Blog

Vegetable Growing – June

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)

 

Funeral For Tony Booth

The funeral for our dear friend Tony Booth will take place on Tuesday 20th June at 10.45 at Cottingley Crematorium, Ring Road, Leeds, LS11 OEU. Jane who is Tonys niece says everyone is welcome to pay their respects.

There will be NO wake after the funeral service.

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Sad News – Tony Booth

Tony Booth who was our longest serving plot member sadly passed away yesterday. He had to relinquish his two allotments last October through really poor health.

Tony was an integeral part of Old Lane Allotments for over 35 years and saw the transition of the site becoming a self managed site as it is today. He was site treasurer for a number of years .He was a book of knowledge regarding allotments and gardening. Tony received many awards at garden shows for his outstanding vegatables and he loved to grow and show Chrysanthemum flowers. He was always willing to help people and he formed many special friendships over the years. Tony will be sadly missed by us all. At this time our thoughts go out to his family. I will publish details of the funeral when i get to know the date and time.

Blog created by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Lettuces

LETTUCE

Lettuce’s botanical name Lactuca sativa is from the Latin word lac meaning (milk) which refers to its milky sap. There are now over 100 species of lettuce probably originating from countries bordering the Mediterranean sea . It was originally a medicinal plant but records show that it was being eaten as early as 4500BC. The Greeks believed that lettuce induced sleep, the Romans began to eat it before a main meal to wet their appetite. Lettuce was known to the Anglo Saxons as sleepwort.

Christopher Columbus took lettuce’s to America, they were originally loose leaf plants  It wasn’t until the 16th century when head type lettuce appeared. Lettuce provides us with vitamin A & C, and is packed with antioxidants & is low in calories. They need an open site with light fertile soil, they do not do well in poor soil which dries out during the summer period.

Always read the seed packet before planting

Blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Cucumbers

Cucumbers were originally found in India 4000 years ago, & they have since now become the 4th most widely cultivated vegetable in the world. They were introduced to Great Britain in the 14th century, but were not popular at all until the 17th century. The species grown for food are Cucumis satvus (cucumber) & Cucumis anguria West Indian gherkin.

Cucumbers are 95 percent water the skin is the moist nutritious  part. Its said that sliced cucumber placed in a aluminium tin react with the metal giving of a scent undetectable by humans but said to repel slugs & other garden pests. They are low in calories but contain many important vitamins & minerals. Eating cucumbers may lead to many potential health benefits including weight loss, balanced hydration, digestive regularity & lower blood sugar levels.

Always read the seed packet for growing instructions

Blog & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)

Potatoe fertilizer – Give your seed potatoes a boost

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)

Courgettes & Marrows

Once known as the vegetable marrow it is a bush or trailing annual which can produce large, heavy fruits on good soil using careful cultivation. Many are picked while still young known as courgettes & used in much wider dishes than marrows ever were. The marrow is thought to be from Northern Mexico, & the Southern United States.

Courgettes & marrows are low in calories, then contain vitamin C which boosts the immune system., have good levels of potassium which can help to control blood pressure. The soluble skin of the fruits can slow digestion & therefore stabilise blood sugar. Courgettes & Marrows do best in an open, sunny position & in fertile, moisture retentive but not waterlogged soil.

Remember always read the seed packet for growing instructions

Blog created & research by Mark Burton (Allotment Secretary)