MARKHOLE

  NEWS AND VIEWS

                                                                                                                                                                                       January 2011

 

Date for the Diary

AGM May 15^th at 10.30

 

What will this year bring to our gardening? After all the rain and snow we have had, the ground is saturated to a good depth. Rain in Summer seldom penetrates far enough to saturate the ground to such a depth. This will stand us in good stead during Spring and possibly early Summer. Even if the surface soil looks dry established plants should not be watered. The water is where it is required to encourage deep rooting, which gives the plant stability and enables it to withstand drought better. Seeds and seedlings will of course need watering, which should be little and often. If you made New Year resolutions and included a resolution  to keep your plot free of weeds, you will need to make frequent visits to your plot to keep the weeds down by hoeing. The golden rule for looking after an allotment is little and often. Not only is this necessary for watering seedlings and for controlling weeds it is necessary for controlling you. A long session of digging can do nasty things to your back and put you out of action for maybe a week or two. Hours of hand weeding on your knees can leave your knees and leg muscles painful and stiff. Similarly harvesting crops such as peas and beans particularly French and flageolet beans must be done often to ensure good quality. Indeed if legumes are allowed to set seed, flowering will stop and the size of the crop reduced.

With the ground so saturated even if we have little further rain, it will take time before it will be dry enough to dig. Digging when it is so wet is not only extremely hard work, but it spoils the soil structure. Fortunately our soil is very free draining and it should not be too long before we can get on with the digging.

Providing the ground is not frozen there are other jobs to do. Currant bushes will need attention. About a third of the old wood of blackcurrants should be cut to the ground as young wood yields better and an open centre facilitates picking. Paths too will need attention. Remember you must keep a two foot wide path to the right of your plot level and free of overhanging plants.

Subscriptions are now due please see Mike and pay up promptly.

 

                                                                      Editor Peter Foote