Kitchen Garden - January 2018

6 ON THE VEG PATCH
Harvest kale, sow onions, prune redcurrants
and apples, check stored fruit, plan your
crop rotation

10 IN THE GREENHOUSE
Plant early potatoes, sow peppers and leafy
salads, install gutters, prune grapes, sow
carrots in containers

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
Our panel of leading experts from the industry
solve your gardening problems

32 PASSIONATE PLOTTER 2018
Meet our winners Denise and Virgil Teague
and take a tour of their Belfast plot

80 GROWING ONLINE
Our pick of gardening social media and websites

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

90 DIARY DATES
See what’s on in your neck of the woods and
make a note to visit a potato day or book
yourself on a course

98 LAST WORD
KG’s team of writers reveal their new year
resolutions for better results on the veg plot
in 2018

 16 ON THE PLOT WITH THE
THREE MUDKETEERS
This month our intrepid trio plant broad
beans, try radish seed pods and prepare soil

18 NEW VARIETY ON TRIAL
KG's Tony Flanagan reveals his experiences
with new mini watermelon ‘Little Darling’

22 FLOWERS ON YOUR PATCH
In our new series spotlighting great cut
flowers and companion plants we turn our
attention to cosmos

26 THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT AT
BRYMORE
Gardening writer Steve Neal visits a boys’
school in Somerset where horticulture is very
much on the curriculum

36 BURIED TREASURE
Gardening writer Holly Farrell explains how
to grow the best potatoes and visits one of
many potato days held this month

40 CHOICE CHILLIES
Veg expert, writer and blogger Rob Smith
loves to grow chillies. Here he reveals his
favourite varieties and how to grow them

44 PRODUCTION LINE PERFECTION
Writer and broadcaster Martin Fish visits a
high-tech nursery in North Yorkshire that
produces perfect young plants for our plots

49 FRUIT TREE CHOICE
Permaculture pioneer Patrick Whitefield
offers his advice on choosing fruit trees

54 MAKE A GUTTER GARDEN
KG regular Joyce Russell explains how to
create a simple gutter garden that can help
you make the most of vertical growing space

58 ROOTING FOR YACONS
Yacons are productive and nutritious raw
or cooked. Sally Cunningham gives you the
lowdown on successful cropping

60 PICK THE PERFECT PEAR
Fruit expert and professional nurseryman
David Patch reveals his top five favourite pears
of all time

64 TAKE THE CELERY CHALLENGE
KG editor, Steve Ott, explains how to get the
best from this sometimes tricky, but popular,
salad ingredient

67 WHAT’S IN STORE?
Organic veg grower Ben Vanheems
encourages us to plan ahead; sowing now to
fill the store cupboard in 2018

70 MAKE A COLD FRAME
Martin Fish brings us another practical project,
this time home-made frost protection for your
early sowings

73 WINTER WARMING DRINKS
Our resident chef Anna Pettigrew brings us a
selection of drinks using some home-grown
ingredients to give you a warm glow

48 INSTANT SAVERS
This month make some great savings on
courses, seeds, tools and other essentials

76 TRIED AND TESTED –
ESSENTIAL SOWING KIT
This month we try out some products
designed to make your sowing season
a success

82 GREAT READER OFFERS
Claim your free* onion sets and fertiliser worth
£13.85 (*just pay p&p), plus save on onion
sets, garlic and potatoes

84 GREAT GIVEAWAYS WORTH
OVER £2043
This month you could win a metal storage
shed, seed collections, wellies, wormeries,
rock dust and tools

86 GARDEN STORE
More great new products and services to
make your growing season the best ever