Dear Plotters
The virtual AGM was held successfully with eight attendees plus the Committee; the outgoing Chairman, Ian Swan, gave a summary of the year’s events and thanked everyone for their support of the recent plant sale.
£168 was raised from this and donations! Ian was thanked for his four years as Chair but we are all delighted that he is staying on as a Committee member. Duncan Hamilton, Reg Granados and Terry Trinder, all of whom stepped down from the Committee, were thanked for their years of service. Terry and Reg, as founder members, were given gifts in recognition of their longstanding commitment to SPAA.
The new committee members were elected as follows:
Nick Kolpin Plot 25 was elected as Chairman Robert Spencer Plot 11 was elected as Treasurer Helen Coulter Plot 10, Sue Dormer Plot 19, Lisa Evans Plot 23 and Ian Swan Plot 6 were all elected as Committee members.
Congratulations to them all.
The SPAA Cup for Best Kept Plot was awarded to Peter and Christine (Plot 15) with the Committee’s congratulations.
Lisa and Stuart (Plot 23) were awarded Best Newcomers. Highly Commended went to Stefanie and family on Plot 13.
Well done to you all!
The Committee also wanted to thank all Plot holders for their excellent efforts during lock down. All plots are looking very neat as well as productive!
If you want to read the minutes of the AGM, please see the website for further details.
If you wish to contact the Committee, please use the following address:
committee@swallowfieldpaa.org.
If you would like mower or generator training, please book a time with a Committee member through the same website address.
Thanks are due to Paul (Plot 8) for sourcing manure. If you would like some, don’t forget to make a donation to SPAA.
Thanks also go to Ben (Plot 4) for sourcing yet more bark chippings which are free!
The next WORKING PARTY will be from 6pm onwards on TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST.
Social distancing will be observed as the jobs can be divided up. Plot
16 needs attention before letting out,the gravel on the carpark needs raking and the hedge on the Deepcut side needs trimmimg, so please bring the relevant tools. We look forward to seeing you!
I attach a list of Top tips for ‘Things to do in August’ and I hope to see you at Calico Field.
August is the month for harvesting and you should be taking home the fruits of your labours nearly every day! All that weeding and watering will be worth it and you should have plenty for eating and freezing!
WHAT TO SOW OR PLANT IN AUGUST:
You can still keep sowing spring cabbages, carrots, Kohl rabi, winter radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips and many varieties of salad, including spring onions. You will need to keep salad and spinach seeds well -watered, else they might not germinate if the weather is hot and dry.
Winter and spring cauliflowers may be planted out now, kale and sprouting broccoli plants as well as any strawberries you may have bought, or rooted yourself from runners.
WHAT TO HARVEST:
Harvest the last of your broad beans, then cut down the stems to ground level but leave the nitrogen rich roots in the ground to improve the soil.
Onions and garlic are ready for harvesting when the leaves turn yellow and fold over. Lift them and dry them in the sunshine, or inside, to ensure a long shelf life. They can be strung up by the dried stalks and used when needed.
Sweetcorn is ready to harvest when the tassels go brown or black.
Harvest Kohl rabi by slicing off the globe at the root and trimming away most of the leaves. Eat the bulbs raw, grated in salad or cooked.
Harvest beetroot but be careful not to pull up any smaller beets which can be left to swell.
Summer and red cabbages should be hearting up now, so pick them when they are firm.
Keep on top of your courgettes and squash and harvest regularly if you don’t want giants! Similarly, keep picking your French and runner beans. If the runner beans become too big and tough, remove them from the plant and compost them; don’t leave them growing.
Florence fennel is apt to bolt in hot weather so harvest your bulbs before they become elongated.
Keep picking globe artichokes once they swell but before they open up. Start picking from the top and work your way down the plant.
When you lift your turnips, try harvesting and eating the young leaves like spinach.
August is still the time for second earlies, so lift your potatoes carefully and enjoy!
Keep watering, feeding and picking your tomatoes, peppers and chillies. Pick aubergines when they are black and glossy.
Keep an eye on cucumbers and don’t let them start to turn yellow. If they do, pick them immediately as, otherwise, they will stop the plant from producing new fruit.
JOBS FOR AUGUST:
Pinch out the tops of climbing beans when they get to the top of the canes as this will help encourage new growth lower down the plants. If the weather is very dry, don’t forget to water regularly. Some people say that spraying the flowers with water will help the flowers set.
Pinch out and feed tomatoes and nip out the tops of the vines once you have 5 trusses. Tie up cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes to support the developing fruits.
Earth up brassicas, potatoes and celery.
Summer prune gooseberries and currants once you have picked all the fruit. Cut summer raspberries down to the ground.
Water, weed and mulch regularly.