Page 46 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2024/25

East Yorkshire District Association
A bumper turnout of 29 members and guests visited Leven Allotment site at the end of July. This is a small site of about 50 plots squeezed between two rows of houses which we last visited
in 2019. On one of the hottest days of
the year, the evening was very warm
and after a relaxed and enjoyable stroll around the site we retired to the local hostelry for light refreshments. Many of us were puzzled by some exotic-looking plants growing on one particular plot. Thanks to one of our member’s detective work we now know that the plant shown in the photo is Yacon, or earth apple, or Peruvian ground apple. It forms tuberous roots which are normally harvested after the first frosts occur in the Autumn.
Our annual DA Show was held at
Cherry Lane Garden Centre, Beverley on Sunday 29th September. Traditionally, East Yorkshire and West Yorkshire DA Shows are both held over the same weekend to enable members to exhibit their produce
at both events. Thanks to our hosts and everyone who entered exhibits, visited
or helped in any way. The full results and photos of the winning exhibits in each class can be viewed on our website nvseyda.uk.
We now only award a few physical trophies at our Show. We have retained a few trophies for some of our novice classes, the Vegetable Basket class (restricted to entries from members who attend our meetings) plus the NVS Plaque and NVS Silver Medal awards. We have replaced the rest of our historical trophies with trophy award cards bearing an image of the original trophy, as per the example shown in the photo.
Despite the appalling weather on Monday 30th September, 16 brave and hardy souls turned out to attend Niki Miller’s presentation entitled “Life and Death in the Garden”. This translated as a talk about things that helped plants to grow and things that might do the opposite. Niki used to work at Langlands Nursery but now has her own garden design business.
Niki classified herbicides as being either systemic, residual, hormonal or contact types.
Systemic brands, also called translocated (such as Roundup) are glyphosate-based
and kill harder weeds from the roots upwards over a period of 4 to 6 weeks
one application works for most weed but
a second may be required for tougher weeds. Crushing the leaves and spraying on a hot day helps the plants to lose water and die back more quickly. Never spray plants whilst in bloom as this will kill any pollinating insects. An organic alternative is to look for the active ingredient Pelargonic acid which is more eco-friendly than glyphosate and is a contact type. Contact types damage the leaves and therefore the plant’s ability to photosynthesise
but do not kill the roots so
repeated applications may be
required. Residual types such
as Pathclear and Diflufenican
prevent germination of weed
seeds and should not be used
in areas where you wish plants
to grow. Hormonal types such
as Verdone (now called Weedol)
attack broad-leaved plants but not thin-bladed leaves like lawn grasses. Algon is a selective weedkiller for moss and couch grass which does not like growing near tomato roots.
Niki also mentioned the use of other treatments such as boiling water (ideal for gravel paths and paving cracks), liquid bleach solution, vinegar, salt solution, rubbing alcohol sprayed on to leaves, applying cornmeal/polenta powder, mulching with newspaper or similar materials to exclude light which prevent seeds from germinating.
Metaldehyde was withdrawn for sale as the active ingredient in slug pellets in 2022 and has been replaced by ferric phosphate. One slug pellet per square metre is said to be sufficient and kills the slugs when they burrow underground. Hosta halcyon is said to be more resistant than other Hosta varieties to slug attacks because it has thicker leaves.
Niki said that pesticides were classified as being systemic (absorbed inside
the plant tissues prior to pest attack eg Provanto Smart Bug which is also said to be usable on edibles)), contact (requires the pest to be physically present eg Resolva, Provanto and Toprose ), or a mixture of both (eg Bug Clear and Rose
Clear). Natural chemicals such as pyrethrin (derived from chrysanthemums) and
oil or lipid-based mixtures such as washing up liquid and
Collection of 5 vegetables – one of each kind – winner of the NVS Silver Medal this year at our DA Show
Niki Miller
rapeseed oil suffocate insect pests by covering up and blocking their spiracles through which they breathe.
Niki explained that plants need food, water and sunlight in order to grow
but in the right amounts. Rather than buying on impulse, it was important to research the specific requirements of your chosen plant before purchase in order
to avoid possible disappointment later.
The pH requirements were also a critical component of the growing medium. Never apply liquid feed on a dry soil, soak it first with water otherwise it will just run off the surface and not penetrate down to the roots. Mycorrhizal fungi were said to be a useful aid to plant growth by increasing
the plant’s access to available water and nutrients in the growing medium. Recycling tea bags, banana skins, coffee grounds and even hoover dust (comprising mainly hair and dead skin cells) was said to provide a free source of additional natural feeds.
Reports on our late Autumn/Winter events will feature in the next edition of Simply Vegetables. Our AGM will be held at the end of January, and we are currently planning the remaining events for 2025. These will appear on our website nvseyda. uk in due course.
Paul Neve FNVS
A Trophy Award Card incorporating a photo of the original trophy
Exotic-looking Yacon plants, also known as Earth Apple
46 Simply Vegetables
Leven Village Allotments, a small site nestled between two rows of houses