Author: oldlanelottswp

 

 

Small Holdings & Allotments Act 1908

The small holdings and Allotment Act 1907 imposed responsibilities on parish, urban district & borough councils to provide allotments & further legislation in 1908 consolidated previous acts & resolved various anomalies.

First World War 1914 – 1918

During the first World War Germanys blockade caused food shortages which increased the demand for allotments. One source of land suitable for allotments but not large enough for general agriculture use was the land owned by railway companies. These strips of land were often allotted to railway workers this is the reason that you will often see allotments by railway lines today. Following the First World War there was a decrease in a demand for allotments and this, combined with increased demand for building land for housing reduced the number of allotments.

Blog & Research Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary) 

Photos enhanced by Mick Cooper (Plot 12E)

 

History of Allotments – To be continued …..

July is one of the driest months so a lot of time may be spent watering your plot. Although the hectic sowing of the first part of the year is past, there are still things to sow, plant, and happily harvest. Those early potatoes should be coming out of the ground by the end of this month, and although they do not store as long as main crop varieties they will store before you finish eating them.

Leeks – Finish transplanting or “dibbing in” leeks raised in pots, modules, or temporary seed beds. They should be in their final position this month. If you have too many to transplant cut them up & put them in a stir fry instead of spring onions.

Peas & French Beans – This is your last chance for sowing or planting out peas & beans. any later the pods are unlikely to develop in time.

Root Vegetables – Sow your last batch of beetroot now. Late carrot & turnip varieties can still go in at the end of this month.

Other crops you can still sow – Radish, spring onion, Kale, Chinese cabbage, Lettuce, Spring cabbage, last chance to plant out any Brussels sprouts, winter cabbage, autumn cauliflowers you have been growing from seed.

Don’t forget to keep your onions weed free, summer thinning can be now done on apple, pear, plum trees etc. Keep the hoe in your hand & keep on top of those weeds.

Blog By Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

The Development Of The Allotment – Part 2

• 1975 An interest in self-sufficiency & the popular television show “The good life” caused a rise in interest in allotments in the 1970s.
• 2002 Organic growing got a big boost as Monty Don took over presenting “gardeners world”
•  Many people nowadays are determined to” grow their own”. The new allotmenteer is younger, and is usually female, than in times gone by.
• Modern allotment & kitchen gardeners have found support from celebrity chefs , many who are happy to get their hands dirty in search of fresh organic edibles.
• Even children are starting to “grow their own” with a number of local & national campaigns supporting in the development of school vegetable gardening clubs.

Blog & Research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

We now have in stock 60 litre bags of compost (Clover multi – purpose) priced at £5.85 each.

All monies go to the running of the site

Old Lane Allotments Association

The Development Of The Allotment

• AD410 in the Saxon times, communities cleared land together, sharing out ‘allotted land’ areas between themselves.
• 1066 Following the Norman conquest , land ownership was confined to lords of the manor & the church.
• 1600 During the reign of Elizabeth the first the first evidence of allotments is made, as land is given to the poor to compensate them for the enclosure of common land.
• 1845 The general enclosure act included a requirement to provide land for allotments where common ground was enclosed.
• 1887 The allotments & cottage gardens for compensation for crops act obliged local authorities to provide allotments, if there was a required demand.
• 1907 the small holdings & allotment act clarified the responsibilities of local authorities to provide allotments.
• 1914 Germanys blockade during the first world war led to an increased demand for allotments , although after the war it fell again.
• 1939 The second world war , and its ‘DIG FOR VICTORY’ campaign brought allotments & gardening to the forefront of British life. The amount of allotments in the British Isles peaked at 1.5 million.
• 1960 Disuse & development led to a decrease in allotments that were available.

                                             Blog & Research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

                                        To be Continued   ……

Carpets & Rugs

Dear plot members,

Please can you not bring carpets/rugs on the allotments. It states in the Leeds City Council rules & regulations that they shouldn’t be brought on site for health & safety reasons.

They seem to be appearing & they are being used as weed control on plots,which is not allowed. They are also being used on walkways between plots & these become really slippy & hazardous in the bad weather. Health & safety  is everyone’s responsibility. I know some carpets have been on site a long time & have been left by tennants that are no longer members. Bringing them to site is breaching our site rules

Thank You

Old Lane Allotments Association

We have a builders skip arriving 10th June – morning time for all to utilise.

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

A big thank you to Martin Kennard plot 51 – Committee member who keeps the communal gardens on the site looking great, as they do on this photograph.

Blog & photograph by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

June is a very busy time on the allotment the nights should now be frost free, and daylight hours are longer which should give you plenty of time to get on with jobs that need doing. Now is the time to protect your strawberries by mulching around them with straw to keep mud splashes off, & keep birds of your precious ripening strawberries by cover your plants with netting.

Keeping on top of the weeds is still very important hoe between rows & let them dry out on top of the soil. Continue sowing beetroot, This is the last chance to sow main crop variety carrots that will be ready to harvest in September/October. Courgettes, Summer squash, & marrows if you don’t already have young plants you have raised in pots, you can sow the seed direct outside now the soil has warmed up. The beginning of June will be the last chance to grow main crop peas, towards the end of the month switch to early fast maturing peas which should be ready to harvest in September. Outdoor cucumbers are usually started off earlier in pots, but if you sow them direct this month they should give you a crop in August/September.

Sow Outdoors now – beetroot, broccoli, Carrots, French beans, kale, pumpkins & Winter squash, runner beans, swede, Swiss chard, turnips, radish, Spring onions, continue succession of salad leaves, cucumbers, herbs.

                                          Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

We currently have no stock of multi purpose compost, We have got a large quantity on order with our supplier.

Old Lane Allotments Association