Compost & Fruit
July 3rd, 2005
The compost was all distributed without a hitch and Chairman Paul and the WASHA committee thank all those who assisted. Thanks also to Rachael McLeod of Healthy Living Program for funding our Soil Improvement Project. John (Plot 31) has donated two loads of good topsoil. This is for use both for soil improvement and the Site Beautification Project. It is hoped that plotholders will use the top soil to fill containers for planting with flowers or shrubs. These could be left on plots or at points around the site where there are grassy areas.
The fruit on Plot 82 (lower path with big black net) is communal. Please bring your own tubs and help yourself. There are varieties of cane fruits – loganberries, tayberries, sunberries, boysenberries. All are good for jam on a pound of fruit/pound of sugar basis and they are quick setters so test early. They are very juicy, so great for coulis, pies, crumbles and summer puddings – see Recipe Section. They also freeze well. The morello cherries are impossible to make into jam without a commercial setting agent which affects the taste. The josta berries are a gooseberry/blackcurrant cross. This is a newish hybrid. It should make good jam but has a strange taste! Take care: some canes are thorny and the pathways between the rows are cluttered with all sorts of things ‘which might come in handy one day’.
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Jobs for the month (July 2005)
July 1st, 2005
- The long dry spell has broken at last. Hopefully any small seeds planted now will germinate and thrive. If you’ve had trouble with carrots and spring onions, it’s worth sowing some more. It’s not too late.
- Now is the time to sow swede turnips. They germinate easily and quickly but are immediately attacked by flea beetles which eat the first leaves down to the stalk and kill the whole plant. The whole row needs to be covered with fleece for protection. Take it off when the tougher leaves develop. Thin them out and spray any insect infestations at the heart of the plant.
- Interesting to see Jamie Oliver praising the new potatoes of a well known supermarket. Note the price! Unfortunately the hot humid weather encourages potato blight. Don’t imagine it to be some sort of mouldy rotting infestation. It is the same browning of the leaves effect as was noticeable when they were frost bitten. However the plant will not recover from this damage and the whole crop will be affected almost overnight. It will spread to the tubers and they will rot! Dithane spray is effective and set your sprayer to produce a fine mist. Spray as much of the foliage as you can to the point of run off. When digging potatoes try to clear every potato, even the tiny ones. They will re-grow if left in the ground and next year will appear as strong, healthy, deep rooted plants just where you least want to have to dig them out - usually in the middle of your spring onions or carrots!
- There are fine crops of brassicas on site. They are prey to a wide variety of pests. The pigeons eat them, but rarely to point of death. The cabbage white butterfly is busy laying clumps of its little yellow eggs on the undersides of the leaves right now. These hatch out to voracious caterpillars which prefer the tender heart of the plant. Either squash the eggs every day or spray the grubs. You can be standing proudly looking at a fine row of brassicas and notice that a few seem to wilt in the heat. This is not good news. The plant is stressed and there could be two reasons. First, and most common, is that it has been attacked by the cabbage root fly which lays eggs in the soil near the central stalk. The grubs hatch out, move down the gap between the stem and earth and proceed to eat the plant’s roots. If you dig up one of these stressed plants, you find they are virtually rootless. What to do? Well you can squirt insecticide down this gap. I don’t know whether it does any good but it can make you feel better. The second is club root. This is a nematode invasion of the roots producing great knobs and deformities and eventually killing the host. The only way to combat this is to not get it at all, so practice good rotation of your crops as the nematode stays in the soil.
- All bean crops are now under heavy attack from black fly. There are lots of ladybirds about but they’re not eating them fast enough. Yes we all squash as many black fly as we can, but they cause enough damage to kill the plant so spraying with soft soap or an insecticide is usually necessary. Keep all beans well watered. Pick while the bean is young and tender. Leaving big beans on, sends a signal to the plant that its work may be complete. Keeping big beans sustained also wastes the plants energy and yours too when you try to chew them!
- Keep the hoe going! The weeds will reappear quickly with a bit of rain. You can compost most of them. Regarding them as green manure helps keep you positive. Some of us love weeding! Mare’s tail, dandelion, couch grass, convolulus (bind weed) and dock can’t be composted unless certified dead by an expert.
- It’s the time of year when we are obliged to ‘waste’ a lot of time picking! Still, we gardeners are not ones to complain, are we?
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The hot dry spell
June 19th, 2005
With the hot dry spell, the need to water has become imperative. Remember, all hoses must be fitted with a trigger release attachment. Most of the hoses on site have one. Please do not remove any; just use the connection even when filling water butts. When everyone has to water, the deficiencies of the water supply become obvious. All water on site comes in through a pipe below the main entrance. When anyone on the lower path turns on a tap all other users have a much reduced supply as the lower path is on a down pipe. Most plotholders on the lower path are aware of this and try not to ‘hog’ the water. However there is only the one tap on the lower path to serve 23 allotments.
Originally, a second water supply came in from the Woodside Road entrance and served the top of the site. The last tap on this line was on plot 86. When the pipe rusted away a decision was made, (without consulting plotholders), not to renew it. This is why the top of the site became derelict.
There is still one tap left on this line near the top gate but it is now marked with red paint – never a good sign on our site!
Congratulations to Jane & Andrew (Plot 63.) on the birth of their second daughter Isabelle Catherine last month
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Jobs for the month (June 2005)
June 1st, 2005
- This is the hungry time, just before the first of this year’s crops are ready. Brassicas that have come through the winter look tough and inedible but it’s worth checking how they cook up. It’s normally heat, not cold, that makes vegetables tough.
- If you have a row of chard which overwintered, you will have plenty of fresh greens. This is a good source of vitamins and has a milder flavour than spinach. It will cook in the water it’s washed in. You need to start with a potful as it cooks down to very little.
- Speaking of spinach - the ladies on plot 6 have been eating spinach for weeks and they only started on their plot in January.
- Broad beans are going to be ready soon. Don’t wait till they are large and tough like those on sale in the shops. Start on them early when they are not much bigger than a pea. This may seem profligate but that is why we have our plots - maximum flavour and freshness!
- Many seeds are programmed to start growth when they get a good soaking. We haven’t had enough rain in the last month to help small seeds germinate. Hot dry days take a toll of those seedlings that do come up. Watering helps but some good rain would be a real boost!
- Carrots, beetroot, parsnips and spring onions will need to be kept clear of weeds. Within the row, between the plants, this is best done with a pointed knife while they’re small. Between the rows the flat hoes that cut roots are best. If you want to keep carrots free of carrot fly maggots, you’ll need to cover them with fleece. Parsnips should be thinned out to at least four inches apart.
- It’s June and we must stop cutting asparagus now. As soon as the shoots lengthen you will find they are attacked by a small black grub. This is the larvae of the asparagus beetle and though they are small, they are voracious. They even eat the bark off the stems! You’ll have to squash them or spray! No plant will survive being ring barked.
- There are good crops of potatoes all over the site. They soon recovered from the frost damage and some of them are nearly ready to lift. Yes, the tubers will be small, but delicious! After a spell of hot humid days, look out for potato blight. You may need to spray with Dithane. For those who haven’t managed to plant their spuds yet, it’s not too late! Your seed potatoes may have long straggly shoots and the tuber may look shrivelled and spent but it’s still viable and will produce a good crop. At this time of year, shops almost give away these left over bags of sorry looking seed potatoes. They’re worth buying!
- The sweet corn is doing well in the warmer weather and dry spells don’t bother it either. It rarely needs watering. The pollination is done by wind, not insects, so plant fairly close in rows or blocks. The male flower appears first from the centre top of the plant and is followed by the female flower which appears as a silky tassel from the central stem below. The pollen grains have to fall and stick to the tassel to produce a well filled cob of corn. This is an American plant but our birds have learnt to strip the outer wrappings to get to the kernels, so be aware!
- Runner beans can be unreliable croppers, so why not have some climbing French beans as well? These never fail to produce heavy crops and are less susceptible to black fly. Cobra (pencil shaped pods) and Hunter (flat pods) are good and there are purple and gold varieties as well. Of course they taste different to runners, but are still delicious. Those who like bending or can’t spare the time to erect supports can grow a dwarf variety.
- When beans are carrying a heavy crop, they need plenty of water. A sprinkling will not do. You need to soak the roots. You also need to keep the pods picked young as the plant will use a lot of energy producing large tough beans that no one wants to chew.
- Those who planted overwintering onions last Autumn are happy now to see the bulbs swelling at the base. These are particularly sweet and succulent onions. They have a tendency to ‘bolt’. A large stalk with pointed seed pod appears through the centre of the foliage. Pick these bolted ones now while this central stem is tender and can be eaten. If left to maturity this stem becomes tough and inedible but it is easily discarded when the onion is prepared for eating so don’t chuck these bolted ones on the compost heap! These overwintering onions are not good for long storage.
If you’d like to contribute to this column. Please use the WASHA email.
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About WASHA
May 19th, 2005
WASHA: Westborough Allotments Self Help Association
- WASHA was formed in March 2003 by tenants of the Aldershot Road Allotment site. There was a realisation that the increasing dereliction of the site could only be reversed by the united action of plot holders.
- WASHA members encourage local people to take on plots.
- WASHA plotholders on the allotment site encompass all age groups from the young to just married through to retired members. There is also a wide representation of professions and occupations. This reflects the new spirit of interest in allotment cultivation.
- We welcome newcomers and introduce you to fellow tenants. The atmosphere is friendly and encouraging and we offer practical help to get you started.
- Any existing plot holders facing difficulties because of illness or disability are also offered help.
- WASHA has embarked on a program of soil improvement to make cultivation easier and plots more productive. The Healthy Living Program has provided grants for purchase of organic compost. We have taken responsibility for its distribution.
- WASHA does not own or run the allotment site. This is the responsibility of Guildford Allotments Society on behalf of Guildford Borough Council.
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Rhubarb Fool & Rhubarb Jelly
May 19th, 2005
Rhubarb Fool
Ingredients:
15 sticks of fresh rhubarb
1 litre packet readymade custard
1 large tub of double cream or extra thick cream
Cut the rhubarb in chunks and wash. Place in covered dish and microwave on hig for 5 minutes until soft. Don’t add extra water. Sweeten to taste and allow to cool.
Mix the cream and custard together and stir into the rhubarb. Allow to settle before serving.
This mix is very creamy. If you want a pronounced rhubarb taste, use less of the cream and custard.
Serves 8
Rhubarb Jelly
Cook the rhubarb as described above and stir in a packet of jelly while hot. Allow to set and serve with custard or cream.
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Green Tomato Pickle
May 19th, 2005
This recipe makes 12/13 lb of pickle so you need good size utensils. It’s a sweet pickle so not suitable for diabetics.
Ingredients
5lb (approx 33) green tomatoes (Grass green – no ripening streaks)
1lb white onions
2 cucumbers or courgettes
1.5 lb beans (any sort)
1 medium cauliflower
2.5 pints vinegar
2 tablespoons syrup
4 ‘good’ cups sugar
1 heaped teaspoon mustard
3 heaped tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons curry powder
half teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tumeric
Cut the vegetables in small pieces. Mix together in a large bowl. Sprinkle a handful of salt over and leave overnight.
Next day strain off the salty liquid and reserve some of it to mix the dry ingredients with.
Bring the vinegar to the boil then add the vegetables.
When properly boiling add the syrup and sugar and boil for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly.
Mix the dry ingredients to a smooth paste with some of the reserved brine off the veg.
Stir this gradually into the vinegar and vegetable mix so that it does not form lumps.
Return to the heat and boil for another 15 minutes.
Bottle the pickle while hot.
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Pumpkin Soup
May 19th, 2005
Ingredients
500g pumpkin
2 onions
1 carrot
3.5 cups chicken/vegetable stock
one quarter teaspoon nutmeg
salt, pepper
Peel pumpkin, onions and carrot; cut into pieces. Put all vegetables in pan. Add stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and simmer until pumpkin is tender. Puree in blender or food processor or rub through sieve.
Can be served chilled or hot. Serve with a spoonful of sour cream and chopped chives. Serves 4.
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Lila’s Luscious Summer Pudding
May 19th, 2005
Ingredients:
Any soft fruit e.g. Tayberries, Blackcurrents, Gooseberries etc.
Bread (Wholemeal or White)
METHOD
Cook the fruit with sugar to taste over a medium heat until the sugar has melted and juices begin to run.
Line a basin with bread, wholemeal or white. Fill in all gaps with wedges of bread cut to size.
Lightly strain the fruit and add to the lined basin.
Return the juice to the saucepan and heat for a few minutes, until reduced to a thicker syrup.
Reserve about half of the juice and add remainder to fruit in the basin.
Cover top with another slice of bread and then place a small plate and a weight on top and leave in the fridge overnight.
Turn pudding out to serve.
Use the reserve juice to colour any unstained bread or use as a pour over sauce.
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Bev’s Best Carrot Cake
May 19th, 2005
CAKE Ingredients
175ml corn oil (6 fl oz)
150g castor sugar (6 oz)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla flavouring
100g walnut pieces (4 oz)
250g carrots (8 oz)
150g plain flour (6 oz)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
FROSTING Ingredients
1 tub full-fat cream cheese
50g butter (2 oz)
100g icing sugar (4 oz)
12 walnut halves
METHOD (CAKE)
Prepare a moderate oven 180 degrees or Gas 4
Grease a 22cm (8.5 inch) round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
Place corn oil, sugar,eggs and vanilla in a bowl and beat well.
Roughly chop walnut pieces, washa and peel carrots; grate coarsely.
Add to corn oil mixture with flour, bicarb, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Pour mixture into prepared tin.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. test by pressing cake with fingers. It should
spring back and have begun to shrink from sides of tin.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes then turn out onto rack.
METHOD (FROSTING)
Place cream cheese, butter and vanilla in bowl. Sift in icing sugar and beat
till smooth.
Chop 3 walmut halves and place in centre then arrange others around edge.
VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
If you have a food processor you can put all ingredients in together and almost liquidise. (Depends how chunky you like the nuts to be). Don’t be put off by runny consistency – it cooks like a dream. If you use a ring cake tin you need only cook for 45 minutes. Any kind of nuts can be used – cashews are great! Don’t over beat the frosting. If you do, or if you use low fat cream cheese, it will go all runny on you and may have to be set with gelatine. Thinly sliced dried apricots in the decoration advertise it’s a carrot cake and give it a tang. I also split the cake and fill the middle with frosting.
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