January: Irish Kitchen Garden tips and advice

Well, its time to start a new year and plan ahead.
One feels that growing your own food in 2013 will be even more important in the times we have.
Oil prices are high, so food is set to become more expensive.
Even a container or fish box can give you salads, herbs and other easy to grow crops so do give it a go. Home grown food is going to be fresher, I believe healthier and certainly more rewarding than plastic shrink wrapped or frozen equivalents. The flavour difference between frozen and fresh veg is huge.

I'm coming home in a few days to make a start on this years crops. It will be interesting to see how the garden has coped in my absence.
Last October I advised as to winter crops and jobs.

But if this is a start its still a good time to get the spade or hoe out and start turning the garden.
Frost and rain break up the soil and help disrupt weeds.
Turn over fairly big clods this allows the frost to break up the ground for you, helps kill off pests and aerated the soil.
Also, it provides some extra food for the birds, they will pick away at pests and bugs.
Don't forget to put out some feeders for our little feathered friends - they guard your garden.
Only February is colder and only December has shorter days. Its a good time to clean things up.
Wash and sterilize propagators. sharpen tools and tidy stuff away.
If you do not already have a compost bin, build one now.

Start putting down traps, especially on new ground for wire worms and beer traps for slugs.
Its never too early to make a dent in their populations - although at the moment its probably too cold for nematodes.

If you live near the sea January was the traditional start of the seaweed collection period. For new potato beds lay out seaweed - and be generous

VEGETABLE TIPS JANUARY
Its time to order and browse seed catalogs and plan the garden, what goes where etc.
It is a great way to start to get past winter, reading up on those occasionally poetic and frequently funny veg names, its a reassurance of spring and growth and a new season on dark, cold and wet nights.
Save egg boxes as they will come in handy for potato chitting next month - whats an Irish veg patch without a few spuds?

Source your seed potatoes if you have not already done so.
When you’ve got your seed potatoes, set them in a light, cool, frost-free spot and leave them to sprout. Make sure you put the tubers with the 'eye' end - where the sprouts will grow from - upwards

You can already make a start on other vital crops - its getting a little late but get garlic cloves into the ground in a sunny spot.

On your window sill plant onion seeds in seed trays.
Indoors or in a shed for early crops eg: lettuces, summer brassicas (e.g. cabbages and cauliflowers), spinach, salad onions and turnips.


Stake or earth up Brussels sprout stalks and kales that look leggy and vulnerable to wind rock.
Pick the biggest sprouts from low down the stalks first.


Force chicory / witloof to produce plump leafy heads.
You can start forcing rhubarb, seakale and chicory in January.

Rhubarb is forced by placing an up-turned bucket/pot over the plant to exclude light.
The warmer the environment the quicker it will grow; you can place manure or straw over the top to encourage growth of the pale, sweet shoots.
Seakale is forced the same way, only there is no need for extra warmth.

FRUIT TIPS JANUARY
Apply winter washes to fruit trees and bushes. Ensure tree stakes and ties are firm and sound.

Prune gooseberry, currant and autumn raspberry bushes.

Prune apple and pear trees - but not stoned fruit trees like cherry or plum.

Plant bare-root trees and bushes, as long as the soil isn't frozen.

Apply a top dressing of sulphate of potash to all fruits and nuts.

Thanks for reading, if this is your first year growing your own food - stick with it, its fantastically rewarding, and if your a returning reader, thanks for sticking with my erratic blogging.



Again, Please do take the time to comment - I really do value and appreciate the feedback.
Please also let others know about the blog, its nice to think it is of help to others.

All the best for 2013 - Simon (the one in the middle)

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2013 and bye bye 2012

Well,, another year and season passes - lets hope the weather in 2013 is a bit better than that of 2012.
The spring was too dry, the summer too wet and overcast to have been called a good one.

Don't forget to plant out garlic cloves now, and inside plant onion seed in trays.

Seasons greetings to all of you and yours, I wish you a happy, peaceful and prosperous new year.


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55 gallon drums and a wind turbine - Heating a shed on the cheap

I don't know if I will actually go this far, but certainly for a workshop empty half the year, just to keep the damp out - heating seems to be a good idea.

I may experiment on Delaneys shed first, after all - if it goes kaboom he'll be on the other side of the wall, and I don't think he'd complain too much. I figure it will be bricked in anyway.

I can neither afford the cost or the time of having a commercial connection and set-up, and if things can be done in a renewable way I'm all in favour of it.
If the idea works, then it is a once off cost, essentially, as long as there is wind, there is power - therefore heat - and in Connemara where trees grow sideways that's a good investment.

The picture above caught my eye, rather than an expensive (and very steal-able) copper cylinder, I will most likely try to find and convert a 55 Gallon drum as above. 

Elements etc. for 12/24 volt systems are reasonably cheap and available - whereas inverters seem very expensive.

24 volt pumps are cheap and easily available, as they are used a lot in cars and boats.

 

The idea of using a wind turbine is feasible as it will supply 12 or 24 volt power directly. 

Pumps etc. still need further exploration, a natural convection system would be better - less moving parts would mean less maintenance. 

Turbines at 300 watt and 12 or 24 volt are costing about €200 and getting cheaper, that would be the single biggest expense, heating elements are about €30so all in all its not a bad idea, but it will need a bit more research - still back of the envelope stuff, but if anyone is interested in helping out or developing the idea just drop me a line.

All feedback, ideas and suggestions are welcome - please do take the time to comment

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Shed Plans

Well, while Im away I have been thinking a bit about a shed - well, two in fact.
The things one does with boredom and an empty packet of cornflakes in foreign climes!!

One in the future is to be a garden shed - brew house, I just need more space.
The other is for Delaney and his latest girlfriend.

So, stuck out in the middle of the Mediterranean, with nothing more than a box of kosher cornflakes, I came up with a cunning and devious design.

The idea is two have a two part shed, one for food and one for shelter so he can come and go as he pleases.
It will also collect rain water so he has a simple source of fresh water at all times.

An open entrance will be protected by a shelter wall, and also face North East, away from the prevailing winds.

 I hope the bugger appreciates the trouble I go to for him.

I am looking as well at underfloor heating systems, the idea being to use a small wind turbine to heat water that is piped through the floor plate, but that is still being researched.

Anyway, its a plan - and anything I learn from it I may be able to apply to another project.
Certainly the independent water, heat and perhaps even power ideas can have other applications elsewhere for others.

Now to try and get it done as cheaply as possible!!

Any advice on wind turbine to water heater most welcome


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Sabbatical - ish

So - there is a time when I need to concentrate on work folks. I'm currently back at work and will be for some time - someone has to work to pay for Delaneys new digs!

I do have a few unfinished or unpublished recipes and when I have time I will try to post them here.

But there are loads of previous posts, and this time of year there are still crops you can put in that grow over the winter or will be ready for next spring.

This is also the time to save seed, make preserves, pickles and make some sauerkraut or equivalent.
Try to store and preserve your harvest, its a shame to waste good food - in particular if you have grown it yourself.

Remember, if you are not growing food, turn the garden over some time between November and January - this allows the frost to break up the ground for you, helps kill off pests and aerated the soil.

One thing I am looking at exploring next year is home brew - the idea being to use my own barley, oats and other veg - so anyone with a bit of skill here is more than welcome to get in contact with me.

Sad thing is things are very tough in Ireland at the moment, with little leadership, vision, imagination or direction - but that really does underline the importance of self sufficiency, self reliance and appreciating what we have.
Growing and foraging food really is enormously rewarding, I started the garden in part to help take my mind off problems, and it has given so much back - and the blog is a way of sharing that -
So thanks to all readers and visitors so far, especially those who have taken the time to comment - next year we will be making booze, so I'm really looking forward to that  - keep on digging.

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