Simon's Blog 2026 No 2. The Real No Waste Method.

How to Use Strawbales in the Second Year. 

02/03/2026 

I had four strawbales left from last year. I will put them to good use this growing season. My Strawbale gardening mantra, no soil, no weeds, no waste is now explained. You can make a separate heap for them. They make first rate compost. Or use them to grow yet more tasty vegetables. I intend to do the latter. I will use them to grow marrows and pumpkins. Although I could choose courgettes or even strawberries. For many months the strawbales have been well fed. They are a perfect growing medium still. Choose your growing position. Roll the bales onto sheet plastic and drag them into position. Cut the bailing twine that runs horizontally around the bales and dispose of. We now simply pull the strawbales apart. They should come apart in slices, rather like Shredded Wheat. Then lay them flat in the desired area. Lay them soil side up if possible. With a dibber pull out a one-foot square piece of the strawbale and place in a bucket. Add a generous mix of sharp sand and good quality compost and mix it all together. Refill the space.  

Laying the used strawbales.

For marrows, water the straw. Make a mound with a little compost. Sow two seeds per station and thin the weakest. Now after many years experimenting, I only ever use the variety of Bush Baby. It is perfect for strawbales. Follow the growing instructions on the seed packet. Use a similar method for pumpkins. My go-to variety for this is the Jack O’ Lantern. Both varieties I have rigorously tested over a number of years and had consistently good results. At the end of this, the strawbales second season I put them on the regular compost heap. No waste 

I hope this has been informative.  

Great gardening Simon Gibbins. 

The varieties Marrow Bush Baby, and Pumpkin Jack O Lantern can be purchased in my shop here 

My new YouTube video on Strawbale Gardening can be viewed here. 

Simon's Blog 2026 No 1. Mr Ugly Veg. Fire and Spice. Welcome New Seeds

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There is no doubt, the Manglewurzel is the ugliest vegetable in existence. Widely used in the 18th centuary for animal feed and for human consumption. It is halfway between a sugarebeet and a beetroot, only sweeter than a beetroot. Then it seemed to go off the radar. But, it is now making a comeback as a food stuff, thanks in no small measure to social media and some good articles in a few national newspapers. It is a very hardy vegetable and very good for you, being high in vitamins. Boil them, or mash, they are great in savouries and stews. My favourite is to roast them with potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. Drizzle with a good quality oil. Sow from March to August. Harvest from October to December. Sow in shallow drills 2cm deep, 30-40cm between rows. Thin to 20cm. Grow in a sunny position. We stock the two most popular varieties. The Mammoth Red, and Yellow Ekendorf. Please give them a try. Purchase here

Chillies. Grown correctly, you can have a bumper crop.

Welcome to a world of fire and spice. Chillis have been a fast-growing area of food for many years. New products are being released all the time. My first real introduction into chilies came as a teenager in Brighton, where, in the centre of town, there was and is still a burger house called Uncle Sams. Their chilli burgers are a thing of culinary delight. I have adored chilies ever since. Using them in many dishes to enhance, and give many meals a kick up the backside, and elevate them to another level. 

We now have so many varieties to choose from. Many high street stores sell a limited range. But to fully appreciate the variations, you need to grow your own. It is perfectly doable for non-gardeners so, if you fancy a grow and have never tried, then read on.  

Can I grow chilies indoors in the UK? Yes, find a warm spot, a windowsill, etc. Or use a propagator that keeps a regular temperature through the early stages of growing. 

Can I grow a variety of chilies? Yes, there are so many to choose from. My advice would be to grow two or three varieties and see which you like.  Better still take a look at my Chilli Growing Kit.

Growing your own chilies is addictive and great fun. The variety of colours and subtle flavours brings a dull meal to life.  

                                Chilli Growing Kit for 2026. Available now. 

My Chilli Growing Kit for 2026.

We have the new 2026 edition Chilli Growing Kit available now. Six varieties of chilies to grow at home. Let's look at them. The Carolina Reaper is the hottest production chilli in the world. Hitting the Schoville Heat Scale at a searing 1,569,300 SHU. The Scoville Scale is a recognized way of measuring a chillies ‘hotness’. We advise wearing gloves when dealing with this bad boy! Next is the Hot Lemon. A punchy little number, from Ecuador, the heat is similar to a cayenne, but it has a very distinctive flavour. Next is Tabasco. Hugely popular, especially in sauces. Easy to grow. Now the Habanero Orange measuring up to 350,000 SHU. It has a fruity slightly smokey flavour. Now,  we come to the Habanero White. Extremely hot. I use them in fiery curries. Lastly the Scotch Bonnet is hugely popular in many dishes, including jerk chicken. Great to liven up a dull salad. We chose these varieties for the grower to have a cross-section of heat, colour and flavour. All very growable in our great British climate. We also include all the kit you will need. We have changed the contents of the kit over the years, always striving to improve the performance.  We supply large cell trays for easy sowing. A bag of high-quality compost. Large singular pots for individual sowings and potting on. Zip- tie polythene bags for germination. A Schoville heat scale guide. Seed markers and marker pencil. And of course, full sow and grow instructions. Should you need further advice, please reach out via our Get in Touch page. Occasionally it may be necessary to change a variety of seed or pieces of equipment. The replacement will always be of good quality and the same cost, or greater. SAVE £2.50 on the list price by using the code CHILL7 at the checkout. Please order the kit here. I wish you all the best on your chilli growing journey in 2026.  

Twenty percent off everything in the seed shop.

Our seed shop has grown. We have increased the seed range by around 40%, while still only buying high quality seeds and remaining very competitively priced. We now have a selection of seed potatoes. All are produced in Scotland and are certified by DEFRA as reaching the high-quality standards required to be classified as ‘Certified Seed Potatoes’. We also have onion sets. All varieties are proven to yield very fine onions. SAVE 20% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE SHOP. Simply add the code DIG1 at the checkout. PLUS! Every purchase wins a Green Envelope PRIZE. Get to the shop here.  

My Chilli Vault contains a fine selection.

THE CHILLI VAULT. 

Take a look in our Chilli Vault. Over 30 varieties of hot peppers to choose from. The Basket of Fire is a super popular chili to grow. A very hot one! Some 100,000 SHUs. It is ideal for containers or baskets.  Biquinho Red. Originates from Brazil and is named after the Portuguese word for ‘little beak’ due to their distinctive shape. They have a mild heat when ripe. All our chilies are premium quality, and foil packed for freshness. Enter the Chilli Vault here. 

Microgreens Growing Kit.

With the steady increase in people wanting to grow their own vegetables, so the interest in microgreens has risen. Microgreens are minature vegetables, herbs and flowers. All edible, and all extreemly good for you. They can easily be grown on a windowsill, and you will have a crop in around 15 days. Use in soups, salads, sandwiches, garnishes and a host of other dishes. We have an ever increasing range here. Or why not try our Microgreens Growing Kit. It is the latest addition to our growing kit family. There are five popular varieties in the kit to grow. Pea, alfalfa, fenugreek, sunflower, and amarinth red. As always we include all of the kit you will need. See our kit here.

We are a small family business and we would appreciate your support. All the very best for the coming year. Good health and good growing.

Simon and the team at Simon’s Seeds and Strawbaleveguk.

My All New Strawbale Gardening Video

My New Strawbale Gardening Video. On Youtube now.

Hello, for the last few years I have been gathering information, and carrying out experiments for a new programme on Strawbale Gardening. In particular, testing various varieties of vegetables for their suitability for strawbale gardening. If you do not know about this method, here is a breif explanation. Strawbale Gardening is a no soil way to grow quality vegetables. As it is a no soil method, you can have a Strawbale Garden on grass, concrete, on your drive, patio, backyard etc. There are no weeds to contend with, which is a great advantage. Also zero waste. Due to the height of the strawbales it is great for people with mobility issues. There are no sharp tools needed, making it ideal for children, and as a classroom project. My new programme covers everything from sourcing the strawbales, to growing the best varieties in straw. And everything in between. With pictures and sketches I explain how I get great results. I hope you will take a look. We are a small UK busines, I would appreciate it if you would LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to my channel. Please view it here.

I wish you great gardening.

Thanks Simon Gibbins.

Strawbale Gardening. A Progress Report.

One of several marrows from my four bale strawbale garden.

Hello. It is now the eigth of August. In early May I started prepping four strawbales. Using a nitrogen based feed, and water in varying quantities over a period of time. Then laying a good amount of quality compost over the strawbale.

Strawbales ready for planting and or sowing in.

Since then we have had perfect weather for this method of gardening. The strawbales were sighted on grass. You can have a strawbale garden on almost any surface. Concrete, grass, on a drive, backyard or balcony. I placed the strawbales in a square. One side for several varieties of tomatoes, one side for runner beans and marrows. We fed the tomatoes regularly with regular feed and seaweed tea. You do need to water very regularly with this method. We now have mounds of tomatoes and many lovely marrows. The runner beans are coming along nicely. The marrows will be stuffed, and some will be made into marrow chutney. Next time I will put in a couple of rows of peas. If I had just planted tomatoes, four bales would have produced enough tomatoes,

Tomatoes ripening in thestrawbale garden.

for two famillies and some to make passata. I will list my go to varieties at the bottom of this blog. These can be bought here. If there are any teachers or classroom assistants out there, the four bale system is ideal for a classroom project. I often get asked where to source the strawbales. Try local farms first obviously, then farm shops, pet stores and lastly Google. When the bales become ‘tired’ keep them seperate from the compost heap and use on the garden, it is first rate compost. Or, remove the bailing twine from around the outside and spread the bales out on grass, it should come apart in slices. Make some mounds with a small amount of compost and plant marrows, pumpkins and courgettes.

Strawbale Gardening is now very popular. When done properly it gives great results.

If you would like to know more then please visit my Strawbale Gardening page here. Before I sign off, I would just like to tell you about our new Vegetable Growing starter kit. Great for begginers. This makes a perfect gift.

Veetable and herb starter kit.

What is in the kit.

Over twenty two varieties of seeds. Including carrots, cabbage, marrows, cucumber, beans and lots more. Onion sets, seed potatoes. Five varieties of chillies including the carolina reaper, the worlds hottest chilli. Small plant pots, large black cell trays, microgreen sowing trays, organic soil, a scoville scale, pencil, seed markers and a note pad, ziplock bags to aid germination, my Strawbale Gardening e-book, a five pound voucher to spend in my online store, full laminated instructions and FREE access to our experts. The seeds will last well over a year, so this makes a fine Christmas gift.

Use the code STAR1 at the checkout and get £3.95 OFF. Please purchase here.

Varieties to use. Tomatoes. Gaedeners delight, Cindel, Black cherry, Knockout.

Marrow. Bush baby.

Runner Bean. White Emorgo, Lady Di, Enorms.

Please would you share my blog.

Thanks Simon.

What is the mighty Manglewurzel?

Manglewurzel  Give It a Grow. 

I did not know much about this vegetable three weeks ago. But have consulted old books and even older friends to try and find out. I am sorry if this is old news to you, but I am sure it will be of interest to some.  I started looking at this vegetable when an increasing amount of people started asking for information.  The Manglewurzel or Mangold Wurzel is an ugly vegetable. It is midway between a sugar beet and a beetroot, but sweeter than the 

 beetroot. The Lincolnshire side of my family had a large pig farm in Lincolnshire, and I am pretty sure they would have fed them these, but they are perfectly good for us humans to eat both the roots and the leaves. Let's look at the Manglwurzel Red Mammoth. 

Manglewurzel Red Mammoth.

It is a long red cylinder type. Red tinted flesh. Low dry matter, with 30% of root in soil and medium sized tops. They are dual purpose vegetables, large edible roots with an abundance of green leaves. It was often used as an alternative to potatoes. Thrives in harsh conditions. According to friends these are tasty in stews, soups, curries etc. I aim to roast my first crop with onion, normal beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnip, swede and normal potatoes with garlic in a good quality oil. Incidentally, due to the high sugar content they make very passable wines and beers. 

They are rich in nutrients, vitamins A and C. Also rich in potassium and magnesium.  

Other varieties are the Yellow Eckendorf  an intermediate type, producing large roots, cylindrical in shape with white or yellow flesh.  

Manglewurzel Yellow Ekandorf.

How to grow Manglewurzel. 

Choose a sunny spot. Free draining in well fed soil. Does not tolerate hot conditions.  

Sow depth:  1.25cm 

Space between rows: 30cm 

Spacing along rows:  30cm 

Please let me know how you get on growing these interesting and versatile vegetables. Also, just as important, how you ate them. 

I now have two varieties in my online shop. The Mammoth Red and the Ekandorf, not surprisingly you will find them with the beetroot, on the seeds page here 

Difficulty:  Fairly easy. 

Nutritional Value:  High. 

Comments:  Well worth trying. 

Traditional Homemade Jams Chutneys and Marmalades

In this mass produced, click and collect world, it is so good to get back to how things used to be. Remember real homemade jam. I mean real homemade. Many make this claim, but are not really homemade. We are very happy to now offer jams, marmalades and chutneys that are made using traditional batches of 4-8 jars. This ensures freshnes. If run of the mill, large, mass produced produce is what you are looking for, then these products probably are not for you. If, however you want small scale, high taste, then please give these a try. We now have over sixty varieties to whet your appetite. Lets take a look at three and give you some further information. Our “Preserve of the Week” is Blackberry and Bourbon Jam, fruity with a kick of bourbon warmth. This jam is at home on scones or toast. A true winner on rice pudding.

Blackberry and Bourbon Jam Top Seller

£5.30

Fruity with a hint of bourbon warmth  370ml

Allergen advice: due to the way our food is prepared it is not possible to guarantee the absence of allergens in our products  

Ingredients (allergens in bold):

sugar, blackberry, gelling agent : pectin, bourbon (barley)

prepared with 40g fruit per 100g
sugar 63g per 100g

Keep refrigerated after opening

Typical Nutritional Information per 100g
energy 241kcal/1023kj,fat 0g (of which saturates 0g)
carbohydrates 63g of which sugars 63g,protein 0g,salt 0g

Add to cart

From the large selection of marmalades, we chose the lovely Four Fruit Marmalade. Lemon, grapefruit, Lime and Orange. A tasty breakfast treat. Heaven used in bread and butter pudding.

Four Fruits Marmalade

£5.20

Description

Lemon, grapefruit, lime and orange in this tasty breakfast treat, medium peel 370ml

Allergen advice: due to the way our food is prepared it is not possible to guarantee the absence of allergens in our products  

Ingredients (allergens in bold):

sugar, grapefruit,  oranges, lemon , lime, water, gelling agent : liquid pectin (acidity regulator : citric acid
potassium citrate, preservative : potassium sorbate),

prepared with 25g fruit per 100g
sugar 63g per 100g

Keep refrigerated after opening

Typical Nutritional Information per 100g
energy 264kcal/1119kj,fat 0 of which saturates 0g)
carbohydrates 64g of which sugars 64g,protein 0g,salt 0g

Add to cart

Now to my most favourite treat. Chutneys. When I saw the selection, I was amazed and my tastebuds were doing cartwheels. But I calmed down, and have picked Beetroot Chutney. With orange and ginger, this is really a tasty treat. On crusty bread, good crackers or droped on a fine cut salad. Really a must try.

Beetroot Chutney

£5.50

Description

Orange & ginger add that little extra to this classic 370ml

Allergen advice: due to the way our food is prepared it is not possible to guarantee the absence of allergens in our products  

Ingredients (allergens in bold):

Beetroot , spirit vinegar (sulphites), sugar, orange, ginger, salt

Typical Nutritional Information per 100g
energy 175kcal/743kj,fat 0.1g (of which saturates 0g)
carbohydrates 41.6g of which sugars 38.4g,protein 1.2g,salt 0.4g

Add to cart

If you wanted to hot things up then try the chillililli. Strong and tangy relish with a develish chilli kick! Pack on crackers, or in pitta breads. Great on a nan bread.

Chilililli Hot Super Seller

£5.50

Description

No overnight salting! A strong, tangy, product packed relish with a devilish chilli kick!  370ml

Allergen advice: due to the way our food is prepared it is not possible to guarantee the absence of allergens in our products  

Ingredients (allergens in bold):

spirit vinegar (sulphites), courgettes , carrots , cauliflower, sugar, salt, onions, peppers, turmeric, chilli, cornflour, celery seeds (celery)

Typical Nutritional Information per 100g
energy 175kcal/743kj,fat 0.1g (of which saturates 0g)
carbohydrates 41.6g of which sugars 38.4g,protein 1.2g,salt 0.4g

Add to cart

That is my initial choice, but please take a look and decide for yourself. Let me know what you chose and what you ate with it. You may win a jar of jam. These make fine gifts. Better still tasty treats for just you!

Please take a look at the selection here.

I hope you really enjoy trying them.

Simon.

A strawbale Gardens Journey.

Hello. I ordered four Strawbales from my local farm shop. They duly arrived Monday. I shifted them into position. There is a right and a wrong way to site bales. The rough side that has been cut by the Bailing Machine is the planting side. If you look at the picture below, the far edge of the strawbales will have poles for tomatos. These will be secured to the blue hoops for extra support. The left hand side will be home to some runner beans, on the surface of the strawbales I will plant bush tomatoes. And right at the fromt I will have two marrow plants. Do not be afraid to use all the strawbale. The strawbales look bear at the moment, a blank canvas, but In a few months I hope to have the bales overflowing with tasty vegetables. It is day two of the maturing process. This is a seventeen day period where I add water and a nitrogen based feed in varying quantities. By this time the Starwbales will be ready to plant and or sow into.

A strawbale being “matured”.

I have personal favourite varieties that I have used many time on my strawbale gardening journey. Tomatoes it has to be Knockout. Runner beans Lady Di or Enorma, and for marrows the lovely Bush Baby. I will be keeping you up to date with my progress in future blog posts. For the full info on Strawbale Gardening go here. For my seeds page hit here

If you are in need of a quality gift for a gardener or would be gardener, try my Etsy shop. We do a number of bespoke gifts perfect for any ocasion. From our large range of Growing Kits to our new “Shake and Sow” boxes. Our Etsy shop can be reached here

Good Gardening.

Simon.

Simons Latest News and Views from the Viking Way!

Simon’s Gardening News and Views from the Viking Way 

Tomatoes the gardeners favourite.

Welcome. I have not put pen to paper for a while. Things have been rather hectic on the Viking Way. I have just ordered some straw bales for my Strawbale Garden. It will be six bales made into one big square. I am only planting tomatoes and marrows in bales this year. I have chosen a mix of small bush varieties and the only marrow I ever use, the marrow Bush Baby. If you have not tried it, I suggest you give it a grow. I will fill the bales with tomato plants and place four marrows on each corner. I used this system last year to great success. Speaking of strawbale gardening, I call it the anywhere method, meaning that you do not need to have soil. So, it follows that you can have a strawbale garden on almost any surface. Concrete, grass, on your patio or drive. This brings to mind something that happened a few years ago. An elderly couple who had a lovely house in Brighton were having to move to a warden-controlled site due to health and mobility issues. Now the husband loved his garden. He had always had one and was devastated to leave his pride and joy. Their new home had no soil, or even grass. They just had a concrete patio at the front of their ground floor flat. A family member showed him my e-book. And presently he had four strawbales delivered and has a strawbale garden just outside his window. A very successful strawbale garden I might add and his pride and joy. 

Strawbale Success.

I have had a few emails from people who have tried strawbale gardening and had less than promising results. Upon enquiring how they prepared the strawbales, it was obvious to me they had not prepped the bales correctly. The bales need to be fed water and a nitrogen-based feed, in various quantities over a period of time. This is done to get the bales composting, it is essential! I use a mixture of organic lawn feed and chicken manure pellets. I have devised a seventeen-day maturing process where I add water and feed in varying quantities throughout the seventeen days. By the end of that time the bales should be ready to plant, and or sow into. One other thing, when the bales are “tired” they make excellent compost. Keep them separate from your main compost heap. If you would like to give Strawbale Gardening a try this year I suggest you read my e-book. The Strawbale Gardeners Handbook Vol 1. It will tell you everything you need to know. Get it here.  

The Strawbale Gardeners Handbook Vol 1.

Elsewhere in my garden things are coming on slowly. I could not grow much last year due to work commitments, so the garden has been somewhat neglected. I have a big, raised bed made from railway sleepers. This is for leeks, which I just love. 

 We started stocking a giant spring onion Tipika last year in the shop as a trial. It was excellent, tasty stems and big bulbs. We now stock this as a regular item. It grows well in containers. I am growing tomatoes in the regular garden as well. My chosen two are, the giant Knockout which can grow to a whopping 1.4kg. It is also tasty without the thick skin of some big toms. The other is tomato San Maranzo, extremely popular in Italy due to having very few seeds. Making it ideal for pasta sauce. It has a super savory taste and is a super cropper. In my view these two are definitely worth your while growing. We have an offer on in our seed shop for the San Marano and a pea variety called Corina. A fine sweet, tasty pea. We have introduced many new vegetable varieties to the shop this year. View this and other offers here.  

Simons Special Offer.

I intend to build another polytunnel this year. Rather than pay a lot of money for a tunnel from the big UK companies, (which are excellent), I am putting up a budget tunnel. These are great but MUST be put up correctly. By this I mean super secure. If they are not, I promise you, you will lose them. My son and I have put up a few of these, and they do not budge. We have a short but in-depth video on this subject, where we show you how we do it. It is well worth a view. That may be viewed here. I have had great success using budget tunnels. My go to veg to grow in them are Sweetcorn. The very best and most reliable cropper I have found is Golden Hind. Many years ago, I was advised to include this in our seeds shop, I have not regretted it. I also grow tomatoes, peppers, sweet peppers, cucumbers, and salad crops in tunnels. 

Putting up a Budget Polytunnel.

After much thought and testing, we have brought online a new range called “shake and sow”. We have three varieties. The first is our Beetroot Rainbow Mix. This consists of a mixture of various types of beetroot mixed together in our signature presentation box, with our quality organic compost. All you do is make a drill, and simply “Shake and Sow”, for a delightful mix of tasty beetroot. All boxes come with a seed marker, marker pencil and sow and grow instructions. Also, in the range are Carrot Rainbow Mix, and Lettuce Rainbow Mix. Great gifts for gardeners and would be gardeners. Please view them here.  

Beetroot Rainbow Mix.

It will soon be Sunflower Growing Time. I do love sunflowers. They make a garden happy. The wildlife love them and so do children. If I have told this story before, then please forgive me! Some years ago, my grandchildren asked if they could grow sunflowers. Of course. So, I sent off for a Sunflower Growing Kit. I was less than impressed I must say. I thought, I could do better. So, I did. We now have three variations on the Sunflower Growing Kit. The first is our regular kit. In this we supply three varieties of sunflower, including the Giant Yellow which can grow to an impressive three meters tall. We also include the Ring of Fire and the beautiful Soraya. You will also find all the kit you need to get growing plus our detailed sow and grow instructions. NOW, here is what sets our growing kits apart from the others on the market. Because we firmly believe in companion planting in our gardens, (where vegetables, herbs and flowers are planted together to deter pests etc, and improve each plants health), we also supply runner beans which can be trained to grow up the sunflowers. How cool is that? We are very proud of our latest kit The Sunflower Party Kits. There are three mini kits to a box. Each contain Giant Sunflowers, runner beans, colored pencils, colored card, plus all the kit to get growing. A wonderful gift to hand out at parties or indeed any gathering. We can supply multiples of three. Take a look here.  Our final offering is a kit for schools and groups. The kit advertised is based on a group of thirty, but obviously we can cater for larger or smaller groups. Please share this with any groups that you think would find this useful. The kits are on the Sunflower page here. Thanks. 

Sunflower Growing Party Kits.

I am a firm believer in really trying to get people to grow some of their own food. Not just because I sell seeds etc. People really are struggling, no matter what rubbish our so called “leaders” may say. I have also seen the difference it makes to people who have decided to turn an unused patch of grass into a vibrant, ever changing vegetable plot. There are super Facebook groups where locals swap their produce, which is a practice as old as the hills, but needs encouraging. It is a great feeling knowing you have grown your own tasty vegetables for your loved ones. Why do schools not combine growing things in with cookery (home economics) as a standard part of the school's curriculum? I started a Facebook gardening group a few years ago for the Lincolnshire area, now we cover all the UK. We have super friendly, non-judgmental members who are pleased to help. Join us here. I do hope that you have found something of interest in this blog. Please do share. 

Good gardening Simon. 

Sow, grow, eat, repeat! 

Unlock the Secrets of Companion Planting.

Simons blog on companion planting.

Unlock the Secrets of Companion Planting: A Guide to Thriving Gardens 

Companion planting is an age-old gardening technique that involves growing certain plants together to enhance growth, deter pests, and increase yields. By strategically selecting plant pairings, you can create a harmonious garden ecosystem that thrives naturally. Here’s how you can benefit from this ingenious method: 

What is Companion Planting? 

Companion planting is based on the idea that certain plants can mutually benefit each other when grown together. These benefits can include improved growth, pest control, and higher crop yields. It’s a natural and environmentally friendly way to optimize your garden’s productivity. 

Benefits of Companion Planting 

1. Natural Pest Control: Some plants naturally repel pests. For example, marigolds are known to deter nematodes, while basil can ward off flies and mosquitoes. 

1. Enhanced Growth: Certain plant combinations can boost each other’s growth. For instance, the classic "Three Sisters" trio of corn, beans, and squash work well together—corn provides a structure for beans to climb, beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and squash shades the ground to retain moisture. 

1. Improved Flavor: Some gardeners believe that companion planting can enhance the flavor of fruits and vegetables. Basil, when planted near tomatoes, is said to improve their taste. 

1. Soil Health: By rotating and diversifying crops, companion planting can improve soil health. Legumes, such as peas and beans, fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting other nitrogen-loving plants. 

1. Space Efficiency: Companion planting allows for more efficient use of space. Tall plants can provide shade for sun-sensitive plants, and sprawling plants can act as a living mulch. 

Popular Companion Planting Combinations 

• Tomatoes and Basil: This classic pair not only tastes great together on the plate but also thrives together in the garden. Basil helps repel insects that commonly affect tomatoes. 

• Carrots and Onions: Onions can help deter carrot root fly, making them excellent companions for carrots. 

• Cucumbers and Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums act as a trap crop, attracting aphids away from cucumbers. 

• Beans and Corn: As part of the "Three Sisters," beans climb corn stalks while enriching the soil with nitrogen. 

Getting Started with Companion Planting 

1. Plan Your Garden: Start by researching which plants are beneficial together and create a layout that accommodates their growth habits. 

1. Consider Growth Patterns: Pair plants with complementary growth patterns—tall with short, deep-rooted with shallow-rooted. 

Plant different crops together to aid growth etc.

1. Experiment and Observe: Every garden is unique. Experiment with different combinations and observe how they perform in your specific conditions. 

1. Rotate Crops: To maintain soil health, rotate your crops each season, and avoid planting the same family of plants in the same spot year after year. 

Companion planting is a rewarding and sustainable approach to gardening that can lead to healthier plants and bountiful harvests. Embrace this practice and watch your garden flourish in harmony with nature. If you have found this of interest, please take a look at my previous blog posts. 

Happy gardening! #Sowgroweatrepeat 

Simon. 

Strawbale Gardening For Everyone.

Strawbale Gardening for Everyone. 

Over the years I have instructed a variety of people, all with different needs and circumstances on strawbale gardening.  Very seldom have I said, “no strawbale gardening is not for you”. For those of you who do not know what strawbale gardening is, here is a quick explainer. Not everyone has soil. This method doesn't require soil. So, it follows that you can have a strawbale garden on almost any surface. Concrete, grass, on your patio or in the backyard. You plant or sow seeds straight into the bales. It is not quite as simple as that, but it is perfectly doable. I will explain the basics later in this blog.  

Here is the good bit. Due to the height of the bales, it is very much suited to people with mobility issues. And further, you can site the strawbales on concrete. Making access by wheelchairs very easy.  

 Indeed, it was due to the versatility of the method that I became interested in growing vegetables in straw. Some twenty years ago, we moved house. The new place had a very big garden with lots of grass. I have never been a lover of lawns, so I decided to grow vegetables in a big way. My wife was also keen to help. She had been involved in a car accident when she was young and injured her back. The specialist told her that in his opinion it would be a great problem in older age. He was unfortunately correct. So, I cast around and found this method from America. I have been experimenting and adapting it ever since.  

As I said strawbales are really a perfect height for wheelchair users and bending is minimised. I have a number of strawbale systems that are ideal for wheelchair users. These systems have all-round access. I would suggest the following vegetables. Bush tomatoes, lettuce, onions, beetroot, peas, cabbages, and courgette.  It is really just a form of container gardening, but I dislike plastic tubs. A strawbale garden looks great.  

Strawbale System Ideal For Wheelchair Users.

Moving on to schools. You really could not have a better way for children to learn to grow things. Some schools have great vegetable gardens. For those schools who just have grass or concrete, a strawbale garden would be great. You do not need any sharp tools, so health and safety are not too much of a problem. Getting the bales ready to plant in and then obviously caring for the crops is a wonderful classroom project. I have instructed teachers and in no time the class has a beautiful vegetable garden bursting with crops. I would recommend the following vegetables for a school strawbale system. 

Runner Beans can grow up the canes and other vegetables can be grown around on the surface such as beetroot and radishes. Potatoes, tomatoes, marrows, and onions.  

Pumpkin Jack O Lantern

Here is a good piece of advice for schools. When the bales become” tired”, take the baling twine off. (When the strawbales are harvested, they are secured by two lengths of strong twine running horizontally around the strawbale). The bales will come apart in slices, like a gardener's shredded wheat. Lay the slices on the ground and water well. Use good quality compost and make mounds about three feet apart.  

Soak some pumpkin seeds overnight to accelerate germination. Plant two seeds in the mounds and water well. Choose the stronger looking of the two when germinated. I use the Jack O Lantern variety. Hey presto, the class has pumpkins for Halloween. Please, when carving out the flesh, use it, do not send it to landfill! 

For a class of say thirty children, I would recommend one bale per four children. This advice is obviously good for all types of groups. For example, I had a Facebook group member that had, because of mobility and health problems, moved from his house to a warden-controlled site. He loved his garden, but the apartment he moved into just had concrete paving. He started three strawbales off just outside his window. Now he has a lovely vegetable patch.  

Here is a list of the items you will need for a strawbale garden. Strawbales, a good quality organic compost, organic lawn feed, supply of water, hosepipe if possible, watering can, large dibber, twine, scissors.   

The most important part of strawbale gardening is the prepping of the bales. I call it the maturing process. This is where we get the strawbales composting, creating a good environment to plant and or sow in. To achieve this, we use water and a nitrogen-rich medium, such as lawn feed. I have developed a maturing schedule that lasts around seventeen days. I use water and lawn feed in varying quantities over the seventeen-day period. At the end of this period the bales are good to grow.  

Make sure the lawn feed does NOT contain weed killer.  

Strawbales love tomatoes. I use the small bush types. Start them off inside, then plant in the bales when they are large enough, and all danger of frost has passed. In the picture below there should have been at least another five plants used.  

Bush Tomatoes In Strawbales.

When planting and or sowing, use all of the strawbale, right up to the edge. Think space.  

You can grow most types of vegetables in strawbales. My advice has always been when you buy seeds and or plug plants, buy the best quality you can afford. Strawbales should cost around £3.50 to £4.00. Source these from farms, farm shops, pet stores and of course Google. If you intend to transport the bales in your car, put a sheet of plastic down. They malt.  

I hope this has been of interest to you, and it encourages you to try strawbale gardening. I would appreciate you sharing this with other interested parties. I have written an e-book that tells you everything you need to know. Please use the link below. If you would like more information for schools and groups please use the get in touch link or my email address below. 

Good gardening. 

Simon CP Gibbins. 

Get In Touch

The ebook

strawbalevegukman@gmail.com

Strawbale Gardening IS Worth A Grow.

I recieved an email back in April from a lady who unfortunately had to downsize the famiy home due to spiralling costs in many areas. Her new home was great, all be it a lot smaller. She is a keen gardener and wanted to continue supplying the family with some vegetables. Her new garden had some grass and a lot of concrete, and was south facing. Could she use the strawbale gardening method she asked?

Yes, was the answer. You can site strawbales on concrete or grass. After looking at some photos of her garden, I advised her that she could easily have a strawbale system of ten bales. She told me that she disliked growing in plastic pots and growbags. A strawbale garden does look great. When deciding what to grow, write down what you like to eat. And also include vegetables that you maybe have not tried. She decided upon Three types of tomato, two varieties of runner beans, ( these would grow up a south facing wall ). As well as peas, onions, marrow and potatoes. If you grow potatoes in strawbales, then pick an unusual variety. My favourite has got to be Pink Fur Apple. It is a small knoblly salad potato and is delicious. When the straw is harvested, it is bound together by two lengths of bailing twine. When growing potatoes in straw I always remove the top bailing twine. This losens the straw somewhat and aids planting the seed potatoes. You should aim at planting at least 6-8 seed potatoes per bale. Chit the potatoes as normal. This means placing them “eyes” upwards in an egg carton, in a light frost free environment. When the sprouts have grown to around 2cm in length, then they are ready to plant.

“Chitting Potatoes Ready For Planting In Strawbales

Use a trowel to take about 6-8 inches of straw out of the bale. Put about an inch of good quality compost in the hole. Place seed potato in and cover with a mixture of compost and straw. When the shoots start to come through mound up as usual. Now here is the fun bit. When the potatoes are ready to harvest, cut the last baling twine away and simply pull the strawbale apart. It should come apart in “slices” revealing the treasure. When soucing strawbales try local farms first, then farm shops, pet stores. And of course Google. When transporting your bales by car, lay a cover out. They malt! Decide where you will site your garden and move them by laying the bales on plastic sheets and dragging them to the site. Before you can plant or sow in the strawbales you must first “mature” them. This means adding water and a nitrogen rich feed to get the bales composting. I have, over the years developed a “maturing schedule” that lasts around seventeen days. During that time I will add water and a nitrogen based feed in varying amounts. At the end of that time, the strawbales should be ready to plant and or sow in.

When the strawbales becomes “tired” take off the bailing twine. The bale will pull apart in slices simmilar to a giant Weetabix. This is gold dust. It makes first rate compost. Do not put it on the regular compost heap, keep it seperate. I use it for growing marrows and pumpkins the following year. Simply lay a few slices out. Make a few mounds and plant your seeds. The best marrow variety by far that I have come across is Bush Baby. It is a small variety that never dissapoints.

Strawbales love tomatoes. I use the smaller bush types for endless supplies of tasty toms. Plant five or six plants per bale for a good regular supply.

Growing tomatoes in Strawbales is so easy. This bale could easily hold another two plants.

I have listed below some points that I hope will guide you should you wish to give strawbale gardening a go.

1. Use good quality organic compost.

2. Use something like organic lawn feed in your maturing process. But make sure it does not have weed killer in it.

3. Think space. Use the whole of the strawbale.

4. When maturing the bales, if it talks of heavy rain, I cover mine with plastic sheeting.

5. Use good quality seeds or plants. It pays to spend a little more.

I hope that this blog has inspired you to try strawbale gardening. Please share with friends. I have a great ebook on the subject. Take a look here. You are welcome to join our Strawbale Gardening Facebook group. It is called Strawbaleveguk. If you have any questions at all just drop me a line here.

Good gardening.

Simon Gibbins.

Three Beetroot To Try. One Tasty Recipe.

Simon's Gardening News.

Huge Vitamins. Tiny Micro-Greens.

Microgreens have been around since the 1970’s, but still suprsingly few people tend to grow them. I am a recent convert I will admit. With gardens and houses getting smaller, space is at a premium. But a sunny windowsill can grow you an exiting variety of these vegetables, flowers and herbs. They have a great punchy flavour and are high in so many vitamins. Ten days is usually all that is needed before you can harvest your crop. There are many ways to use microgreens. In.

Salads, smoothies, soups, pasta, stir frys, sandwiches and as garnishes. To name but a few.

The high end supermarkets sell a limired selection, but they are very expensive.

A popular microgreen. Sprouting Pea seeds.

You can pay many hundreds of pounds for a complicated microgreens gardening setup, but the most popular is the simple easy to use setup we offer in our new Microgreens Growing Kit. For a fraction of the cost you can grow these tasty, nutritious vegetables at home.

Microgreens Growing Kit

This new addition to our growing kit range has everything you will need to grow these sprouting seeds. When you have grown the varieties we supply you can purchase more seeds from us or choose some others from our range. The cell trays we provide can be used over and over again. You will just need to top up on coir plugs which we also stock.

The kit itself consists of five varieties of microgreens. Pea,. Alfalfa. Nastertium. Sunflower and Radish. They all bring something different to the table so to speak.

Sprouting seeds Nasturtium.

The kit you will also recieve is, five large six cell sowing trays. Twenty coir plugs to sow the seeds in. Five zip tye polythene bags to aid germination, seed markers and a marker pencil. And of course full sow and grow instructions.

I hope this has inspired you to grow some of this mini superfood.

Great Gardening.

Simon. See the Microgreens Kit here.

News From The Viking Way!

Happy and a safe new year to you. We seem to be having one storm roll in after another. Doing untold amounts of damage. Gardens are being destroyed on a large scale. Again I am seeing gardeners polytunnels being ripped apart. My son and I aim to put up another tunnel this year to trial some new varieties of chillies. We are right on the edge of the Viking Way in Waddington, Lincolnshire. So it is very exposed. We have learned from bitter experience that the construction must be very secure. It is vital to think carefully about where you sight your polytunnel. If you are considering buying one for the coming season you basically have two choices. There are a couple of very reputable companies who if needed, will erect the tunnel for you. They are undoubtably very fine tunells. But they may be beyond the purse of some people. The green budget tunells are fine but they do need to be put up very securely. My son and I have put up many, and they do not budge. We made a video of how we put them up. View it here.

A polytunnel in situ.

Securing every joint.

No matter how long we have been gardening it is always great to pick up a bit of knowledge that makes you think “wow that is really clever”. Beginners and those who have been gardening for years all benefit from each others experiences. So, with that in mind every week in my blog I will be asking for tips on certain aspects of our beleoved pastime. I will ask a novice gardener to pick out the best “top tip”. The winner will recieve an £8.00 voucher to spend in our seed store AND one of our fantasic growing kits worth over £12.00. I will feature the three best tips in future blogs etc. It will be a bit of fun and benefit us all. Please leave your tips here or text them to 07713717900 or leave them at strawbalevegukman@gmail.com

Head them Top Tips and please include your emai address.

Your top tip please.

Lastly, if you visit my seeds shop we are offering a massive 30% off all seeds. Vegetable, herb and flower. That is Five times what our biggest competitor is offering. I would really appreciate your support. To visit the seeds shop use the link here.

I would love you to share this blog with your friends.

Happy gardeneing.

Simon.

Chtistmas Edition.

Hello.

I do hope that you are well and have managed to acheive all that you had planned for your garden this year. I am still re-organising and planning. I am due to take delivery of a new cover for the large polytunnell in February. Plus a new shed that will double as an office.

Their has been an increased interest in growing chilliesas can be seen by numerous chilli growing groups on social media. There is good reason for this. We use chillies in our everyday cooking more than ever before. Growing from home gives acess to wonderful flavourfull varieties. Some fiery hot and some mild and fruity. We at strawbaleveguk are due to trial some new varieties for the shop. So we will be reporting on these. One of the quickest to mature in the UK is the Quickfire. With as little as sixty five days from sowing, to first fruit maturity. Producing neat compact fruit. Typically SHU is 40,000 Why not give these a go?

We have now set up a shop on the Etsy platform. Mainly to showcase the handmade gardening gifts we intend to produce next year. The first of these that makes a great gift for Christmas or indeed any celebration is our bespoke seed box. We engrave your chosen message on the lid. Inside the box are ten packets of organic vegetable and herb seeds. Included also are seed markers and a marker pencil. And of course full sow and gro instructions.

As I say, we will be bringing new handmade gifts online. Please take a look here.

We will be introducing many new varoeties of vegetables to our shop in the coming months, so please keep an eye on our shop.

From everyone here on the Viking Way we wish you a happy Christmas. And a great new year.

Simon.

The quickfire can be bought here.

Our Etsy shop is here.

John's Spicy Pumpkin Soup.

Sow pumpkin seeds April, May. Plant out May and June. Harvest September, October. The most popular variety is the Jack-0’ lantern. It is estimated that the UK send 13 million pumpkins to landfill each year. Which when you think of it, is a real shame. As well as being carved into Halloween lanterns, pumpkins can be used in a wide range of savoury and sweet dishes, or roasted. Here is a simple, spicy recipe. Add as much curry powder as you like. I enjoy it on the hot side. It is delicous.

John’s Spicy Pumpkin Soup.Serves 4-5.

Ingredients.

Pumpkin. (size of a football). 1 large onion. 250ml water. 1 vegetable stock cube. 150ml milk. 1 tsp tumeric. Tsp Curry powder to taste. Tsp ginger. 125ml creme fraiche. Salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkling of mature cheddar cheese. Sliced French bread.

Method.

Skin and de-seed pumpkin. Dice into cubes. Very finely chop the onions. Mix the water with the stock cube. Simmer pumpkin and onions in the water, gradually add the milk and continue simmering until soft. Add curry powder, ginger, tumeric and salt and pepper. Lastly stir in the creme fraiche. Pour into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese. Dip in french bread.

I hope you will try this and enjoy!

Hot Stuff!

Chillies are a fast, fast growing area of food. Generally, we can all grow them at home using a windowsill. They vary hugely in heat and taste. I have found the older I get the less heat I can manage. Can you become addicted to chilli?. Absolutely. In Brighton way back in the eighties, I frequented a burger bar that had perfected a homemade hot chilli sauce. It had a hint of garlic. I was totally hooked on it. Once over the initial pain on the lips and tongue it was very pleasant. Since then I have made it a mission to try the legions of sauces out there. Most are very average. So why not grow chillies and make your own?. Growing your own is also addictive, giving you the opportunity to try varieties that simply are not available from high street shops.

Pepper Habanero . Picture courtesey of Beryl Wells. Top contributor from my Lincolnshire Gardening Group Facebook page.

The habanero pictured above was grown by our top contributor in our facebook group The Lincolnshire Gardening Group Beryl Wells. Beryl says, “ I grew these chillies from seed in march. I planted in individual pots of compost, and kept them in the greenhouse, I kept them moist and they grew into great little plants. When they reached six inches tall I transfered them to larger pots, and fed with tomato feed.”

A variety to try is Apache F1. A hot chilli with no bitter aftertaste. It is sweet, hot and savoury. These won a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. With wide conical pods, this is definately one to grow, especially if you are new to “chilli-ing”.

Apache F1. A good novice variety.

Some years ago I bought a chilli growing kit online. I was very dissapointed. I thought that maybe I could do better. So i did.

As you can see our kit has everything you will need. Six varieties to grow including the Carolina Reaper, the worlds hottest chilli. Plus all the growing equipment needed. I hope you will have a go at growing a few “hotties”. Please let me know how you get on.

See the chilli growing kit here. See our chilli seeds here.

JOHNS DADS SPICY MARROW CHUTNEY.

We are coming to that time of year where the marrows dont seem to stop growing. I grow one variety. Its super reliable and a great little cropper. It is called Bush Baby F1. Wether you grow in the soil or in straw. Although they seem to love strawbales.

Marrow Bush Baby F1. In straw. ( Seeds available in store)

My best friends father was a Headmaster, and renound gardener. This is his Spicy Marrow Chutney Reciepe..

INGREDIENTS.

• 4lb Marrow.

• 1lb Brown Sugar.

• 1.5 lb Onions.

• TSP Sugar.

• 3 Pints Malt Vinegar.

• 2 TSP Tumeric.

• 6 Chillies/3oz Fresh Ginger in muslin bag.

METHOD.

Skin and de-seed marrow. Dice to 1cm size. Spread on trays and sprinkle with salt. Leave overnight. Drain off in morning, Put vinegar in pan with sugar, mustard, tumeric and onions. Put muslin bag in pan for ten minutes. Add marrows and simmer for 2 hrs or until tender. When cold tranfer to clean jars when cold.

Great with cheese, crackers, crusty bread and with curries.

Enjoy.

Marrow Chutney.