Think You Can Rest? Think Again!

I suspect your current focus is on Christmas and I do hope Santa and his troupe of busy elves meet your requests.  

But I want to look further ahead.   New Year cometh and it can be cold and gloomy indoors as well as out, especially  if like us you are trying to do your bit for the climate and keep the heating bills down. But all the same, there are many things you can do to prepare the garden for the coming year and avoid the unseemly rush to do things as the weather improves.   

So, here is a rallying call to get on and do what you can in the next couple of months to prepare for Spring – a time of expectation and hope for good things to come:

  • Take Stock    Look back at what succeeded or failed in the last year and adjust your approach.  The effects of climate warming are with us.  Now is an ideal time  to think about what has changed, and what plants can do better in the increasingly turbulent weather that seems to be our lot.
  • Act    Make the changes you think necessary.     In particular, prepare beds for planting and sowing when the weather allows.
  • Order What You Need   If you have not already done so, order seeds and any shrubs or trees you need.    It is usually cheaper to order shrubs and trees bare rooted so that they can establish well.  If they arrive before you are ready, or the weather is too bad, heel them in on a spare spot and plant them later.  It is important not to let the bare roots dry out.
  • Do Your Winter Clean    I know – who likes cleaning?    Pests and diseases can persist in greenhouses, pots and containers and on your tools.   Give them a good clean it will help to combat future problems.
  • Divide herbaceous perennials       Probably best to do this as the weather warms, or in a mild spell.   My view is that plants are pretty tough, so do it when you can.
  • Prune shrubs and fruit trees    I usually wait too long to do this, and it gets overtaken by spring tasks so, do it in any mild spell.    Cut down autumn fruiting raspberries.  Do a general tidy up.

Happy Gardening!

Busy Times in the Autumn Garden

Autumn is upon us, and we can but hope for some more of those dry sunny days to make up for some of those bleaker August moments.  Autumn for gardeners is as busy as it gets, I find. In the garden and on the allotment, there is still harvesting to do, saving seeds, pruning, tidying and soil maintenance including mulching borders.

So, looking forward – many people start their broad beans, peas, onions and garlic at his time of year to get a head start. I have been told that turnips grow well and will produce tasty small vegetables in as little as six weeks. I wish I’d had space to try a row this autumn. To that end I am planning to install some raised beds to fit in more crops in the garden next year. I was greatly inspired by the MUWAGA visit to Gerald Stratford’s garden in July this year. Not many houses have a large garden nowadays and people must prioritise.  Much can be learned from Gerald’s creative use of space.

Some Simple Ideas

It is time also to plant bare root trees, hedges and spring bulbs and do jobs like divide rhubarb. Perhaps also a gentle reminder to take up dahlias after the first frost, cut back, drain, label and wrap in newspaper and keep in a frost-free place. How about a colourful winter garden? Tips on plants to establish one were offered in last season’s November MUWAGA talk. ( see Winter into Spring planting )

To Light a Fire ….

And so also, it’s time to do all those other tidying-up jobs – especially those leaves! Traditionally of course, people would not hesitate to rake them up into a pile and set fire to the lot along with other garden detritus. These days, we are all encouraged to be more cautious, and so the leaf-mould composting route beckons.

But, about bonfires, I’m still with ol’ Thomas Hardy with this – probably my favourite autumn aphorism – “To light a fire is the instinctive and resistant act of man when, at the winter ingress, the curfew is sounded throughout Nature…. Black chaos comes, and the fettered gods of the earth say: ‘Let there be Light’.”

Time to Get Ready – Slowly

Christmas and New Year are a distant memory.   If you’re like me you can barely remember the effort it took to smile, even laugh delightedly when another pack of socks or hankies arrived when Santa’s letter specifically asked for a pruning saw.    Put that behind you, it’s time to look forward not back.

Spring is just around the corner and, hopefully, you’re all fired up, but temper your enthusiasm.  Unless the procession of strange seasons continues the soil will still be wet, perhaps frozen (as it is as I write this) and doing anything to prepare the ground is likely to cause damage to the soil structure and make it harder to work later on.    If there are some weeds, I suggest you leave them.   Weeds can make the garden look untidy but they are protecting the soil structure and our small garden residents need hiding places if they are to be ready to do good work as the season warms up.

That does not mean there is nothing to do.    Now is the time when you can get the tools sorted out.  Check the handles, give them a clean and put sharp edges on hoes, shears, secateurs and so on; it will make for lighter work later.     Go on, spoil yourself and give the lawnmower and strimmer a service as well.    I find if I don’t do it now, it doesn’t get done.    

The other, rather more enjoyable task, for me at least, is to look through the packets of seeds and sort them into some sort of sowing order.   It helps me remember to sow them and avoid overlooking the odd one which I then ‘rediscover’ too late to use them.                                                                         

Spring officially starts in March (according to the Met Office).   Like the dates on seed packets just take it as guidance, particularly now with the seasons becoming more variable.   Seed wants to grow, it is the natural order, but in nature it waits until the conditions are favourable and we must do the same.   

Plants that need a long season like tomatoes you may need to sow indoors with some heat so they are ready by the time the weather is warm enough but for the rest my advice is to be patient, wait for the soil to warm up and sow little and often to hedge your bets and, with luck get a succession of crops.

Coming Up

All our talks are held in Milton Village Hall on the 4th Wednesday of the month and we open at 7 with the talk starting at 7:30pm.  A smorgasbord of talks is scheduled.

On February 22nd we have a Vegetable Growing Workshop and Q&A and on March 22nd it’s all about Planting in Containers.   All are welcome and if you are not a MUWAGA member we would love to see you and all we ask is the princely sum of £1.50.     Why not test the water?  I look forward to seeing you there.

Happy gardening!                                         

Old Year, New Year – Things to Do!

With the year coming to a close, it is good to reflect on the ending of the year and the dawning of the new one, like the twin-faced Janus, god of beginnings, gates and transitions! For MUWAGA members, recent months this year have seen stimulating and challenging talks – particularly on the extraordinary range of wildflowers in our region by naturalist and county ecologist Craig Blackwell, and by Henry Astor of Bruern Farms who set out the extraordinary challenges – and success stories – of sustainable farming methods.  Our talks are increasingly well-attended: pleasing to see. Short reviews of these and previous talks are published here on our website.

Meantime, our long autumn will likely impact our December activities. We usually use this month to clean and pack up tools, de-commission the mower for its winter hibernation, and sit down indoors to get on with next year’s gardening plans. But this year unless we have a sudden cold snap, we might have time to work on planting or re-planting shrubs and roses, checking perennials for rotting leaves and perhaps even watering rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias in dry spells. And certainly, this is the time to protect any outdoor pots with fleece or sacking, and to plant up, ready for January cheer, flowering pots of small bulbs such as ferns, ivy, primulas, or cyclamen.

And what of January? Time again for new year resolutions? For me, one thing I have decided on is to experiment with green manures. This decision was partly prompted by the news from our regular muck-supplier Pete. He told us that though his wife’s horses had produced the goods, the long hot summer has meant that the rotting process has hardly begun!

 So, to plant green manure is a little late now as a new year resolution, but my September scattering of an overwinter mix on our garden plot as well as a small area on our allotment is at least emblematic of the transition from autumn to spring. There are many green manures for different soils and purposes. Many, but not all of them are planted in September/October and are dug in during March or April. But I am attracted by the main idea to build and fix nitrogen in the soil and improve soil quality without artificial fertilisers. Here is an article on the subject.

The MUWAGA website also has an update on the general availability of allotment space in the Wychwoods, and details of where to apply. For first time allotmenteers, what an ideal new year resolution! Meanwhile members are looking forward to our Cheese and Wine gathering on January 25th in Milton Village Hall – always an enjoyable social event in advance of the second half of our season of evening talks.

Green Manures: Some Choices for Better Soil Management

How to improve the fertility of our soil is a question that we all have to grapple with these days, especially when thinking in terms of sustainable gardening choices.

Harvest of vegetables 2022

One method – probably still quite under-used – is to plant green manures. These crops are grown specifically to be dug back into the soil as soil-improvers. One important point to growing many varieties of green manure is that you can reduce the loss of the key nutrient – nitrogen – in the soil by up to 97 percent, as against simply leaving to soil bare. Our list below shows which varieties can achieve this.

All green manures draw goodness out of the soil and store it in the plant’s cells and root nodules. By digging the plants back in at the optimal time, they then rot down and gradually release those nutrients so that the next crop benefits.

Regular use of green manures will also improve the soil structure. They can break down hard soils and can add organic matter to light soils. Many green manures give good soil cover thus preventing or minimising weed growth. Several types also attract beneficial insects such as bees and hoverflies which prey on pests like aphids.

Here we list several varieties, each geared for various soil conditions. Which one will suit you?

Alfalfa

Deep rooting plants improve the structure of the subsoil. Grows to about 1 metre high and is winter hardy.

Sow: Broadcast April – July
Soil type: Poor, not acid
Dig in: From 2 months – 1 year
Nitrogen fixer – yes


Buckwheat

Deep rooting to break up subsoils and makes a lot of growth to increase humus content. Added benefit of attracting hoverflies which will feed on greenfly in the garden. Dig or rotavate in before frosts for humus improvement. Fast into growth so is good for weed suppressing.

Sow: Broadcast March – August
Soil type: Poor
Dig in: 2 – 3 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – no


Phacelia Tanacetefolia

Quick to start up and suppress weeds. Winter for spring digging in. Adds humus content to soil.

Sow: Broadcast March – mid-September
Soil type: All
Dig in: 1 – 3 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – no


White Clover

Dense foliage for under sowing crops to build fertility and nutrients.

Sow: Broadcast February – September
Soil type: Most soils
Dig in: 2 – 3 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – yes


Fenugreek

Grown mainly to increase humus content quick into growth to suppress weeds but slower to flower than mustard


Sow: Broadcast March – August
Soil type: Well drained
Dig in: 2 – 3 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – no


Field Beans

A winter hardy species

Sow: In rows September – November
Soil type: Heavy
Dig in: March – May, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – yes


Grazing Rye

Not to be confused with rye grass. Extensive root system for improving soil structure

Sow: Broadcast August – November
Soil type: All
Dig in: Early spring
Nitrogen fixer – no


Trefoil

Low growing winter hardy plants

Sow: March – August
Soil type: Light, dry. Not acid
Dig in: 3-4 months
Nitrogen fixer – yes


Crimson Clover

Best for sandy soils to add humus. Very attractive to bees if left to flower

Sow: Broadcast March – August
Soil type: Light sandy
Dig in: 2 3 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – yes


Agricultural White Mustard

One of the fastest-growing green manures. It is susceptible to clubroot, so do not use where this might be a problem.


Sow: Broadcast March – mid-September
Soil type: Fertile
Dig in: 1 – 2 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – no


Winter Tares

An annual fast-growing vetch, once established. Winter hardy. For the best weed-suppression, mix with Rye.

Sow: March – May/July – September
Soil type: Heavy, not acid or dry
Dig in: 2 – 3 months, before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – yes

These are two generic ideas from Kings Seeds


Summer Quick Fix Mix

The purpose of this is to build soil nitrogen. A fast-growing annual mix that is best sown into warm soil. It should be broadcast, or shallow drilled at no more than 10 millimetres


Sow: May to July
Soil type: All
Dig in: After 10 weeks
Nitrogen fixer – yes

Overwinter Mix

Growing a nitrogen lifter and fixer is the best way of improving soils over winter. Cereal rye and veg are excellent companions and usually very reliable


Sow: Mid-September to mid-October
Soil type: All
Dig in: April – May before flowering
Nitrogen fixer – yes

Allotments in the Wychwoods: Contact Information

Here is an update on the general availability of allotment space in the Wychwoods, and details of where to apply. For first time allotmenteers, what an ideal new year resolution! Space currently is very limited, but we believe that all enquiries are welcome.

The allotments in Milton are both owned by charities (and not the Parish Council). The lower half down to Littlestock Brook is managed by Milton Welfare Trust and the top half near the cemetery is managed by the Milton Allotment and Recreation Charity. Peter Rawlins is chairman of MWT and Chris Trotman is chairman of MARC. Both allotments have been in operation since 1849.

The Milton Welfare Trust has recently sprayed two plots for Mares Tail and should be available in the Spring.  The Milton Welfare Trust can be contacted (see below) for updates. Meantime, The Milton Allotment and Recruitment Charity currently has a waiting list.

At Shipton, there were perhaps 4 or 5 half-plots available in late October, and so it is well worth asking.

Here are the contact points for enquiries:

For Milton under Wychwood:

Milton Welfare Trust
Julie Hemming
tel 01993 832614
miltonwelfaretrust@hotmail.com
or
Milton Allotments & Recreation Charity
Chris Trotman
tel 01993 830076
marc.in.milton@gmail.com

For Shipton under Wychwood:
Zoe Thornburgh
tel 0781 117 4733
clerk@shiptonunderwychwood.org

For Ascott under Wychwood:
clerk@ascottpc.org.uk

Go wild – you know you want to! (Well a bit…)

With pestilence, war and raging price rises I certainly feel pretty constrained and more than a little worried. We all need a release. When I say go wild, at my age that means having dinner 30 minutes later, so I am not proposing revolution.

What’s more some wildness can do some good to address climate change as every garden can be made a little bit more nature friendly and we need to aim to live life in a more sustainable and less wasteful way. If we all do a little bit, it can add up to a lot; don’t be put off, do what you can. So, let a little wildness in, be a bit less tidy and provide hiding places and food for those beetles and bugs which then support so much other wildlife. No need to go mad, just relax and let nature do the rest.

So, having dealt with climate change, it’s time to get on with things. It’s summer and there’s plenty to do, nature doesn’t take a holiday, even if we do. As well as harvesting the early summer vegetables take a bit of time to think what you may like to sow in succession to keep the crops coming in the autumn. It is not too late. Indeed, for winter crops June is a good time to sow or plant out. Some may end up a bit on the small side but nothing beats your own veg for flavour and satisfaction.

Salads, beetroot, carrots and peas can all do well and extend your culinary summer a bit and you could consider growing new potatoes for Christmas, particularly if you have a greenhouse. David Betterton extolled the benefits of using plug plants to just raise the plants you need and save yourself some work. Typically, I am going the other way and using seeds. Not because it is easier, it is not, and adds quite a bit of faff but it is cheap.

It is my poor results from planting onion sets that has prompted me to try and grow them from seed and I’ll see how it goes. I do not want to put anyone off using plug plants; there are no hard and fast rules – gardening remains more of an art then a science so just do what works for you.

I wonder if things would have been different if Mr Putin had an allotment?

Happy gardening!

Springtime and Some Plugs for MUWAGA?

Spring is here so we expect sunshine and showers, and to be wary of the frosts, even into May. For the most part we have missed the icy ground and snowfall this year. But the winds! In between storms there was plenty of opportunity to be out on the allotment to tidy up from last years’ endeavours. Not least, to finish spreading the manure, pick the last sprouts and leeks of 2021 before the “hungry gap”, and make ready for the first outdoors planting of the season.

In the garden we expect to see blue tits in our nesting-box again this year. Meantime, a bit of judicious Wisteria pruning in the autumn has hopefully reduced the nesting real-estate for annoying pigeons. Last year in the Clematis next to our front door, a thrush was in a trance-like state on her nest, awaiting the hatching moment. We always slipped by quietly, trying to avoid eye contact. Here also, autumn Clematis pruning made sure that nesting sites – desired ones – were undisturbed in springtime.

March activity in the greenhouse (and windowsills too) usually gives us sturdy plants for the April and May soil. Well-established seedlings in plugs or trays can now be sown outdoors into those (hopefully!) well-prepared, warm-enough beds. For us this includes cabbages, brussels, courgettes, chard and lettuce, even early beet. And tomatoes. These latter we like to spread between selected sunny areas outside (from late May) – and in the greenhouse where we have good control over watering, light and warmth. Always nice to see the differences in quality and numbers between the two approaches.

And why plugs? For us it’s a good discipline: in the deep past we were usually too eager to plant direct in the soil in early spring months. Pests and weather-induced failures would be frequent – even when trying to protect from frosts. To use plugs has twin benefits: controlling the seeds to avoid waste and having the joys of seeing those seedlings grow early in the season, protected and nurtured. Cold frames are always useful for gardeners without a greenhouse. Later in the season, direct planting is fine – but we find, never obligatory – except for root crops such as parsnips and carrots.

Meantime, more plugs ….! Our January Cheese and Wine event was sadly cancelled because of Covid misgivings. But with restrictions lifting, we look forward our April 27th talk, and to cheese and wine a’plenty at our rescheduled June 22nd AGM.

On another note, the pandemic has certainly given us all time to reflect. As a result, several committee members plan to move on, and so for 2022 we are actively asking for new volunteers to join the committee, so that MUWAGA continues to flourish.

Finally, we are delighted that our new website is now up and running. As well as showing MUWAGA events updates, this is an exciting new place for members to contribute their own stories, ideas, experiences and advice. Do please get in touch to see how to contribute.

As the man nearly said: “Let us hoe then, you and I”!

Some Advice for Allotment Newbies

Here is an article by Tony Lewis which was published in The Wychwood Magazine in June 2017. It contains some simple words of advice which are perennially relevant, and so worth another look.

Zen and the Art of Being an Allotmenteer

Being a person of little imagination, I thought I would plagiarise one of those iconic titles Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Persig who died this year (2017). It all came to mind when I was at the Milton allotments a few weeks ago and looked at the people around me –there was just this busy but calm ambience.

People have allotments for all sorts of reasons: saving money (although it may be marginal); growing food and knowing what has been used in its production; using it as a green gym; stress busting or just simply getting outside.

Of course, looking after an allotment is a combination of pleasure and hard work. We need the ability to accept that nature in its many forms will try to eat your food before you can get to it, and that the weather will not always oblige in letting your sowings grow and prosper.

Some people do give up, perhaps due to ill health or simply changing priorities. If so, it is a shame, but if you want to give it a go there are ways of making it more manageable:

Take on a half or quarter of a plot


Do not try to cultivate it all in the first year – clear a manageable bit of space and grow your favourite crops there. Simply cut the weeds and grass on the rest to keep it neat. You can always clear a bit more next year.


Ask your neighbouring plot holders for help – they are normally very approachable and happy to give a hand.

As an existing plot holder at the Milton allotments I, and I assume all the plot holders on any site, want to see our neighbouring plots in use and productive rather than hosting a load of rough grasses and weeds. There are plots free at Milton and Shipton, so if it sounds interesting to you why not give it a go? You will find a lot of helpful people pleased to see you there.

Contact the parish council ( miltonparishclerk@gmail.com ) or MUWAGA ( here ) for more information

Happy gardening

Tony Lewis

The Early Gardener

Here are extracts from articles by Tony Lewis which were published in The Wychwood Magazine  . They contain some timely advice and personal observations for gardeners at the start of a new year of planting and planning.

Sort the Seeds: February & March

Those MUWAGA members who order their seeds through the Association know they are on to a good thing as all seeds are half price. Currently we do this through Kings, and I have to say that they provide a very good service. This is very good value as you can easily save more than the annual MUWAGA membership cost in one go.

Whether you got your seeds through the Association or not, now is the time to get them sorted. Get shot of all those old time-expired packets, because while they may germinate, often they don’t do as well, and are weaker; parsnips and parsley are good examples of this.

The other advantage of sorting your seeds is that you can put them in the order you want to sow them so you are less likely to forget to do it. Lastly, if you do have seeds that are in date but you don’t need them, why not bring them along to the MUWAGA talks where we operate a swap table.

Easy Does It

Keeping with the seed theme, I think it is best not to be in too much of a rush to sow. The soil can still be cold so that the seeds sit and sulk and may just rot rather than get going. I tell myself this every year but still feel a very strong urge to get things going as soon as possible, often with mediocre results. A bad case of not listening to my own advice!

However, if you have a greenhouse or heated propagator then it is worth sowing seeds such as those for tomatoes and peppers early so they get a long growing season and then harden them off slowly before putting them in their growing positions once the risk of frost has passed.

Sow, Sow and Sow Again: April – May

I just love this time of year. Even if the weather can still be far from perfect you can say goodbye to winter and hello to the glorious rush of spring growth and it is going to get even better as the month passes. However, there is always a catch. If you have a garden and like us you want to grow vegetables, the weeds are even more pleased with the warmth and grow with enthusiasm.

My reader will know that Linda and I are trying a no-dig approach on the allotments (or at least reduced dig) so I am pondering my approach to keep the weeds under control. Not being the tidiest of allotment holders I always have plenty of weeds (very good for the compost heap) but instead of digging them out I shall have to hoe them and pick them up to compost afterwards – it may work if I can be a bit more organised.

I find sowing seeds a very positive experience with the promise of crops to come. Many seed packets say you can sow in March (even February sometimes) but I have learnt from many previous failures to forget the dates and just watch the weather.

I have often sown in April and the plants usually catch up. You need soil that is not too damp and which has warmed up to about 7 degrees or the seeds may just rot and you have to sow again. The general advice is to sow in batches over a few weeks which gives you a good chance of beating the vagaries of the British spring.

If you are able to start your plants under cover that gives you more options and many tender plants such a tomatoes, peppers and even runner beans, squashes and sweetcorn need to be raised with a bit of protection and then put out once the risk of frost has passed. Tomatoes probably needed to have been sown in March (but you can always buy plants to save the bother) and runner beans and squashes in April to be ready to go outside in late May.

Happy gardening
Tony Lewis