Page 61 - ALG Issue 2 2018 html

Kings Seeds evening
at Hotwells and District
Allotments
On Wednesday 7 March I popped across Bristol to Alderman Moore’s allotment site where plotholders in a packed-out allotment shop welcomed Les Day and Andrew Tokely, who over the course of the evening, revealed their secrets of successful seed sowing. Elsewhere in this magazine, Andrew has also given some top tips on direct sowing in to your plot soil.
Les gave us a fascinating overview of Kings Seeds, its history and values, and their pride in offering a truly personal service. Andrew talked us through his methods for high germination rates and pricking out technique for strong healthy plants. His key points were to charge the container with water before you start, always use seed compost, tap water not butt-water and cover with vermiculate; when pricking out, make sure you end up with the seed leaves just above the compost level – this will ensure a healthy root system. I have put fresh seed sowing compost and fine grade vermiculate on my shopping list for this weekend!
Di Appleyard, NAS Marketing and Mentor Co-ordinator
Wales
Welcome to our new members...
2 Individual Members
Spring has arrived!
Well I guess this is the time we have all been waiting for, to get started on our allotments and vegetable patches.
The winter has so far, as I write, been very wet but not really cold. How many of us remember the winters we used to have? I
remember years ago when we had what I call ‘real winters’, covering the root crops with straw so you would be able to lift them for use in the kitchen through the freezing winter months. This year it has been wet, so there has been no problem lifting the crops.
I sowed green manure last September
with Phacelia which I dug in early December. Phacelia has a lovely blue flower, but to obtain the best benefit it needs digging in before flowering. Green manure helps improve soil structure and fertility, as well as suppressing weeds. Kings Seeds have a very good selection. I did have a load of FYM (farm
yard manure) from a local farmer just for my runner bean trench. Runner beans really do well when a good trench has been prepared, incorporating rotten manure or compost.
My role as Wales Mentor has taken me to some interesting places throughout 2017. It’s always nice to meet our members, and
I feel it’s important to always make every effort to attend meetings or site visits when requested.
So this year has started off on a very positive note in the promotion of the allotment movement here in Wales. Firstly, Cardiff Allotments Societies have invited
the National Society to join them with an exhibit at the RHS Spring Show at Cardiff’s beautiful Bute Park on April 13th to 15th. We are working hard to grow first class vegetables to use in four raised beds along with information about our Society and
how to obtain allotments in Cardiff. Advice on growing vegetables will be available to anyone who needs it, and it would be lovely to meet as many members as possible; please stop and say hi! You can’t miss the stand, just look out for the NSALG flag. To the many of you who live all over the UK
I am sure there will be an article to read and pictures in the summer edition of the magazine.
One other very exciting project that
we are involved with is the new housing development at Newport South Wales. As part of this development, allotments have been included for the tenants, and for tenants with some mobility issues they have provided raised beds. I was really pleased when both Judith Hill, our interim Regional Representative, and I had several meetings with the Housing Association managers. So you see here in Wales, 2018 is off to a good start. Again I hope to share over the coming months in the magazine the progress of this great project.
Just a little news from our allotments in Swansea: the council have handed over the
total management to the various societies. Like all councils they are facing serious financial cutbacks. Today I was thinking about our small site in particular; over the last few months we have had several tenants leave so we have welcomed new members. Nothing new in that I hear you say, but the condition of the plots that they have taken over is not the usual kind as the plots have been worked and looked after, so there
is no great effort needed, just dedication and enthusiasm, along with talking to other plotholders to gain knowledge.
Well, happy gardening and look out for those reports in the next edition.
Peter Ryan Wales Mentor
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