News

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Christmas Potatoes

I know it’s a little too early to think about Christmas but if you fancy serving new potatoes up with your Christmas dinner, now is a good time to plant seed potatoes. There is no need to chit the seed potatoes because they will grow rapidly in the warm soil. They will be ready from September/October but you can leave them in the ground until Christmas Day. Make sure you earth up in October after the first frosts to protect them from any further hard frosts. I tried it for the last couple of years with great success and I know Mick (Chairman) does it each year. It’s a great way to enjoy fresh potatoes on Christmas Day!

Saxon is a good variety to try for a second cropping because it produces uniform long oval-shaped potatoes with a good yield. Saxon is somewhat floury potato and is excellent for baking and chipping.  ‘Winston’ is another variety that is good for a second cropping because it’s quick to grow and is excellent for roasting and mashing. Perfect for Christmas Day!

Seed potatoes are currently half price at £0.50 per kg. You may have pulled up onions and garlic and this a great way to fill the empty space. So why not come to the members’ shop this Sunday (10am-11am) to take advantage of the half price seed potatoes? Alternatively, you can make a click and collect order, click here to find out more information.

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Watering your Plot

Who would have thought after such a wet winter that we would now be so desperate for rain? Watering helps to keep our plants alive but not necessarily to thrive as they would with decent rains. Water use on both sites has obviously increased considerably but I remind of you on some steps that can help ‘stem the flow’.

  • Ideally water early morning or late evening
  • Concentrate on crops that really need water – those newly sown or planted and top up when needed.
  • Mulch around plants to help prevent evaporation
  • Dig a hole a spade’s width and depth, fill with manure or other organic matter, place a little soil on top and water well before planting out tomatoes, courgettes etc., similarly a trench for beans etc., leaving a shallow depression around plants to keep the water where it is needed.
  • Overwatering can be counterproductive. Plants can become lazy spreading their roots near the surface where watering supplies them rather down to find moisture to make a stronger root system and plant.
  • When watering is necessary, better to give a soaking once a week rather than a dribble each day.

Mick (Chairman)

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Shop re-stocked June 2020

Since starting the delivery service and then the click and collect service, we have had many orders and it has been a successful couple of months trading. Last week, our shop was starting to look quite empty with most products selling out.

Before Delivery June 2020
After Delivery June 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, as you can see from the pictures above, we have had a delivery from our supplier and our shop is now fully stocked! This is great news as compost is selling out of shops quite fast and our products are considerably cheaper than garden centre prices!

Click here if you are a member and you’d like to make an order.

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Availability of Potatoes and Onion Sets May 2020

After a very successful delivery service, we only have a limited amount of seed potatoes left in stock with many varieties having already sold out. If you do not have any seed potatoes planted yet, there is still time to order some seed potatoes from the Members’ Shop.

Why not try a different potato variety this year? We have a main crop variety called ‘Markies’ which is perfect for chipping, but it has an advantage over Maris Piper because it has better blight and disease resistance. Another good variety to try is second early ‘Saxon’ as it has uniform long oval-shaped potatoes that produce a good yield. Saxon is somewhat floury potato and is excellent for baking and chipping and has good resistance to drought and after cooking discolouration.

As you can see from the table, varieties are selling out, so why not do an online order to receive your potatoes? Click here to read the details on how to make an online order.

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BALGA Click and Collect Service May 2020

On Monday, the government announced that as of Wednesday 13 May, garden centres would be permitted to open.  To keep our members as safe as possible, we have decided to operate a click and collect service. Once you have made an order, you will be given an allocated time slot to collect your items from the shop between 10am-12pm on Sundays. Note you need to be a BALGA member to take advantage of the service.

If you would like to purchase items, please follow this process:

  1. Select the products you wish to purchase

Or click here for our price list on the shop page

  1. Email tradesec@balga-online.co.uk with the items and quantity you wish to purchase together with your name and telephone number.
  2. We will confirm your order with the total amount due, a collection time and our bank account details so you can pay for your items online. Alternatively, you can pay with the exact money using cash or cheque when you arrive at the shop.
  3. When you arrive at your designated time slot, your order will be ready for you to collect.

To keep everyone safe, please observe a social distance. If your potatoes have been affected by the frost and you wish to purchase more then we have some varieties available. Click here to see the available potatoes and onion sets.

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Successful Delivery Service April 2020

As members will be aware we trialled a delivery service in April after having to close the members’ shop as a result of government advice during the coronavirus pandemic. We are very pleased with how successful it has been. Over the last two weeks, we have had more than 60 orders worth over £1300! This astounding amount of money will benefit our association.

Members who took advantage of the delivery service were very appreciative because they were finding it difficult to source particular items at the start of this year’s growing season. We would like to thank all of the members who made an order and supported us and complied with social distancing guidance.

It’s not too late to order items from the BALGA members’ shop, but you need to be a member. Click here to read how to place an order. Please note we have sold out of the following items:

  • ALL compost except Humax and Levington M3
  • Fish blood and bone
  • 20kg bags Coarse horticultural grit

We would like to thank Stewart (Trading Secretary) for processing and delivering all the items and Janet (Treasurer) for managing the payments.

If you have any feedback or comments about the delivery service, please email tradesec@balga-online.co.uk.

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Delivery Service

Following on from the Prime Minister’s announcement on 23 March and continued government advice, the members’ shop has been temporarily closed. However as there have been several requests from members about how they may obtain items from the shop while it is closed during the current lockdown, we are now offering a delivery service to members. Note you need to be a BALGA member to take advantage of the service.

If you’re a member and would like to purchase items, please follow this process:

  1. Select the products you wish to purchase
  2. Click here to Email tradesec@balga-online.co.uk with the items and quantity you wish to purchase together with your name, address and telephone number. Make sure you order by 8pm Friday for a Sunday delivery.
  3. We will confirm your order with the total amount due and give you our bank account details so you can pay for your items
  4. Once your payment has been received, we will give you an approximate delivery time. Note we will only be delivering on Sunday mornings for now.

Deliveries can only be made to addresses in Baldock.  For members living outside Baldock, arrangements should be made with Stewart (the Trading Secretary) for convenient delivery to the member’s allotment plot or to one of our allotment site gates for Associate Members (non plot holders).

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Daffodils at North Road Allotment Site

In December, we told you that we took the few remaining daffodils bulbs left unsold at the members’ shop and planted them around the notice board and in the raised beds at our North Road Site.

They have flowered and they have certainly brightened the site up.  Have a look at some of the pictures below.

If you have daffodils on your allotment or garden, please allow them to grow until they die back. This is allows them to store energy and nutrients back into the bulb for next year’s flower. Once they have finished flowering, you can remove the flowering stem from the base to avoid diseases.

 

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