Muintir na Tire School Garden Competition

  Kale is not only delicious and nutritious, but it’s an incredibly prolific ‘cut and come again’ cropper. It can also be a very attractive feature in the winter veg patch, particularly the red-leafed varieties. This superfood has become an extremely popular veg in the last few years and regularly makes an appearance as out Hero Veg in GROW HQ. It’s is a hardy crop and will survive the worst of winter weather, giving you fresh greens in the crucial hungry gap months from February to April. Sowing Kale will grow in most reasonable soil though will grow better if the soil has compost and fertiliser added. Do not grow kale anywhere that you have grown any member of the cabbage family the previous three years (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, collards and kale). The best way to manage all these veg is to create a crop rotation scheme prior to growing. Kale can either be sown in modules or direct into the soil. If sowing in modules, sow 1cm deep in modules fro...

  Why Grow It? There are two major types of broccoli: calabrese and sprouting. If you are looking to grow the standard broccoli that we buy in shops with the big green tightly-packed head, then calabrese is the broccoli for you. While it is not the easiest veg to master, it is relatively handy to grow and can be succession sown (i.e. sown little and often for a continuous supply), so that you can crop almost all summer and autumn long. Sowing Calabrese should be planted in a soil that has been well-manured the previous autumn. Alternatively, you can add compost or manure and/or a general fertiliser one week before sowing/planting. Do not grow calabrese anywhere that you have grown any member of the cabbage family the last three years (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, collards and kale). The best way to manage all these veg is to create a crop rotation scheme prior to growing. We recommend starting seeds off in module trays indoors for later transplanting....

  When it comes to asparagus, patience really is a virtue. Once sown, asparagus will take at least three years to produce any crop worth eating or talking about. You’re probably reading this now thinking ‘why bother?’ But once you get your asparagus crop going it will produce for twenty years and it is undeniably delicious. So, if you have the space (and the patience) then give it a try. Sowing Choose your site carefully – asparagus will need good fertile, alkaline, free draining soil, in full sun, with wind protection. And make sure the plot/bed is free of perennial weeds before you start. You can sow asparagus from seed, but honestly, why would you bother? A plant that will crop for two decades is worth investing some money in. We recommend you buy young asparagus plants which are called ‘crowns’ – these can be found in garden centres or seed nurseries. Make a trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep (if you have more than one row, leave 50cm between rows). Add a thin layer of well-rotted ...

 Cork County Muintir na Tíre is recruiting a Part ‑ Time Community Development Worker / Office Administrator. If you’re passionate about community work, have strong organisational and bookkeeping skills, and enjoy supporting local groups across Cork City & County — we’d love to hear from you. 📍  Based in Cork City 🚗  Travel across Cork City & County required 📅  Closing Date: March 25th, 2026 📨  Apply by sending your Cover Letter & CV to: deniskelly@muintircork.com Help us strengthen and support communities across Cork! For full details of vacancy please click here  ActiveLink