Page 54 - Simply Veg 3.21

Northern Branch
MEMBERS 20000 TO 29999
Chairman’s Report
As I write this report in Early May we
are still waking up to heavy frosts in the morning. I have never known a year when I have had to clear the car window of frost each morning during April and still into May. Unfortunately, I have not been able to do much on my allotment yet owing
to work commitments and lack of energy when I return home from work.
We have had a very busy season at work with orders at an all-time high for plug plants this year. I have been constantly filling seed trays with compost ready for the seeds to
be sown in them. As I write this report, we are still filling around ten thousand trays each week which is a drop back from over fifteen thousand per week at the peak of
the season a few weeks ago. Now we also have the council bedding to plant up which requires in excess of thirty thousand trays
of bedding each holding eighteen plants.
All this bedding is potted into peat reduced compost which consists of a large part wood fibre. The plants do grow well in this but the water holding capacity is not as good as peat composts therefore we have to ensure the plants get plenty of water each day. On hot summer days it is a constant job watering thoroughly knowing full well that the same will be required each day.
Our growing season slows down around the end of June beginning of July and
regains momentum from the end of July onwards with the Autumn/Winter bedding being sown and cuttings arriving for the Christmas period with Poinsettias and pot- mum chrysanthemums to root.
I have now had my second vaccination and hope you all have managed to stay clear of the dreadful virus and got yourselves protected with the vaccinations. Hopefully we will be able to safely meet up and enjoy meetings and shows again soon.
I visited Angela Clark the other day to collect a trophy which she has donated
on behalf of Peter Clark. This trophy will
be awarded to the collection class at the National show which Peter won fifteen times. It was good to see Angela and her commitment to gardening was unbelievable. She has taken on a garden that would challenge most people but I could see what work has already been done and I am sure the final display will be a sight to admire by anyone who has the pleasure to see it. Just like the displays Peter put on at the shows. Attention to detail was magnificent.
Finally, please look out for details of the DA meetings and other events. You will be able to find them on the website. This is quite easy to access and full paid-up members will be able to access the whole of the site.
Adrian Read FNVS Chairman Northern branch
North East
Derbyshire DA
(NEDDA)
Once again owing to the ongoing Covid19 saga there’s been very little activity with-in the D.A. except the round-robin of phone calls to check on the well-being of friends and discuss D.A. business etc.
Lockdown and guidance is gradually being eased by the Government, so hopefully there might be some scope for D.A. activities to re-commence later on in the year. Our monthly meetings are held at Pleasley Miners Welfare which is
currently closed and is not scheduled to open until July/August time, so with all the uncertainty that still exists no meetings, guest speakers etc. have been planned to-date for the remainder of 2021
On a more positive note, the Glapwell Centre (venue for our D.A. Show) is
due to open in May, our show date is Sunday 5th September. At this stage we are planning for the show to go ahead, but this is subject to the D.A. being able to accommodate any restrictions or limitations that maybe imposed on the show or the venue.
For further show details or to request
a schedule contact Mick Shipley or Geoff Butterworth, contact details can be found in the NVS Directory accessible via the NVS website.
D.A. members have once again been growing and donating vegetable plants
for our annual plant sale through the months of April and May. The plant sale is facilitated by John Croot and supported by John Goodall.
As I did not have a lot of news I thought I would include a couple of photographs of a few past memories; D.A. members on the annual pilgrimage to RHS Autumn Show at the Westminster Halls 2016 and on-lookers at our 2017 D.A. Show.
There’s now signs the Covid19 pandemic is gradually coming to an end and with restrictions gradually being eased, hopefully we’ll soon be able to replicate the past memories once again in the not-too-distant future.
Mick Shipley
54 Simply Vegetables