Welcome

TOPS JOBS FOR JANUARY

TASKS FOR YOUR VEGETABLE PATCH

THREE STEPS FOR BETTER STRAWBERRY PLANTS

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Most of the large lower sprouts will have been picked

ON THE VEG PATCH

These delicious vegetables can all stand in the garden in early winter.

PESTS AND PROBLEMS

Rats and mice can wreak havoc if they get into a vegetable store.

CHECK NEWLY PLANTED FRUIT TREES

Even if trees are tied, there can be some room for movement.

REMOVE CANKER FROM APPLE TREES

Check apple trees for signs of canker.

DIG DRAINS!

This is an ideal time to take a good look at the garden.

MAKE SMART CHOICES WHEN BUYING SEEDS

Seeds are the powerhouses from which plants grow.

IN THE GREENHOUSE

■ Pick over salads and any veg being overwintered

PRUNE GRAPE VINES

January is about the latest you want to be pruning

HARVEST WINTER BRASSICAS

A cold polytunnel provides the perfect growing conditions

CHECK STRAWBERRIES IN CONTAINERS

There’s nothing nicer than the first few strawberries

GET THE PROPAGATOR READY FOR ACTION!

Seed sowing time will soon be with us, so it’s important to make sure everything is ready to go.

JANUARY TIPS

■ A maximum-minimum thermometer is an essential piece of kit

WHAT’S NEW

ALL THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS & FACTS FROM THE WORLD OF KITCHEN GARDENING

GARDENING WISDOM

Gardening for Disabled Trust has announced the publication

GROW ANYWHERE PLANTERS

The Posh Shed Company has launched a new range of planters

D T BROWN LAUNCHES FREE TRIAL SEED

Every year Suffolk mail order ‘grow your own’ specialist

SCHOOLS TO BENEFIT FROM SEEDBALL DONATION

Not-for-profit company Seed has donated 200,000 wildflow

DID YOU KNOW

Including a few plants in a bare front garden could reduce your stress levels

INTERNET PURCHASES SOAR

In 2020, the internet garden products market is estimated to achieve a growth of 25%

GUILTY MEAT EATERS

A survey commissioned by Future Normal and The Vegan Society

HAVE YOUR SAY

CONTACT US WITH YOUR LETTERS AND TIPS: TFLANAGAN@MORTONS.CO.UK

JACK AND THE GIANT… MARROW

Here’s my grandson Jack with the BIG marrow from grandad's garden

WORK IN PROGRESS

I’ve recently purchased a digital subscription of the

SEND US YOUR LETTERS - EVERYONE’S A WINNER

Send us your tips and pictures

MY FIRST BUTTERNUT SQUASH

It was an unusual summer to say the least so when I

LOO TUBE SUCCESS

I would like to add our experiences to the loo roll

HEALTHY STRAWBERRIES

COLIN2016: There is a strawberry bed on my plot

Mudketeer’s Club

A dedicated website for subscribers ONLY www.mudketeers.co.ukincludes exciting offers, brand new seed variety trials, competitions and unique features just for you.

KG PROBLEM SOLVER

GOT A FRUIT OR VEG PROBLEM? ASK KG FOR HELP

POTATO SLUG PEST

My ‘Cara’ potatoes this year have been extremely large

WRITE IN AND WIN - EVERY QUESTION WINS A PRIZE

Our Star Question winner will receive vouchers worth

WHY ARE MY CARROTS SO THIN?

I am a beginner grower. I read many times before we

A GREENHOUSE MOUSE

I have mice in my greenhouse. What can I do?

GARLIC FOR THE FROZEN NORTH

I live in Moray, way up in Scotland, and I was wondering

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT ARRIVES EVERY MONTH

Treat a friend (or yourself!) to their favourite magazine subscription this Christmas.Check out our fantastic range below, there’s something for everyone!

IT’S A SMALL WORLD

For Sherry Bryan an article that appeared in the October issue of KG sparked off some fond memories of her childhood and her dad’s allotment

ON THE PLOT WITH THE 3 Mudketeers

The KG team offer chat, tips and gardening gossip

GOING LARGE?

My history of growing good-sized onions is sadly lacking

STRAWBERRY HOPE

grew some musk strawberries (Fragaria moschata) from

OUCH!

Well, the truth is I hate gooseberries - cooked, that is

GROW WITH BELLE Grow sprouting seeds!

Hi! I’m Belle and I’m here every month to share lots of fun activities for you to do at home, on your own or with your family

KG PLOTTERS REVEALED

Last year we officially launched a competition to find 12 readers and their plots to feature in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Here we announce the winners and, drawn in random order, we show you

OUR PLOTTER OF THE MONTH

Carolyn has been growing vegetables for 30 years on a veg patch in her garden

Prizes and Sponsors

Each of our 12 winners will receive the following kindly given by our sponsors.

OUR SPONSORS

We would like to thank the following sponsors

10 IDEAS FOR YOUR PLOT THIS YEAR

There is nothing like a new project to get your teeth into in the new year. Emma Rawlings suggests a few ideas that may inspire

Time for tea

This month Rob Smith is talking tea; not for human consumption of course but the kind your plants will thank you for

THE LOW IMPACT GARDEN

In this first of a bi-monthly series on gardening organically Dr Anton Rosenfeld, knowledge officer for Garden Organic, explains the basic principles involved in planning for an environmentally low impact garden

Hooked on gardening

An allotment site in a small village in Hampshire celebrates 10 years of gardening fun. One founding member, Sue Hinton, tells all

Seeds to savour

Seeds are packed with protein, fantastically versatile - try them scattered on salads, yogurt or your morning porridge - and undeniably yummy. The big question is: Why don’t we grow more of them? Benedict Vanheems drills down into the simply sensational world of seeds

GROWING ONLINE

We dig deep into the World Wide Web to harvest some great websites, tips and gardening chitchat

Gardening on a budget

In this new series, Stephanie Hafferty shows you the many different ways you can save money on your fruit and veg by growing your own

BACK TO BASICS: Tree fruit

In part one of a two-part series, David Patch outlines the basics of growing tree fruit successfully, especially for beginners

DAVID’S SUGGESTIONS

Here, then, is my list of fruit varieties, from easiest to the more challenging:

Make your garden a place of well-being

In consultation with the senior horticultural therapist at Thrive, the national gardening charity, Annabelle Padwick offers some advice on how to adapt your garden to suit your physical needs

Kitchen Garden Christmas gift guide

Looking for something unique and useful to gift this Christmas

SOW EXCITING!

Tony Flanagan has been scouring the latest catalogues for some of the new vegetable seeds set to entice and excite in 2021

FAMILY MATTERS BURGEONING BRASSICAS

In the second of our series exploring the major groups of plants essential to kitchen gardeners, KG editor Steve Ott turns the spotlight on the cabbage family

PATHS - HOW THEY FEED YOUR PLANTS AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER THEM

In this extract from his great new book, no-dig gardening guru Charles Dowding explains how paths not only help you to get around your plot but can increase yields too

PRIME TIME FOR HEDGES

Hedges perform so many important functions in our gardens. You may even be able to sneak in some tasty crops! KG editor Steve Ott offers his tips for those thinking of planting one this winter

PRODUCT REVIEW

Give your seeds a great start to the new growing season with a propagator. There are quite a number of options, so here is a representative range for you to consider before you buy

GO FORTH AND PROPAGATE!

Our guide to propagators in a nutshell

READER OFFERS

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS TO HELP MAKE YOUR MONEY GO FURTHER

GIVEAWAYS

TO ENTER OUR GIVEAWAYS SEE PAGE 89 OR VISIT THE KG WEBSITE

GARDEN STORE PLUS SUBSCRIBER SAVERS

Are you a subscriber to Kitchen Garden magazine? Then visit www.mudketeers.co.uk for details of how you can take advantage of the exclusive subscriber-only deals on these pages!

DISH DELISH!

With beetroot, red cabbage and leeks on the menu, treat yourself to a feast of colour and flavour with Anna Cairns Pettigrew’s delectable introduction to the new year