4 minute read
HAYDON ALLOTMENTS
from The Wheel
by Tina Veater
MY PLOT AT HAYDON ALLOTMENTS
It was almost four years ago when a copy of a Radstock Council newsletter arrived at my recently acquired Haydon home. An article was informing its readers that some allotments were available nearby. Having just retired, I was immediately interested as vegetable growing was something that I had never done before and therefore it appealed to me as a new interesting project. There were half a dozen plots available at the time all heavily weeded and untidy. I eventually chose one with the opportunity of obtaining the one adjacent as well once a rather large shed was removed that was breaking regulations. After successfully clearing the first plot and helping contractors to remove the shed, I then cleared up the second and I was ready to rumble! There are almost fifty allotments in a peaceful and scenic environment on the edge of the Haydon Batch. The allotmenteers include all ages and genders with an even spread of years and not mainly older, retired persons as is the common concept. There is a plot specially fitted with raised beds for wheelchair access and for young children to use. Referring back to my now larger plot, the first thing I did was obtaining relevant library books and surfing the internet but the most important issue for me was to get help from some of the existing experienced gardeners on site. They were so willing to help and because of them, I began to make progress as well as enjoying their friendship. It was fortunate that I started to work my plot in the Autumn so planting was not an issue. I cleared all the weeds and debris and dug all areas and left everything until the following Spring hoping that there would be some nutrients left in the soil as no vegetables had been grown there for a couple of years or so. My new friends advised me to plant
lots of seed potatoes and onion sets with some broad beans all in early Spring and then follow with brassicas (the cabbage type tribe), French beans, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, beetroot, carrots and courgettes, all mainly grown from seed at home and transplanted into their final position in the ground in late Spring and early Summer. I also planted several soft fruit bushes and strawberries. My successes were potatoes and courgettes which are particularly easy to grow with patchy results among the rest but my enthusiasm had been raised for my new pastime.
In my second year, I particularly learnt a great deal in what to do both from my mistakes and the sources previously mentioned. During the first year, I had erected six compost cages so that I could recycle all
waste organic vegetable matter and change it into good compost by late Autumn with the help of some activators. I could then dig this systematically into my soil in the Winter and apart from creating very fertile soil, I was recycling and also keeping busy and fit. I then found out about crop rotation, as growing the same crop in the same place would result in a
build up of pests and diseases specific to the crop. I use a three crop year rotation in an area. Potatoes in the first year then brassicas then anything else in the third year. Plans followed, I sprinkled lime where my brassicas were to be grown (as they like neutral or alkaline conditions) and finally sowed some green manure (plants which are grown to improve the structure and nutrient content of the soil, as well as fixing nitrogen from the air for the next crop) in areas that I had dug and had no compost left! I then followed on with my third and fourth years, gradually learning from mistakes, which incidentally will never stop, planting more different vegetables and even flowers, and consequently finding my harvest yield increase. What I have found so interesting is that no year is the same. Some years, some crops of a type are better than others, as there are so many different factors. Soil composition, climate, weeding and amount of watering are just a few. This year we have had the wettest February ever,the sunniest Spring ever and one of the most exceptional bursts of heat on record. So there is never a dull moment!! I am now coming up to a fifth year with both my physical and mental health in good shape and a fridge and freezer packed full of delicious freshly picked vegetables. By Brian Megson
ALL ASPECTS OF INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING AND DECORATING
