Cerastium vulgatum and Hypochaeris radicata (some rust disease was discovered on these). Raised beds were flame weeded and new compost was put on. The Jang was the used to sow the Red Russian Kale @ 5 rows per bed.

planted in bunches of 3 is a good guide (Longer growing season = bigger bulb)
- Plant in mid April when soil has warmed, making sure to trim both tops and tails, add liquid seaweed to provide natural nutrients.
- Weed every fortnight (also helps aeration of the soil), check for irrigation, add more liquid seaweed on a monthly basis, keeping an eye for any Puccinia allii.
- Harvest in late July for bunching / mid August for bulk harvest and drying.
- Dry on ventilated areas for 6 weeks, top & tail.

Plants crammed together for too long end up tall and drawn as they fight to get to the light. In the process of this struggle, they support themselves on one another. When it comes to prick them out, they have no stability and fall over.

PLEASE NOTE: the pest MUST be present before introducing this predator for control to be effective - please do not order beforehand.

Here’s the recipe we used:

1. In a large glass or stainless steel pot, mix 1/8 cup of dried horsetail leaves in 4 1/2 litres of unchlorinated water

2. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 1/2 hr.

3. Cool, strain, bottle and label. The infusion will keep for a month which is long enough for you to keep reapplying to your crop. Any left overs can be used as a wonderful hair rinse.

4. To use, dilute the 1 part horsetail concentrate to 5-10 parts unchlorinated water. Spray infected plants once every week or two in dry weather or daily if it is raining.

Depending on the temperature, these eggs hatch into creamy coloured larvae after about 7 days. The larvae move through the soil to the Carrot plants and start feeding on the roots, eventually burrowing into the Carrot roots forming mines. The first symptoms are a reddening of the Carrot leaves, which start to wilt.

There are normally two generations of Carrot Root fly a year. The first generation appears late April/early May and the second towards late July/August. Carrot Root Fly traps should be in position just prior to these times and throughout these months. The traps will help monitor Carrot root fly populations and reduce the number of egg laying adults by catching them on specially coloured sticky traps, which acts as an attractant.

The principle of crop rotation is to grow specific groups of vegetables on a different part of the vegetable plot each year. This helps to reduce a build-up of crop-specific pest and disease problems and it organises groups of crops according to their cultivation needs.

Rhizodeposition is a special advantage to working with cover crops. Many plants actually release sugars and other substances through their roots. They are like little solar engines, pumping energy down into the soil. With vigorous cover crop plants, this process goes on much more deeply than you would ever dig — 6 feet for oats and rye! If you are leaving your garden beds bare in winter, you are missing the chance to use cold-hardy crops such as cereal rye or oats to solar-charge your soil. Thanks to this release of sugars, the root tips of many plants host colonies of helpful microorganisms, and as the roots move deeper, the microbes follow.

But so much for scientific talk. If you’ve experimented with cover crops, perhaps you have dug up young fava beans or alfalfa seedlings to marvel at the nitrogen nodules on their roots, or watched a stand of buckwheat go from seed to bloom in four weeks flat. Or how about this one: It’s April and the soil is warming up and drying out. After loosening a clump of fall-sown wheat with a digging fork, you pull up a marvelous mop of fibrous roots and shake out the soil. What crumb! The soil’s structure is nothing short of amazing! These are the moments an organic gardener lives for.

Plants crammed together for too long end up tall and drawn as they fight to get to the light. In the process of this struggle, they support themselves on one another. When it comes to prick them out, they have no stability and fall over. It is important when handling the plants you lift them by the leaf and not the stem, as this can damage the vascular system and kill the plant.
A celled tray filled with compost and used to transplant the

Nicotiana seedlings. These will be potted in to single 1ltr pots as the roots develop.