The edible Amaranth – or Chinese spinach as it is more commonly called - is an ancient food plant native to South America. So revered was it in ancient Inca and Aztec cultures that it was considered to be a sacred plant.
Amaranth leaves are high in protein and although nutritionally similar to beets, Swiss chard and spinach, they are actually far superior. For example, amaranth leaves contain three times the amount of both calcium and niacin (vitamin B3) compared to spinach leaves.
Because of their sub-tropical origins, edible Amaranth will do particularly well in warm climates, so much so, that it if you are growing it using the ‘cut-and-grow-again method’ it can be harvested a mere 30 days after sowing.
When planting directly into the ground, amaranth seeds will germinate more successfully if they are sown into a finely prepared seed bed that receives adequate moisture. This can be done anytime from April onwards so long as the threat of late frosts are over. However, it is more important to make sure that soil temperatures are averaging above 16 degrees Celsius - you will be able to sow them earlier if they can be given the protection of a small poly-tunnel. Of course, once the weather stays consistently warm the cover can be removed.
Thinly sow the seed into rows 12 inches apart with each row spaced up to two feet apart. Cover with a 1/4 inch of soil, firm gently, and keep moist and weed free. When they are large enough, thin the seedlings out to approximately 1 plant for every 3 inches when using amaranthus for baby leaf, or 8 inches apart for producing mature plants. If you wish, any thinnings collected can be eaten as you would do with baby leaf salad or they can be added as part of a stir fry.
Some edible amaranth varieties can get quite tall and may need the support of canes. Check the height of you crop before you sow so that you can place your canes before the plants are of a size that the roots can become damaged by their insertion.
In northern European climates, you should be able to harvest your first amaranths crop from June up until October.
If you are using the crop for baby leaves, only pick a few leaves per plant. For mature plants, harvest leaves and stem from the top to encourage further side shoots. Remove any flowers as soon as their buds appear otherwise leaf production will come to an end.
Most of us are familiar with the calls of an elephant. They range from the familiar trumpet call (a favourite of the old Tarzan films) to a low-frequency rumble that sounds – at least to our human ears - something akin to a deep growl.
These forms of communication are an essential part of their social behaviour and this enables a herd to keep track of relatives, defend territories and alert other elephants to danger.
It has now been discovered that elephants can produce an infrasonic sound from 1- 20Hz – a range that is inaudible to humans - and these sounds can travel over huge distances.
They can also produce what is known as a ‘seismic’ signal which is like mini earthquake allowing elephants to position each other in relation to their own location.
Using specially-developed acoustic software, researchers at San Diego Zoo in the US have tried to uncover the secret language of the elephant by deciphering these sounds and have come up with a fascinating new insight into the workings of the herd.
Early results have shown that pregnant females - in the last few days of their gestation period – begin to manipulate the low frequency range of their calls. This auditory communication alerts the rest of the herd of the imminent birth, and at the appropriate time they react by forming a barrier around the mother to protect her and the newly born calf from potential predators at this critical time.
Often referred to as lady's fingers, okra is popular vegetable in the south of India (where it is mostly used in dry curries) and the southern states of America (where it is used in a variety of recipes including gumbos). Relatively unknown in Northern Europe the okra is a long green pod with a ribbed and slightly fuzzy skin. The inside of an okra pod has a somewhat gooey texture and is full of edible, creamy seeds. When cooking, okra exudes a glutinous juice which thickens stews and braised dishes.
Okra plants easily cross-pollinate so if you are planning on saving seed from your plants it is best to plant just the one variety - otherwise the resulting seedlings will not grow true to the parent plant.
When harvesting Okra pods for culinary use they are best picked before they get any bigger than 3 inches long. If they are left to grow any larger they will begin to give off an unpleasent woody flavour together with a rather unpalatable texture. However, if you want to collect seed from them it is best to allow the pods to get as big as they can. Either pick them off the stalk so that they can be dried off indoors or allow the pods to dry off naturally on the stalk before harvesting.
Have a bowl on hand to collect the seeds then either twist the dried pods in your hands to break open the seed or slice the pods lengthwise from top to bottom, prying the pods apart at the slit with your fingers -the seed will fall out quite readily.
Dry the seed thoroughly for several days, then store in a cool, dry place in tightly closed containers until next season.
Okra seeds have a history of not storing well so you will need to collect new seed each autumn for use the following season. Okra seeds are unlikely to remain viable into their second year. When it is time for replanting, soaks the seed a couple of hours before planting.
Often referred to as lady's fingers, okra is popular vegetable in the south of India (where it is mostly used in dry curries) and the southern states of America (where it is used in a variety of recipes including gumbos). Relatively unknown in Northern Europe the okra is a long green pod with a ribbed and slightly fuzzy skin. The inside of an okra pod has a somewhat gooey texture and is full of edible, creamy seeds. When cooking, okra exudes a glutinous juice which thickens stews and braised dishes.
Although the typical northern European climate is far cooler that the okra plant’s native habitat, you will find that they can still produce a viable crop outside. If you have the space, you can get an early start by sowing them indoors.
This way you can make the most of the growing season otherwise okra seeds can be outside directly into prepared seed beds - but only when the threat of frosts have past.
However you may still need to wait as Okra seed need warm weather to grow and should not be planted until outside temperatures are reliably around 18 degrees Celsius or the seeds may not germinate at all.
To make the most of an Okra crop you will need to try and mimic their natural habitat as much as possible and this means a well drained and sheltered position with plenty of sun.
They will also require plenty of water over the growing period so mulch and fertilize the soil throughout the summer in order to maintain a good level of nutrients within the soil.
Sow Okra seeds 4 inches apart into rows that are at least two feet apart. Place each seed in to the ground at about ½ inch deep then gently water gently in.
Once the seeds have begun to germinate they can be thinned out to about a foot between plants, but remember to try and leave the strongest plants in place.
Harvest okra as the plant begins to produce the seed pods, these should be about three to four inches in length when ripe.
Check your okra plants every other day for new fruit and harvest them quickly as this will encourage the plant to grow more pods.
It takes about 50 days for an okra plant to reach maturity.
The United Kingdom - as well as almost every other country on the planet - has often suffered from the effects of environmental damage through the proliferation of non-native species. For millennia, mankind has travelled the world, followed quickly by the establishment of trade routes and the movement of valuable animal and plant commodities. Unfortunately these routes have also brought their fair share of problems such as the globalisation of small pox, influenza and the infamous ‘black death’.
Today similar problems exist, and while modern medicine has made great strides in the prevention of such epidemics there is still an on-going problem with the deliberate and accidental introduction of non-native plant and animal species into sensitive environments. Recent history has already shown us the terrible destruction that can be reaped through the experiences of Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.
Invasive non-native plant and animal species are now the second greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide after habitat destruction. This is because they can have a negative impact on native species, as well as for the damage caused to the environment, and as a secondary issue - local economies. One introduction in recent years is the Ring-necked parakeet, a tropical bird whose native range stretches from Africa to the Himalayas.
First recorded successfully breeding in the wild in England in 1969, their populations are believed to have been established from birds that had escaped from aviaries or released by sailors returning from the tropics. Today the British breeding population is now estimated to be around 4,700 pairs and expanding. In fact the range of Ring-necked parakeet has now reached as far north as the Scottish border.
Despite their tropical origin, parakeets are able to cope with the cold British winters, especially in suburban parks, large gardens, and orchards, where food supply is more reliable. Part of their success story is due to the wide range of foods they eat which would typically include fruit, berries, nuts, seeds, grain and household scraps.
Parakeets are crevice-nesting birds and it is here that they come into conflict with our native bird species. They make their nests early in the year choosing holes in tree trunks favoured by – amongst others - great and lesser spotted woodpeckers, owls and willow tits. Some conservationists fear that with their aggressive nature - combined with an expanding population - they are able to out-compete and possibly eradicating rare native birds by taking over their nesting sites as well as their food.
Concerns about ring-necked parakeets and their environmental impact have long been voiced, but it is worries over major crop damage, especially to fruit trees that has had the greatest impact. Tony Juniper, the former director of Friends of the Earth - one of the world’s leading authorities on parrots - once said it had the potential to be “the grey squirrel of the skies.
As a way of controlling the ring-necked parakeet the organisation ‘Natural England’ has added it to the ‘general licence’ as a precautionary part of its non-native species strategy. This general licence is a permit which allows the hunting of birds which are deemed to cause persistent problems. In certain situations, issuing a license - which would permit what would ordinarily be a prohibited action under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - is believed to be the only satisfactory solution.
A spokesman for Natural England had this to say on the matter.
‘...this is not about telling people to go out and kill them but it is about facilitating people to control them if they've got a good reason to do so. This is acknowledging that these are birds which can cause problems...’
In response to this move by Natural England, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has displayed what might be described as an uncomfortable acceptance of the move. Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s conservation director had this to say:
‘...We can see why Natural England have put these species on the general licence, for good conservation reasons,” said. “Non-native species cause problems for native wildlife across the globe, sometimes leading to species extinctions. At the moment these species aren’t causing conservation problems in the UK, but they might in future. However, you still need a legitimate reason under the general licence to kill them...’
Often referred to as lady's fingers, okra is popular vegetable in the south of India (where it is mostly used in dry curries) and the southern states of America (where it is used in a variety of recipes including gumbos). Relatively unknown in Northern Europe the okra is a long green pod with a ribbed and slightly fuzzy skin. The inside of an okra pod has a somewhat gooey texture and is full of edible, creamy seeds. When cooking, okra exudes a glutinous juice which thickens stews and braised dishes.
Sow Okra seeds - adequately spaced - into either plugs or a seed tray containing John Innes ‘seed’ compost. Top the seed off with another 1/2 inch of compost then gently water them in. It's important that the seeds remain moist until they germinate and as such will require adequate ventilation to prevent fungal rots. If ventilation is poor you may need to spray newly germinated seedlings with a liquid fungicide once a week to protect them.
Once germinated, okra seedlings will require plenty of light, in fact for optimal growth they will need between 12 to 16 hours of light a day. If the seedlings have reached a reasonable size for transplanting - but the weather isn’t yet suitable for keeping them outside - then they will need to be placed onto a south-facing windowsill. However, remember to turn the plants daily to keep them from acquiring a permanent lean.
When the seedlings have produced four leaves they will be ready to prick out into individual pots, but you need to be careful so as not to damage their fragile root systems. The safest way is to gently hold onto one of the sturdier leaves while using either a pencil or slim dibber to lift the roots so that they are kept as intact and undisturbed as possible. When re-potting, use either a standard multipurpose compost or John Innes ‘No.1’ or ‘No.2’ potting compost. Grow them on for another couple of weeks and they will be ready for either the greenhouse or for planting directly outside into open ground once the threat of frosts is over.
Out of all the carnivorous plants that you can buy, the Venus Flytrap is perhaps one of the easiest to grow. The one thing to remember is that it does come from a specialist environment which is why it obtains its ‘nutrients’ in such a unique way. This does mean however, that Venus flytraps require water that has a very low mineral content otherwise these plants will almost certainly die.
WARNING, do not give you Venus flytraps water straight from the tap without being sure of its mineral content!
In their native habitat – which is only a small area of marshy coastal country straddling the border between North and South Carolina – Venus flytraps have evolved to survive in low nutrient environments, such as bogs or the wet savannas.
Their specialised physiology allows them to thrive in wet environments, and this needs to be mimicked when keeping Venus fly traps at home. The easiest way is to – presuming they are growing in a pot – is to keep the pot in a high sided saucer filled with water. They will need to be kept standing in water for most of the year, and this is where the science comes in because you can’t just use any old water . The Venus flytrap requires mineral-free water which is fine if your tap water is relatively pure (less than 50 parts per million in dissolved minerals), because then you can safely water your flytrap with it - the easiest way. If - like most of us - your tap water is unsuitable, use filtered rainwater, bottled distilled water or water that has passed through a reverse-osmosis unit. Do not use bottled mineral water.
As mentioned before, Venus fly traps come from a nutrient poor environment and this can leave the roots at risk from damage through ex-osmosis.
The definition of osmosis is:
'...osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane. More specifically, it is the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of high water potential (low solute concentration) to an area of low water potential (high solute concentration)...'
Ex-osmosis occurs when the concentration of water soluble minerals in the root environment is greater than the concentration of soluble minerals within the actual root. When this happens water moves from the root cells to the soil causing a state of dehydration within the root. If ex-osmosis continues then the root cells eventually die causing a condition known commonly as 'root burn'.
While it is important to have your Venus flytraps standing in water during their active growing season, it is acceptable for the soil to be just moist or damp for short periods - although the soil should never be allowed to dry out completely. During their winter dormancy period it is better to keep the soil just damp and not let the plant sit in water as it would have done during the growing season.
It is also worth transplanting your Venus flytraps into fresh compost every few years as this will help to avoid an inevitable build up of nutrients and toxins within the root environment.
Rhubarb is a truly ancient food that was introduced into Europe via trade routes from China. The earliest records for this plant date back to China in 2700 BC when Rhubarb was cultivated for medicinal use, however it was the more popular edible species - Rheum rhaponticum - that came to be introduced to Europe by the Italian botanist, Prosper Alpinus in 1608.
Now it seems that new research has bought the medicinal properties of rhubarb back into the spotlight as a team from Sheffield Hallam University has found that baking garden rhubarb for 20 minutes boosted its levels of polyphenols – a well known anti-cancer chemical.
Their findings - the first study to look at the health benefits of British rhubarb cultivars - showed that rhubarb polyphenols could kill or prevent the growth of cancer cells and could be used to develop new, less toxic treatments. As the research continues, academics hope to discover the best combination of rhubarb's polyphenols and chemotherapy agents needed to kill leukaemia cells. It is thought the medicinal properties rhubarb could even be effective in cases where cancers had proved resistant to other treatments.
Dr Nikki Jordan-Mahy, of Sheffield Hallam University's biomedical research centre had this to say on the matter:
"...our research has shown that British rhubarb is a potential source of pharmacological agents that may be used to develop new anti-cancerous drugs. Current treatments are not effective in all cancers and resistance is a common problem. Cancer affects one in three individuals in the UK so it's very important to discover novel, less toxic treatments, which can overcome resistance..."
Out of all the carnivorous plants that you can buy, the Venus Flytrap is perhaps one of the easiest to grow. The one thing to remember is that it does come from a specialist environment which is why it obtains its ‘nutrients’ in such a unique way. This does mean however, that Venus flytraps require a rather specialist compost mix to grow in otherwise these plants will almost certainly die.
WARNING, you cannot plant Venus flytraps into a multi-purpose compost!
In their native habitat – which is only a small area of marshy coastal country straddling the border between North and South Carolina – Venus flytraps have evolved to survive in low nutrient environments, such as bogs or the wet savannas. Usually when you buy a Venus fly trap it will already be potted up in a suitable compost but if you are growing from seed or potting on, you will need suitable compost – something you are unlikely to be able to buy in most plant retail shops. However, you can easily make up your own Venus flytrap compost by making a 1:1 mix of moss peat and perlite or silica sand.
Peat moss makes an ideal starting point for making carnivorous plant compost because it is both nutrient poor and slightly acidic. At no point should you need to add any fertiliser or lime to the compost mix as this will cause root damage through ex-osmosis. .
The definition of osmosis is:
'...osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane. More specifically, it is the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of high water potential (low solute concentration) to an area of low water potential (high solute concentration)...'
Ex-osmosis occurs when the concentration of soluble nutrients in the roots environment is greater than the concentration of soluble nutrients within the actual root. When this happens water moves from the root cells to the soil causing a state of dehydration within the root. If ex-osmosis continues then the root cells eventually die causing a condition known commonly as 'root burn'.
It is also worth transplanting your Venus flytraps into fresh compost every few years as this will help to avoid an inevitable build up of nutrients and toxins within the root environment.
Want to buy beetroot seed? Click here to view seed shop. .
A study by Barts and the London School of Medicine and the Peninsula Medical School has found that drinking 500ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood pressure.
The researchers found that in a group of healthy volunteers, blood pressure was reduced within an hour of drinking the juice. The key beneficial ingredient appears to be nitrate, which is also found in green, leafy vegetables and could suggest a low-cost way to treat hypertension. .
The report - published on the online journal Hypertension – explained that while it took less than an hour to note a reduction in blood pressure in the beetroot juice tests, it was more pronounced after three to four hours and a degree of reduction continued to be observed for up to 24 hours.
Researcher Professor AmritaAhluwalia had this to say on the report:
"...our research suggests that drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also be an additional approach that one could take in the modern day battle against rising blood pressure..."
Unfortunately, even though beetroot juice has been shown to have this beneficial property, it is unlikely that people will be able to - or wish to - consume it in such quantities.
More than 25% of the world's adult population are hypertensive, and it has been estimated that this figure will increase to 29% by 2025. Hypertension causes around 50% of coronary heart disease, and approximately 75% of strokes.
Although tomatoes and eggplants are closely related, eggplants - otherwise known as aubergines - are going to require significantly warmer conditions than tomatoes in order to produce a significant crop. If you intend growing them outdoors then you will need - even in the South of England - a sheltered position and some form of protection to help get them off to a good start.
As a native to the areas of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka they will need as much help as they can get when it comes to ‘mimicking’ acceptable growing conditions – especially when grown in a northern European climate. Not only are eggplants going to need higher temperatures they are also going to need protection from wind. And while tomatoes will happily ripen four to six trusses of fruit when grown outside, you need to limit the number of fruits on an eggplant so that the fruit that is left will get the best opportunity to ripen. There is no point allowing the plant to expend energy into producing fruit that has no chance of ripening by the end of the growing season.
Eggplant seeds can be sown anytime from February to April, but if they are to be grown unprotected outside – i.e. not in a greenhouse or polytunnel – it would be best to start them off indoors to give them as much of a head start as possible. Sow the seed into pots or plug trays using a good quality seed compost such as John Innes seed and cutting. Sow thinly and then cover with a layer of fine compost. Firm the compost down gently, keep moist, then cover with a sheet of glass, polythene or propagator lid in order to maintain a high humidity. The seeds should then be kept in a warm, bright position at a temperature of approximately 18 -21 degrees Celsius. Remove the cover as soon as the seedlings begin to show through the compost, and once they reach a height of about 6 inches they can be transplanted into individual pots using a good quality free draining compost. Allow them to continue growing and be ready to transplant them in to grow-bags, in the ground or in large pots under protection in May once the threat of frosts are over.
While growing, keep them moist and weed free and they may require the additional support of canes or an open wigwam. Feed them with a high potash liquid fertilizer at one quarter the recommended strength - but apply it at four times the recommended frequency. Also pinch out the top of the plant when it gets to about 18 inches high to encourage it to bush out. However, once you have three or four fruits set, it will be time to start removing any further side shoots as they develop. This helps to divert the energy of the plant to where it is most needed.
One last cultivation point, to ensure a good set of fruit when the plants first come into flower you can consider giving them a little extra help by pollinating them by hand. This will not be necessary for the subsequent sets of flowers.
In hot weather you may need to water twice a day, which is why it is important to pot them on into a free draining compost. Eggplants can be incredibly thirsty and dry compost will quickly lead to a check in growth. Having a free draining composts allows you to water as much as the plant requires without the risk of root damage through waterlogging. This applies particularly to plants grown in a greenhouse where it can get very hot - even in late summer.
