Gardening on Mull
 

I am new to Scottish gardening. Any advice on veggies to grow on the East coast of the
Isle of Mull? Plus tasty apples and what about rhubarb?

Are there any tricks to getting good crops (without lots of fertiliser?

Thanks
Kath

'The Stories of George the Hamster'
Translated by Lee H and Kathleen Smith
ISBN - 978-0-9546989-3-5
Available from www.arlev.clara.net/george.htm
and from both on line and High Street Bookshops

Gardening on Mull
 

"Kath" wrote in message
...
I am new to Scottish gardening. Any advice on veggies to grow on the East
coast of the
Isle of Mull? Plus tasty apples and what about rhubarb?

Are there any tricks to getting good crops (without lots of fertiliser?

Thanks
Kath

If you've got money to spare..

http://www.oatfieldorganics.co.uk/ga...rses-mull.html

Gardening on Mull
 

1. Plant Kale.
Lovely stuff if fresh, I put it in pasta, omellettes, soups. Makes a great
soup with broad beans. Survives almost anything and is a traditional crop of
crofters in Scotland. Tastes better after the frost has worked it's magic on
it and you can eat the younger leaves as salad. Maybe a bit late to plant
seeds now, maybe not. You could buy half a dozen young plants off Ebay. It
will be ready to eat before you know it.

2. Compost all your vegetable waste, or dig a trench fill it with kitchen
waste, pile the soil back on top and plant your Kale in there. You will get
the odd spud eye or tomato seed coming through from time to time but it gets
all the nutrients right where you want them.

3. Have fun. It is all about experimentation and making use of what you
have.

--
Mark Hamer
www.another-way.co.uk

I don't want to arrive at my grave in an attractive and well preserved body,
hopefully I will be skidding in
sideways, Gin and Tonic in one hand -- Cigar in the other screaming YAHAAAY!


"Kath" wrote in message
...
I am new to Scottish gardening. Any advice on veggies to grow on the East
coast of the
Isle of Mull? Plus tasty apples and what about rhubarb?

Are there any tricks to getting good crops (without lots of fertiliser?

Thanks
Kath

'The Stories of George the Hamster'
Translated by Lee H and Kathleen Smith
ISBN - 978-0-9546989-3-5
Available from www.arlev.clara.net/george.htm
and from both on line and High Street Bookshops

The east coast of Mull is mostly very sheltered and lush, cool and damp but mild, very different from the moorland further west.

They have no trouble growing rhubarb in Iceland, so nor will you. The most delicious strawberries I ever ate were grown in northern Norway without the assistance of greenhouses, so you'll grow them too. Icelanders grow potatoes, but of well chosen varieties - they are small but very delicious. Some black plastic to warm the ground before planting and until they come up is a good trick. Redcurrants grow fine in Iceland, but you will be able to grow blackcurrants also I would guess, which are marginal in Iceland. And of course raspberries. I think they also manage to grow some cabbages. Given that you have a mild and damp climate, there is probably a lot more of that ilk that will grow, provided it doesn't require summer's heat.

I'm currently growing a super-early Siberian tomato called Urbikany, maybe even something like that would do you, though obviously it woul dhave to be started off indoors.

Apple tree varieties "suitable for Scotland" are described for example at the Keepers Nursery website. Whether they are suitable for where you are, I cannot say. But I visited an organic nursery in County Sligo, not far inland, which was even growing pears, so there is room for hope.

Gardening on Mull
 

"Kath" wrote in message
...
I am new to Scottish gardening. Any advice on veggies to grow on the East
coast of the
Isle of Mull? Plus tasty apples and what about rhubarb?

Are there any tricks to getting good crops (without lots of fertiliser?

Thanks
Kath

'The Stories of George the Hamster'
Translated by Lee H and Kathleen Smith
ISBN - 978-0-9546989-3-5
Available from www.arlev.clara.net/george.htm
and from both on line and High Street Bookshops

For apple etc email http://www.butterworthsorganicnursery.co.uk/ . The chap
was invaluable when I planted my orchard 2 years ago. He knows the climate
in our part of the world and will give you priceless advice. Also get some
hens free ranging, no foxes on Mull.

Dave

Gardening on Mull
 

Thank you for all the advice. I am looking forward to finally having my own produce.

Kath

'The Stories of George the Hamster'
Translated by Lee H and Kathleen Smith
ISBN - 978-0-9546989-3-5
Available from www.arlev.clara.net/george.htm
and from both on line and High Street Bookshops