
I'm afraid the subject of this article is rather unsavoury but it's a subject close to the heart of the allotment fraternity; I actually, not too close as you'll see in a minute. If I ask my wife Elaine what's the most important thing on our plot she'll smile sweetly and inform me that she is. Who am I to argue?
Another view might be that the soil is equally vital to growth and our allotment compatriots are always willing to discuss the pros and cons of the brown stuff beneath our wellies. We're fortunate that our soil is free draining so no lumpy clay but of course, free draining does allow the water and nutrients to slip away; a cause for concern when the rains fail and the water butts run dry. This leads to the issue of whether to dig, double dig or leave well alone and gardening pundits wax lyrical about this at every opportunity. Is it fashionable? Is there conclusive evidence? What did our forefathers do?
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2024 de Kitchen Garden.
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DIGGING THE DIRT NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Every allotment site needs its own superhero and, luckily for John Holloway and his fellow allotmenteers, Sailor Steve came to the rescue

MAKE ROOM FOR CABBAGE
Our humble cabbage is a powerhouse of goodness and we could all benefit from eating more of it. KG deputy editor Emma Rawlings offers tips on growing this popular brassica

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE
Instagrammer Olga Grieves is passionate about growing sweet peas. This month she shares her favourite varieties and explains how to create a stunning display

HERB OF THE MONTH MINT
With its strong flavour, distinctive aroma and its versatility, mint has to be one of the best herbs to have outside your back door, ready for you to pick from spring through to autumn

PRODUCTIVE PLOT
Last summer we launched a competition to find our Top Plotters, with the top three winning some great prizes and the chance to be featured in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Here we meet our third-placed winner

SUPER SOUASHES
Every garden should make space for squashes but with so many to choose from and so many ways to grow them, where to begin? Benedict Vanheems gets us started

GET PLANNING!
As much as we love to get going straightaway on our veg patch or allotment it's always good to start with a plan, as Becky Searle explains

Bio-stimulant or plant food: What's the difference?
Angharad James, product manager at Maxicrop, explains the difference between a bio- stimulant and plant fertiliser, and discusses which to choose when for a thriving garden

MEET THE BLOGGER MY COTTAGE GARDEN
Inspired by her grandfather, Instagrammer Sarah Pursey from Northamptonshire shares her passion for growing veg and flowers in her long back garden, a throwback to the 1930s

POTTY ABOUT STRAWBERRIES
This month David Patch turns his attention to growing succulent strawberries in pots, offering useful practical tips and recommendations for some choice varieties