KBCG Christmas potluck
The Christmas potluck in the Killaloe Family Resource Centre on Sunday 10 December exceeded all expectations.
Members brought a mouth-watering selection of all varieties of food. Everyone brought something different.
Dishes often featured garden produce and national cuisines. Next time shall we ask for the recipes too? Recipe cards to take away with any leftovers?
With members replete from the feast, Zeine distributed gifts from Secret Santa.
The Family Resource Centre with all its facilities was a wonderful venue for our event. Many thanks to Brona for making us so welcome there. KBCG has made a donation to the FRC in appreciation.
Gardening talks in the FRC planned
There may not be too many fine days in the next few months, but gardening need not be far from our thoughts. We’re hoping to arrange some talks in the FRC during the winter, starting with a talk by an organic farmer from Cloughjordan in February.
Watch this space.
One fine day
When we are lucky enough to have a sunny dry day and welcome a chance to get outside there’s always plenty to do in the garden.
Prepare communal plots for next spring
In communal veggie beds 5b, 12a, 13a, 16 and 19b remove spent crops, add manure, compost or seaweed, cover with weed membrane or cardboard.
In the next growing season these will be planted with crops such as Carolus potato, sweet corn, runner beans, courgettes, beetroot and potato onions.
Soft fruit
Weed, prune, mulch.
At the beginning of December Josh brought his youth group to help in the garden. They had fun gathering up raspberry prunings for the dead hedge and sweeping up leaves for the leaf bin. We look forward to seeing them again.
Winter prune fruit trees
To prune the apple trees in the community garden, start by pruning out any dead or diseased wood. Then prune out any branches that are crossing or rubbing. Lastly, thin out the centre of the trees to allow better light and air circulation.
Some trees have become out of hand. To keep height and spread under control, reduce the branches by one third to one half of the last season’s growth.
Seal all cuts, no matter how small, with organic ‘seal and heal’ for protection until the trees form a natural callus.
Attention to detail pays off
Jim Cronin’s online session about growing early potatoes in a polytunnel, although aimed mainly at organic market gardeners rather than home or communal gardeners, had some helpful advice.
What came over loud and clear was the need to pay attention to detail at every stage – from choosing and buying seed, preparing and planting, feeding and watering – in order to harvest good yields of healthy crops.
The recording of the online session is available to watch at the following link: https://vimeo.com/896707827/e7599bda86?share=copy
Oca
The pink tubers drying in the polytunnel are oca, a South American tuber with a lemony taste.
On 10 May, nine tubers from Irish Seed Savers were planted in pots in the polytunnel. Once these had started growing, they were planted out, soon covering the ground with attractive foliage.
The frost in early December killed off the top growth. Then, tubers were easy to harvest as they grow near the surface of the soil. Washed and spread out in the polytunnel to dry the tubers will be stored in the shed, and the biggest and healthiest saved for chitting and planting next Spring.
As with all unusual crops, as well as learning to grow them we also have to learn to use them in the kitchen. Oca can be roasted with a little oil, boiled, steamed, mashed, stir-fried and added to soups and stews.
Oca is full of nutrients and carbohydrate, perfect for the Irish climate and a blight-free alternative to potato. Be adventurous. Taste some and if you like them, try growing them.
Irish Seed Savers Events 2024
24 February
Annual Community Seed Share Event.
May
National Biodiversity Week free guided tours showcasing the rich biodiversity of Ireland and the importance of protecting it for future generations.
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