Recent articles

Allium Leaf Miner
Allium leaf miner, which attacks the allium family,onions,leeks shallots and garlic has been present in this country for twenty years but did not ventured north beyond the Midlands but now this has all changed and it is now in our part of the world; Yorkshire.
Runner Beans
A versatile and worthwhile crop to grow producing pods in abundance, the surplus which can be frozen throughout the summer. In late summer as the pods become fibrous and stringy the beans can then be left to form seeds to be eaten fresh and others for harvesting usually around mid October when the pods start to turn brown. These are dried to be used during the winter, after being soaked over night to add to soups and stews. With,of course beans to be saved for sowing the following season.
Clearing up the site 14th June 2014
Some photographs from our site clearup day on Saturday 14th June 2014.
SQUARE FOOT GARDENING
For several years now I have involved my grandchildren in my allotment but as two live in Sheffield and two live in Newcastle this has not been easy. Nonetheless they have a few raised beds in their gardens. I have one 9 year old grandson living in Leeds who sometimes helps especially when the strawberries, raspberries and peas are ready for picking. This year I came across the concept of ‘square foot gardening’ by Mel Bartholomew and decided to try it out although I had to call it ’30 centimetre gardening’ so my grandchildren could understand the idea.
Recent sowings
Sowed Tomato,sweetcorn, courgettess, squash and sunflowers. All these placed on a windowsill to germinate.
Recent planting
Two beds of potatoes planted,Red Duke of York and Lady Chrystal. I am taking a chance because last year we had a heavy frost, on the 16th May and this cut back the growth resulting in the crop being later. I have now planted a bed of onion sets and spaced them six inches apart in staggered rows to try and minimise the threat of white rot even though this particular bed has not had onions in it for at least 12 years.Onions from seed which was sowed on the 24th December are now growing on in a coldframe but will not be planted out until late April.
Planting By The Moon
The notion of planting by the moon goes back to ancient civilisations. You may be familiar with how the movement of the moon influences the rising and the falling of the tides. This influence is not restricted to tides only but actually affects plants and the soil they grow in.
Carrots. Success at last.
After minimal success in previous years with growing carrots, I decided to go down the designated carrot bed to be covered from sowing to harvest with Environmental netting.
ROOT CROPS
My attempts to grow root crops by sowing seed in the open ground have either failed or germination has been erratic. Also, I think slugs and snails have eaten the seedlings as they emerge from the ground. Yet plot holders on each side of me seem to have no problems! It must be my sowing technique.
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Allium Leaf Miner

Allium leaf miner, which attacks the allium family,onions,leeks shallots and garlic has been present in this country for twenty years but did not ventured north beyond the Midlands but now this has all changed and it is now in our part of the world; Yorkshire.

Signs that that plants are infected is a noticeable twisting of their leaves and eventual stunted growth. There are two egg laying periods from the end of August to the end of November and during March and April.

There is no known treatment for allotment gardeners other than growing onions, leeks, shallots and garlic under fine mesh. The adults are small grey flies (I have never seen one) which lay eggs on the plants leaving tell tale puncture marks on the leaves. These turn into small cream coloured maggots (again never seen one) before eventually becoming mahogany coloured pupae.

Leeks are the most vulnerable because because they present a larger growing area to lay eggs on but also present an ongoing problem because the flies emerge in March/April and the cycle of infestation starts again. Leeks are usually planted out in late spring/early summer so can become targets in early summer and again in the autumn. I have found the mahogany pupae in leeks in November which ruin the leek but have the potential to emerge in March and April to infest the newly planted onion crop. In my opinion leeks carry the greatest risk of harbouring the pest and creating new infestations in any the allium crop. Autumn planted onions, garlic and shallots can be attacked in late autumn and I have found the pupae infestation when they are harvested in June but are unable to say when the infestation happened either autumn or spring.

It is important to break this cycle of infestation by being vigilant in netting all allium crops particularly watching for the infestation of spring planted alliums usually from mid June which unfortunately have to be removed and taken off site. Leeks have a later season with it being necessary to harvest all before the end of February. Avoid placing contaminated plants on a compost heap.

It is possible to sow onion seed and grow the plants on with a protection of fine mesh planting out from mid May when the danger has past; likewise the same for onion sets.A couple of plot holders planted onion sets in early May when the potential risk has passed and without mesh protection.This method seems a viable option which resulted in smaller onions but at least a crop whereas the 350 onions I planted at the end of April finished up being lifted and destroyed in mid June.

Allium Leaf Miner