from across the pond doesn't head our way ( although we do tend to get 'their' weather 10 days later). It's just we prefer packing all your bareroot trees and fruit in slightly warmer and drier conditions! It's a good time to check over greenhouses, polytunnels and coldframes to make sure all broken panes are sorted. And keep an eye on temperatures as they are bound to fall - they have to, it's November tomorrow!
Click here for a great thermometer for outdoors or your greenhouse / polytunnel. Don't let your tender plants get caught out.
The leaves are also falling quickly now and suddenly we are blessed with a real bounty - and as all of us gardeners know, fallen leaves = leafmould. We have a couple of ways of dealing with fallen leaves here at veggrower.co.uk - we bag some of 'em up in large, black plastic bags, cut a few holes in the bags and leave them alone for a few months to gently rot down. The other method we use is to cram them into a wire compost bin where the rain keeps them moist ( we cover the top with cardboard but the open mesh sides allow great air circulation and some moisture to seep in, and out!) The microbes then get busy and gorgeous leafmould ( perfect for your own potting mixes or just improving the soil) is produced within a year.
Click here for details of our favourite wire bin that's perfect for the job. Whichever method you choose, don't miss out on this heaven sent soil conditioner.
Within the next couple of days we'll be loading up details of the potatoes for early next year - it will soon be with us and you'll need to order quickly to avoid varieties being sold out. We'll just finish off todays orders for heritage apples (selling well) and then straight onto the spud lists!
26th October
Getting so excited over the new heritage range of apple trees. The names alone make them interesting, but when you start delving into their histories and check out how old some of the varieties are it makes them irrisistible. Peasgood's Nonsuch, D'Arcy Spice and Cornish Gilliflower are only part of the range put together by the fruit experts here. And they know their onions ( or apples!)
Click here for full details - go on, get growing some heritage. All trees are bareroot, ready for sending out now for planting asap. You can pre order and we can deliver closer to Christmas if you want to give a great present to a keen gardener. In fact, all the fruit trees are piling in so have a good rummage to pick up some fantastic varieties. But do get in early as some of the rarer varieties do sell out quickly and we often can't get any more in. But you know we'll always do our best - even if we haven't got something in stock we'll look for you. Just let us know.
Other news: Seeds selling out well, soft fruit is great to plant at this time of year but to be honest, it's the apples we are all talking about today.
24th October 2011
The range of fruit becoming available for despatch is increasing by the day - it's that fruity time of year! And the fruit-heads ( no offence guys but you really know and love your fruit) here have unearthed a couple of beauties to add to our already fantastic range of fruit plants and trees. Blackcurrant Ebony produces fruit so sweet you can pick and eat it straight from the plant.
Click here for full details. And if you fancy a raspberry that produces two crops on one plant - the first in autumn with the bonus crop the following June, then you have to get your hands on a variety called Twotimer Sugana.
Everything you need to know is here. It's also the perfect time to plant your strawberry plants as the soil is warm and moist - and the roots love it. Give us a few more hours and the complete range of heritage apple trees will be up and ready to buy - it's looking like a terrific list.
18th October 2011
Before any of the really cold ( hopefully - it will get rid of a lot of pests) weather it's a good idea to test the pH of your veg plot soil. The pH ( or acidity / alkalinity) of the soil affects the efficiency of plants in taking up nutrients.
Click here for a no nonsense testing kit. Also replaced the glass in a coldframe as drips of water kill seedlings; and checked over the guttering leading to water butts. It's a great time to be doing all those little jobs you put off during summer and early autumn.
17th October 2011
Veg plot looking better now it's had a good weekend spent on it. Worried about the appearence of ground elder in one part of the plot - fun and games ahead. Weather has been delightful over the last week but forecasters warning of colder stuff to come. It is autumn after all! Been going through all the seed lists - with loads of orders coming in so we are not alone. Get in early with any seed orders as some varieties will sell out quickly. If you can't see what you want do let us know and we can try and source it for you.
Click here to email us.
Still waiting for deals on rotovators but hopeful of a polytunnel deal in the next week.
11th October 2011
Sorting out all the garlic, overwintering onion sets and shallots and the quality of bulb is exceptional this year. Everything is plump and bursting with energy. It's also the perfect time to get planting. We've currently got five varieties of garlic available but get a move on as the orders are piling in. The drizzle outside is a perfect excuse for staying indoors and ordering up some really interesting fruit trees (and getting all your orders out!) We are going for a few heritage varieties of apples specific to this area, but we're always open to your requests for particular varieties. Let us know quickly as we need to get the stock in very soon. Check back for our full list soon but only if the weather stays miserable! We'll also chase those cracking deals on polytunnels and rotovators we promised yesterday.
Any thoughts?
Click here to email us.
10th October 2011
Great weekend clearing up the remains of most of the old crops ( always good to get rid of old leaves and haulms before pests and diseases get a chance of overwintering) Good way of staying warm when on the plot all day in constant drizzle. Can't help thinking that a shredder ( for mashing up those woodier bits and pieces before composting), a rotovator ( the days are getting too short for all the digging) and a polytunnel to really extend the growing season at both ends are must haves. Can't link to any yet ( sorry) but we're checking some out now for the best deals on quality products. More when we get the right answers / deals from companies!
4th October 2011
We're glad that we did get back outside as today the temperature has dropped by half and it looks like showers are heading in - great though for sowing broad beans and carrots. We have been sorting out loads of cloches and the like, as many seedlings need a bit of protection when the weather turns really cold. Broad beans are pretty tough but it's a good idea to invest in a coldframe to cover the carrots. And we've got to say that once you have one of our wooden frames a whole new world of gardening will open up. After an afternoon of thorough sorting out, we've found an absolute belting value coldframe.
Click here for our top choice!
3rd October 2011
29C and dark at 7.00pm - it must be autumn! This is precious concentrated gardening time. Our main job right now is to get the autumn onion sets in as the soil is warm and moist. The roots get growing straightaway and can continue throughout winter. They then get off to a flying start next year, cropping a month earlier than your spring sowing and plantings. By the way, never just push the sets into the soil. It's best to make a hole with a dibber and place the sets in the hole. Just shoving them in can result in the roots growing against a compacted layer of soil and actually growing themselves out of the ground. The garlic is also here and ready for planting but we are still waiting for the rhubarb to arrive. As soon as the delivery van arrives we'll let you know. Enough writing - back to making the most of the weather.
31st August 2010
Winter Vegetable plants now in! Our collection of autumn planting, winter vegetable plants have arrived and most pre-orders will go out this coming week. Radish Mantanghong is virtually sold out already; a really unusual variety which has white skin and dark pink flesh which looks really attractive when sliced. Chinese Cabbage is a great choice for this time of year as it will crop in the cooler weather and is less likely to bolt as it can be inclined to do during the summer.
Don't forget you can preorder your onion sets, shallots, garlic, asparagus and jerusalem artichokes and we'll dispatch these when they come in. Deliveries are expected from around the 10th of September.
We have placed our orders for Scottish seed potatoes and will be having the largest selection yet. We buy from several seed potato suppliers to enable us to offer a wide choice of pack sizes and varieties. Seed potatoes will be available from January with main crop seed potatoes available from February. The seed potato lists will be updated later in the year ready fro preordering from November.
3rd August 2010
The Eternal Question - What to Sow??
At this time of year, when you're up to your neck in produce, it's easy to forget to start sowing seed in preparartion for the coming season. Or, you may pulling up the potatoes and carrots, thereby releasing vast swathes of veg patch, all eager for replanting before the summer warmth passes. So, what to sow in August? It's not too late to sow a good selection of vegetables from seed as well as Christmas Seed Potatoes, also called late season seed potatoes or autumn planting seed potatoes. Vegetable plants that can still be sown from seed at this time of year include, Chard, Spinach, selected Carrot seed, Kale and Spring Cabbage. Salads can still be sown from seed both for summer and autumn cropping and also for winter growing in the greenhouse. An ideal and very popular variety for this is Winter Gem, the winter version of Little Gem. Chinese cabbage and Pak Choi make great crops for later sowing as they are more suited to cooler temperatures.
4th March 2010
Spring has sprung, the veg plants are arriving!
Great excitement! We took delivery of our first batch of the year of broad beans, calabrese & cabbage plants this week. Finally, the winter feels behind us, the growing season is underway and we can get out in the garden.
21st February 2010
Against the odds.....
We took delivery of a new range of Salad Microleaves windowsill growing kits from The Master Herbalist in January and have been giving the Mizuna variety a bit of a roadtest. All you have to do is take off the lid and water, keeping the compost slightly moist. We weren't that optimistic, given how cold it's been over the past month or so and the poor pot has been on a draughty, non double-glazed windowsill for the past few weeks. I am pleased to report that the seeds germinated quickly and successfully, developing into sturdy seedlings and the true Mizuna leaves are beginning to emerge. The seedlings can be cut and eaten as cress and the maturer leaves for salads. Very easy and highly recommended!
Also from The Master Herbalist is a new product that we are really excited about.
Seedbed rolls are a complete growing system of seedmat, mixed salad seeds and integrated polytunnel. 4ft in length, there are 4 rows of top quality mixed seeds with a selection of Summer Salad like Cos and Red and Green Batavia or Mediterranean Salad featuring Rocket, Cerbiata and garnet coloured Amaranth or Oriental Salad consisting of Mizuna, Tatsoi, Red Mustards. The Oriental leaves, if left to mature, can be also used in stir fries.
Anchoring pegs also included so just roll out your seedbed roll onto the ground or onto a container of multi-purpose compost, peg it down and water and you will have delicious, fresh salad in a few weeks. They can be 'sown' from late March if conditions are suitable.
Microleaves Window Boxes £2.99, available in varieties of Mizuna, Red Basil, Tatsoi, Amaranth, Celery and Purple Broccoli.
Seedbed Rolls £6.99, available in Summer Salad, Mediterranean Salad and Oriental Salad.
13th February 2010
Guaranteed Results!
We are busy adding our selection of Unwins seeds to our vegetable seeds category which includes the new 'Gro Sure' range. Here's what Unwins say about their revolutionary new range of seeds:
'The Unwins Gro-sure seed range makes life easier, with higher germination levels and fewer diseases and pests.
What is the Gro-sure range?
Gro-sure is a pioneering range of vegetable and flower seeds from Unwins which will revolutionise the market. The unique and innovative Gro-sure range is a specially selected range of 100 seeds created specifically to give the best growing performance, germination, vigour, disease and pest resistance and easy sowing.
We are so confident about this new Gro-sure range, that we offer guaranteed results with every packet. Gro-sure is ideal for any level of gardener by creating a range which is designed to give the best ever results.
At the heart of the launch of the Gro-sure range is our desire to keep improving all gardeners' experiences when growing from seed. We believe that all gardeners should be given the best product and that is exactly what the new Gro-sure range delivers.
More advantages of gro-sure seeds!
Gro-sure is not only easy to handle, it also features some of the latest disease and pest resistant varieties. We have teamed up once again with world leading plant science company Syngenta to bring you the best from the world of seed. Included in this is now the most comprehensive range of club root resistant brassica, a technology developed by Syngenta.
Club root is an allotment gardener's nightmare and now we have first access to this exciting technology. Introducing Gro-sure has given the category an entirely new retailing experience, with the first better, best offer. This is exactly what consumers are used to and want from the seed sector.
Gro-sure is about helping any gardener achieve success!
Essentially, we've taken the very best seeds available from across the world and made them even better.
Each seed is chosen for its vigour, flavour, trueness to type uniformity, and disease resistance. We then give a small helping hand by coating any difficult to handle seeds for easy sowing. And because we are confident that every seed will yield a plant, no thinning is required.
The Gro-sure range utilises F1 Hybrid varieties which have been developed for purity, trueness and a number of additional benefits to all gardeners.'
Impressive stuff!
