March 2017
March 2017   


Kitchen Garden - March 2017

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YOU YOUR PLOT

6 ON THE VEG PATCH
Plant and sow broad beans, feed spring
cabbages, prepare soil and cover with cloches,
spread mulches and finish planting fruit trees

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
Grow blueberries, prick out tomatoes, sow
courgettes, watch for slugs and snails, grow
companion plants, ventilate the greenhouse

12 WHAT’S NEW?
The latest news, comment and advice from the
world of kitchen gardening

14 YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS
Learn what other KG readers have been up to
and pick up some great first-hand advice

20 QUESTION TIME
Regular Gardeners’ Question Time panellists
Bob Flowerdew and Anne Swithinbank answer
your fruit and veg growing conundrums

24 BRITAIN’S MOST PASSIONATE
PLOTTERS
Meet more of the outstanding entrants in our
annual competition to find Britain’s keenest
fruit and veg gardeners

60 GROWING ONLINE
Our roundup of the best from the online
gardening community

104 DIARY DATES
Plus giveaway entry coupon and details of
seed and young plant suppliers

107 NEXT MONTH
Some of the highlights to be found in your
April issue plus news of great free gifts

114 LAST WORD WITH THE KG
FORUM
We dip into the wealth of knowledge to be
found on the KG forum.

GET GROWING

16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE
THREE MUDKETEERS
Find out what the KG team are up to in the
KG veg garden this month

28 A TASTE OF SUNSHINE WITH
HERITAGE TOMATOES
Heritage veg enthusiast Rob Smith selects his
favourite tomatoes for flavour

32 TROUBLE-FREE TOMS
Gardening expert Ben Vanheems explains how
to get the best from your crop this season

36 AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO
ASPARAGUS

KG’s Tony Flanagan with his top tips on
growing your own spears

41 MAKE A LAZY BED
Fruit and veg growing expert Joyce Russell
reveals an easy way to make raised beds

45 START WITH THE SOIL
Organic gardening expert Michael Littlewood
explains how to care for your soil the natural way

49 SWEET SUCCESS
KG editor Steve Ott takes a close look at
strawberries and discovers some things that
may surprise you about our most popular
summer fruit

54 FOOD FOR BODY AND SOUL
Joanne Maxwell, a bereavement counsellor at
Springhill Hospice in Rochdale, explains why
the beautiful kitchen garden is so important to
the well-being of clients and their families

62 PLOT TIPS
Ideas and growing advice for your kitchen
garden from deputy editor Emma Rawlings

65 GET OFF TO A GOOD START
WITH SOWING

Do your seed-sowing efforts often seem
to end in disappointment? Then read Sue
Stickland’s down-to-earth advice

70 ETHNIC EDIBLES NEW
Gardening consultant Sally Cunningham is a
keen grower of exotic crops. This month she
explains how to grow your own peanuts

73 HERB UP YOUR KITCHEN
Keen cook Gaby Bartai selects her top 20
herbs for the kitchen

78 CROPS TO SAVE YOU CASH
KG regular Julie Moore highlights the crops
that can save you the most cash, while still
delivering on taste

83 THE GREAT BRITISH SELL OFF
Last year Gaby Bartai visited a group of keen
allotment holders who were in a planning
battle with their local authority. Their story is a
wake-up call to all of us
 
WHAT TO BUY

89 BOOKSHELF

Our roundup of the latest books to have
reached the KG office

92 TRIED AND TESTED
The KG team get out on the plot to prepare
for sowing with a range of popular rakes.
Which rake will be rated the best?

96 READER OFFERS
Claim your free herb plant collection
worth £15.90 plus save on strawberries,
herbs for tisanes, lavender and
hanging baskets

98 GARDEN STORE
Our roundup of the best new products and
services for kitchen gardeners

100 GIVEAWAYS
WORTH OVER £2367

This month you could win great
prizes including natural fertilisers,
handy storage solutions or crop protection
products

102 READER SAVERS
This month there’s the chance to save 10%
on some great garden essentials, including
pop-up protection cages and cloches for
your plants and variable-temperature
electric propagators