© Woburn Sands & District Allotment Society Limited
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The work to be carried out consists of excavating a trench from the drainage ditch to the edge of the first plot and laying two lateral pipes, one to the left and one to the right. This work will be carried out by SJS Irrigation as soon as we can arrange it. Notices will be erected to warn members.
Membership
Welcome to new members: Sandy Kirkland, Helen McGuire, Mike Searle and Mike Syme. We wish you many happy hours digging! Three people who live in Milton Keynes have been removed from the waiting list which now stands at 15. Some of our new members have 5 pole plots and one or two established members have requested the same. If you do want to take on a smaller 5 pole plot please contact Marie.
Newsletter Timings
In order to synchronise the newsletter with timely advice the July/August newsletters have been combined. The September newsletter will be out in late August.
A View from the Field –
Peter Leadbeater’s regular advice for July/August
Remember to make a note of the variety of plants you grow. It is will help you make an assessment of their final performance as it may pay you to grow another variety next time. New varieties are regularly available and can be worth a try. F1 varieties are designed to provide consistent results. This means they are ready to harvest at one time and so setting small quantities for succession sowing is possibly the best plan.
Check for pest damage on your plot.
Tie tomatoes to their supports and remove the side shoots of indeterminate varieties. Check for blight (last year it wiped out most of the outdoor tomato crop), treat if necessary with a copper fungicide or Dithane 945. Lack of moisture at a critical time in fruit development can cause a lack of calcium within the fruit which leads to a brown patch opposite the stalk. This is known as blossom end rot and is often seen on tomatoes planted in grow bags. Prevent this trouble by seeing that the soil is never allowed to dry out completely.
Harvest shallots and later onions, dry them well before storage.
Inspect potatoes for blight; a disease which affects the leaves initially as brown patches but can travel down the stems to the tubers. Treat them as you would tomatoes (to which they are related). Towards the end of the growing season cut off the tops just above the ground level. This stops tuber growth and, if carried out a few days before digging, allows the skins to harden which is good for storage.
Sow spring cabbage seeds. Two small settings are advisable, the first at the beginning of August and another two weeks later. The recent mild autumns can mean plants get too advanced before winter.
Harvest runner beans, cauliflowers, carrots, beetroot, fruit etc. as it becomes available.
National Allotment Week
This takes place over the week of 11th – 17th August. We would like to open up the field to visitors from 10.00 – 12.00 on 16th. Anyone who would like to help out as guides, please contact Marie.
Garden Club Summer Show
Do visit the Woburn Sands Garden Club Show which is on the afternoon of 16th August. If you would like to enter contact Ralph Pursell at :
8, Wood Street, Woburn Sands. 01908 583892
If you do enter make sure you have the correct number of items. If the size/weight is specified do make sure your entries conform to the requirements. In the show the quality, uniformity and cleanliness are important factors the judges look for.
This is the Garden Club’s 50th Anniversary Show and will be in the Memorial Hall.
Pests: the second of a new series of articles from our resident expert, Peter Leadbeater.
Cabbage Root Fly
The small white maggot-like larvae eat the roots of brassicas (this includes radish, turnips and swedes). The plants wilt and the maggots can be seen when the plant is pulled up. Treat brassicas at planting time with soil insecticide such as chlorpyrifos or water with weak Jeyes fluid. Put collars around the stems of plants to prevent flies laying eggs against the stem or protect with fleece.
Pea and Bean Weevil
This small brown beetle eats U-shaped notches from the edges of broad beans/pea leaves. It is particularly noticeable in the early stages of growth. Control with a suitable insecticide, if necessary.
Manure
There will be a supply of cow manure delivered to each end of the field on Saturday 26th July. The piles will be labelled. Please help yourself – donations to the Society will be appreciated as we do have to pay for the loads.
There will be a supply of cow manure delivered to each end of the field on Saturday 26th July. The piles will be labelled. Please help yourself – donations to the Society will be appreciated as we do have to pay for the loads.
Contact the Secretary (Marie):
secretary@wsallotmentsociety.co.uk
01908 585284
Twinwood, Heath Lane, Aspley Heath,
