Author: oldlanelottswp

The outdoor use of slug pellets that contain metaldehyde has now been banned in Great Britain from the 1st April 2022 in order to protect wildlife & the environment. The government minister for farming Victoria Prentis has announced . The decision takes into account advice from the UK expert committee on pesticides (E.C.P) & the health & safety executive (H.S.E) about the risks it poses to birds & mammals. Stocks should have been disposed off by 31/3/22 check your local councils household waste & recycling site, Municipal waste sites have specific facilities to dispose of hazardous garden chemicals.

Blog written by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary) Information provided by Kathryn Thornton

By far the worst pests to the vegetable grower is the slug & the snail, it doesn’t matter what you grow or where you grow it the slug is waiting to devour the crop before you do. They are not fussy eaters but they do prefer young seedlings. Now there has been a national ban on slug pellets containing metaldehyde Below are some remedies for slug & snail prevention.

1. A container half buried in the ground and half filled with beer. The slug is lured by the scent & tumbles to its death .
2. Self adhesive copper tape around pots & planters deters the slug & snail & gives them a small electric shock when attempting to cross it.
3. Eggs shells is an old favorite. to put around your vulnerable plants.
4. Grit & gravel – the finely crushed horticultural grit makes a good barrier as it has sharp edges.
5. Nut shells – the sharp edges make good barriers- around vulnerable plants.
6. You can also trap them under grapefruit or orange skins the slug likes to hide away from predatory birds in the day time

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Can we please make sure we keep the toilet area clean please for the next person to use it.

Thank you

Old Lane Allotments Committee

Just to let members know I wont be on site 4th – 8th April. Although Mick Hogan (Chairman plot 30) is going to cover the stores in my absence it would be as well to purchase stores items this week Tuesday 29th March – Sunday 3rd April ( mornings) for compost, fertilisers , & stock items.

Kind Regards Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

hedgehogs

Christine on Plot 15/16 has a friend who takes in poorly hedgehogs ,she has three to release back into there natural habitat (after rehabilitation) and is going to put them on our site, along with a couple of hedgehog hotels ,near to where they will be released. We just want plot holders to be vigilant when strimming or burning items. There are other hazardous materials to hedgehogs such as slug pellets & netting that isn’t in use, Chemical’s are also a danger to them including pesticides. Turning over of compost heaps were a hedgehog could be resting in daylight hours. So can we all think about items we might have left out on our plots & put them away. Lets keep hedgehogs safe.

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Grow Organic is a 100% organic fertiliser, it improves soil & breaks clay. I have included some pictures so plot members can read what it can be used for, & what the benefits are. We stock a minimum quantity and the price is £7.00 & would cover  1/2 plot if spread out & dug in. People who use it say it is as good as cow manure without all the hassle of delivery & off course the mess. It can be used for different applications.

All monies taken go towards the up keep of the site.

OLD LANE ALLOTMENTS COMMITTEE

Mains water

The Mains water has now been switched back on for the site.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Planting potatoes

Plant your chitted potatoes when the soil starts to warm up, usually in mid- March to early April. Start by digging a trench 7.5 – 13cm (3-5 inch) deep, add a sprinkling of fertiliser to your trench before you begin planting. Plant early potatoes about 30cm (12 inch) apart with 40-50cm (16-20 inch) between the rows, second earlies & maincrops about 38cm (15 inch) apart with 75cm (30 inch) between the rows. Handle your chitted seed potatoes (tubers) with care, gently setting them in to the trench with the shoots pointing upwards, be really careful not to break the shoots. Cover the potatoes lightly with soil & fill in the trench. As soon as the shoots appear, earth up each plant by covering it with a ridge of soil so the shoots are just buried. You need to do this at regular intervals creating a small mound around the plant to prevent any sun damage or element damage.

Harvesting

Your home grown potatoes should be ready for lifting from June until September, depending on the varieties & the growing conditions. Earlies can be lifted & eaten as soon as they are ready, this will be when above -ground growth is still green,& usually as soon as the flowers open on the plant. Second & maincrop varieties can be kept in the ground much longer, until late September, even though above-ground growth may well be looking past its best. Two weeks before you lift the crop, cut the growth off the plants at ground level. This should give the skins of the potatoes sufficient time to toughen up, making them far less prone to damage from lifting and easier to store.

Blog written by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

 

 

Path ways between plots must be maintained

 

To All Plot Members

Just a reminder that pathways have to be clear for access. It is the responsibility of plot holders to keep the grass cut on adjacent paths between plots to keep the site well maintained.

Thank you

Old Lane Allotments Committee

 

 

 

SUCCESSIONAL SOWING

Successional sowing

It is easy to freeze are vegetable’s if we have a glut of crops. Fresh vegetable’s however that have been picked a few hours earlier & cooked always taste so much better. So to avoid growing a glut over the growing season we need to have smaller quantities ripening over a period. Say we are going to use a cabbage each week , take a modular seed tray & plant three seeds, label them with the variety & date. While they are developing pot on into three inch pots. Then three weeks later sow another three seeds as your first set of seeds are developing. Continue the process, that way you wont have too many of the same crop all ready at the same time.

This method can be applied to any crop that you have started in pots.

Blog By Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)