Dear Plotters
The AGM was held last month and a new committee was elected with Jane Henderson (Plot 25) taking over the chair’s post. Details are on the website of the other new members and I wish them all well as they take on their roles. This will be the last newsletter from me as Secretary so I would like to thank you for all your support in the past and hope that you will give the new committee the same commitment. Minutes from the AGM are available to read on the website HERE.
There will be a working party on Saturday 19th August at 9.30am. There is a lot to do: mowing of the front, the hedge needs trimming and there is weeding to be done and topsoil to be shifted. Please bring the appropriate tools. The site continues to need a lot of maintenance, so we need all hands on deck to keep on top of it- and nature never lets up! Thank you for sparing some time to help.
As you will have noticed, we have had some clearance done by John from Deepwater. We are very grateful to him for helping us tackle our drainage issues; we hope that it will alleviate flooding in the future. More, however, may need to be done.
WHAT TO DO IN AUGUST: August is the main harvesting month but the weather has meant that some things are early and some late. So far, watering has not been an issue!
WHAT TO SOW OR PLANT: Space on your plot should become available as broadbeans, shallots and onions are finished. You can begin to plant out overwintering crops such as Brussels sprouts, spring cabbages and winter cauliflowers. Now is the last chance to sow root vegetables: carrots, turnips and kohl rabi, as well as Swiss chard. You may be lucky with more sowings of lettuce if it isn’t too hot for germination to occur. Sowings of chicory, radishes, rocket. spring onions, corn salad and salad leaves should see you through to the autumn.
PLANT OUT winter and spring cauliflowers, kale, sprouting broccoli and new strawberries. Plant out your own runners which you have pegged down but plant in soil where you’ve not grown strawberries for at least 3 years.
JOBS FOR AUGUST:
- Lift and dry off onions. garlic and shallots by leaving them in the sun or spreading them out on racks.
- Harvest beans and courgettes regularly before they become large and stringy.
- Pinch out the tops of climbing beans if you haven’t done so already.
- Pinch out and feed tomatoes.
- Tie up tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers as the fruits ripen and become heavy.
- Earth up brassicas, potatoes and celery.
- Feed pumpkins and winter squashes and lift up the fruits on to bricks or slabs.
- Summer prune gooseberries and currants.
- Cut down summer fruiting raspberries to the ground.
- Tie in new growth of blackberries.
- Protect sweetcorn cobs with empty plastic bottles
I look forward to seeing you on your plot for a chat!
Best wishes
Claire Hamilton