Tag Archives: jerusalem artichokes

What Not To Grow With Walnut Trees

For nearly 2,000 years there has been documented evidence of what not to grow with walnut trees. Pliny the Elder, the famous historian wrote “The shadow of the walnut tree is poison to all plants within its compass”. This allelopathic property is a toxin that helps to preserve the walnut tree from competitors. Back in the 1800s scientists discovered the compound juglone was responsible for killing near by plants. This compound is found in the leaves, branches, fruits, and is also excreted from the roots. Not all plants are bothered by juglone, but those that are will suffer from yellowing… → Read More

What to Grow in February

If you’re anything like me, by the end of January you can’t wait to start the growing season off again. Well this post will give you all the information you need to get srated as soon as the calendar turns. So let’s have a look at what to grow in February. What to Grow in February If you have the luxury of a greenhouse, even a unheated greenhouse, there’s a wide range of plants you can grow in February. If you don’t have a greenhouse then your options are slightly more limited but don’t despair. There are many ways to… → Read More

Companion Planting Artichokes

There are of course two types of Artichokes, Jerusalem and Globe. In this post I will cover both types. Companion planting Artichokes is mainly about sheltering other plants, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Jerusalem Artichokes The tubers for Jerusalem Artichokes look similar to root ginger or turmeric, and the flowers look a bit like sunflowers. A word of warning, don’t grow Jerusalem Artichokes unless you want to grow them every year. They will grow from the smallest piece of tuber left in the soil. What Are Jerusalem Artichokes? Not a true artichoke at all but a member of the… → Read More

The plot when I took it on

waist high weeds

I was offered my allotment in early October 2014. I was to meet the site manager on the Monday morning, so on the Sunday morning my wife drove to the site so we could have a sneaky peak. Well I never expected it to be immaculate but I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what I found. The weeds were waist high, there was a pile of rubbish at one end that would have nearly filled a skip and it was obvious that this plot had been neglected for some considerable time. Of course I saw all… → Read More