Author Archives: salcooks

Jonathan, Nuthurst Community Allotment, April 2021 Actinidia chinensis ‘Hayward’ (Kiwi Fruit) Citrus x paradisi (Grapefruit) Citrus sinensis (Orange) Citrus limon ‘Delle Quattro Stagione’ (Lemon) Coryrlus avellana ’Nottingham’ (Hazel Nut) Diospyrus kaki ‘Vaniglia’ (Persimmon) Diospyrus kaki ‘Royo Brillante’ (Persimmon) Eriobotyra japonica (Loquat) Ficus carica ‘Dottato’ (Fig) Juglans regia ‘Franquette’ (Walnut) Malus domestica ‘Cox’s Orange’ (Apple) MorusContinue reading “A list of the fruit trees we plan on planting in the east glasshouse.”

Sal, Nuthurst Community Allotment, April 2021 At least thirty six-year-olds…..two hours…..one baking hot greenhouse….ummm doesn’t sound like a recipe for success; but it absolutely was! This week we had the first visit from the local primary school children who made the short walk across the road from St Andrew’s to spend the best part ofContinue reading “St Andrew’s Primary School’s Inaugural Visit”

Jonathan, Nuthurst Community Allotment, April 2021 This is a list of Dave Goulson’s sixteen favourite garden plants for pollinators…if you happen to have any in your garden, we would love it if you would bring one with you when you visit the allotment! Bush vetch, Vicia sepium Catmint, Nepeta racemose Plume thistle, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ Comfrey, Symphyticum officinale, ‘Bocking 14’ Dahlia, ‘Bishop of Llandaff’Continue reading “Notes on Pollinator Plants”

Jonathan, Nuthurst Community Allotment, April 2021 The whole point of crop rotation is to avoid a build-up of pests and diseases and to keep the soil as healthy as possible. Rotation means moving vegetables around the allotment in succession, and not growing the same ones in the same place every year. Most pundits advise aContinue reading “Notes on Crop Rotation”

Sal, Nuthurst Community Allotment, Feb 2021 We had the pleasure of welcoming David and Chris from the local Parish Mag (The Link) to the Allotment today. Despite the wind and rain, we had a photo op outside and a bit ‘o filming inside. We all took turns to blather on about our plans for futureContinue reading “Film Crew On The Allotment”

January 2021. On the allotment. A blank sheet! Or, rather, an empty glasshouse and some vacant land. What an opportunity! Yet – how daunting – where do we start? Well ORGANIC it must be! Of course it would be crazy to try to grow too many different types of vegetables to begin with, but overContinue reading “What Shall We Grow?”

Jonathan & Sal, January 2021 Despite Covid, we’ve managed to get a lot done since we launched in early December 2020. Thanks to a shout-out in the local Parish mag, we have recruited some VERY keen allotmenteers from the village and are now a small committee of seven. It turns out seven people can really getContinue reading “Progress Report”

Jonathan, Bulls Farm, January 2021 Slugs and Snails can cause problems in the allotment. If they get the chance they’ll eat all the best bits of our produce: lettuce hearts, ripe tomatoes, juicy cabbage leaves, even beetroots aren’t safe. So, what’s to do? Well you absolutely mustn’t use ordinary slug pellets. The Metaldehyde chemical is completely toxic toContinue reading “Slugs and Snails”

Jonathan, Bulls Farm, January 2021 Two of the most important creatures in the allotment world are Lowly Worm and Babbity Bumble. Lowly turns dead leaves and other similar stuff into fertile soil by making worm casts and at the same time aerates the soil, so that oxygen can get to the roots of plants, and the little tunnels heContinue reading “Lowly Worm and Babbity Bumble”