Author: oldlanelottswp

The carrot fly not only affects carrots but parsnips and even celery as well. The fly’s maggots cause the damage, killing seedlings and burrowing under the skin of mature plants, leaving brown tunnels behind. The fly’s produce two generations in a year and are active in April/May & July/August which almost ensures they can get at our crops. You can try sowing outside of these time frames in February,March,June,September, and October but its not an absolute guarantee that your crop will not suffer from carrot fly.

The fly is attracted by the smell of carrots & is most active during the day, so thinning, which bruises foliage and releases the scent, is best carried out later in the day. Inter-planting with stronger smelling onions is suppose to confuse the fly but evidence is mixed. Growing your carrots high in containers like half barrels in the ground could keep your crops out of reach. The best barrier to protect from carrot fly is to grow them under fleece, especially in the danger months. There are no chemicals available to amateur gardeners, but there are now more carrot fly resistant seeds being sold like ” Systan Flyaway” & “Resistafly” which could be your best option.

Blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary) – Pictures Mick Cooper

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 maincrop 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)

 

ONION NECK ROT (botrytis allii). At this time of year it is advisable to check onions to see if they are storing well and keeping free of disease.However,after a period of about 10-12 weeks after harvesting a crop the signs of ONION NECK ROT will appear. The symptoms are,the scales go very soft,then it spreads around the neck,spreads to all the onion giving it a brown colour rendering the onion useless. Infection can be caused by,probably,contaminated seed and not clearing the site of all previous debri which must not be put in the compost heap,burning all the debri is best.  It is recommended that a crop rotation system is used of 3 to 4 years …

 ONION WHITE ROT (sclerotium cepivorum) This is very common problem and most people on allotments will have had this disease.It is a very serious problem and fairly easy to identify the disease, weak leaves and growth at  the base of the plant is covered with a white looking fungus.Once this is noticed the plant or site,if its that bad ,should be cleared out and all the plants effected burnt.under no circumstances should plants be put in a compost heap burning is the best option. Unfortunately there is no chemical available for garden

use once the soil is contaminated it is very hard to eradicate .This does not mean that all the plot is effected just keep plugging away and and don’t be put off by any disease ..once again crop rotation is a must on allotments to try and prevent diseases …keep digging

Mick Cooper/Mark Burton

From Wednesday 3rd June we will have in stock clover multi purpose compost 75 litres. The new price to members will be £5.40 .

Please can members respect the stores opening days & times which are located on the hut building. All monies taken go back into the running of the site.

 

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary) For & on behalf of Old Lane Allotments Association

 

 

SUPPORTING LOCAL WILDLIFE

Allotments can provide local wildlife with natural habitats birds,badgers,foxes,bees butterflies & slow worms, to all nature of wildlife. Its really surprising what you can see down on your allotment.

GREAT FORM OF EXERCISE

They say with 1/2 hour exercise on your allotment a day you could burn up to 150 calories. You can work up a really healthy appetite for the food you grow.

EATING HEALTHY

An obvious benefit to allotment gardening is eating healthy. That is fresh organic fruit & vegetables  from ground to pan to plate without the supermarket price tag.

RELAXATION & IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE

Working on your allotment plot you will get a good sense of accomplishment at your results & efforts. Its also a fun way to relax and to relieve stresses & strains & will improve your quality of life.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

 

 

 

Members disposing  of unwanted items at the hut building

Can members please stop leaving there unwanted items next to the entrance of the hut building. If you have an item you know longer want on your plot then take it home for disposing of. Otherwise we end up with the hut building & surrounding area looking like a dumping tip. As per photographs below

 

We all need to work together to keep our site tidy

Old Lane Allotments Committee

Our treasurer Steve Johnston & his wife Sally took some of our members rhubarb to donate to Theatre arts group slung low at Holbeck working mens club. Amongst other activities they make up food parcels for the community.

On there Twitter feed on social media they said ” Rhubarb – Monday means a delivery from those gorgeous green fingered Beestonians at Old Lane Allotments in Beeston” Fresh produce always cheers up a food parcel”.

Great that members have donated  rhubarb & a big thanks to Steve & Sally.

Blog created by Mark Burton – photograph sent in by Steve Johnston

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)

 

 

Erection of structures & Greenhouses on Old Lane Allotments

Dear plot members,

I originally published this blog on the 22nd July last year & certain members are not asking permission from the committee to build structures on their plots. Poly tunnels are appearing on members plots with no written request asking for permission along with a drawing of the structure. In section (P) of our rules & regulations it clearly states the above. Not complying with this is a clear breach of our site rules leaving us to face scrutiny from Leeds City Council which should not happen.

Any greenhouses , sheds, extension of sheds,  poly – tunnels or any type of structure have to be authorised by the on site committee. A letter in writing & a simple drawing of your plot detailing the structure you want to erect outlining its height, length & width. Materials have to be listed.  If this is not adhered to you will be asked to dismantle it. Sizes of structures allowed on allotments are available on request from Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

 

We have strict guidelines  to follow from Leeds City Council that must be followed.

THANK YOU – THE COMMITTEE (Old Lane Allotments)

HARDENING OFF

 

Plants that have been raised indoors must be acclimatized to lower temperatures & wind before they are planted in the open . Harden them off in cloches or cold frames for 10 – 12 days. Increase ventilation gradually during the day & then at night , until the seedlings can be left out all the time before transplanting them to their final position.

 

Blog By Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)