2019 Seed Potato & Onion Order Form

Some like it hot.....

… but the Bank Holiday has been typically cool, my fleece and thermals have found their way back out of the cupboard, and my fingers have been hovering over the thermostat for the central heating.  It certainly feels as though autumn is on the way, in spite of some of the papers promising us yet another heatwave.  And all this can mean only one thing.  It’s time to gather in the harvest AND start planning for next year!

In chronological order:

Buckets of potatoes are due for their grand weigh-in next Saturday, September 1^st.  If you have entered this new competition you should have received an email giving you details.  However, we are aware that one or two entrants have slipped through the (inter)net, so if you have not heard from us please consider this to be your official summons.  We will be eagerly manning the weighing scales from 9.30am until 12.30pm, and will make every effort to be fair and impartial. We will do our very best, also, to make allowances for the date, as long as we are informed.  Please get in touch if you have any concerns about this.

At last – a delivery is expected on Friday September 7^th.  Fresh supplies of compost will be being heaved off the lorry, and we are pleased to invite you to come and join in the quaint Hagg Lane Allotment Society custom of trying to dodge the pallets.  This will probably be followed by a game of “hunt the scissors” on Saturday. Seriously, please come to help if you can.  8.45am for 9am.  Tea and cake will be provided to boost morale and energy levels.  It never fails to be an enormously fun occasion, and, besides, we have never lost a volunteer…yet… Let us know if you can join us, or just turn up on the day if you find yourself free.

Autumn planting onions, garlic, peas and beans and green manure will be arriving with the delivery.  Consequently, these will be available for purchase from Saturday September 8^th. 

An order form for next years potatoes is now available online and on paper (hopefully..) from September 1st.  

The volunteer team are looking forward to seeing you again very soon, and trust that you have had a productive season on your plots and in your gardens.

Autumn Planted Crops 2018

We are now taking orders for the following quality Autumn planted crops and bulbs:-

"Senshyu" Japanese Onion Sets 500g (80-100 bulbs) £1.50
The original "Japanese overwintering onion". Semi-flat and yellow with brown skin which mature late June. Feed with "Nitro Chalk Onion" fertiliser.
"Blood Red" Japanese Onion sets 500g (80-100 bulbs) £2.00
A northern European variety produced to withstand harsh climates. Oval in shape, light red in colour, it has an excellent flavour and is a heavy cropper less prone to bolting.
"Thermidrome" Autumn planting Garlic 125g (3 Lge bulbs) £1.60
Commercially grown variety with soft neck producing large bulbs of good flavour.
"Douce Provence" peas 250g £1.50
A cross between Meteor and Kelevdon Wonder. Very early, round seeded excellent cropper. For sowing November - February
"Aquadulce" Broad Bean 250g £1.50
The standard overwintering variety. Good cold tolerance producing compact plants with high yields.
"White Tilney" Mustard (Green Manure) 250g £2.00
A quality quick growing Mustard variety which develops a high level of green matter. Sow Aug-Sept at 5g/sq metre.
"Forage" Rye (Green Manure) 250g £1.20
For sowing Aug-Nov at 9g/square metre for turning in Apr-May. Suited to most soil types particularly heavier soils.

Hanging the bunting

If your invitation to Windsor has got lost in the post, but you’re still looking for the perfect gift for the happy couple - why not pop along to our second Plant Sale weekend. Providing that you get there early enough, you should be able to find fresh stocks of bedding plants, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers and leeks to name but a few. The cake bakers are back on duty, the compost humpers are limbering up, and down, and teabags are poised and ready. We still have a few growbags for all those lovely tomatoes, and 8ft bean poles are flying off the shelves.

Free to lend a hand?
The gazebo team will gladly train up new recruits at around 4.45 on Friday, and this also makes an excellent spectator sport. To me, to you etc. On both Saturday and Sunday we will be open from 9.30am until 2.30ish. Again, if you would like to help out in any way, we will be pleased to see you. There is always tea to be supped, and cake to be scoffed... and you would also be most welcome to join the catering crew...

Come along to see if we can help you plug the gaps in your planting schedule. Better still, if you have any surpluses to share we will happily acknowledge your superior growing skills.

This weekend. May 19th and 20th! (You can always watch the wedding highlights on the news, again and again and again).

Break in at Walkley Bank Allotment Society

“Just to let you know we suffered a break in at the society shop/hut last night?

A volunteer called into see what they have taken . 

All 4 strimmers, 2 of them broken, 1 the battery one & the other one is just been given. They went through stationary drawer , metal cupboards .

 Also a couple of boxes of weed killer sachets went. 

Brian has fixed door shut from inside. shewill inform police later. Have also let Ceri know. On a positive note they didn’t trash the place..

So yet again:

• Did anyone notice anything yesterday eve- today afternoon? let us know about anything suspicious.
• Watch our shop and your huts. If you are out and about do a  drive past, and keep an eye out for these scumbags. (they'll be doing locals over as well probably)
• Look out for your neighbours and let other sites know.
• If you see anything report it. If a break in is actually  occurring phoning 999 it is acceptable if a criminal is in the act.
• If you find out afterwards it is 101 that you call. Still report it.
• Report things to Ceri at the allotments office.
• Mark your property - make it less saleable/easier to trace
• try not to store valuable kit on allotments.

WBAS team”

Suspicious Van On Hagg House Allotment Site

"Just down on the site today and spotted some suspicious looking folk in a green ford van. They (man, woman and baby) let out a couple of young lads in long black tracksuits down the top lane and then drove down to the middle lane a few minutes later, it looked like they were picking the lads back up... they then drove to the bottom lane where I was, took a good look at me and Matts van, turned round and drove of back up the hill. I managed to snap a pic of the number plate. It’s got no tax or mot so I called 101 who confirmed that and said that it was registered out of the area. The police said that if anyone has had anything taken to report it in and give the reff no: 411 07/05/18. 
Im really hoping that my miss marple antics today are totally off the mark and we have some nice new allotment holders that are just a little behind on their bills..."

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Eats, shoots, leaves - this weekend!

No.  We’re not staging a grammar convention.

It’s our first PLANT SALE weekend!  Saturday and Sunday – 9.30am to 2.30pm

The contents of the poly tunnel and cold frames have yet to succumb to an attack of super slugs (at time of writing), and we will be starting the weekend well-stocked with fruit, veg and flowers - and slug pellets, compost and growbags.
Additionally, our tea-brewers are honing their teabag squeezing techniques (with apologies to the teapot brigade), and the cake crew are looking only a little battle-weary from much beating and sieving. Simple pleasures.
The pricker-outers and potter-uppers, on the other hand, are flopped in the corner like  damped-off seedlings, poor things.
Volunteers welcome.
The Plant Sale usually turns out to be a pretty hectic event for the regulars, and we will be truly grateful to anyone else who can offer any help.  If you can spare an hour or so we will be delighted to see you. JUST TURN UP!!!!
Friday evening – setting up from 4.30pm (probably until sun down)
Saturday – from 8.00am – labelling, serving, selling, carrying, brewing, advising (haha!) – until 2.30pm
Sunday – from 8.30 am – as above, plus some brow-mopping.
Additionally, donations will be welcome at any point during the weekend – surplus veg seedlings, plants and cakes.
The weather?  Well, who knows what to expect.  At the moment the forecast is for factor 50, but the skies are still leaden at the moment, and it’s still pretty chilly.  Flip-flops or wellies?  Better be on the safe side!  Thermals!