JULY  2011

OUR OTHER ALLOTMENTS SITE NEWS

1.  Aberaeron in Bloom Competition

You'll recall that in our last newsletter that I reminded you that this year an extra  section has been included in this competition, specifically for "Best plot/ allotment for producing vegetables and/or fruit". Although it may appear that this is a competition section included solely for our allotment association - it isn't, but obviously allows us an opportunity as veg & fruit cultivators to join in the fun. I did provide on-line forms for you to download.

It seems that our members have been a little coy to enter their plots for this competition. I spoke to Meurig Jones (Plot 2) about this a week or two ago and he informed me that one of the organisers of the Aberaeron in Bloom competition had told him that they were surprised that they had not received any nominations as they had included the section assuming that a few of us would compete and enter into the spirit of things.

I have therefore taken the liberty of entering some plots off our site en bloc. Before you start panicking it just means that those nominated will be judged. If none win - no problems & no harm done. If one of them does win well there's no problem there neither is there? The plots entered were: Nos. 2, 7, 9,10,11,12,13,14 & 17.

2.  Polytunnel Damage - Ongoing Investigation

There have been no further attacks on my polytunnel I'm pleased to report. I was starting to get despondent because I thought that the police had given the investigation up as a bad job. However I'm pleased to say that they are still following lines of investigation and are still in contact with me. There is a growing indication that the blame lies with a specific person, but unfortunately the only evidence they have to go on is circumstantial and the Crown Prosecution Service (the CPS) could not put a cast iron case together to take to court - at present. I can't divulge what evidence they have for obvious reasons but I am heartened. They are still awaiting chemical analysis reports on the polythene that was ripped in the last attack. Apparently the forensic lab is painfully slow with these routine things and because some serious crime has been committed in the Dyfed Powys Police Area in the meantime things have slowed down even further than normal when, it comes to less serious matters.

Funnily enough, after I sent out last month's newsletter, I received this e-mail below from one of our newsletter subscribers who's in Cardiff I believe. It seems that this crime that we have experienced here is not as rare as I would have expected. The similarities are astounding. The allotment association involved resolved the problem themselves. again, for obvious reasons, I've left out the specific details from the message.

It seems to me that person got off relatively lightly. If the same scenario unfolds here then there will be a criminal damages case by the Police and the guilty party will face a fine and will have a criminal record. Whoever it is will also be expelled for life from our association and on top of that I will issue a separate summons from the County Court to reclaim personal damages and commercial costs for repair or reconstruction of the structure. Perhaps it's time for the guilty party to consider a damage limitation exercise by coming clean at this stage - it might save a lot of serious heartbreak later.

3. The Green Beetle Mystery

This one's for you Meurig (Plot-2). The beetle you & I observed on your broad beans is harmless - well at least harmless to your crop! I believe it was the Green Tortoise Beetle that we saw (picture to the right). It's quite harmless and lives it's days munching the leaves of thistles and dead nettle plants (not nettles that have died but that group of plants called "dead nettle"!). What made it wander on to your beans I don't know. It seems quite prevalent on Anglesey and Nottingham! What the common denominator there is I don't know!  Apparently it has a very quaint way of protecting itself from other insects (ants etc.). When attacked it grips a leaf and lowers itself on to it gripping very tight. It then draws in it's legs antenna and other bits and just freezes on there. The attacker can't get a hold and eventually gives up. I suppose that's how it got it's name "tortoise" beetle. Tortoises have a similar behaviour pattern. Quite fascinating really. Everyone leave it well alone it's harmless quaint & pretty!

DID YOU KNOW?

Farm workers’ wages in earlier times included four pints of apple cider a day.

"Not a lot of people know that!"

If someone was to ask you to train up an athlete to become an Olympic pole vault champion, would you start your search amongst the pygmy tribes of the African Congo?

It sounds like a stupid question - of course you wouldn't - you would be more likely to start searching amongst the Nilotic (Sudanese) tribes like the Maasai, Turkana, Samburu or Dinka. In the case of some of those tribes, males can have an average height of 6ft, 4in, while the women average 6ft. These people have slim but strong bodies, and their heads are more elongated than in the case of the other African tribes. Perfect pole-vaulters I'd say - with a bit of practice!

What on earth has this got to do with  allotment veg. growing? Lots! Out of interest, I often ask fellow gardeners what variety they're growing. A keen & experienced gardener will usually answer with a name and an explanation of why that variety has been chosen by him or her. Others will just answer "I don't know - I don't notice the variety I just grow them!" Of course it can be argued that any variety will do, and if all you want is a green runner bean or a red tomato, the choice of variety is not important - a bit like saying "I'll have a white wine - anything will do", or "I'll have a red wine - don't worry what label it is". So in that one sentence you've just committed thousands of years of grape selection, climate choice & soil acidity regulation & growing expertise etc. to the bin - which obviously highlights the fact that you are not a wine connoisseur - and probably have no interest whatsoever in being one and never will be! All those varieties of wines with subtle differences don't count for you - after all you just want a choice of red or white! As with the pole-vaulter you're training, if you are that kind of "any wine" type person, a 4ft Pigmy will hurdle a small bar - so he will do for you,  great! But if you want a real Olympic performance and the joy that comes with winning an Olympic medal you need a tall muscular athlete. Any old athlete won't do.

When it comes to veg varieties the choice is sometimes so vast that it becomes bewildering, little wonder some of us just grab the first packet we come to and go - anyone can be forgiven for that! However the REAL joy of vegetable gardening - especially allotment growing is the opportunity to get engrossed in varieties, after all you'll be able to grow anything and everything every year - but it gets a bit mundane and to be honest, quite boring. NOW bring in a bit of dabbling with varieties and you've just added the spice of life - which after all, (according to the proverb) is exactly what variety is - the spice of life!

Those of us who have been doing this for years have our selected favourites. Click on this button

to view my personal favourites that are listed on our web-site. In fact that list is quite old and I need to update it - it's not exactly accurate anymore, because the process of variety choices forever changes as you find better and finer plants on a seasonal basis.

Our personal favourite varieties are those that have impressed us by their taste, vigour and suitability to the soil and climate where we live (not all of the UK is the same you know - we have micro-climates all over the place, even two gardens in the same village can have different conditions). In fact there are many heirloom varieties of veg that have been bred by gardeners over the decades that are unique to one area. It's a mistake to think that one variety will grow the same everywhere. Out there, there's a variety of every kind of veg that is particularly suited to your plot, and your taste, all you have to do is search for it! To do that you don't need to try every individual variety yourself (you'd never live long enough to do it!). Rather, read up on various descriptions of varieties in catalogues (but be careful there - seed catalogues are designed to make you buy seeds and nothing else), search the Internet, also read gardening books and TALK to fellow gardeners - especially the grey-haired ones! As long as they haven't gone too old, grumpy or forgetful! There are even social networking sites just for gardeners - like our very own Gardeners Chat-Shed. Immerse yourself in your hobby - it's good for your health and your "soul"!

However the one sure indicator of excellence is when a certain veg. variety is listed - as for instance - a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award of Garden Merit (AGM) winner. That indicates that the plant variety selected is recommended by the RHS. Awards are usually given after a period of trial at an RHS garden, (often Wisley). Plants are judged by one of the RHS plant committees. These Awards of Garden Merit (AGMs) helps gardeners make informed choices about the plant variety they choose - look out for this symbol when you wade through seed catalogues:

But it doesn't end there. Continually talk & get good feedback from fellow plot-holders and growers either on our own allotment site or elsewhere. I find many keen garden & allotment growers who are here on holiday, they often walk past our allotment site & are usually bristling to chat with anyone who will spare the time to talk to them about their hobby at home. All of these people can share with you what they know about certain varieties that have been a success for them. All of this way be a new experience to those of you who are new to allotment gardening, cultivating this traditional activity of garden chat is something that will bring dividends to you. Your allotment plot is more than just a square area of soil where you spend some time in isolation - it is a way of life that has evolved a social personality over a long time, after all it's possible to trace the origins of allotments back over 200 hundred years, and there are time-honoured traditions and an evolved culture that goes with it.

Every year around this time I get asked "what can I sow in July?" This is quite understandable. most of us have put in our main crop seeds - you know - the usual suspects, only to realise you have space left and the season is marching on. Or due to various circumstances (like taking on a plot late in the season) you find it's past the usual spring-time sowing period, so you're scratching your head wondering what - if anything - you can sow around this time of the year and still catch the boat to harvest before autumn sets in.

Maybe more familiar in Japan, China and other Asian countries there is a wide range of vegetables that are perfectly happy being grown in British allotments, and our climate means that most of these vegetables are at their best from late summer through the autumn and on into the winter.  They follow on from the more traditional vegetables and so give you a wide variety as other harvests tail off.

They are also among the most productive vegetables it is possible to grow: versatile is the perfect description.  Many can be eaten as salads from seedling size onwards.  Leave them to grow on and both leaf and stems can be used.  Allow some to carry on and the flower buds will also form tasty meals.

When you come to cook they are not limited to stir fry.  Steam them, braise them, mix them with more familiar veggies such as carrots and serve them with your roast.  Some can be added to soups, others can be used to make parcels for baking.

Some of these more unfamiliar but easy to grow crops include:

• Chinese Broccoli

• Chinese Cabbage

• Choy Sum

• Komatsuna

• Mibuna & Mitsuba

• Mizuna & Mustard Leaf

• Pak Choi

• Senposai.

More traditional veg that you can sow this month with confidence are:

"Why do we insist on making such hard work of digging and cultivating our plots with tools that make us bend and strain our backs when millions of people all over the world work the soil with faster, easier and more logical tools which avoid much of the drudgery and backache that we take so much for granted?" (Simon Drummond - Get Digging web-site).

In fact we have come to expect pain when gardening in this country! How many times have you heard quips about gardeners and their aching backs? Or how the bank holiday will come and bring sore backs and lost work time to over enthusiastic "Sunday" gardeners!

One tool - many names (as you'd expect from a tool that's used by millions of people the world over. Strictly speaking, the traditional mattock that we are possibly more familiar with in this part of the world is a slightly different tool to the azada, although the two tend to overlap. The traditional mattock usually has a less acute head to handle angle, and is used for digging deeper (for narrow trenching etc.). The mattock is also used more in a pick axe-like role, rather than shallow surface ground clearance of turf and weeds etc. (as is normally done with a huge effort and stiff back using a short handled spade). Having said that, the mattock is just as good for that job and the heavy duty azadas/ digging or trenching hoes can do a sterling job on your trenches, more especially the ridging hoe. I'm sure that you're starting to realise that there is a right tool for the right job on every occasion. Many tend to double up and use one tool for many jobs - that is NOT the most efficient way of doing things (as a good friend and allotment neighbour of mine discovered recently whilst helping me to clear a space for our shared tool shed. Sad to say a long-handled shovel does NOT work very well as a stone lever! That job is for a fencing bar or a similar contraption! Not to worry - panic over - all fixed now - with a 2" shorter shovel handle! Good job the original was a long one!).

History

It's difficult to know exactly where or when the azada came into existence or when it started to be used as a mainstream tool for cultivation. We are certainly talking of tens of thousands of years. Archaeologists have uncovered examples of primitive azadas made of bone. Heavy azadas were originally used in the role of primitive soil ploughing for seed sowing - before proper pushed or dragged ploughs were invented. One thing is for sure, this tool has survived to our day and passed the test of time, simply because it does what it does so well that nothing else can surpass it for practicality and ease of use. Other tilling and cultivating tools have come into existence in it's wake, like spades and various hoes but the azada or mattock rules supreme as the ultimate clearing, digging & trenching tool. This of course is why it is so useful on an allotment plot.

For some strange reason the azada has fallen off the radar in the UK (apart from the western Celtic fringes). In the rest of the world it is the key tool for tilling. From China to south America nearly all peasant land workers use azadas or mattocks - often it is the ONLY tool they possess and is second only to the machete as a critical tool for survival.

On the other hand we in the UK have taken a madman's choice of short handled spades (along with short handled forks and shovels) as the mainstream tilling and cultivating tools. This defies logic, as we are, on average, taller now than in past generations and yet use tools designed for midgets. Consequently we expose ourselves to back injury and force ourselves to use tools with poor leverage, these are operated in awkward & tiring "stress" positions - that ultimately cause permanent bad posture (imagine how many times you've seen someone digging on a plot, who regularly straightens up with a sigh (or groan in my case!) - usually holding the small of his/ her back whilst wiping sweat off the brow - because of the wasted energy expended in a crouched, bent back, position using a tool more appropriate for someone measuring 3' 6" in height! Azada users can work all day without much ill effect. With the added bonus that the tool they're using does a better job!

Using Azadas & Mattocks

It is difficult to describe in detail the action for using any tool and  most people tend to develop their own particular technique. Using an Azada should be no problem for anyone used to using hand tools and having reasonable bodily coordination - that statement about co-ordination might make you smile, but believe me, you can tell at a glance if someone has natural co-ordination or not. Through no fault of their own some people (unfortunately), will always look awkward and clumsy using hand tools, regardless of how long they practice.  Others seem to make working with hand tools look totally effortless, effective and easy.

Azadas are basically used with a swinging action and, as with an axe, pick-axe, sledge-hammer etc, much of the knack is in letting the tool do the work as far as possible (click on the graphic to see a streamed video of the tool in action!). As when using most tools, take your time and don't rush it (any golf coach will tell you the same) - don't try and take huge swings and shift vast amounts of soil in one go. If you're worried about chopping your toes off or decapitating your neighbour in the next allotment plot then you're not using it properly!  Unless you're dealing with very hard ground, there's no need to swing the blade from a great height - apart from anything else you'll probably end up with half the allotment in your hair! If you're jarring your wrists or arms, they are probably too rigid - relax, loosen your wrists and let the tool swing and slacken your grip once the tool has been swung. One of the big advantages of this type of tool is that the shock of impact is absorbed by the tool and not by your arms and wrists as occurs with the ramming action of a spade.

  The type of operation you're doing will govern the angle of entry of the blade into the ground. If you're  cultivating then you'll probably only want to work the top 2-3 inches of soil so you'll be using a pretty shallow angle. If on the other hand you want to go deeper, dig a trench or hole then blade angle will be greater. An Azada will cover the ground very quickly and with much less effort than a conventional spade. For cultivating lightish ground with moderate weed cover, I reckon to cover about one square metre per minute and for thick matted weed cover perhaps half that. Having said that, a lot obviously depends on how thick the rubbish is, the type of soil, how fit you are and how often you like stopping for a cup of tea!  

 Keep the blade sharp. I use a small bench grinder to do the rough sharpening and then keep the edge with a sharpening stone on the allotment. A good quality file or carborundum stone will do the job nicely.

Apart from digging and cultivating, Azadas are also very useful for many other jobs from scraping concrete surfaces, turning compost, offloading trailers, mixing cement etc. in fact most jobs you'd do with a spade - except for throwing material forwards for which they are not really suitable. The Medium Azadas are excellent for earthing up potatoes - go up and down the row pulling the soil up into a ridge then go round again and firm it by patting with the back of the blade which happens to be just the right angle.

Occasionally, the blade may become a bit loose on the handle. If this happens, do the following: hold the tool vertically with the blade downwards, lift it up and then bring it down hard on a concrete floor, pavement or similar. Do this  several  times which will ram the blade down and seat it on the handle. When you've done this, leave the tool soaking in a bucket of water overnight or longer, this will allow the wood to swell and make a tight fit.
 It's a good idea to give your new Azada a good soaking when you first receive it. Due to the natural expansion and shrinking of the wood due to temperature and humidity changes blades can sometimes seem a bit loose on the handle - especially after some pretty robust handling in the post!

As a matter of routine it's worth leaving the tool soaking in water overnight every now and then, especially in summer. This of course applies to any wooden handled tools. I'm sure Phil Harries (Plot-07) will kindly lend you his bath for the job, and as long as you don't mind the stench of rotten rhubarb leaves on your tools!