News Round-Up

By Simon Barefoot

Two articles for you to peruse:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/nov/08/its-official-allotments-are-good-for-you-and-for-your-mental-health

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/15/city-allotments-could-be-as-productive-as-conventional-farms-research-finds

Round up of news

With all the wet weather during November  every IBC and storage facility is full. This is also the case for our larger storage tanks.

The first manure delivery were been completed ahead of time recently, with a second one due imminently.

Seeds all delivered, along with onion sets and garlic. We will receive the seed potatoes in January. 

Our waiting list is quite short, but we are still looking to find plots for various people. This is not an issue for our Association only, as you will see from the links to articles which appeared in the national press recently.

Looking ahead, if you are at a loose end, here are some jobs to do: 

  • bonfire ‘etiquette’: if you plan to have anything burnt, you need to plan ahead … wait for word from  the Committee when we are certain that a fire is possible and we will light and look after the fire.
  • pruning (apples, pears, autumn fruiting raspberries}: if you are not confident about what / how to prune, I am happy to offer advice / practical tips.
  • shredding: we have a large machine which deals very effectively with prunings, sprout stalks, raspberry canes, dead sunflowers etc. Let me know if you have stuff to shred.
  • Sow broad beans (inside if it gets very cold), sweet peas, peas, mangetout.
  • Plan the coming season’s sowing and planting.
  • Dig or ‘no dig’? Talk to Allen and Ralph to get both sides of the story.
  • Plant fruit trees, gooseberries and raspberries while they are dormant.
  • Ensure your water collectors are working at full capacity with no leaks etc. Consider installing more if you have lots of irrigation to do in the summer. 
The surround to the wildlife pond
A closer view

You will be able to see that the hard at work creating a wildlife pond (with a suitable barrier for Health and Safety reasons) has been a success and there is plenty of life in the pond, with frogs, newts and other aquatic insects.

Phil’s ‘new’ greenhouse
Our very own Eden project.

About the Author

Simon Barefoot has been the President of the Association for quite some years. His hands-on approach includes trimming the hedges, cutting the grass and encouraging the cultivation of flowers, vegetables and fruit on our special site. He runs the seed order scheme and is involved with the poultry ‘co-operative’. Promoting rainwater collection and low-tech crop management are important interests.