Allotment newsletter spring 2007

A warm welcome to all new tenants! Having an allotment plot is more popular than ever, healthy eating and living is high on everybody’s agenda.

Our experienced tenants provide an amazing source of knowledge and encouragement. Our on site trading huts, where tenants can sell their produce, are a good place to meet up. We wish all tenants a healthy and fruitful season.

New and ongoing projects for 2007

Southway Drive

Fantastic news from the Southway Drive association. They have managed to secure £15,000 of the ‘extended’ schools programme funding 2006! The money paid for a compost toilet to be installed on site. Child friendly tools have also been purchased along with picnic benches and a poly tunnel. The project is called ‘plot to pot’ and has been designed to provide on site facilities giving children a hands on experience with guidance from members of the Allotment Association.

Penlee Valley

The Routeways Community Group has secured the grand sum of £450,000 to establish and run the ‘diggin it’ project. The aim is to develop an area at Penlee Valley allotments over the next 3 years as an Organic gardening project utilizing a large area of previously unused land. This project will benefit people at risk of social exclusion and provide training and education for local people.

Embankment Road

This site now has a redesigned vehicle access with a parking area for up to eight cars plus a disabled space. An area of land to the far end of the Embankment Road site has been cleared of a disused shed and debris. Raised beds have been built to provide plots/growing areas for the East End Residents Group/East End Kids in Bloom. This project still has a long way to go. In 2007 we will be working with this group to fully establish their growing and educational aims.

Lower Compton

We aim to provide a new water supply into the site at the start of this season. New plots were opened at the Overton Gardens end, which have worked really well and new tenants have proved it was worth setting up the plots.

Central Park

The new Central Park Association has made a really good start with many members attending meetings. They are actively involved with the consultations over possible changes to the park, which could affect their plots. There are plans for a meeting hut, storage hut, toilets, disabled access, school plots, wildlife area and a woodland walk. Along with Moor Trees we are helping them to source funding and project manage the plans. Please give them your support, if not in man-hours then at least by joining the Association as a sleeping partner, telephone Vicki Hutchins 708621 for more information.

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Schools on allotments

Community Liaison Officer

Great news! The Allotment Service has now enlisted the help of a Community Liaison Officer to help with any queries relating to allotment groups and their projects. The Officer will be touching base with all existing groups in the near future, or alternatively is contactable at Parks Services on 01752 606034.

Thornbury Primary

Blunts Lane allotments are host to this school. One of our tenants shares his plot with the school. Regular visits to prepare beds, plant seeds and harvest crops are planned this season.

Highfield Primary

Parks Services have prepared raised beds for this school to give their young pupils the opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Their plot has been created on the grounds of an old orchard, which will be restored along with several new plots. The children will be able to walk to the site located off Derwent Avenue directly above our Brockley Road allotments, which is a very successful site and tenants there will offer support for their new venture and there will be access to the trading hut.

Langley Infants and Southway Primary

Southway Drive Allotments Association representatives are visiting the school on a regular basis to help the pupils learn about growing fruit and vegetables. The association provides compost, seeds, pots and advice with the aim to enthuse and nurture a life long interest. The pupils will visit the site on a regular basis to work their own plot with the help of tenants.

Central Park - schools

Montpellier, Devonport High for Girls and Hyde Park School are working with support from Central Park Association and will be starting on their own plots this season.

Laira Green Primary

The school have their own plot on our Brockley Road site and we hope to see great progress this season.

If you have an interest in ‘schools on allotments’ and want to encourage the younger generation to grow their own, raise awareness and understand the benefits of an allotment, contact Emily or your nearest Primary school.

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Allotment day 2006

The venue for allotment day 2006 was The Keyham Green Places (KGP) Centre, Keyham.

The Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Brian Vincent and his partner Mrs Pauline Murphy opened the event and met with fellow allotmenteers. The event was a great success and well received by the general public who enjoyed many activities including:

• a compost and wormery workshop
• fruit growing advice
• advice on pest control (rats, badgers and birds)
• information on health, safety and insurance
• recycling information and advice
• advice on how to set up a site association
• an art exhibition

There will not be an Allotment Day in 2007. If you would like to see this event back for 2008, please let us know and forward your ideas for a location and format for the day.

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National allotments week -13 to 19 August 2007

This is a week to raise awareness for and promote the availability of allotments both locally and nationally, and to show the public and local authorities the strength of support and interest for the heritage of allotment culture.

Following the ongoing success of last year's national allotments week, amateur gardeners are once again being called upon to further raise the profile of allotment gardening, by supporting the initiative.

What will your site be doing? Competitions, barbecue, site open days, plant and seed exchanges?

Let us know as soon as possible! We may be able to advertise your event.

After your own site events, tell us all about it by sending in a photo and write up, we really want to know about your week!

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Environmental information

Encourage biodiversity on your site

Birds, bats and other wildlife should be encouraged on to your site as these creatures feed on many unwanted pests such as aphids, earwigs and slugs.

Bat and bird boxes

There are many types of bird boxes available for all different types of birds, some of which are available to purchase at the Devonport Park training centre, telephone 01752 607337. Pluss, based at Devonport Park training centre, is a company committed to high quality employment, development and training opportunities for people with disabilities within Devon, Torbay and Plymouth.

Global warming and water shortages

2006 saw another hot and dry year, which has been reflected in the water charges, as your invoices will show. Assuming that this year will once again be hot and dry we should all take water consumption seriously and re-assess our watering methods.

Here are some water-saving tips:

• in summer, water plants only in the cooler part of the day so that water does not evaporate, early morning or evening is best.
• mulch to prevent a hard baked impervious layer forming, this helps subsequent watering to soak in. Break up the surface gently with a fork before applying more water. You can use the following materials; garden compost, rotted leaves, chipped bark, broken terracotta or cardboard. Parks Services can supply chipped bark per transit vanload for £56.
• only water the plants that really need it. Many established plants don’t need repeated watering during the dry summer weather and are usually fine in all but extreme drought periods.
• concentrate water where it’s needed, around plant roots. Build a low earth embankment around the base of your plants so that water does not run away, this is particularly important on slopes. On sandy soil, line a cone shaped hole around the root ball with newspaper or rag, this will help channel the water to the roots.

Manure deliveries

We have the details of 3 suppliers of manure, please contact Parks Services for contact details. You can also collect from various stables in the area, check the phone book for their details.

Compost

Available at Chelson Meadow Household Waste Recycling Centre

• EcoSci Compost, telephone 01752 482127 - £5 for 2 bags or £62 for 44 bags
• Zoo Poo (sourced from Paignton Zoo), telephone 01752 482127 - £6 for 2 bags or £68 for 44 bags

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Trees on plots!

Please do not plant or allow self-sown saplings to remain. Allotment plots are not for planting trees, if planted they cause the following problems:

• create shade
• use valuable nutrients in the soil which your vegetables could be using
• absorb moisture from the soil below and beyond the full canopy of the tree
• reduce growing space/ability for crops
• produce unwanted saplings
• as the trees mature and become a problem, we have to remove them, which is very expensive and it can be difficult to remove all the debris or even to fell the tree, considering surrounding green houses, sheds and other people's plots etc.

As a tenant you should be managing your plot, this includes removing saplings and not planting Christmas trees or any other woodland variety. Our growing areas are being lost to too many trees.

Only dwarf stock fruit trees and fruit bushes are permitted on plots after receiving permission from the Allotment Officer as stated in the tenancy agreement. We will remove trees if you plant them but could charge you for our time if the problem continues.

Plot 26 in Central Park and the Forest Garden in Barn Park are exceptions to this as they are separate long-term trial projects. Our Moor Trees and British Trust Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) tree nurseries are professionally managed. The trees and saplings will not be allowed to mature as they are re-located around the City.

Please contact the Allotment Officer if you are unsure or for advice.

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Crime prevention

Report any vandalism or theft to the police on 08452 777444 or call 08752 777444 and ask to be put in touch with your area's Police Community Support Officers for a more local contact with local knowledge.

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Plymouth in Bloom allotment competition 2007

Why enter?

• The competition is linked with South West in Bloom 2007 and Britain in Bloom, both of which are national annual competitions created to help improve the standards of our green spaces through out the city.
• It is an opportunity to improve the appearance of your site and gain recognition for all your hard work and dedication.
• You could win a prize, trophy and certificate.
• Enjoy working towards a goal with your fellow tenants and improve the community spirit on site

What will the judges be looking for?

• Varieties of crops grown
• Quality and quantity of crops grown
• Best plot number
• Composting methods
• Presentation/condition of site
• Wildlife/conservation consideration
• Water conservation
• Recycling methods

Presentation of trophies and prizes will coincide with the South West in Bloom 2007 presentation evening to be held in mid September.

Entry closing date: 11 May 2007
Judging week commences: 11 June 2007

You can download an application form to enter the competition from the file attachments table below, or please contact us.

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