Author Archives: Steve Jones

Don’t Waste Good Food

We live in a throw away society now days, everything from cars to kitchen appliances are made to be replaced not repaired anymore. Well one place where we can all be greener and more frugal is with our vegetables. My advice is don’t waste good food. Don’t Waste Good Food There are plenty of people who don’t realise just how much food they are wasting. We learn certain processes throughout the course of our lives, and most never question them. Well I’m going to challenge your beliefs and hopefully get you to try some different approaches to using vegetables. Use… → Read More

The Most Important Thing To Remember When Transplanting Seedlings

There are many things that need to be taken into account when transplanting or repotting seedlings. However the most important thing to remember when transplanting seedlings will give your plants the very best start in life. Things To Remember When Transplanting Seedlings Once the seeds have germinated and they are growing strong, it’s easy to believe that the job’s done and that healthy plants are guaranteed. Apart from the obvious factors like temperature, moisture, humidity, hardening off, and light, there are other points to be aware of. Things like:- Which parts of the seedlings are delicate and easily damaged How… → Read More

The Benefits Of Epsom Salts

Nearly every modern gardening guide has a reference to Epsom Salts. So here is the growing-guides definitive guide to the benefits of Epsom Salts. What Are Epsom Salts? Epsom salts are a compound of magnesium sulfate not really a salt at all, but a naturally occurring mineral compound named after a spring found just outside Epsom in Surrey UK. The Benefits Of Epsom Salts There are many benefits from using Epsom Salts in the garden, but before we get into that lets explore exactly what Epsom Salts are. As stated earlier they are a compound of magnesium and sulfate. Both… → Read More

Growing Amaranth

My friend has given me about a dozen Amaranth plants and I don’t have a clue how to grow them. So as I am researching them anyway I thought I’d write a post on growing Amaranth. What Is Amaranth? Amaranth is a plant similar to spinach or quinoa. It originates in South America but will survive in the UK in summer time. The common name for amaranth is Love Lies Bleeding, and amaranth means everlasting in Greek. Growing Amaranth Amaranth will grow easily in the UK in well drained soil after all frosts have finished. Sow seeds in late May… → Read More

Flowers As Companion Plants

One of my older posts focused on Poached Egg Plant Companion Plants, this got me thinking about using other flowers as companion plants. What flowers to use and Why use them? Exactly what are the benefits? So in this post that’s what I’m going to find out. Why Use Flowers In The Vegetable Garden? Flowers are good to look at, they smell nice and they give a garden a pleasant appearance. As will soon become apparent, they also have many helpful benefits in the vegetable garden. The secret as always is placing the right flowers with the right vegetables. Flowers… → Read More

The Easiest Way To Grow Sweetcorn In The UK

The Easiest way to grow Sweetcorn in the UK. That sounds like a definitive statement, that’s because it is. I have tried many different ways to grow sweetcorn and this is by far my most successful. How To Grow Sweetcorn When I started growing vegetables I was advised by many “experts” not to waste my time with sweetcorn as it needed longer, hotter summers than we get in the UK. I spent my formative years as a greengrocer and throughout late Summer and early Autumn I used to sell British grown sweetcorn, Which tasted incredibly sweet so as soon as… → Read More

How To Make Simple, Tasty Vegan Pasties

This very simple vegan recipe is so tasty, takes hardly anytime to prepare, and will satisfy the hungriest of appetites. I have served these to meat eaters who didn’t realise they were eating a Vegan meal. So here’s how to make simple, tasty vegan pasties. How To Make Simple, Tasty Vegan Pasties The first step is to make or buy some short crust pastry. This is another simple task and the easiest recipe can be found here. Once you have your pastry, turn your oven to gas mark 4 (350 F or 180C) Then you can start to prepare your… → Read More

Cinnamon And Its Benefits In The Garden

Cinnamon And It’s Benefits In The Garden Cinnamon is a spice that has been used since the days of ancient Egypt, Its health benefits are widely known. What is not so widely known is the use of cinnamon and its benefits in the garden. What Is Cinnamon? Famed for its medicinal properties for thousands of years, cinnamon is made from the inner bark of trees of the genus Cinnamomum. The bark is removed by cutting the stems of the tree, the inner bark is then extracted and the woody parts removed. As it dries the strips curl into rolls, these… → Read More

The Great Tomato Experiment

I posted earlier on in the year about air pruning and I said I would update later. Well this is later so here’s the update. I’m calling this the great tomato experiment because, frankly I don’t get a lot of excitement in my life. I’m only joking but if I’m honest I do derive a lot of pleasure growing my own produce and I also enjoy experimenting with new ideas and seeing if I can improve on my growing techniques. So let me set the scene. The Great Tomato Experiment Firstly let me explain what I intend to do. I… → Read More

How To Grow Jerusalem Artichokes

Jerusalem Artichokes are one of the easiest plants to grow, just bury a piece of root in soil and it will grow. Better growth will of course be obtained given the right conditions. So in this post I’ll tell you all I know about Jerusalem Artichokes, What they are, where they come from and of course how to grow them. What Are Jerusalem Artichokes? Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus Tuberosus ) is a perennial plant which grows to a height of 10 ft. The flowers look like small Sunflowers, and are grown for their edible root. Many names are attributed to this… → Read More