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When buying your seeds sort them out into sowing order (earliest date first) & store them in a cool dark place ready for the growing season. Remember if you already have packets of seeds stored these need to be sown first remember to check the sow by date on the packets. I personally don’t use out of date seeds if they don’t germinate it will put you back at the start of the busy growing season.

Don’t forget that growing instructions in a book are standardized so check on the seed packet , especially for those close-spaced varieties. I always read the instructions on seed packets as it gives you that reminder.  Check the weather as seed varieties can be planted in February at the start of the season,  but now the winter months seem to be longer as we learnt from early March last year, with the really bad weather conditions. The weather is always key to planting seeds.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

With the first frosts hitting us this month as the season really starts to slow down we can now prepare for the next growing season. Its not too late to plant out over wintering onion sets. You can plant your garlic now. Towards the end of the month you can sow broad beans for an early crop. Your greenhouse should come to an end this month any green tomatoes can be made into chutney or ripened over the next couple of months producing red tomatoes. Store them in a cool place in the dark not touching each other in case one rots & passes on to other fruits. If they dont look like they are ripening put an over ripened banana in with them this will release ethylene gas that contributes to ripening. Runner beans & French beans will come to an end this month.

When land becomes vacant you can dig it & Spread manure over the surface. Leave the soil in large clumps the worms will break them up to get to the manure. Now is the time to give the greenhouse a good clean out & wash down making more direct light next growing season.

Blog by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

In Tudor times peas were a delicacy, often imported from the Netherlands, making them expensive to eat. Eating fresh peas became much more popular in the late 18th century, when British breeders started growing sweeter varieties. Gregor Mendel used pea plants in his experiments with genetics. Peas were first frozen by Clarence Birdseye who invented the ‘plate froster’ in the early 1920s in order to preserve food. The pea is said to be green when its young & immature. Ripe peas are usually yellow.

Peas have a good source of vitamins A,B1, & C. They are also high in protein, carbohydrate & fibre. The less water used when cooking peas , the less vitamin C is lost. Peas do best in an open position, but not one that is too exposed. |They are naturally a cold weather, growing best in Spring & cool Summers. They do not thrive in hot weather, drought, or poorly drained soils. Peas  generally don’t  germinate in cold soil, & this leaves them venerable to attack from mice & fungal diseases. Do not sow in an early cold Spring.

Always read seed packet for growing instructions

Blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Whoever is putting items on the front of plot 28 that is occupied by the Depuy group of companies can they stop this please. Someone is putting old sweet corn plants (which plot 28 havent even grown this season), cabbage leaves etc on to there plot. Take your unwanted plants home or compost them on your own plot as these actions are unacceptable. This has now created myself more work as i have had to do this blog which takes time. Can we stop this please

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Seretary)

Our Annual General Meeting Will Take place On Thursday 5th October 2023 From 7PM

            South Leeds Conservative Club, Wooler Street, Beeston, Leeds , LS11 7JH

                                   From    7 PM  :  BUFFET INCLUDED

TO PAY PLOT FEES –  ORDER/PAY FOR SEED POTATOES –  

ORDER/PAY FOR KINGS SEEDS

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

We have a comments/suggestion box in our main hut building toilet area. If you would like to put a letter in writing to the Committee, we check for any mail before our monthly meeting the 1st Sunday in every month.

Old Lane Allotments Committee

 

 

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)

 

 

 

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

Walking round the site with the chairman Mick Hogan we have noticed a number of plots are not utilising there land to its full potential. The Leeds City Council rules state to grow 60% edible crops, fruit and Vegatables etc. The other 40% of your plot which can include a greenhouse, shed, pollytunnel and flowers which comes under the category non edible crops. If your plot is not in a satisfactory condition over the growing season, not cultivated, or you are not utilising the land Old Lane Allotments has the right to refuse your annual rent & the tenancy of your allotment garden will be terminated without warning . This section is in our rules and regulations which all members have a copy of. The waiting list for our site is over 30 people wanting an allotment garden. We are under extreme pressure from Leeds City Council basically make sure your plot is all planted up & cultivated over the main summer months of the growing season.

Blog Created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)