Cleaning with Vinegar

I was thrilled to see the introduction of “White Vinegar” as a cleaning product in Mercadona at a very fine Price of 0.69cents. I immediately bought two bottles to try out. 

As we have been told for many years many of the cleaning products that we have in our households are bad for our environment and can affect our own breathing. Although I do use bleach in the house I use it very sparingly. Many people still put a“cup” full of bleach into a bucket where as research shows that a “cap” will do the job more than adequately. 

The Spanish are great fans of ammonia but I am sure most of you know that this must never be mixed with bleach ( I found out the hard way when I first moved away from home. Luckily I was on a terrace and the smoke fumes soon disappeared, but the smell was definitely over powering).


Here are some tips on cleaning with vinegar......

Cleaning with White Vinegar.

 White vinegar is another amazing, ecofriendly product that we can use to replace our chemical cleaning products. It is cheap, has a very very long shelf life, It is edible and biodegradable and is a fantastic cleaner.
To show you have versatile this substance is here are just a few ways in which we can use white vinegar.

1.       Eliminate odours. You can use vinegar for an immediate effect such as boiling a cup of water with a       table spoon of vinegar. This will work with strong kitchen/cooking/ smoke smells. You can also put a       small bowl of neat vinegar in a corner of a room or fridge to elevate.

2.       Clean Kitchen surfaces with a clean cloth and vinegar for a fresh smelling clean kitchen.

3.       Wash down tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms with a clean cloth and vinegar to clean off mould.

4.       Clean the fridge with a cloth and half water/half white vinegar to fight unwanted smalls and bacteria.

5.       To remove dirt from a microwave. Heat up a small amount of vinegar in the microwave, leave for three minutes and then wipe the microwave with a dry cloth.

6.        Soak cotton wool with vinegar and leave on taps overnight to clean off lime scale.

7.       Dishwashers can receive a clean up with a cup of white vinegar on an economy run.

8.       Wipe out plastic food containers and lunch boxes with a vinegar soaked cloth to disinfect, clean and remove smells.  

9.  Mix equal amounts of table salt with white vinegar into a paste and use to clean brass, copper and pewter. 

 

10.   To disinfect, clean and remove smells from dish cloths soak over night in a bowl of vinegar mixed with water.

11.    Before leaving the house tip three cups of white vinegar down the toilets to clean and deodorize.

12.    Clear blocked drains with handful of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar. Leave for three minutes and then pour hot/boiling water down the drain. Repeat if necessary.

13.    Leave the shower head for several hours in a cup of white vinegar to get rid of lime scale and clean. Run hot water through the shower head when finished.

14.    Deodorant stains on clothes can be treated by placing a small amount of white vinegar and then washing as normal.

15.    Mix one part vinegar to two parts water to clean the coffee pot. Place in the water section and turn the machine on. Leave for 15 minutes and then rinse with warm soapy water and then with clear water.

16.    Add a teaspoon of vinegar to a spray bottle and wipe off mirrors and windows with scrunched up newspaper.

17.    Clean carpet stains with a mixture of one teaspoon of each of white vinegar and a mild detergent with a little amount of lukewarm water. Apply this mixture to the carpet stain and rub it with a soft brush or a towel, until the stain is vanished.

18.    To clean floors add half a cup of white vinegar in about 15 litres of water. A few drops of your favourite essential oil can also be added.

19.    Remove watermarks from wood with a small amount of vinegar mixed with olive oil.

20.   Wipe down surfaces such as telephones, light switches, and computer key boards with a very slightly damp cloth lightly dipped in vinegar.

 

Not many of us can grow enough of our own fruit and veg to be self sufficient and we still have to rely on shops and supermarkets. Maybe we don’t have enough space or our busy lifestyles just don’t afford us enough time to grow everything that we want to.
 Small family run greengrocers usually have good produce that tastes great and has been grown locally too but they are not always grown in an ecological way. Step forward the organic market, up and running for a few years now, it visits the main towns in the gaudalhorce valley on certain weekends every month and is now on in Marbella.
 As well as great fruit and veg there are stalls that sell honey, jams and preserves, organic wine and beer and one stall has rice, chick peas and other dried beans and lots of unusual organic flour for you home bakers out there. For more information on when and where you can find the market go to www.gaudalhorceecologico.com. Please support it if you can, at present it only visits each town once a month, it would be great if it became a regular feature once a week so we have access to organic fruit and veg all the time. 
written by Andy Williams

Butterfly Park, Benalmadena.

A newly opened attraction situated next to the Buddhist temple.

A very enjoyable couple of hours in a very relaxing atmosphere. The information was clear and in two languages. We were allowed to wonder freely around the gardens being careful not to tread on any of the butterflies.

The was an amazing variety of size and colour and a superb nursery where the children were shown the chrysalis and watched as butterflies emerged and spread their wings for the first time.

Prices at the desk (2011)  adults 8.50€  Children under 12  5€  Discounts for disabled and retired visitors. ALSO discount for booking on line. We paid half an hour before arriving via paypal and saved 1€ per person and all information was waiting for us on arrival.

Very clean services and staff were helpful and friendly. Although not open yet there were two refreshment areas.

Verdict- Kids loved it and reasonably priced.     

             www.mariposariodebenalmadena.com

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are probably the most popular vegetable for both the experienced and amateur to grow. It’s not hard to see why as home grown tomatoes are far superior to anything that you can buy in the shops. They are not the easiest vegetable to grow, not the most difficult either but they do need very specific requirements and need a fair amount of attention while they are growing. This shouldn’t put you off; if you can successfully grow tomatoes then you can grow just about anything.

 

Sowing seeds

Whatever seeds you are sowing moisten the compost first so that you disturb them as little as possible. Sow tomatoes and other small seeds as close to the surface as possible in three inch pots or modules if you want to raise lots of plants. The easiest way is to put two or three seeds on top of the compost and cover with a very thin layer of fine compost or vermiculite. If you have a hose with a gun water on a fine spray or use a household spray mister. When the seedlings are big enough to handle remove the weaker ones and leave the strongest. The seedling will be ready to plant out when it has formed a good root system and you can pull the plant out of the pot without losing any compost. Tomato seeds germinate at about 69 degrees Fahrenheit, this is where a cold frame, conservatory, enclosed patio or sunny window sills come in handy.

Soil

Tomatoes like rich soil so incorporate compost or well rotted manure into your plot prior to planting. If you’re growing in pots use good quality compost. There are some very cheap bags of compost out there but they lack the nutrients of the better stuff and in my opinion is false economy.

 

Aftercare

Aftercare falls into two categories, looking after the plants and looking after the soil. The soil part is easy, pull up any weeds taking care not to disturb the plant and feed with a nitrogen rich, preferably organic, fertilizer once a week.

Looking after the plants is a little trickier. To achieve a bumper crop you will need to remove the side shoots when they are about an inch long that appear in between the leaf stalk and the main stem. Leaving them on the plant to develop will use up valuable energy that the plant would use for flowering and fruit set. If you have no idea of what I am talking about take a tomato plant and follow a leaf stalk from its tip to the point where it meets the stem. That is the point where the side shoots appear. Take care not to remove the fruit stalk which grows quite close to the side shoots.

When the plant has developed small tomatoes on the 4^th truss remove the growing tip 2 leaves above the truss. This encourages fruit to ripen.

Comfrey

 Because of its high levels of NPK nutrients comfrey is a very beneficial plant to organic gardeners and small holders alike. For those of you who don’t know, NPK are the basic nutrients that plants require for healthy growth. (N) being nitrogen, (P) being phosphorous and (K) being potash. Fertilizer made from comfrey leaves has at least the same amount of nutrients as chemically manufactured fertilizers as well as manure and bog standard compost.

 Planting

Comfrey is an easy plant to grow providing you can give it certain requirements. It likes deep soil, so dig over your soil breaking up any clods and remove as many stones as possible. Incorporate compost or manure if your soil lacks organic matter. You can even add fresh chicken pooh if you have any as fresh manure doesn’t burn comfrey. If you have very shallow soil on top of bedrock your only option will be to construct a raised bed.

Your biggest problem though will be keeping it watered in the summer. Comfrey needs plenty of water so add mulches, weed membrane or plastic sheets around the base of the plant and if possible plant it where it will be shaded during the hottest part of the day. Water copiously at night and check it during the day.

 Propagation

We grow two types of comfrey, common comfrey symphytum officinale and a cultivar Russian comfrey (bocking14) symphytum uplandicum. Russian comfrey is sterile and can only be grown from root cuttings. Once the plant is established take a two inch cutting and plant it about an inch or so deep in a pot of compost, water it well and keep it moist. Comfrey does not grow well in pots so transplant it to its final site when it has formed a good root system.

If you want to grow from seed, pot up two seeds per pot, keep moist and wait.

 Harvesting

You can harvest comfrey two to three times a year but only when the plant is established in its second year. Cut the leaves a few inches above the ground, use a pair of hedge shears and wear gloves as the leaves can irritate.

 Using Comfrey

• Comfrey is high in nitrogen so can be used as a compost activator to speed up the process.
• Wilted leaves can be used as mulch around the base of plants releasing their nutrients into the soil.
• Leaves can be made into a liquid fertilizer for tomatoes, beans, peppers etc
• Wilted leaves can also be used as a feed for chickens and other livestock.   

Saving Water

water saving tip

Three years ago when I told my husband that I wanted a wormery for my birthday he was a little surprised  but this year when I asked for a water butt he did not butt an eye lid ( Sorry- I could not resistit). I have wanted one for ages but again it is not something I have ever come across in Spain. I have certainly never seen one in AKI or or in local Viveros, however,my luck changed when I visited the newly open “Clearance Warehouse” on the Coin Road. (It replaces the burnt down storage warehouse  next to the Palacio de Telas and YoYuba) . They had two sets of garden water butts , one thin 100litre with stand at 20 euros and another 220 litres with stand, drainpipe attachment and watering can for 50 euros.

 If you are looking for something a bit bigger you could try BIG Mart which had 1000 litre water collectors that could be usedfor indoor and outdoor water supply. Their range started off at 240 euros and lids and taps were separate. They are also situated on the Coin road at the Entrerios /la Cala roundabout. 

If none of these suit your purposes than you could always invest in the cheap blue/red bins that we find in our Chinese Bizarre or 1euro shops which cost from 4 euros. Last year I placed two under the drains during the heavy rainfall and the watered all my plants for 4 days.

Rain is one of the few remaining items we still have free.        Lets use it!

Andy's post from May 2011.

 We already have a water butt that takes rain from the guttering but its too small and fills up in minutes, we needed something more. So with a rough plan in my head and the impending rain on its way i quickly rigged up a system that was cheap, simple and quick to make.
 
the photo above shows the finished article. The left hand water butt is the original one that has sat there for a year or so and is fed by the guttering and downpipe. The second is the the same size as the first but sits lower to the ground on a couple of two inch planks. As the water butts fill up they overflow into each other via 55mm pvc pipe. In total i reckon the capacity of the four water butts is about 700 litres, not bad for a hastily made last ditch attempt to save water. Once they're full, i fill up empty water bottles (look to the right of the picture) that we've saved over the last few years. If its torrential and all the water butts are full, the first one has a tap at the bottom which is connected to irrigation pipe. That pipe is buried in the soil and runs over the edge of a steep bank and down to the lower terrace where it fills up a large 1000 litre tank. That tank waters all the fruit trees and the grapes through summer.

Small Space Gardening in Spain

I would say that 99% of households have some kind of plant in their house whether it is a flower to decorate or a herb to use in the kitchen or a full scale vegetable patch. We hope to look at here at different plants that can be grown here in Spain and the different conditions ie in a finca or on a terrace. 
Gardening in small spaces

  This is my fifth attempt at writing this article. Every time I started I realized that there is a whole books worth of information that I could have written. So I’m going to keep it as concise as possible as I realize that you probably don’t want to be bogged down in detail. Basically all vegetables can be grown in pots providing they’re big enough. Having said that there are certain vegetables that aren’t worth growing if space is limited. I would steer clear of most root vegetables and stick with fruiting varieties like tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes and a variety of salad crops. 

Getting started

 One of the disadvantages of growing in pots is the initial cost of buying the things you’ll need. You can minimize this by using all sorts of containers like old buckets, drainpipes cut to size, old waste paper bins, old car tyres and basically anything that will act as a pot and has drainage. Unless you have a compost heap which is highly unlikely on a terrace then your most expensive outlay will be for compost. Other than a few bamboo canes for support and a watering can there is not mulch else you need to get started. You can always add the items you think you need later on.                                                                       

 What to grow

 A lot will depend on what you like to eat, there is no point growing a vegetable you don’t like even if it grows well in pots. If all I had was a terrace to grow my vegetables on these are what I would choose. A few cherry tomatoes, they don’t take up much space and there are certain tumbling varieties that can be grown in hanging baskets. A couple of salad tomatoes varieties like “marmande” or “raf”. These can grow quite large but are worth growing for their superior flavour. Two or three peppers, the varieties are not as important as allowing them to mature to full ripeness on the plant. An aubergine, a couple of courgettes and lots of lettuce and other salad crops like rocket and leaf beet (sometimes called perpetual spinach). These would form the mainstay of my terrace plot and would provide me with more than enough produce for endless summer salads and ingredients for pasta sauces. For a bit of variety I would grow a few fennel bulbs, some beetroot and if space permitted me some french beans.                                                                

   How to grow

 To make life easier, get yourself down to a good garden centre in one of the inland agricultural towns. There you’ll be able to buy the plug plants that will get you of to a flying start. They’ll have been grown in polytunnels which means they are a good few weeks ahead of anything that you can grow from seed at home. At the same time sow some seeds of your own in modules or three inch pots. Sow them at fortnightly intervals, that way you’ll have a regular supply of plants throughout the season. When you plant out your seedlings or plugs make sure the compost in the pot is level with the top of the root ball. If it’s too low in the pot the damp compost will rot the stems, too high and the roots will be exposed. This is a general rule for most fruiting bushes like tomatoes and peppers. Stake the plants with bamboo or cane and tie the seedling loosely to the stake. When you give the plants their first watering, some of the compost will settle. If this happens add a little more to the pot.

If you choose to sow some seeds there are a couple of rules that should be followed. Water the compost before you sow the seeds. This is particularly relevant for small seeds like lettuce and tomatoes that can easily be disturbed when you water. Try using a household spray mister instead of a watering can.                                                      

Large seeds like beans, peas and courgettes should be sown about an inch deep in the pots, small seeds can either be sown just under the surface or on top of the compost then covered with either vermiculite or a very fine layer of compost. Always keep the seeds moist but not waterlogged which can lead to rotting. When the seedling have developed a good root ball and the compost holds together when you lift it out of the pot they are ready for transplanting to larger pots. The size and shape of pot that you need will depend on the vegetable but if you can give your plants a minimum of 8 inches of depth then you won’t go far wrong.

When to grow

 A good indicator of when you should start planting and sowing is when the garden centres start to sell the plants. If you’re a regular to the garden centre keep an eye out for what they are selling and growing. I usually buy a few plants when they are new in then start to sow some seeds at the same time. Seed packets are obviously the most accurate indicator but they are still only a guide as the weather and temperature will affect germination. I always sow a few trial seeds a month before and up to a month after the seed packets recommend it. When august and July come around the temperatures are often too high to keep the compost moist enough for germination unless you have a very cool shaded outbuilding, garage or basement. In any case you might have too many jobs in the garden to worry about seeds. I have to water my pot grown veg twice a day and then there is the harvesting of the crop and of course cooking and eating it.                                                    Back to top

 Looking after the crop

 Most, but not all vegetables are annuals. That is they flower, fruit then die. You can prolong the length of their season by regularly picking the fruit. The more you pick the more flowers they make and the more fruit they produce. This is a very general rule as all plants have their own needs. If your growing in pots it’s important to keep the compost moist, water little and often. A tomato will split its skins or develop blossom end rot if it is subjected to lots of water after the compost has been allowed to dry out. The first courgettes should be picked when they are about the size of your middle finger but if you choose to grow squashes its better to leave just one or two on the plant to let the plant put all its efforts into producing large fruits. Pot grown plants will also need regular doses of a good organic fertilizer like comfrey tea. Because the plants roots are restricted within in confines of a pot they will quickly use up all the nutrients in the compost necessitating the need for a fertilizer.                                                                            

I would recommend having a good book handy for reference purposes. The vegetable and herb expert by Dr. D G Hession is a classic for allotment gardeners if you ignore his indiscriminate recommendations for using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Another great book is the “veg patch” by the river cottage team. Definitely one for the organic gardener.           

 Summing up

 I hope that I have managed to inspire you to grow your own veg on your terrace or patio. I’ve tried not to go into too much detail as I find it can be off putting to novices. I think you’ll learn more from experience than from anybody telling you how to do it. My advice is to start off small and expand as you get more confident. I guarantee you’ll be hooked.

 

Organic Pest Control

Organic Pest Control

Within the boundaries of organic gardening certain substances are permitted. Personally speaking though, these should only be used as a last resort against serious infestation. The ultimate aim is to encourage beneficial predators into your garden, creating a mini eco-sphere. To do this there has to be a food source which means allowing some destructive pests to flourish, if only briefly. By killing off pests such as aphids with pesticides you are depriving beneficial predators like ladybirds of a readily available source of food. If you really do have to use pesticides because of severe infestation then the following products should be of some use.

1. Neem oil is a non toxic, biodegradable broad spectrum pesticide that interferes with an insect’s physiology and mating patterns but doesn’t actually kill it. It’s the only insecticide that we use in our garden.

2. Insecticidal soap is another non toxic pesticide that when applied has to come into contact with the insect and only lasts while it’s wet.

3. Horticultural oil works by suffocating the insect and by disrupting its feeding pattern. It has low toxicity and leaves no residue.

There are many more organic pesticides on the market but for most allotment gardeners or smallholder the three listed above should suffice.  
 
Deterrents and prevention 
 Nature has its own way of dealing with unwanted insects in the form of garlic. It has long been known that certain plants, in particular their smell, deter harmful insects. Carrot fly for instance navigate by smell and can detect carrots from as far away as a mile. The strong scent of garlic masks the scent of the carrot making it far more difficult for the fly to detect the crop.
Other members of the alliums’ family, in particular chives and spring onions are also useful in the same way and are particularly effective against aphids.
 Plant your chives and onions close to those plants that are most susceptible. To get the best results cut or rub the chives to release the scent.
 You can make an effective homemade repellent by crushing a few garlic cloves then boil them in a litre of water for fifteen minutes, leave to cool then spray on your vegetables. Use only as a deterrent, in my experience it is of little use to plants already under attack.
 Companion planting
 Companion planting is an invaluable technique that all organic gardeners should consider using. Basically it involves planting ornamental plants to deter pests or attract pests away from your vegetables. As we’ve already mentioned members of the onion family can deter carrot fly and aphids by their smell which the pest finds unattractive. Here is a list of some of the most beneficial and easiest plants to find.
 Alliums; good against aphids and carrot fly
Basil; attracts aphids away from other plants
Nasturtiums; attracts cabbage white butterflies away from broccoli and cabbage
Marigolds; repels slugs
Coriander; repels aphids and carrot fly
 It’s also good practice to plant flowering ornamentals as close to your veg patch as possible, preferably in amongst your crops. They will attract bees and other pollinating insects essential for a bumper crop.
 Other pests
 As well as the usual, common pests that all gardeners come across at some time or other there are a few that you will encounter in Spain. By far the most problematic for us are grasshoppers and locusts. Left unchecked they can devour a young plant beyond recognition. Spiders are there natural predator, particularly the bloody big ones. Leave them and their webs in place and check it every so often. During the summer I guarantee that you’ll see a fair few grasshoppers caught up in its web.
 Sheep and goats have caused us a fair few problems in the past. Both will eat any unprotected tree and vegetables and don’t expect the shepherd to stop them. Good grazing is difficult to find in summer so a nice juicy patch of lettuces are just what there looking for. In the end we had to fence off our newly planted trees and enclose our kitchen garden with chicken wire, fence posts and a few old pallets. We are now on speaking terms with both the shepherd and goat herder, offering them cold water in summer. You have to be a little bit pragmatic in these situations; after all before us foreigners moved into the campo the shepherds had the whole of the countryside to graze their flock on. We allow the sheep to graze on the lower part of our land in amongst the old olives and almonds.