Blog

Our stores will be closed Saturday 18th May. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

This is the new padlock that will be going on St Anthony’s Drive gate entrance at some point tommorow morning. USE THE SAME combination code that you know. Tilt the lock to the side to put in the code as per picture above. Once you have entered the code there is a button under the lock to release the shackle as per picture above. Remember to push this button or the lock will not open . On entry please remember to put the lock the correct way so people can gain entry from inside and outside of the allotment gates, then scramble the numbers as before. The Old Lane entrance gate is still the same lock as it was, however this will have to be replaced in time when it eventually goes faulty with a lock as per picture above. As I have said You will have to press the release button to open the lock (do not try and open the shackle by yanking it when you have put the code in – or you will damage it). Remember the release button at the underside of the lock. Any problems contact me. If you can’t gain entry use the other entrance and Come and see me and I will go through the process.

Kind Regards (Mark Burton) Allotment Secretary

Lighter evenings means we get more time on our allotment plots & with temperatures rising in May we should see some really vibrant sunny days.  Watch out there is still a danger of frost even in May which will kill tender young plants. The soil should be warming up now so this is a time for some direct sowing of seeds but remember to stagger them to spread out your Harvests. Remember to harden off young plants this is where you gradually acclimatize the plants to outside temperatures & conditions over a two or three week period.

Continue to sow main-crop peas,  sow sweetcorn directly outside always sow in blocks rather than rows to ensure pollination. Root vegetables can now been sown outside carrots, beetroot, swedes, parsnips & turnips.

Sow outdoors under cover – beetroot, cucumbers, French beans, Runner beans, sweetcorn.

Sow Outdoors – Beetroot, Brussels sprout, Cabbages (Summer), carrots, cauliflower, French beans, kale, lettuce, oriental leaves, lettuce, radish, rocket, runner beans, spring onions,swede, salad leaves, broccoli, Swiss chard, spinach.

Sow Indoors – Cabbages Summer, autumn winter & red, chillies & peppers, pumpkins & winter squash, courgettes, kale, marrows, sprouting broccoli.

Herbs – Succession sow further small batches of seed such as basil, coriander,chervil, dill, parsley, sorrel – may need protecting still with covers or cloches.

You may need to earth up potatoes & keep that hoe going for the continual weeds.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Give your onions a boost with our onion fertilizers to grow the best onions. Onions are heavy feeders so giving them a boost of fertiliser will keep them healthy. All dry fertilisers should be worked or watered into the top 3 to 5 inches of soil. Using a hoe gently work the fertilizer into the soil so it can leach down towards the plant root zones. You have to be careful and not damage the onions when working fertilizers into the soil.

We sell onion fertilizer at a stores shop at £1.75 per KG. All money taken goes back into the running of the site

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Give your potatoe plants a boost with granular fertilizer. This can be applied to the soil and either watered in, or using a hoe to leach down towards the plant root zones. For bumper crops and healthy potatoes.

We sell potatoe fertilizer at our stores shop priced at £1.60 per KG. All money taken goes back in to the running of the site.

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Dear Members

We want to know who is responsible for fly tipping this wood on the embankment opposite the allotment gates on St Anthony’s Drive. We have an agreement with Leeds City Council if any trees are cut on the parimeter fence which hinders parents and children accessing St Anthony’s drive to go to school, they will take them away which they have done recently. Someone has placed all these rotten pallets and wood on the embankment which is totally unacceptable. Whoever has done this needs to remove them as this is actually fly tipping and our site will possibly be fined. It also might suggest to people that anybody can dump rubbish there and they certainly must not. I arrived on site at 8.30 this morning and all the wood wasn’t there. I came back on site at 2pm and it was there. Can the person or persons responsible move it as a matter of urgency. This isn’t a good look for our site.

Blog ccreated by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Dear Members

We are in the process of the gate being looked at again by Andy Rowell at Leeds City Council. The bar that you pull accross where the lock sits is difficult to open. Leeds City Council have been to the gate and cemented the gate post last week as it became loose in the ground. Sorry for any inconvenience caused. We have another entrance to the site if members prefer that option. The committee are aware of the situation.

Blig ccreated by Mark Burton(Allotment Secretary)

Anti Bird Netting

We now stock anti bird netting it is 2 metres in width.

It costs £1.90 a running metre and its 4mts in width

Use it to cover your brassica plants before the wood pigeons feast on your crops !

All monies go back into the running of the site

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Dear Members

Lawrence and Sue on plot 44N are getting a team in to cut the trees over hanging on their plot. The work will be taking place this Sunday 14th April. Can members not park outside the gate, so the area is clear. The trees will be taken down to fence height. Please can all plot holders be vigilant coming on to site, and leaving site. The trees make there plot too shady. All the work will comply to health and safety regulations.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

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 .

Thank You

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