🌿 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