Seed Potatoes are now in stock in the allotment shop.

Please download the order form, complete and send to ghaaallotment@gmail.com.

Alternatively you can complete a form and hand in at the shop on a Sunday morning or post through the shop letterbox. You will be advised of the cost and when your order will be ready for collection from outside the shop.

Payment can be made by cheque at time of collection.
If you are paying by BACS you must pay prior to collection and email a copy of the online receipt to ghaaallotment@gmail.com
Bank details are Nat West 06-14-41  59556323

There will also be a supply of order forms in the holder outside the shop door. 

Order form available here

The very deserving winner of the Christmas Wreath competition is MR Clive Yelf / plot 14a East. Congratualtions!

We have had 14 great entries in the Christmas wreath competition this year. Please see gallery below of all the entries, you can click on images for a larger version. Vote for your favourite using the poll below, please only vote once per allotment plot.
Voting closes on 18 December.

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They Christmas wreath competition has been extended, entries will be accepted for another week.

Photos to be sent to by midnight Friday 4^th December 2020
Voting nominations 7th – 18th December 2020
Winner wreath announced 20th December 2020

See some entries below if you looking for inspiration.

Some allotment holders on the West side have reported tomato blight on their plants. Please check your own tomato plants and be vigilant for this.

If your tomato plants are suffering from tomato blight there is no cure, infected plant will need to be destroyed. Burning is the most effective way, never put them on the compost heap and do not dig them into the soil.

The likely symptoms are listed below in the order in which they normally occur:

1. Small brown marks appear on the leaves which enlarge as the blight takes hold.
2. Leaves on the lower part of the plant may well have light coloured patches of fungal infection on the undersides.
3. Brown spots will then appear on the stems and branches, quickly turning to deep brown black. These marks will expand and at this stage the general health of the plants will begin to fail, the stems and branches will begin to turn to mush and possibly collapse. It will be clear that your tomato plants are suffering badly.
4. Finally the fruits, both green and ripe, will show brown marks on them. The affected leaves will dry up, shrivel and fall off.

All allotments are likely to attract some form of pests. We cannot rid the allotment entirely of these creatures, and nor should we. Rats may unpleasant but they are part of the food web nevertheless; providing food for owls for example.
However we want to share some preventative tips with all plot holders on steps we can all take to assist in tackling and minimising this problem.

Removal of places to live or shelter
– Remove all debris, rubbish, old equipment from your plots
– Minimise the amount of unused materials you keep on your plot
– Cut back overgrown shrubs etc on plots

Removal of food sources
We recognise that this is difficult on an allotment but there are some steps you can take, including:
– Not leaving household waste on site, including in compost bins
– Harvesting fruit and vegetables promptly
– Don’t leave discarded fruit and vegetables around
– Turn the contents of your compost bin/s regularly
– Keep any food / compost securely (e.g. use bins with solid sides and lids; add a wire mesh lining in the base etc.)
– Do not feed birds or foxes at your plot.
– Store seeds, bulbs, chicken feed etc. in rodent-proof containers.
– Feeding of foxes is strictly prohibited at the allotments

Ensure good housekeeping
– Keep your plot tidy
– Visit regularly, make your presence known (e.g. kicking compost bins)
– Inspect the plot regularly
– Thoroughly wash (and peel, as appropriate) the fruit and vegetables you harvest and destroy all vegetables with signs of rodent damage.
– Keep your shed/s / chicken runs / storage unit/s / greenhouse/s etc. secure and in good order; check regularly for signs of rats living underneath.

Other
– Plant repellents, such as wood hyacinth, allium and daffodils are known to help keep rodents at bay.
– Soak cotton wool balls in peppermint, eucalyptus or spearmint oil; rodents have been shown to avoid these smells and by placing these at key points (corners of sheds and those areas they may be getting in) you can help keep rats and mice away. Remember to replace the oil regularly, even after they appear to have gone, or they might come back.
– Stop using fertilisers made from blood, bone, or fish.

A story currently being reported by the Telegraph and other sites:

Hundreds of British gardeners have been ‘receiving unsolicited deliveries of garden seeds sent from China marked as ear studs’ amongst several other descriptions.  Several accounts on eBay as well as Amazon have already been removed.  Seeds have been appearing for several weeks to people all around the UK without being ordered and with no item description.

Do not be tempted to open or plant the unwanted extra seeds as it could result in the spread of an invasive, non-native species including new pests brought in with the seeds. You must not import, transport, keep, breed, sell, use or exchange, grow or cultivate, or release into the environment certain invasive alien species. If you do, you can be fined or sent to prison for up to 2 years.

If you do not send the seeds to the APHA they should be burned, (incinerated) and not disposed of in your rubbish bin.

Contact the , (APHA) Animal and Plant Health Agency, part of , (DEFRA) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who have deployed a team to investigate.

The agency said it is asking people receiving the seeds to send details of any related purchase history – and forward the packages to its officials so they can study and then destroy them correctly.

In England, call the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301 and choose the relevant options for APHA.

Currently we have to keep the Allotment Hall and toilets closed. We are still following the advice of the National Allotment Society and they have been telling us that to open the toilets they should be deep cleaned at least twice a day in PPE gear and under supervision. No one has been in the position to undertake this task.

30/06 – All communal facilities including toilets should remain closed. the Society’s view is that most allotment association’s do not have the capacity to fulfil the necessary requirements to safely open and clean site toilets or communal buildings

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your understanding and hope that as restrictions continue to lift we will soon be able to open the facilities.