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| Go greener |
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| With a growing number of gardeners eschewing chemicals in favour of natural alternatives, we can suggest some effective products from our organic gardening selection |
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| Relax and refresh |
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| Good food freshly prepared daily, aromatic coffee, chilled wine and a grassy play area for the children. What more could you need? |
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| Food heaven |
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| Our Farm Shop is heaven for food lovers! Delicious handmade food, top quality groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables and stylish cookware and gifts. |
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| The Discovery Walk |
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| As thousands of daffodils herald the spring, stroll or stride around our Walk while the youngsters enjoy the Nature Trail |
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Feeling fruity – for months to come!
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| Thursday, 28th August 2008 |
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IN THE GARDEN WITH PETA MARSHALL
Technically summer still has three more weeks (until September 21st), and then we are supposed to start the autumn season.
But recent years have blurred all of these seasonal edges, and the climate dictates whether summer ends in July, August, September or even October (I heard that this September there will be an ‘Indian Summer’ – trouble is we’ve got to go to India to get it!).
But the one thing you can’t get away from is that during the last few weeks of summer, and the first half of autumn, the fruit garden is at its peak. Apples and pears are at their best, and there are autumn raspberries, late strawberries, as well as blackberries and a host of other nutritious goodies.
Trouble is, they come all at once, leaving the rest of the year devoid of fresh fruit. But you can do something about that. Take apples and pears…
The time for picking varies according to the season, the locality and, of course, the variety in question. Some ripen early; others are mid-season varieties, while yet others are late croppers. Generally, in our part of the country the earliest varieties of apples are ready for picking in late July or early August. These will need to be eaten straight away as they don’t keep very well.
The mid-season varieties are cropping now, and the late season types will be ready in September and October. These are the better ones for keeping.
A good test for ripeness is to lift the fruit in the palm of the hand. If it leaves the spur (the little knot of woody stems from which the fruits hang) easily with its stalk intact, it is ready. If it remains stubbornly attached to the spur then leave it for a day or two.
To prevent bruising, pick the fruits from the tree carefully, and place each one in a basket or box without damage to it or the others! To store for several months, keep the fruit as cold as possible, but protect them from frost.
Only store the best fruits, with no insect or bird damage. Discard or use the good bits of any damaged fruits straight away. If you have masses of windfalls, or otherwise damaged fruits, peel them, slice them, bag them and freeze them.
Polythene bags holding about 5lb. (2kg) of apples are suitable for storage.
This prevents the fruits shrivelling, and keeps them clean. Half a dozen or so ventilation holes should be made, using a pen, in the polythene. The mouth of the bag should be folded over, not sealed.
If you have lots of dessert apples, meaning it will take a long time for them to be used, it is a good idea to wrap them individually, using tissue paper. The wraps help to prevent moisture loss and the spread of rots from one apple to another.
Cooking apples should be wrapped individually. Newspaper can be used, as any newsprint ink that rubs off on to the skin will be removed when peeling. Lay the fruit out in single layers in cardboard or slatted wood trays.
Pears are slightly different. Test for ripeness by lifting the pear in much the same way as apples, but as you lift it give it a little twist. If it comes away it’s ready. If it doesn’t, it’s not!
Pears should be picked when they are still firm – they will generally go soft on the tree after which time they are past their absolute best. Early varieties spoil if left on the tree even a day or two.
The later varieties will keep in storage, and they should definitely be stored on slatted trays in a cool, dark shed. They should not be wrapped or bagged as they seem to be better with air circulating around them. They keep slightly better in cooler conditions than apples – ideally 3-7°C (37-45°F). Bring them into room temperature to finish ripening them whenever required.
I have always found that it is not a good idea to mix apple and pear varieties in storage as they tend to ripen at slightly different times. The ethylene gas given off by, say, the early varieties will cause the later ones to ripen prematurely.
So, keep all bagged fruits by variety. And if you’re storing different varieties openly in a shed, keep them as far apart as possible.
I can still remember – and smell – my grandfather’s fruit shed, with shelf after shelf of apples, and a few pears thrown in for good measure. It’s one of those evocative memory-inducing smells that stay with you forever, like homemade chutney your mum used to make, and the leathery smell of your uncle’s brand new Morris Minor in 1961. Oops, showing my age!
Let’s store some fruit… Happy gardening!
Locally-grown apples
If you have young fruiting plants that are not yet in full cropping mode, or your garden is too small to accommodate apples and pears, you don’t have to miss out on freshly-produced, locally-grown fruits. Pop down to the Priory Farm Shop, where you’ll find a great selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Depending on when you come, tree-ripened English apples, as well as raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, runner beans, plums or pumpkins could be making their appearances – and they are always very popular with visitors hungry for “fresh as you can get” produce!
We are also pleased to work closely with Secretts, a local Surrey farm which specialises in growing tender market garden produce and salads (and which won the Best Producer category in the Observer Food Monthly awards).
This week in your garden
Deadhead flowers plants – such as roses, dahlias, penstemons and bedding plants – to prolong the flowering season.
From this week, and for the whole of September, you can sow hardy annuals directly into garden borders. The plants will overwinter and flower next summer.
Cyclamen that have been at rest during the summer should be started back into growth for winter flowers.
Raise vegetable marrow fruits off the ground slightly to prevent them rotting from contact with the damp soil.
Peta Marshall is the plant centre manager at Priory Farm in Nutfield. Website: www.prioryfarm.co.uk
NEXT WEEK: It’s daffodil planting time
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