Over the last three years we have been delighted by the support we have had from everyone at Craigentinny Allotments. Turning up to the meetings, come rain or shine and helping at our community work days. Thanks too for all the tea and home baking that facilitated the discussions. We feel that it is time to hand over the reigns to someone else, so if you think that you would like to run the meetings, take the minutes or update the website then please let us know. We are sure you will enjoy it as much as we have done.
John and Monica McKinlay
Author: John
Categories
Minutes for 5th March
5th March, 2011
Meeting Minutes
Present: John and Monica, Ernie and Joan, Norma, Rod
Welcome to Alex and Louise Renton (new plot holders) and Barbara Seel (guest from Leith Links).
1. Permission given for FEDAGA committee to meet in our clubhouse for their 7th June meeting.
2. Inverleith shop is now open, Sundays, 2-3.30. Good bargains e.g 2k lime @45p and 1k BF&B @ 55p.
3. Allotment training available – see FEDAGA website. Also on website you can add you e-mail address to be alerted to deals and bargains e.g straw bales and water butts.
4. Bins will resume next week (w/c 7th March).
5. Pond in need of some remedial work and landscaping. Ernie and Joan will organise.
6. Concern was express over the state of the toilet roof. John has been in touch with Ian Woolard who will deal with this. The shed roof may also need maintained.
6. As mentioned at the end of last year, John and Monica will continue to be site reps but will no longer organise or minute the meetings or manage the website. We have always been greatly encouraged by the support given by everyone but feel that after three years we have done our bit. Consequently, we will no longer be doing these jobs but will of course continue to support anyone who takes them forward. To summarise, John will be site rep, Katie is treasurer and anyone else who wants to do any of the other jobs should be in touch.
Categories
5th March- First Meeting
We will be having our first meeting of the year in March, first Saturday of the month, at 11 o’clock, in the clubhouse as usual.
All welcome!
Categories
August BBQ
We have all enjoyed the site BBQs so much that we have decided to have another on the 15th of August. It is a Sunday this time so hopefully more of you will be able to come along and join in the fun.
John and Monica will set up the BBQs for everyone’s use so all you need to do is bring your own food and drink.
We usually start to get ready about twelve while work on the community plot is going on. This time we have big plans to set up some decking and when that is done we will get the food on! Usually an hour or so is as much as we can cope with so food will be about two o’clock.
If you have a battery operated screw driver please bring it along as that would be a big help with the project, thanks.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Categories
July Minutes
MINUTES – July 2010
Present; John and Monica McKinlay, Rod, , George, John Roberts, Joan, Norma and Helen.
Apologies: Tom Cashman, Katie Ferguson, John Maule
- It was agreed that the date of the next BBQ would be Sunday, 15th August and would be on the same basis as before.
- John has agreed to be in touch with Ian Woolard on all outstanding issues including the lock for the shed. He will also find out if he can supply us with any more compost bins.
- There was a discussion on the toxic manure and information is available from the noticeboard, the clubhouse, FEDAGA website and our own website for those affected.
- We are arranging a pick up of any remaining unused bags, please let us know how many bags you have to be returned.
- A reminder that there are two Site competitions this year. A children’s tallest Sun Flower, seeds from Monica and anyone’s best picture taken within the precincts of our site. Fruit, flower, weed, sun rise/set or anything that makes an interesting picture. This should provide some nice pictures for our web site.
- …and finally, a reminder that I am trying to put together an entry for the September flower show on behalf of the whole site. The theme would be Costa Craigentinny so I would be looking for exotic looking vegetables. Anyone interested give me a shout.
Next meeting will be at the BBQ!!!
Unfortunately it appears that several plot holders have had crops affected by what looks to be contamination of manure by herbicide. This can affect both the foliage and crop- particularly of potatoes, tomatoes, beans and peas. The leaves may appear “cupped” or fern like and shrivelled.
Our main manure supplier does not use herbicides but does buy in hay etc from other sources who may have used them (or had an adjoining neighbour use them). The herbicides were banned by the Government but unfortunately are now permitted again.
Current advice is to not use the crops (which may be stunted or deformed in any case). The beds affected may be safe to use again next season, the recommended length of time differs between sources.
You can carry out a simple test by potting up a tomato seedling or young plant in a mixture of compost and well shredded manure. If the foliage becomes affected then your manure should not be used, but left to rot down.
There is a lot of information on the subject on the Internet; type in “manure contamination” or “aminopyralid” as keywords. There is little that can be done unfortunately; it appears to be a widespread problem across the country – the Government should not have allowed the use of these herbicides which are now affecting the food chain.
- A real who-dung-it as keen gardeners kick up a stink (Scotsman)
- Aminopyralid Herbicide Residue in Manure Killing Crops (Allotment.or.uk)
- What to do if you have Aminopyralid Contaminated Manure (Allotment.or.uk)
- Aminopyralid (Wikipedia)
If you do a test, as above, please can you let us know of the outcome so that we can establish the extent of the problem.
The Council has been notified.
Incidentally, there is another crop disease called “Leaf curl virus” which affects potatoes and tomatoes, is a virus spread by aphids, and can look fairly similar (leaves curl upwards becoming hard and brittle). You can find illustrations of both problems on the Internet, to compare.
Categories
Wanted: Your Photos
If you have any photos from the allotment (or anything connected) you can add them to our Flickr Group:
Simply create a Flickr account (it’s free), upload your images then add them to the Group – the latest images will automatically appear in the right column of the website.
Categories
Organic Gardening Course
Are you interested in growing your own fruit and vegetables?
Not sure where to begin?
This 8 week introductory course will give you a grounding in all you need to know to get started growing your own food.
Bridgend Allotments Community Health Project will be running its Introduction to Organic Vegetable Gardening course on Thursday evenings from 6.30 – 8.30pm for eight consecutive weeks beginning on May 13th. There are still a few spaces left on this course, so if you are interested, please get in contact quickly to reserve a place. The course costs £50 or £25 if you are unwaged.
For further information please call:
0131 664 9559 or 07789 650878
or e-mail: robert.ford@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Bridgend Allotments Community Health Project Open Day is on Saturday May 22nd from 11am – 4pm
- Come and get to know Scotland’s first organic allotment site
- Various fruit, vegetable and ornamental plants for sale or exchange
- Bring your own plants and swap them
- Refreshments available
- Music, crafts and activities for all ages
- Entrance FREE — all welcome
We are at -41 Old Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh EH16 4TE (Lothian Buses 21, 24, 33, 38, 49)
For further information please call 0131 664 9559
We look forward to seeing you.
Bring any spare seeds, seedlings or plants to the swap. Even if you don’t have anything to bring just now come along anyway, there are usually plenty to go around, and you can always donate something another time. This was our first swop.