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December 2009
15th December: As many of you will know we had a serious attack of vandalism & break-ins on the allotment site. Thankfully not much appears to have been taken, the main problem being damage to sheds and to fences - whoever did it wasn't subtle on entering and leaving plots. If you have not taken this advice already, the message is do not leave anything valuable in your shed, and even consider leaving it unlocked - that way the shed does not get damaged if someone wants to have a nose inside. The committee will be meeting with the police in the first week in January to discuss what actions can be taken. In the meantime if you have suffered damage, please do report it to the police - they will only be spurred into action if lots of people ring in, and tell them that there is a problem. The number to ring is: 0345 456 4564.
1st December: IMPORTANT: We have been informed that someone has dumped old tyres on the allotment site. Clearly this needs to be nipped in the bud, as we do not want the site to become a tip. If you inherit a plot which has old tyres, please inform the council when you take over the plot, as they should clear the plot of any rubbish before taking your deposit. If you see anyone dumping tyres or any other rubbish on the allotment site then please let the council know ASAP. Failing that, please let a member of the committee know.
November 2009
Short days and low temperatures are with us. Order new fruit trees now for autumn planting - bare root trees will normally be lifted by the nurseries in mid to late November when the trees have experienced enough cold to become dormant.
A new page has been created on the web site giving information on the Association, like minutes of meetings, and other important documents you may have mislaid, like allotment tenancy agreements. You will also see what the committee are doing on your behalf and the sort of things they are raising with the Town Council. You will find these currently on the 'Forum' page.
Following the AGM in October, a new committee has been voted in, and their details can also be found on the Forum page. Finally, at the AGM, a membership subscription was agreed, so we will be chasing everyone to pay these before the end of the year.
October 2009
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY - Wednesday 14th October 7pm - Annual General Meeting. All posts on the committee are currently open for election. Please come along if you are interested in improving the Association and the facilities of the allotment site in general. The venue is in the dining room of St Ivo School, High Leys. All plot holders will have received (by post) a map with directions printed on the back of the agenda. Please bring along any ideas for site improvements, fund raising, social events etc.
September 2009
September was notable mainly for its lack of rain ! You will have seen the new plots being marked out along the bottom of the allotment site. The council also report that they have negotiated rental of land from HDC on the adjoining field , and more plots will be opened up there to accomodate the large number of people currently on the waiting list.
August 2009
15th August - the HRAA committee are working on a draft constitution for the Association, and are planning for an AGM in October at which this will be discussed/ratified. Please contact Richard (see contact details on 'diary dates' page), and he will forward details on if you are interested.
Wet weather again in August ! Tomatoes and potatoes are suffering from blight on most plots. If you have blight on outdoor tomatoes, you may still be able to save the plants or at least keep them going for a bit longer, by removing and composting any infected leaves. Slugs have increased rapidly as well in the last couple of weeks so watch potatoes and root veg like celeriac in particular. However, plums have been very good, and it looks as though it is going to be a good year for apples assuming you beat the codling moths !
July 2009
Lots of action during July with council putting in a the new hard standing for winter car-parking, and also laying in extra water mains for the new plots which will be opened up at the bottom of the site, to meet the demand created by the large waiting list for new allotments. Note that some water butts stopped running because blue plastic filings from the 'plumbing' at the bottom of the site has washed up into the exisiting water supply system. If your water butt stops filling, please contact the town council and the groundsmen should come and clean out the pipes.
Congratulations - The Bottoms heard that they have picked up a Silver Gilt award in the Anglia in bloom competition, and also the highest score for the category. The allotments were judged back on the June 22nd. The presentation ceremony is at the Norris Museum on Friday 10th July at 10am. All winners will be presented with certificates and prizes by the Town Mayor. Well done !
5th July - Warning, there appears to be a second generation of codling moths now, with a lot of moths being caught in the pheremone traps. This suggests checking your apples, and if you are not organic, spraying for the pest which can ruin your apple crop. Use pesticides safely.
Skip - the Town Council have informed us that they are having a skip delivered for rubbish, which will be provided onsite between Friday 10 July and Friday 17 July inclusive. Please note that if you find asbestos on your plot (not uncommon) this should not got in the skip, but needs to be dealt with separately. Let the town clerk know if you find asbestos.
June 2009
8th June - Just noticed this weekend - a large number of apples are infested with Codling moth. The warm weather recently has moved everything on, and this insect seems to have been established for a couple of weeks before the time we are normally advised to check for it. Very noticeable is the brown sticky 'frass' dribbling out of the entry hole, which will contain a maggot heading into the core of the apple. It is too late to save any apples infected, but to reduce further attacks, consider buying sticky/pheremone traps (available from all good gardening suppliers). Also recommended is wrapping card traps around the major branches and trunk to capture the insects when they emerge later in the summer (then remove and destroy before the winter).
May 2009
19th May - Finally some rain. Everything is moving on quickly now, especially the weeds, and birds are nesting. Please remember that it is an offence to cut down trees and hedges where wild birds are nesting.
7th May - A small group of HRAA members recently had a liaison meeting with representatives of the town council's amenties committee. This was a generally constructive meeting, although there is some ongoing discussion regarding the placement of a fence which will run along the south side of the allotment site, and will prevent pedestrian access from the bridges over the ditch and into the allotments. If you are a pedestrian or cyclist then you may wish to lobby the council when the fence does appear, but in the meantime rest assured, we are making the case for pedestrian access. The water supply is also being redirected as part of the cemetery extension works, but we are assured that this will not affect the current water supply. As part of the general improvements, the contractors working on the cemetery extension are going to put in a parking area near the bottom south-west entrance, where cars enter from Hill Rise. The plan will be to restrict vehicular access to this parking area during the winter months. The issue of pests (rats, rabbits, pheasants, pigeons etc) was also raised at the meeting. Noting the problems of dealing with rabbits experienced by other councils (e.g. in Hinchingbrooke Park) it was acknowledged that it is difficult for the council to eradicate all pests, and it was felt on balance that the priority must be for allotment holders to take every care to protect plots themselves, and to protect areas under sheds and compost bins, to stop rats and rabbits nesting. If you wish to find out more about the liaison meetings, or wish to get involved with HRAA then please contact Allan Lewis - see details on 'contact' page.
April 2009
18th April - Odd weather for the start of April - we could do with a few more April showers and a bit warmer weather, but can't have everything. Early potatoes are now emerging, and most early sown seeds are up. Asparagus is also up and seems to be earlier than in the last couple of years - the cold snap in February/March may have broken its dormancy faster than in the recent mild winters.
If you have not had an email on the subject of a membership/discount card, please contact Allan Lewis (see 'Contact' page) for details of the scheme. We have been offered 10% discount on purchases from Huntingdon Garden and Leisure, on presentation of a HRAA membership card. There is a nominal charge of £1.00 for the card (the cards are all printed and ready for collection).
There was an interesting article in the Hunts Post (of 15th April), stating that in St Ives we currently have a waiting list of 60 people waiting for one of the 115 plots to become vacant. Apparently the council are looking to provide an extra 20 or 30 plots.
March 2009
The allotment social evening went well and was made quite memorable with some heated debate between the organic/non-organic lobby. If you require a copy of Selwyn's crop nutrition notes then email Richard (see link on 'Diary dates' page).
Reminder - 13th March, 7.30pm in the Free Church (upstairs), there is an allotment social evening with guest speaker talking about Soils and Compost. Please note that there will be a small charge (£2.00 per person) to cover the cost of hiring the hall.
February 2009
8th February - if you are interested in birds and feel like a walk, head across the dog-walking field from the top of the allotments, to the wood called 'Top plantation' - there is a flock of around 25 thrushes, mainly Redwings but also a couple of Fieldfares there at the moment. They occasionally fly over the allotments, but they gather at the top of the park, roosting in the wood, and feeding on any grassy bits of the park which aren't covered by snow.
5th February - Next allotment social evening confirmed - Friday 13th March , 7.30pm in the Free Church - speaker confirmed to talk about Soils and Compost. Once again, there will be a small charge per person to cover the cost of hiring the hall. For further details, check on the 'diary dates' page.
Of course, the news this week is is all about snow !
Here are a few wintry images - frozen chicken (!), icy water butts, an artichoke in the snow, and a general view of the site:
  
January 2009
18th January - Here's a photo of a fresh batch of mulch being added to the communal hedge on a bracing, but sunny day. A load of mulch was delivered by the council to the top end of the track this week, and when the hedge is covered, that will be free to take for allotment holders along the top row. A few people are reporting rat activity, so be aware and check your compost bins. Remember they will be looking for somewhere warm to nest during this cold snap.
Quite a few of us managed to get up over Christmas/New Year and do some digging, despite the short days. Helpfully, the recent hard frosts are breaking the clay down nicely. The daylength is now increasing, and you can hear Great tits calling now, particularly near the bottom of the allotment site. Spring must be on its way...
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