Super food:

 Kale is a member of the  Brassica  family which comes is various shade of green or some times purple leaves. The main feature is that kale is headless, being  made up of only leaves.

Depending on the variety, kale has a very strong flavour which can increase after being frozen. Winter and a very cold climate makes kale very useful plant to grow in winter as it is well able to survive such harsh weather. This is unlike some other Brassicas, such as broccoli, and cauliflower, to name but two.

In Europe, kale is know as a super food with healing benefits, the plant is also used for garnish or decoration. There are many types of kale: plain leaf, spear leaf, curly leaf, these leaf types are all identifying types of different kales. 

One distinctive and singular characteristic of growing kale is that you can harvest your kale without stopping the kale from growing and that is by harvesting the outer leaves as you need them.

Kale is very easy to grow and  and will add a lot to your winter garden It is of interesting to note that the tender and young kale is best for salads while the mature leaves are best for cooking. 

Best Loved Vegetable

 As one of the best loved leafy vegetables in Europe,  kale is a wondrous raw food with a plenty of redemptive qualities. Used in many dishes around the world. 

 In spite of its amazing health benefits and international allure kale still remains largely under the radar in America.  Maybe it is the temptations of fast food. 

As a super raw food that does not cost much and  is easy to find or grow there is no reason why we all should not be cooking with this leafy plant more often. We all be  better served by including more kale in their daily eating routines.

Kale is very easy to cook with and boasting a voracious variety of uses it should not be difficult for anyone to increase their kale intake. 

Learn a little more about kale and and look at its many health benefits, I am sure there will be a clamor at the supermarkets to buy some.

Nutritious Kale

 Both tasty and nutritious, Kale today is broadly becoming quite possibly the most well known vegetable word-wide. 

The leafy green breed of cabbage has more nutrient C than oranges and is an amazing fountainhead of iron, also full of enemies of oxidants. Growing  kale can be simple, even for those of us who do not  see ourselves as a "green thumb." 

Sowing the Seeds 

For the most part, you will need to plant in Aumtum or late-winter. It is best not to plant in mid summer as it does not do well in heat. 

Establish your kale seeds in a nursery bed around 15-25 inches separated. Giving adequate room for the soft leaves to develop. Seeds are best planted around ½ inch down.

 Since the seeds will be shallow, you need to make sure that the seeds are well covered with soil once sown in the nursery bed or pot. 

Beaware that kale is a hungrey plant and will need good soil and feeding during its growing.

The Developing System 

 It takes by and large, around 80-120 days before harvest . Make sure the kale has a lot of water, at all stages of growth. 

If you have planted in a pot, move it to the bed when six or seven leaves appear.  Do check the plants each week or so for bugs like caterpillars. 

Gathering the Kale 

Around 85 days subsequent to planting the seeds, the kale is normally prepared for harvest, yet this can shift contingent depending on the season. It is best to just take a couple of leaves of each plant.

 You generally better to leave a portion of the new leaves on the plant so it can keep growing.

Gather any leaves which might be becoming yellow. 

Work on your bugs

If you do nothing about bugs on your crops, they will wipe everything out.

You can, of cause, use synthetic compounds as pesticides to do this, however it could be as destructive to you as is to the bugs. 

 Using these synthetic compounds has  been shown to be the cause of various sicknesses like Lymphoma, malignant growth, birth deserts and so forth. 

 They also cost a lot and is much better to use more natural nursery bug control, being better for you and your purse. 

One of the first steps to take is to make sure that your soil is as natural as possible to support and grow your crop. By that, I mean, do not use chemical fertiliser. Use natural manures and compost.

Place plants about your beds that deter or and repulse bugs like mint These are non harmful in nature and give successful outcomes in killing or repulsing the bugs. 

Only spray your plants with natural products, like natural liquid soaps and do it every week.

Wash and clean your tools and equipment when every you use them, once again use a natural product. 

Read a creepy crawly reference book, doing so will help you see and understand what you are up against.

Steaming Kale Thoughts

 Steaming Kale Thoughts:

Kale contains a compound that can stifle thyroid capacity in specific individuals. Some say that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, collards, brussel sprouts, cabbage, mustard greens, kohlrabi, turnip, and kale, ought to consistently be cooked in light of the fact that they can upset thyroid chemical creation. 

They do this by hindering thyroid peroxidase and disturbing messages that are sent across layers of thyroid cells and cooking these vegetables extraordinarily diminishes these adverse consequences. 

So on the off chance that you have thyroid issues, it very well may be a good thought to take a look at softly steaming your kale. 

Different explanations behind delicately steaming your  kale, is that it begins the stomach related cycle for you. 

Delicately steaming separates the cell design of vegetables and significantly expands the edibility and supplement ingestion of supplements in vegetables as per the "you ought to cook your kale camp." 

One of the primary advantages of delicately steaming your greens is that you will annihilate poisons microorganisms. Pathogenic microscopic organisms will be killed when presented to warm. This is incredible information! 

So we should take look at how we will do this.  Because kale crops are regularly sprayed with pesticides you must do something about it. 

Start by washing your greens and chopping them up . 

Steam them for five minutes and then blend the kale in a high speed blender and pour the mixture into daily  amounts and pop them in your freezer for your smoothies. 

Ready for winter:

 Getting ready for winter on your plot is something a great many people would rather not think about. Winter is a reality that is gradually crawling up on us as every day passes. It may seem like we have a lot of time left, however it truly pays off over the long haul to kick your colder time of year arrangements off at this point. 

You really need to get your blossom beds tidied up and all your spring blooming bulbs in the ground before the end of November. Make certain to continue to water your evergreens consistently until the ground begins to freeze. The reason for this is, if the ground is frozen evergreens can not take up any more dampness, yet they will in any case unfold leaves, thus drying out if not, completely watered before the ground freezes. 

Trim your grass short at the last cutting of the year this will help with stopping any build up of rubbish     from collecting over winter. Make certain to rake up leaves for your compost. 

Do look to your tools and machines. Sharpen, clean, service anything that may need it.

If you have a water system of any sort, do make sure that is is frost protected. Do not wait for the cold weather:do it now.

Also, snow proof anything that might be damaged by a heavy fall of snow. One year, I lost my fruit cage because of the weight of snow.....If only I had been prepared!

I know the prospect of winter is not ideal, however the more you do now the less issues you will have when the chilly weather hits. 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5229432

Squirrels in my garden.

I have put two rows of broad beans out and they have been dug up twice by squirrels, To try to stop them coming every night I have put some hot, scattered spicy chilli  flakes around.

I hope this works.

Perennial veg:

 

 Perennial veg: This winter I am looking into growing perennial vegetables, because aside from the fact that there’s no need to buy more seeds to plant more vegetables and thus save money that way, there is also the idea when it comes to perennials that as the roots become deeper they require less watering. 

 Perennial vegetables are taking water and nutrients from deeper in the soil, so there’s also less of a requirement for plant food with perennials.  Add to this the fact that you’re not spending the time preparing the ground, sowing and transplanting, then it means you’ll have more time to spend on other vegetables too!  This all sounds good to me. 

Climate Change: What To Do.

 Such a big question and mess all round....what can you do.

Go to your garden and do the best you can on your bit of land. Do not let them get in your head, just look after y0our own bit.

Tidy up for rats

 Some simple steps to take to prevent future rat problems include:

• Tightly secure all dust bins cans
• 
  
• Pick up any dog poop daily (a disgusting but readily consumed food source)
• 
  
• Minimize the use of bird feeders (spilled seeds are a great food source)
• 
  
• Tidy up rubbish piles
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• Get rid of any sources of food and water
• 
  
• Contact  your local council.