A Rotting Investment

Composting is an immensely satisfying activity. It's because it is one of those trendy eco-activities that as well as being de rigeur, actually does some good for the planet. When my sole source of cultivation was my garden based "micro allotment" I didn't have enough room for a composting frame, so my green waste was collected by the local council via the green bin which was a bit of a waste - no pun intended.

Getting my own allotment gave me the extra space I needed to start my very own compost heap. Enter generous allotment chum. One of my allotmenting mentors, as if by magic, offered me his spare composting frame which he had made himself, and he even delivered it to the allotment. I am so in debt!

There are lots of theories about what you should put in your compost heap to get a well balanced combination of nutrients. In addition to your greens you are supposed to periodically add in torn up egg boxes to keep the carbon content up. However, in the end you can only put in what you produce from your own kitchen and garden otherwise it becomes too much like hard work. I've learnt that twigs, sweetcorn stems, and asparagus foliage are very slow to decay, so it is not a good idea to add too many of these. However, they do help to form a structure in the compost to allow air and rain to circulate throughout the decaying detritus.

When I first started composting I found it difficult to imagine how it would all turn to soil. I thought that it would become just a green slimy mush, but this is where the long dark winters come into play. My current compost heap is now full to the brim and from this week-end I will leave it alone to get on with its winter decay. Hopefully, when I pull off the covers in the spring it will have miraculously turned into a deep brown succulent soil ready to be spread over the plot. I do have some confidence here, as this wonderful transformation happened for me last year.

The lesson I have learned with composting is that as a "watched pot never boils", equally a "watched compost heap is slow to decay". Leave the poor old heap alone to get on with it!

I'm now on the look out for a second composting frame for our winter kitchen waste. I fear I'll have to construct one myself, but unfortunately they don't offer a course on this at the bank.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Aphrodisiac Asparagus

The main objective of my first proper allotment session after the festive season was to tidy up my asparagus plot.

Asparagus is a wonderful vegetable to grow for a variety of reasons. For a start, it is perfect for the lazy, tight fisted gardener. This is because once planted it will be productive for between 15 and 20 years without complaint. Where else would you get such dedication to service? Even apple trees have to be pruned occasionally. Also, the received wisdom in gardening circles is to not bother with the hassle of trying to produce a plant from seed, but to simply go to your nearest (sophisticated) garden centre and buy them already potted up. At about £3 per plant they are amazing value. Even my investment colleagues at the bank couldn't offer this kind of investment value, and asparagus are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

A word of caution. As with all new vegetable based investments of the perennial kind, you should harvest sparingly during the first three years. You can take one or two spears, but the emphasis should be on allowing the plant to get settled into its new environment, and to put down some solid roots.

Asparagus are a rare delicacy as they have a short productive season of around 6 to 8 weeks from about mid May until the end of June. As a consequence you find yourself eating quite a lot of asparagus during this period. From July onwards the spears become progressively more spindly and are not worth harvesting. Having said this, my plot has been surprisingly productive all summer which I put down to season confusion caused by global warming.

So, the only job I had to carry out at the week-end was to chop back the decorative foliage to an inch above the soil, put a layer of manure on top of the plants, and then leave them alone until next spring.

In many ways asparagus is the ideal tonic for the post festive season. They have detoxifying effects and the spear fibres help clean out the gastrointestinal tract. They contain the phytochemical glutathione which has antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties. So fill yer boots if you've over indulged over the past few weeks!

In some countries asparagus is even taken as an aphrodisiac so the reasons for indulging in this super vegetable are now complete.

Enjoy!

Yule Blog

If something taking place on the same day in two consecutive years constitutes a seasonal tradition, then I may have just started one in my household. For the second year on the trot I have managed to persuade my son (aged 15) to accompany me to the allotment on Christmas morning to dig up the requisite amount of seasonal vegetables for Christmas dinner.

However, on Christmas Day the whole family were placed into a temporary state of shock as my daughter (aged 17) decided to join us. Suffice to say, she was was more "dressed to kill" in anticipation of the day's festivities rather than for digging up vegetables. However, her presence was very much welcomed, and as always, treasured. I've always appreciated (and still do) every second my children spend with me as I know that one day they will fly the nest, to possibly ring me once a week if I am lucky.

The allotments were not unsurprisingly very quiet as we arrived mid morning. Although, I do recall an elderly gentleman digging his allotment on last year's Christmas Day visit. Who could blame him? How many people would have traded places with him? Maybe a couple of hours digging would put us all in the right frame of mind to enjoy Christmas!

Anyway, I am glad to report that my parsnips had been left alone by last year's predator, much to my relief. I went ahead and dug up half a dozen large parsnips which suitably impressed the kids, and off we trooped back home.

I wouldn't say the parsnips were the centre piece of Christmas Day dinner, as that particular honour went to the poor unfortunate ex-wild fowl, although their organic addition to the day's festivities were much appreciated. Hopefully I can bring more varieties to the table next year.

Happy New Year to you all.