🌿 Member Update

Dear Member,

Interest is really building as we head towards The Hut’s 50th anniversary on April 12th. The treasure hunt and the guess the number of beans in the jar competition kicked off last weekend, along with our weekly membership prize draw. There are currently eleven unclaimed £10 vouchers, with another three to be drawn this weekend.

🌱 Multi‑Sowing in Modules 

Multi‑sowing means sowing more than one seed per cell in a module tray or pot. It’s a great way to grow more plants in less space while using less compost. It works particularly well for peas, beetroot, onions and leeks.

• Fill your modules or pots with compost, sow the seeds, and water.
• As a guide: sow three peas, four beetroot, six onions, and five leeks per cell.
• You can also multi‑sow directly into the ground by making a hole with a dibber and dropping the seeds in.

Seedlings are ready to plant out when they reach 6–8 cm tall, still in their clusters. When mature, you can harvest the whole clump or gently twist out one or two at a time. I tried this with onions a couple of years ago after over‑sowing, and the results were excellent — well worth giving it a go.

🌿 Sow Now

I’ve just sown my spring onions, along with the first radishes and beetroot of the year. Spring onions need a long growing season, but radishes and beetroot benefit from sowing every 2–3 weeks for a continuous supply.

I also sowed a couple of varieties of lettuce in the greenhouse, though the seed was old and hasn’t germinated yet. Many of us have old packets lying around — they’re worth a try, but be prepared to sow fresh seed if needed.

🍅 Plants for Sale

All the sweet peppers, chilli peppers and aubergines for this year have now been sown and are growing well in the greenhouse. The first tomatoes have also been sown and have already germinated, so production is well underway.

These plants will be on sale in The Hut from mid‑April. Further sowings will include cucumbers and melons.

🔍 Keep Checking

If you’re chitting seed potatoes, keep an eye on them to make sure the most eyes are facing upwards — turn them if needed. Also check your onion and shallot sets to ensure nothing is nibbling them. Even better, start them off in pots to encourage root growth before planting out.

🥔 Still Time to Buy

We still have a good range of seed potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic available. If you haven’t bought yours yet — or need a few more — pop into The Hut this weekend. We also have a selection of summer‑flowering bulbs.

🎉 50th Anniversary Competitions

Treasure map: 

Pick five locations on the map of Milton Keynes for £1. There are 23 prizes to be won.

Guess the number of beans in the jar: 

50p per guess for a chance to win a £10 Hut voucher.

All entry fees go directly to Willen Hospice, so please support these when you next visit.

💛 Round It Up for Charity

A big thank‑you to everyone who has been rounding up their purchases to the nearest pound. Your donations are already making a difference.

📅 Heads Up: Anniversary Opening

On Sunday 12th April, our 50th anniversary, The Hut will be open from 10am to 2pm. Please add the date to your diary. Alongside some very special offers, we are expecting the Mayor to attend, and we will be presenting Willen Hospice with the funds raised so far. It would be wonderful to see members joining in the celebrations.

🌾 March Offer Extended

The 10% discount on all WHGAA bagged fertiliser has been extended through March. This includes 2.5kg, 5kg and 25kg bags.

Happy Gardening

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary

Dear Member,

We all like growing carrots, leeks and onions but I have suffered with pests and diseases that have affected my crop. My onions and leeks have been ruined with the allium leaf miner and the carrots with the carrot rust fly. It’s a challenge but below are some solutions to help reduce the problems.

Onions and leeks: 

The allium leaf miner is a significant threat that arrived in the UK in 2002. Small white maggots feed within the leaves, leading to yellowing, distortion, and rotting. They are active in spring (March–May) and autumn (August–November). By covering with fleece or a fine insect netting you can prevent or at least reduce the problem. Do not plant alliums in the same spot for 2–3 years to avoid emerging pests.

Carrots: 

Carrot Rust Fly is my biggest issue. Small black flies lay eggs near the soil surface. Cream-coloured larvae (maggots) tunnel into the roots, causing rust-coloured, stunted, and deformed carrots. By using a fine insect-proof mesh immediately after sowing will help to prevent adult flies from reaching the soil

Insect netting costs £3.90 per metre whilst Fleece is much cheaper at 40p per metre and is well worth it to protect your crop.

We have added a few NEW products to the shelves this week and I list them below.

Westland Houseplant Bug Control Spray: 

This is designed to effectively tackle a broad range of common indoor plant pests, including aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects and psyllids. Its fast-acting formula quickly gets to work, helping to stop infestations before they spread and cause lasting damage. 500ml for £4.50

Westland Pure Green Lawn Seed: 

Westland PureGreen Lawn Seed is a unique blend of premium grass varieties to deliver a dense, deep green lawn all year round. Price £10.50 for a box.

Westland Rose Specialist Planting Mix: 

Westland Rose Specialist Planting Mix is a premium, peat free blend expertly formulated to give roses exactly what they need to thrive. 10L bag for £3.55

And back in stock we have:

Westland Big Tom Super Tomato Food: 

Big Tom Super Tomato Food now gives you 3 x more, bigger, healthier as well as tastier tomatoes, all season long. 1L size (plus25%) is £4.35 and the 2L size is £6.60

Growmoor Salad and Vegetables Compost with Added John Innes: 

packed with Better Growing’s premium mix of environmentally friendly compost with added John Innes that produce fantastic results. Very popular last year. £6.75 for 50Ltr bag or £19.25 for three bags.

Grow bags: 

These are also back in stock. £4.40 for 35L bag or £12.55 for three bags.

50^th Anniversary: 

Have you bought your tote bag yet? They are just the right size to carry a few tools in when you visit the allotment, but the best thing is that we will donate £1 to the Willen Hospice for every one bought. 

Round it up for charity: 

Don’t forget to donate your change to the Willen Hospice each time you make a purchase at The Hut. 

Competitions: 

We have two competitions starting this weekend. Firstly, guess the number of beans in the jar. Entry fee is 50p a guess with a £10 prize for the nearest guess. The second is a treasure map of Milton Keynes. Simply select a location and cross your fingers. 25p a go or 5 for £1. We are giving away several prizes including bags of compost, seeds and other items. ALL entry fees will be donated to the Willen Hospice.

So please give this your full support.

The 10% offer on WHGAA bagged fertilisers will continue through March.

We have reduced the price of all 2.5Kg and 5Kg bags of fertilisers as well as the 25Kg bags.

If you do not want to receive this weekly email, then you need to let me know by emailing me using: whgaa2801@gmail.com.

Happy Gardening

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary

In February you can start preparing your beds for an early sowing. You can warm up the soil by using polythene sheeting or cloches, doing this will mean that you could sow seed earlier. Your seed potatoes should be chitting now, but they will need checking as you may find that the shoots are growing better on the end that you put downwards. Also keep checking the onion and shallot sets if you put them in the garage (or shed) in case the mice have found them. 

Whilst we stock a range of fertilisers in prepacked boxes and tubs which are designed for adding to the soil to give nutrients for your plants, we also have some that are bagged in 2.5Kg and 5Kg sizes and following on from last week’s listing here are another three popular ones.

Growmore: 

This is a popular, balanced (NPK 7-7-7) general-purpose granular fertiliser for all garden plants, promoting strong growth, flowers, and heavy fruit/vegetable crops, applied by forking into soil before planting or as a top dressing every 8-10 weeks, often watered in.

Volcanic Rock Dust: 

Something you may not have considered. Volcanic rock dust is a natural soil amendment, rich in trace minerals, used to improve soil health, boost plant vigour, and increase crop yields by slowly releasing nutrients, enhancing water retention, and improving soil structure. It acts as a slow-release fertiliser, improves composting, adds beneficial microbes, and helps plants resist pests and drought, making it suitable for gardens, pots, and wormeries

Lime: 

Lime is an important source of calcium for plants and ensures strong growth and fruit and leaf quality. Liming garden soil neutralises the pH of the garden soil which reduces the occurrence of Clubroot. It encourages greener foliage, improves nutrient uptake strengthening plant roots and stems and helps break down heavy soils. Ideal for your brassicas.

We have a range of fertilisers in 2.5Kg or 5Kg bags and for the month of February we have reduced the price by 10% making it a good time to stock up.

Things to do during February: 

Everything depends on the weather! If you grow deciduous grasses then once you see the first signs of green growth it is time to cut the old stems back. Tidy up the borders by cutting back old stems on perennials that you left for winter structure or to give food to the wildlife. Improve the whole look of the garden by trimming back the lawn edges.

Container growing: 

As well as growing vegetables on your allotments what about a few growing at home to save that visit to the plot? Using containers of any sort means that you can nip out to the garden and pick something fresh for the plate anytime. Over the coming weeks I will be listing some options that are ideal for growing in containers.

Members prize draw: 

We continue to pick three lucky numbers each weekend so if you want to claim your £10 voucher you need to pop into The Hut to see if you have been lucky. We now have 11 unclaimed prizes with another three to be drawn this weekend. If you do not want to claim your £10 voucher, then maybe you would like to donate it to the Willen Hospice.

Prepare for your Brassica beds: 

Very soon I will be spreading a good amount of lime on the allotment where I intend to grow my brassicas. Brassicas, including cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, thrive in slightly alkaline soil (pH 6.5-7.5) and benefit greatly from lime, especially to combat clubroot disease common in acidic conditions. Lime also improves nutrient availability (like phosphorus, calcium, potassium) for brassicas, enhances soil structure, and provides calcium, all vital for healthy growth. 

50^th Anniversary: 

Please make a note in your diary! On Sunday 12^th April 2026 The Hut will be open between 10am and 2pm and we are hoping that the mayor will be in attendance as well as a representative from the Willen Hospice to receive our donations we have received to date. There will also be some extra special offers for members, and more details will follow as they are confirmed.

For the month of February, the 10% off offer is.

We have reduced the price of all 2.5Kg and 5Kg WHGAA Bagged fertilisers as well as the 25Kg bags.

Happy Gardening

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary