START TO BE MORE SELF SUFFICIENT THIS YEAR

BY CLODAGH AND DICK HANDSCOMBE*
AUTHORS OF ‘GROWING HEALTHY VEGETABLES IN SPAIN’

Our travels around Spain last year indicated that more and more expatriates are starting to grow vegetables, or if already doing so expanding their efforts. Those that haven’t well wonder why when the supermarkets are full of polythene wrapped packs of relatively fresh vegetables and frozen packs, bottles and tins of last seasons vegetables perhaps already incorporated in complete microwave meals? Well the reasons include the following.

1. Some years back all towns and villages in Spain were surrounded by a doughnut of fertile arable land large enough to grow all the local supply of vegetables without resorting to chemical fertilizers  as the land was fertilized by mules, donkeys and sheep and goats directly or after composting their droppings. Unfortunately with the sale of more and more of this horticultural land for building  or compulsory purchased for town and village bypasses fewer Spaniards grow vegetables for local sale and neighbourhood shops sell less and less locally grown produce. Vegetables are therefore imported from other areas or even other countries.
2. Although Spain is a major grower of organic vegetables  most are exported. Where organic vegetables are sold in local shops they often only have a weekly delivery.
3. Many supermarkets sell most vegetables in blister packs making it difficult to purchase smaller quantities.
4. The seed merchants are rationalising the range of seeds available to commercial growers so there is less diversity of varieties of vegetables in the shops.
5. Of necessity many commercially grown vegetables are grown as fast and as large as possible by the use of frequent –even continuous - watering and feeding and are often treated with chemicals to prolong their shelf lives. Our village store had football sized red peppers last week!
6. Many vegetables, especially salad vegetables are grown inside the Almeria ‘plastic desert’ and never experience natural rainfall or sunshine.
7. Processed frozen ,tinned or bottled vegetables are said to be not as nutritious as fresh vegetables as useful nutrients dissapear in storage.
8. The only way of ensuring really fresh vegetables  of the varieties that have the best tastes, bites and colour and the minimum loss of vitamins from harvesting to the table is to grow and harvest your own daily. And you can control the rate of growth, final size and surface and integral chemical contents by watering only sufficiently to achieve natural rates of growth and size and using only ecological fertilizers and insecticides.

So why not make a start this spring or even this week for sprouting seeds can be produced in the kitchen within a week and on a small scale an old bath, a group of large plastic pots, empty milk cartons or even the bottoms of five litre water bottles can all be used to make a modest but healthy start. An Alhaurin gardener who grows all his own curry herbs , spices and vegetables on his roof top terrace joined us on a recent REM radio programme. If you have a garden you can start with large containers and raised beds before expanding to a number  a traditional vegetable patch or strip beds between rows of fruit trees in the orchard..

WHAT TO GROW FIRST.

The most important thing is to grow things that you like and which are claimed by medical practitioners to be healthy features of our daily diets.
Many health books plus Spanish heath authorities emphasize the importance of eating five portions of fresh vegetables or fruit daily as a minimum basis for achieving or sustaining good health based on the natural vitamin and mineral contents of various vegetables. However the picture is then complicated by various heath gurus indicating the best and worst vegetables by your by blood group( Dr d’Adamo), by carbohydrate versus protein content( Dr. Atkins) and by essential vitamins and mineral content ( by Lynne McTaggart of ‘What the doctors don’t tell you’ organisation).
Having read what a number of gurus say we suggest you start by growing the following.

LEAF CROPS.

First start to sprout seeds such as mung beans, alfalfa, sunflower, mustard and cress in the kitchen, utility room or naya to add interest to salads. Then purchase a collection of lettuce plantlets aiming to achieve a mix of leaf textures and colours – these can be grown on any scale but do only plant a few each week or fortnight to achieve a continuity of crops rather than one glut. If you have prepared a raised bed or plot start to plant up chives, spinach, acelga , and even brassicas such as broccoli, cauliflowers  cabbages if you find some late PLANTLETS FOR SALE. Normally you would have planted these before Christmas.

FRUIT CROPS.

Start of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines from seed over the next few weeks or buy plantlets as soon as seen in the local markets or garden centres.  Beans can be started now on the coast next month but inland after the last frosts. In the autumn you can sow consecutive crops of peas and broad beans in October, November and December to harvest in the Spring.

FLOWER CROPS.

If you like them  globe artichoke plantlets can still be planted although a little late and nasturtiums can be started from seed in warmer spots for their edible flowers as well as leaves.

ROOT CROPS.

Although most vegetable growers will have planted segments of garlic corms and onion plantlets or sets before Christmas it’s worth trying a late  planting. As the weather starts to warm up make monthly sowings of carrots, beetroots,  and radishes for continuity of harvests.

THE BASIC SUCCESS FACTORS.

1. As already emphasised grow things which you really like and are willing to give a try as they appear to be good for your physical, mental or vital internal organ health.
2. Prepare soils for containers, raised beds or open plots thoroughly before planting anything. In general good crops require a rich open structured water absorbing but free draining soil.
3. Purchase strong healthy plantlets if you don’t have the time and patience to grow your own plantlets from seed.
4. Plant closely to minimise the growth of weeds and the evaporation of moisture.
5. Water just sufficiently to stimulate strong healthy plants that grow at a natural rate and have the highest vitamin and essential mineral concentrations possible.
6. Harvest young for salads and when more mature cook by ‘ slow methods’ that achieve the least loss of vitamin content. For instance steam, stir fry, roast slowly in foil or grill slowly rather than the harsher ‘fast ‘ methods of deep frying, barbecuing, boiling, or micro waving.

Inevitably we cannot say everything in a thousand words. However we hope that these thought starters  stimulate  the growing of more home grown vegetables and that you do it organically/ecologically. Our book Growing healthy vegetables in Spain ISBN 978-84-89954-53-3,price only 14.90 euros explains how to grow over a hundred varieties of seasonal vegetables under Spanish conditions.

© Clodagh and Dick Handscombe January 2008.

  
© Clodagh and Dick Handscombe December 2007.