Favourite Ways to Cook Fennel from Food & Wine. 

One Pot Rainbow Chard with Beans from She Loves Biscotti. 

Radish Spring Bruschetta from Oh Sweet Culture Shock. 

Swede and Lentil Jungle Curry from Lowly Food. 

This year we have decided to start our capsicum and chilli seedlings on a heatmat to improve and speed up germination.

There is a layer of cork tiles underneath, covered by the heat mat, which is protected with a piece of greenhouse plastic and then the trays are placed on top. The thermostat keeps it at a toasty 28 degrees C and in about 7-10 days we should start to see babies popping up.

The seedlings will be moved to the polytunnel as soon as we see them crack the soil so that they don’t get leggy. They will then grow for another 2 months before being potted on into a slightly larger pot for about 2 more weeks.

At this point, in October, we will plant them out into beds prepared with compost and fertiliser, along with a trellis system.

They will grow leaves, flower and fruit, and the mature fruit will be ready to start harvesting by about January.

To read more about what's happening on our local organic farm this week as we grow and care for veggies for our box delivery, check out this week's newsletter here. 

All being well we will be able to harvest right through until late Autumn when the frost will kill the plants. Fruit also needs to be protected from fruit fly and plants fertilised about once a month as they are hungry feeders.

Hopefully this helps explain why these beautiful crops are only available locally over Summer and Autumn, a true seasonal delight, and why they are more expensive in the shops than many other quick and easy to grow veg.

To read more about what's happening on our local organic farm this week as we grow and care for veggies for our box delivery, check out this week's newsletter here.