CAPEL ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION

ALLOTMENT NEWS

THE ALLOTMENT SITE - Remains open. Please remember to social distance & use the hand washing facilities near The Hut & at the BBQ area.

THE HUT - Open 10-12 noon on SATURDAYS ONLY from July until the end of October. We are happy to continue on-line deliveries for members living in the local area who continue to self-isolate or are unable to get to The Hut. (See below for details).  If you wish to pre-order for collection on Saturday please order by Friday evening.

For a £3 bunch of seasonal flowers or table centre  or a presentation arrangement & price contact Sue via hut.manager@capelallotments.co.uk  

MEMBERSHIP -  80% of our members do not have an allotment but still enjoy the benefits of our bulk buy prices and seed scheme. Membership is just £5 per annum

CULTIVATOR HIRE - A cultivator is available for hire for on-site use only. The fee is £10 for the first two hours. Hire time runs from handover and ceases when the machine is returned to the machinery shed. Please give Dennis advance notice to hire this equipment or for any matters relating to the site please contact Dennis

POND & WILD LIFE AREA - Watch out for damsel & dragon flies, frogs & newts. Check the information boards if you see something interesting that you can’t identify.

SHEDS - The site manager must be contacted before construction commences or alterations to an existing shed take place.

PLOTS - The site is full & we have a waiting list for vacated plots. Please complete the form on our web site to add your name to the waiting list. Should a plot become available the Site Manager will then contact you to see if you are still interested.

SEPTEMBER SHOW - Regrettably we have decided to cancel this year’s event.

PICNIC ON THE PLOT - Presently on hold.

Online Sales From "The Hut"

Preferably payment will be by Bank Transfer (BACS) to Capel St Mary Allotments Association, Lloyds Bank, Sort Code 30-94-55 Account Number 01298209 with your name in the reference box or by card or cash for those who do not use online banking.

1. Members can place your order by email to hut.manager@capelallotments.co.uk stating the exact description of each item, the price, how many are required and the total price of the item. The total cost of the whole order must also be included. Please also include a contact number and your address and indicate how you wish to pay.
2. You will receive confirmation of your order by email and delivery information for members living in the local area.

GUIDE TO GARDENING ~ JULY

Hoe weekly to stop weed seeds germinating. Cut down uncultivated areas and spray re-growth with Bio Glyphosate (100ml £1) ready for next season. Scatter slug pellets (845g £2.50). Water plants thoroughly with an open ended watering can or hose, do not waste time & water by indiscriminate spraying. Top-dress containers with horticultural grit (£5.50). Feed weekly with Maxicrop (£2.50 ltr) or Phostrogen (160 cans now half our normal price just £4.30). If going on holiday arrange for a friend to water plants in containers, frames, greenhouse, outdoor tomatoes, marrow's, courgettes & cucumbers. Tell them to pick ALL sweet peas, courgettes, french & runner beans as these will stop producing if left on the plant. Stock up with Restaurant Grade lump wood charcoal @ just £10 for a 12kg bag for those impromptu barbecues.

VEG PLOT: - Plant cabbage, sprouts, broccoli & leeks & 2nd early potatoes for Christmas, earth up when frosts kill tops. Sow salad crops, parsley, french beans & carrots. Pinch out side shoots of non-bush tomatoes, place straw under bush varieties, tie plants regularly to their 4' support canes (30p). Feed weekly. Spray potatoes, & outdoor tomatoes, every 14 days with Copper Mix when leaves touch to protect against potato blight. Lift shallots when foliage dies back; dry in the sun ready for pickling. Thin seeds sown in June.

FRUIT: - Watch for red spider mite (organic spray £2) & codling moth. Check for insects and spray with Sprayday (30 ml £7.30). Protect fruit & plants from bird attacks with 8 meter wide bird netting (£2.80 mtr) or 4 mtr wide Butter fly Net @ £2. Pick soft fruit & tie in new shoots. Tidy strawberry's by removing & burning old leaves & straw. Apply 2 oz. sq. yd. Growmore (5kg £4.50). Dig up three year old stock & destroy. Create a new bed from rooted runners on well manured ground now for a good crop next year (Farmyard Manure £4.50) also free Horse Manure from Hanna, see notice board.

GREENHOUSE: - Ventilate, provide shade & maintain humidity. Water daily. Take softwood & semi-ripe cuttings. Insert into sandy compost (potting grit £5.50, Compost £5.30) in pots (from 5p). Full size rigid trays @ £1.70 & half size flexi's @ 10p are available. Support plants with 2' green canes (15 for 70p) . Control insects with a ready to use Insect Gun (1ltr £3.50). Tie tomato, cucumber, pepper & aubergine plants to their support canes with pvc plant rings. Feed weekly when fruits begin to swell with tomato feed (£2.50 per ltr.) or Tomorite 1ltr. £3. Stop the side shoots on melons @ 18”. Hand pollinate when each shoot has a female flower (brushes 10p). Keep main stem dry. Sow Peas / Mange tout / Sugar snap in compost in guttering for quick germination, water well and slide into a shallow trench outside when 3cm tall.

FLOWERS:-Remove old heads to keep them flowering. Tie in sweet peas. Feed roses after first flush of flowers (2kg rose feed £2, Rose Clear £4.20). Stake tall herbaceous plants. Mulch borders.

LAWNS: - Mow weekly. Apply a granular feed (5kg treats 140sq mtrs for £5.50) or Lawn weed killer, Verdone 500ml £8.

All horticultural products are available to our members from a range of quality commodities provided to meet basic gardening needs.

STAY SAFE. SOCIAL DISTANCE, EAT FRESH HEALTHY FOOD. EXERCISE.