Tag: BALGA members’ shop

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Compost Sunday and Potato Weekend 2022

Compost Sunday and Potato Weekend 2022 were very successful events. We received nearly £170 on both days on Potato Weekend. Thank you to the members who supported us by buying compost or potatoes.

We had over 30 members take advantage of our pre-order service.  We hoped that it saved you time because you didn’t need to wait for your potatoes to be packed. Thank you to all those members who made an order through the pre-ordering system. If you’d like to make an order, please click here.  The potatoes are selling out fast, and it’s better to get your favourite varieties sooner rather than later because we have already sold out of Charlotte.  A good alternative salad crop would be Nadine, which is currently in stock.

Just to let you know, the red onion sets have now arrived, but the white onion sets should be delivered in a couple of weeks. So we will keep you updated.

 

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Potato Weekend 2022

Unfortunately, the supplier cannot deliver the seed potatoes until Wednesday, 16 February. Therefore, Potato Weekend will be postponed to Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 February. If you have already pre-ordered potatoes for collection on Saturday 12  or Sunday 13 February, we will assume you’re happy to collect on the same day one week later. If the date is not suitable, please email Stewart (tradesec@balga-online.co.uk).Please note the BALGA Members’ Shop will be closed on Saturday 12 and 13 February, but the shop will re-open for Potato Weekend on Saturday 19 and 20 February.

Click here to see more about ordering potatoes.

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Compost Sunday 2022

Compost Sunday will be on 30 January 2022 from 10 am to 12 pm at the BALGA Members’ Shop. You will see below, we have a selection of different types of compost including peat-free compost. If you need any large bags (20-25kg) of fertiliser (particularly chicken manure), please can you contact Stuart (tradesec@balga-online.co.uk). This will allow us to order in plenty of time.

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Baldock Ecofest 2021

On Saturday 30 October BALGA had a stand to talk to attendees of Ecofest about growing your own food. Our stand was on Baldock High Street and it was nice to speak to some of you. A few people came from the waiting list wishing to speak to the committee.

We have a waiting list of over 50 people, but we did talk to the public about the benefits of being a member. There are many benefits to becoming a member of BALGA. For example, you’re able to use Members’ Shop which is open every Sunday until the end of November. You can take advantage of buying seeds from our Kings’ Seeds catalogue at considerably lower prices. You also receive bi-monthly newsletters and allotment magazines. Visit the Shop this Sunday (until the end of November) to find out more.

We would like to say thank you to Christine at Ecofest for allowing us to have a stand. Also, thank you to all of our volunteers who represented BALGA.

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Compost Sunday 2021

We would usually start the season with Compost Sunday at the BALGA Members’ Shop. However, due to COVID-19, we are offering a delivery service for BALGA members on our latest compost that has just arrived (please see below).

We are in a limited supply of Humax Multipurpose 60l because they are reformulating it to create a peat-free compost. If this is one of your favourite types of compost to use, then we recommend you make an order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. However, Gro-well Multipurpose 60l at £5.00 makes a good alternative because it’s similar in quality.

  1. Select the type(s) of compost 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.
  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.

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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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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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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Peat Free Compost

We all know that global warming is widely reported to be a growing threat to our planted, with several contributing causes identified. Amongst these is our continued use of peat as a growing medium in our horticulture, with the result that we are all being urged to use less of it or indeed eliminate its use altogether, with some institutions already doing so from next year.

BALGA now stocks two recommended types of peat free compost, the quality of which has improved considerably. Typically peat free is made from a combination of constituents in varying proportions-primarily composted green material, composted bark and wood chips and coir (the latter a bi product from coir) and loam, to which appropriate nutrients and PH control are added. Some use other alternative materials.

Of the two we stock, one is out suppliers Gro-well’s own brand, produced for them by Levingtons, and contains just bark, wood chips and coir composted and graded to a fine tilth that can be used for seed sowing. It has received good reports and costs £6.00 for a 60l bag. The other, under well known Clover brand, also contains some green material making it a little courser, but still popular and costs £4.00 for 40l. At 10p per litre for either, the cost is 20% to 25% more than peat based equivalents. So you have the choice peat based or peat free.

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Compost Sunday 2020

Our traditional shop opener of the year, Compost Sunday will be held this Sunday, 2 February, at the members’ shop in Football Close.
Come along from 10am – 12pm to get your compost for the season at considerably lower prices than garden centres.

Below is a full list of what is available.

Following on from the AGM and as a result of more demand for peat-free compost, we will be stocking new two varieties of peat-free compost this year.  One from Clover which contains green compost (40l for £4.00) and the other from Gro-well which contains bark, wood, fibre & coir (60l for £6.30). We also have a few bags left of Growise peat-free multipurpose compost which is  on sale for just £2.50.

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