The sun is shining and judging by our orders today, gardening is on your minds. Here is a delicious round-up of Edible Gardens on our latest Pinterest board. Whether you have a balcony herb box or a thriving allotment, there will be something on it for you so take a peek now!
Enjoy!
The Edible Garden Show was launched in response to the grow-your-own revolution sweeping the country as many more people are choosing healthier and greener options to be incorporated into their lives.
The show, which features not only the best advice and supplies for produce growing, but also Poultry & Livestock, Crafts, Kitchen cookery demonstrations and much, much, more will be at Alexandra Palace from 28th to 30th March.
Hint: This is the weekend of Mothers Day, so if you have a green-fingered mum, this might make an ideal gift for her!
More Information from the show website, click here.
And don’t forget that Agratech sell all you need for your edible garden – click here to see our garden range!
Images from http://www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk
Do you have an abundant allotment or a bountiful back garden?
The BBC is looking for participants for The Big Allotment Challenge to transform a plot of earth into a beautiful patch of edible lovliness.
Sadly Little Miss Agratech below is too little to enter, as all entrants must be 18 or over.
The show is produced by Silver River Productions ltd for the BBC and you can apply via the website click here
After completing a last minute entry, we were absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted in the Ecommerce category at the Red Rose Awards 2014. Continue reading
……Slugs and snails are hermaphrodite, each individual is both male and female, and is able to lay spherical translucent white eggs about 2-3mm across. Eggs are laid in batches of 10 – 50 and can often be found in the soil, in compost heaps and other dark, damp places. Up to about 500 eggs per slug may be laid in a season. They hatch into tiny versions of the adults in 3 weeks to 5 months depending on the time of year.
Slugs and snails can live for up to four years but the lifespan is usually less. 
In 2013, British gardens were invaded by the Spanish “super slug” which threatened crops and native species. They can grow up to 6in long and produce 400 eggs each.
Have you thought about your slug solution for this year yet? Find a range here in the Agratech Pest & Disease Control products. 
The show opens bright & early today. If you’re venturing out, have a great day and hope all exhibitors have a fantastically busy and fruitful show!
The show runs from 7.30am – 5.30pm on 22 January and 7.30 – 4.30pm on 23 January, with both car parking and access free of charge.
Photo from the LAMMA show website which is here.
Lack of December frost is spelling a potential shortage of Rhubarb for growers in Yorkshire’s ‘Rhubarb Triange’, with the first crop, due to hit the shops in March, currently at half expected volume.
Of course, the supermarkets will be stocking imported varieties, but Rhubarb aficionados claim that this lacks the subtlety of flavour of the Yorkshire grown fare. However, fear not, as it seems that later crops have not been similarly affected, so if you love your Rhubarb only when it’s grown in Yorkshire, you may find that you have a little longer to wait this year!
You can read the Telegraph Rhubarb article here. And Don’t forget you can buy all you need for Home Gardening at Agratech, click here
Now’s the time to check and service your sprayer…
If your sprayer has been stored all winter (we hope you emptied it!) now is the perfect time to give it a good check and service, in readiness for Spring gardening.
Taking your sprayer apart now to check for swollen and damaged seals and internals could save you from leaks down your back later! Check your lance trigger and nozzles for blockages and damage too – we’re always amazed how many people have to order new lances after mice and rats have had a nibble at them! Plastic lances and triggers are susceptible to frost damage if the sprayer has been left with chemical in, and may have hairline splits and cracks.
We sell all parts for Cooper Pegler Sprayers, the parts diagrams are on the website to help you identify what you need, but please give us a call if you need some help.
Find Cooper Pegler at Agratech here
Now is the perfect time to get planting if you want to harvest your own Garlic and Shallots this summer.
Planting now will ensure that your plants get a good few weeks of cool temperatures needed to get the above ground growing underway.
We love locally based Robinsons website http://mammothonion.co.uk/ and plenty of new varieties and a very funky website at the Garlic Specialists http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk
extract from The Independent article The Clove Club
Cheshire farmer James Stratton was yesterday jailed for 12 months and banned from keeping animals for 10 years, after admitting animal cruelty charges.
Animal Welfare Officers told the court it was the ‘worst case they had ever seen’, after they had made the horrific discovery following an anonymous telephone tip-off.
The full story via the BBC News website, here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-25778826