Author: oldlanelottswp

SEED POTATOES

WHAT TO GROW

There are dozens of different seed potato varieties you can buy, usually described as early, second early,  & maincrop potatoes. These names indicate when they crop and also give you an idea of the space you will need to plant them. You should concentrate on the earlier types if your short of  space, its worth mentioning that earlies are less likely to encounter pest problems as you can lift them much earlier in the year.

First earlies should be ready 10 weeks after planting, second earlies take 16 to 17 weeks to mature after planting, so you should be able to harvest them from very late June through to the start of August. Maincrop seed potatoes will be ready 18 to 20 weeks after planting, so they can be lifted from late August through to October. These varieties tend to be the best for storage.

CHITTING

Chitting simply means encouraging the seed potatoes to sprout before planting, you should start chitting in late February, about 6 weeks before you intend planting your potatoes. Each seed potato  has a number of eyes, stand the tubers (seed potatoes) in trays or old egg boxes, with plenty of natural light. The seed potatoes are ready to be planted out when the eye shoots are 1.5 – 2.5 centimetres long.

Find out in my next blog – How to plant your seed potatoes

and how to harvest them

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

March they say is when the growing season really starts to take off, definitely on a windowsill, in the greenhouse or grow tunnel.  Outside is possible too, but as we all know it becomes dependent on the weather. Ideally the soil temperature should be over 10 degrees Celsius. March is also the time when the weeds start to spring up, so the hoe becomes an everyday tool in use. Also slugs & snails seem to emerge. Controlling them early in the season can have a big impact later on by disrupting the breeding numbers.

What you could grow in March in the greenhouse, broad beans, Brussels sprouts, Leeks, broccoli, salad leaves, radish, lettuce, onions, peas, globe artichokes, spring onions, summer cabbage, celery, early cauliflowers, cress.  Also start off at home in the house, tomatoes, cucumbers & peppers.

Direct sow in March under cloches if the weather is inclement (bad), beetroot, carrots, parsnips, early turnips, onion sets,shallots, chitted potatoes, swedes, Garlic.

Remember to always read your instructions on seed packets.

Research & Blog   Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Car Park

With all the bad weather we have had recently  the slope leading to our bottom car park area has become difficult to drive on. Can members please use the car parking area next to the hut building for the time being whilst the slope leading to the bottom car park dries out We don’t want it to get any worse.We know this might be a problem in the future so it was spoken about at our committee meeting on the 1st March to look at ways to eradicate the cutting up of the main path through the winter period.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

For & on behalf of Old Lane Allotments Association

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

We are not quite sure where onions originated from, but central Asia, Persia, & Pakistan are all good possibilities. It is said they have been cultivated for about 5,000 years. Its believed their concentric layers of flesh or circles within circles, it represented eternity to the Ancient Egyptian’s & were buried with the Pharaohs. Traces of onions have even gone back to Bronze Age settlements. During the middle ages onions were used to treat snake-bites, headaches & hair loss. Onions contain natural sugar, vitamins A,B6,C, & E Minerals such as sodium, potassium, plus iron & fibre. Athlete’s in ancient Greece  ate onions in the belief it ‘would lighten the balance’ of their blood.

Roman gladiators rubbed themselves down with onions to firm up there muscles. Alexander The Great fed his army onions as he though that strong food would make strong soldiers. Onions thrive in an open position & in fertile well drained soils. If acid soil will need liming. Do not sow onion seeds on recently manure ground. Onions should be rotated in a 3 year cycle to prevent the build up of soil-borne pests & diseases.

Always read sowing instruction’s on the seed packet.

blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Toa Heftiba u015einca on Pexels.com

The leek is a cousin of the onion originally from central Asia, it has been consumed since ancient times. It was on the menu of Egyptians & later the Romans they used it plentifully in their cuisine, especially during there great feasts. It appears on the national emblem of Wales & is that countries national vegetable. Both a vegetable & condiment the leek has always enhanced a wide variety of dishes with its unique aroma.

A most valuable vegetable capable of cropping for six or seven months of the year. Leeks have an important concentrate of the B vitamin folate, natural occurring folic acid, plus vitamins A,K. They are also a concentrated source of antioxidants. Leeks do best in an open position on rich, well worked soil into which plenty of well- rotted organic matter has been added. They have a high nitrogen requirement.

Always read the seed packet for growing instructions

Blog & Research by Mark Burton (Allotment secretary)

Snow

These photographs were taken on the allotments today 24th February 2020 at 11 o clock Don’t think anybody was expecting the snow to settle . As I am writing this blog the sun has come out & the snow has now gone. We are I suppose still in the winter months, is this the last of the snow or is there more to come ?

Blog & photographs by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Our love affair with tomatoes has never been stronger, it is only recently that their health – enhancing properties are being noticed. Tomato  plants come in either determinate (bush) or indeterminate (vine) types. The botanical name for the tomato is  Lycopersicon which translates from the Greeks as ‘wolf peach’. It comes originally from western South America, but it was first cultivated in Mexico & other parts of central America.  The tomato reached Britain in the 1590s but we are not quite sure how it arrived or who brought it to our shores.

Tomatoes contain lycopene one of the most powerful antioxidants, they have good sources of vitamin A, & C, fresh tomatoes are rich in potassium  Indoors- when first flowers appear transfer to pots, growing bags or greenhouse border. Outdoors – accustom them to outside conditions 2-3 weeks before planting, when last frost has passed. For indeterminate types which need supporting & side shooting whether grown in a greenhouse or outdoors. For determinate types which grow as bushes & do not need supporting or side shooting grow outdoors.

Always read sowing instructions on the seed packet

Blog & Research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Dear Members

Just to let members know that seed potatoes that were ordered are now ready for collection I will be on site from Thursday 20th February to Sunday 23rd February between 9am – 12 to give them out to members. So if you could collect them between these dates & times that would be good.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

For & on behalf of Old Lane Allotments Association

Dear Members

We have a PHD student coming to our site (Emilie Ellis) on Tuesday 25th February 2020 at 10.30 she is doing research into insect pollination on allotments. Insect pollinators including bees, hoverflies & moths are declining globally, she wants to put some bee hotels around our site to see if this improves pollination on allotments. In spring she will be putting bee hotels & small grow bags around our site containing 1 x tomatoe plant also 1 x bean plant. During the Summer she will sample insects & harvest the grow bag crops. This will tell us if bee hotels can increase pollinator biodiversity & crop production.

Lets make Emilie welcome on our site. To be involved simply come to site on the above date & time. Even if you don’t want to take part I’m  sure she will be able to answer questions & talk about the research she is doing.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

For & on behalf of Old Lane Allotments Association

The parsnip has been cultivated since at least the Roman times, it was said that Emperor Tiberius regarded parsnips so highly that he allowed Germany to pay part of its tax to him with parsnips. We believe that frost improves flavour of parsnips, making the roots sweeter. They were used as a sweetening agent before the arrival of sugar in Europe. In Tudor times parsnips were a common ingredient in bread. In France it is often regarded as cattle fodder, while in Italy parsnips were fed to pigs. Parsnips are said to improve cardiovascular health, they contain high levels of potassium which helps to reduce blood pressure & stress on the heart.

They are very low in calories & contain high levels of dietary fibre, as well as being reasonably high in vitamins, B,C,E & K, manganese & Iron. Parsnips require an open position growing well in light, but in deep well cultivated soil. Do not sow seed on recently manured ground as this will cause the roots to ‘fork’ . The addition of a general purpose fertiliser shortly before sowing will be beneficial.

Always read sowing instructions on seed packets.

Blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)