Page 51 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2023

Northern Branch
MEMBERS 20000 TO 29999
Chairman’s report
We are now well into the growing season with this report written at the end of July.
The weather in North Yorkshire has been so dry that grass has just about stopped growing although we had a full day’s rain last Sunday when I was out Judging allotments. I noticed that people have struggled to keep everything growing throughout the early summer months, but some had obviously been keen to produce wonderful crops despite the weather.
It is a pleasure to view all the plots and appreciate what others can achieve. I
have Judged these allotments for a few years now and one site in particular has improved vastly over the years. They have also built some raised boxes to allow disabled growers to partake in the hobby. It is so rewarding to hear a little about the growers and the struggles they have had to battle through to achieve success with growing produce.
Cyclamen
poinsettias. These have just been pinched out to allow the breaks to form. Today the parasitic wasps have been added and
For the next two months I will be attending shows and judging the exhibits. I am looking forward to seeing the exhibitors and produce. This year I have not grown any vegetables for
myself which is a first
for many years. I have
been concentrating on
work and actually taking
a few days’ holiday
away in the lakes and
Northumberland coast.
At work we are well
into to season and planning for the winter months. We have just potted up 6800
mites to control any bugs that may attack the plants. These arrive on a regular basis from now until Christmas as we do not use any pesticides on the plants.
The cyclamen have mostly been potted
up into the final pots and will be put on saucers to allow the water to be taken up
from the bottom of the pots. This prevents any botrytis developing. We grow around 20000 cyclamen plants for the winter period. September will be the month for planting hyacinth bulbs. These are put in pots then covered with compost and straw for around ten weeks then taken up and put in a cool greenhouse to develop the flower.
The main seedlings we grow at the moment are pansies, violas, primulas and wallflowers plus a variety of perennials.
We are continuing to grow most types
of seedlings using peat based and peat free composts. This has been a challenge throughout the last two years with still so much to learn with the peat free products. The watering and feeding regimes are totally different to peat-based composts but most plants will grow in peat free,
the germination is not as consistent and the danger of over or under watering is a major issue. Winter months also have the added problem with light levels which can cause further problems if the plants are not developing quickly. The use of lighting can help but the cost of lighting up a large area will soon make the crop expensive to grow.
The Northern branch is now ready for the Nationals, and we look forward to hosting the event. I am sure the district associations will be holding many events throughout
the season, and we look forward to another successful year.
Adrian Read FNVS
Chairman Northern Branch
We have just potted up 6800 poinsettias
Pointsettia
Simply Vegetables 51