Author: oldlanelottswp

THINNING OUT

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

Young seedlings need to be thinned to prevent overcrowding. Thin to the final spacing’s in stages, rather than immediately, to allow for any loss due to pests & diseases ; at each stage , aim to leave a seedling just clear of its neighbours. If the seeds have been sown in situ , continue to thin until they are at the spacing required for mature plants. 

Really small seedlings should be nipped off at ground level so as not to disturb roots on adjacent plants. Clear the thinned seedlings away as not to attract pests from the scent. Seedling’s such as lettuces  cabbages, & onions maybe lifted for transplanting, & the soil re -firmed  around the seedlings.

Blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

WHAT TO GROW

One of the srangest things I have come across is a grower that has a crop that he or she doesn’t like. So the first rule is to grow what you like to eat. Although this may seem obvious , often it can be strangely ignored. Write down what you or your family like to eat. Think seasonally Summer most people like salads & in Winter most families like root hardy vegetables. When you go shopping see which fruit & vegetables are the most expensive (so you can save money). Having eventually made a list of what you want to eat. You can then choose the varieties you want to grow. It’s easy to get carried away when your planning, be realistic about the time you have available ; think about how much time you will have in a good week, and in a bad week. Pick plants & seeds that are happy with that & grow them in the right place. On the other hand do try crops that you haven’t eaten before. The worst case is you waste a packet of seeds & a small patch of land.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Wheelbarrows

Thank You to Tony Paine who has changed nearly all the wheels on our fleet of barrows to fixed type. The wheels cant be punctured meaning there should be wheel barrows available all the time & none under repair for punctures. Please can you return the wheel barrows after use for the next person to use

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

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)

Reg, Steve & Nick

Just want to say thank you to Reginald Brook who mows the main path & communal lawn, also Steve Johnston & Nick Thyer who strim the two main paths through the site. The communal gardens are kept by Martin Kennard who keeps them colourful & weed free all year round.

Thanks guys for all your efforts

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Dear Members

The stores will be closed Friday 23rd April just for one day. Anyone wanting to purchase stores items we will open the stores Thursday 22nd April.

Thanks

Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Litter Picking

On Thursday 15th April we did a litter picking exercise from St Anthony’s Drive entrance down the inside of the parameter fence leading to Hugh Gaitskell school. We filled over 6 black bags of rubbish on our tidy up. If you see any litter on the allotments when you are walking to your plot please could you pick it up & dispose of it. Lets keep our site clean. Thank You to the litter pickers who helped on the day. Tony Paine, Mark Burton, Steve Johnston, Martin Kennard, Nick Thyer & Shaun Russell

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Dear plot members,

 Could people please make sure that the gates are locked at all times. Safety & security for the site is everybody’s responsibility.

Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

For & on behalf of Old Lane Allotments Committee

Hosepipes can only be used to fill up water barrels that you have on your plot. That strictly means hosepipes cant be used to direct water plants or land, it is forbidden on site. Anyone caught using a hosepipe other than filling up a water barrel will be in a strict breach of there tenancy agreement , Please use watering cans only. Also there are connectors being removed on water stand pipe taps, again these should not be removed.

Thank You

Old Lane Allotments Association. (Blog created by Mark Burton – Site Secretary)

The Allotment Diary

One of the most useful things for any gardener is a diary. Unless you are blessed with a photographic memory it will prove invaluable for the years ahead. In the diary you can keep a record of conditions, your actions, & of course your results. Make a record of what you sow, the date & the variety and also where you have sown on your plot. Make a note of what the weather is like , when the first & lasts frost occur which is useful recorded information. Its also worth recording quantities in your harvest & acceptability. When you come to order your seeds the following year you know what has grown well for you & whats not grown so good. It can be very confusing what you have grown & where recording your information will help you keep track. A diary is also useful to remind yourself of jobs that need completing writing a brief note over the growing season. Organisation & planning is key to a thriving allotment.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)