🎉 50th Anniversary Celebration – This Weekend!

Dear Member,

It has finally arrived — WE WILL BE CELEBRATING OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY THIS WEEKEND!

What better time to stock up on essentials such as tomato food, slug pellets, MP compost and netting? Most of you have already bought your seeds for this year, but with an extra 5% or 10% off this weekend, why not stock up for next year too?

EVERYTHING is reduced, depending on which day you visit The Hut.

We expect some items — especially composts — to sell out quickly, but we’ve done our best to meet demand.

All competitions are now closed, and the list of winners will be announced this weekend.

📅 Weekend Schedule

Saturday 11th April – 5% Discount

🕙 Open 10am–12 noon

5% off purchases for all members

Sunday 12th April – 10% Discount

🕙 Open 10am–2pm

⭐ 10% off purchases for all members

🥨 Light nibbles available

🏆 Competition results announced

🎖️ The Mayor will visit around midday

💙 A representative from Willen Hospice will attend to receive the total donations raised so far

Please make every effort to come along and celebrate with us.

🛒 Back in Stock

• 🌱 Thatcher’s 60L compost (60L) is now available again — but with this weekend’s discounts, it may not last long.
• 🌿 Replacement for Erin compost is now Clover.

🌿 Growing Tips from Mick

🌱 Broad Beans

My broad beans, planted a few weeks ago, are now growing well. Soon they’ll need support to prevent them falling over.

I place 4ft canes at 3ft intervals around the double row, then use string or twine to tie along and across the row. As they grow taller, I add more string to support the tops.

🥒 Courgettes

Courgettes are easy to grow from seed, and just a few plants will keep you well supplied all summer.

I recommend no more than three plants.

Try different varieties:

• 💛 Atena Polka (yellow)
• 💚 Zucchini (green)
• 🟢 Boldenice F1 (round green)

🫘 Runner Beans

Many people plant out runner beans in May, meaning they were sown in April — a risk, as they dislike the cold.

I sow mine in mid‑May, two seeds per jiffy pot. They’re ready to plant out in early June.

To protect them from cold or wind, I place 2ft-high plastic sheeting around the outside and remove it once the weather warms.

🌼 Plants for Sale

There will be no plant sales this weekend due to the anniversary celebrations.

Most plants need another two weeks of growth anyway.

The big rush will begin Saturday 18th April, when we’ll have:

• 🌶️ Peppers
• 🍅 Tomatoes
• 🍆 Aubergines

Cucumbers were sown later due to limited greenhouse space, so they may need an extra week.

🌻 Happy Gardening

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary

🌤️ Easter on the Allotment

For me, Easter marks the real start of the growing season.

With longer days and (hopefully) warmer weather, it’s all systems go.

This week I’ll be:

• Planting all my seed potatoes
• Sowing parsnips, beetroot, carrots and more
• Watching the peas I sowed earlier begin to show
• Making space for the onion seedlings sown in December, ready to mature from July

This weekend also brings the first sweet and chilli plants for sale (details below), and as always, The Hut will be open as normal.

🪴 Compost Update

We’ve been advised that Erin Multi‑Purpose will no longer be available.

Once current stock is gone, it will be replaced with Clover MP.

This weekend:

• ❌ No Thatchers 60L bags
• ✔️ Thatchers 40L bags still available

⏰ Hut Opening Hours – Easter Weekend

Saturday 4th April: 10am – 12 noon

Sunday 5th April: 10am – 12 noon

🌶️ Plants for Sale This Weekend

Space in the greenhouse is tight this year, so to make room I’ll be bringing the following plants to The Hut.

All plants are 75p each, with 25p donated to Willen Hospice.

Available This Weekend

🫑 Sweet Peppers

• Beauty Bell (16)
• Fiesta (16)
• Mixed (16)
• Marmara (17)

🌶️ Chilli Peppers

• Fiery Tongues (14)
• Gourmet Jalapeño (21)

🍆 Aubergine

• Black Beauty (15)

🍅 Tomatoes

• A few may be available (to be confirmed)

🪲 Allium Leaf Miner – Reminder

First mentioned on 20th February, but worth repeating.

This pest affects:

• Onions
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Shallots

Signs to watch for:

• Cream‑coloured maggots inside leaves
• Small holes on foliage
• Fungal infections and later rotting

Prevention:

• Cover crops with fleece
• Practice crop rotation
• Monitor for adult flies on plants

🌞 Under Cover – Greenhouse Shading

Warmer days are coming, so consider your shading options:

• Liquid shading – £7.80 (paint onto the outside of the greenhouse)
• Shading net – £2.67 per metre

Both available from The Hut.

🥔 Seed Potatoes

• Second earlies: Plant over the next two weeks
• Main crop: End of the month
• I personally plant mine now, and it works well

🎟️ Members Prize Draw

The prize draw has now finished, but 13 vouchers remain unclaimed.

They can be claimed and used this weekend only.

Not valid after 5th April.

🏆 Competitions Update

With just two weeks until our 50th anniversary, time is running out to enter:

• 🗺️ Treasure Hunt
• 🍰 Guess the Weight of the Cake
• 🫘 Guess the Beans in the Jar

All winners announced Sunday 12th April.

All entry fees go to Willen Hospice — please join in the fun.

🎉 50th Anniversary Celebrations

We hope you’ll join us during the weekend of 11th & 12th April.

Saturday 11th April

🕙 10am – 12 noon

⭐ 5% discount on all purchases

Sunday 12th April

🕙 10am – 2pm

⭐ 10% discount on all purchases

🥨 Nibbles available

🏆 Competition results announced

🎖️ Mayor attending around midday

💙 Willen Hospice representative present to receive the donation total

Please come along and celebrate with us.

❌ No April 10% Offer

Due to the anniversary weekend, there is no monthly 10% offer for April.

Happy Gardening,

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary

Dear Member,

🥔 Seed Potatoes & Bulbs

If you still need seed potatoes — or fancy adding a few more — we have a small selection left, along with garlic, a handful of onion sets, and the last of the summer‑flowering bulbs.

Peppers and tomato plants will be available very soon (see below).

🎟️ Membership Prize Draw

The final three numbers will be drawn this weekend as the free prize draw comes to an end.

All vouchers must be used by 5 April, so please claim your £10 voucher promptly.

🥕 Growing Carrots

For the past few years I’ve grown carrots in large pots using Thatcher’s compost.

After mixed results, I discovered that sowing into John Innes No.2 gives far better germination.

My method now:

• Fill most of the pot/bed with Thatcher’s
• Add a top layer of John Innes No.2
• Sow into that layer for stronger, more reliable growth

It works beautifully in raised beds too.

🌿 Sow Your Peas

I’ve just sown all my peas for the year. A helpful tip:

Soak peas for 12 hours before sowing — they should be 5–7 days ahead in growth.

My method:

• Use jiffy pots
• Place 3–4 seeds in each
• Plant out the whole pot when ready — easier on the soil and gentler on the roots

🫑 Plants for Sale – Update

Our peppers are looking excellent, so they will be on sale:

🗓️ Saturday 4 April & Sunday 5 April

• Price: 75p per plant
• Donation: 25p from each sale goes to Willen Hospice

There will be no peppers or tomatoes on sale the following weekend (11th & 12th) due to our 50th anniversary celebrations.

A small number of tomato plants may be available on 4–5 April.

Please bring your own tray or container, as we have none to give away this year.

🌼 Time to Get Started With

You should now be planting:

• Onion sets
• Shallots
• Garlic
• Early seed potatoes

When planting potatoes, add a handful of potato fertiliser (or chicken pellets) into the hole and surrounding soil before covering.

🌱 Time to Sow

You can sow these directly into the ground now:

• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Beetroot
• Spinach
• Spring onions
• Peas
• Radish
• Broad beans
• Lettuce

Sow these in modules to grow on before transplanting:

• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Leeks

Courgettes and squashes are best started in mid‑May, but if you can keep them frost‑free, you can start them now.

🏆 Competitions Update

Still time to join in:

• Treasure Map: A few squares left — pick 5 squares for £1.
• Guess the Beans in the Jar
• Guess the Weight of the Cake (winner takes the cake!)

All competitions close Sunday 12 April, with results announced the same day.

🎉 WHGAA 50th Anniversary Celebrations

As announced last week, members will receive special discounts:

Saturday 11 April

🕙 10am–12 noon

⭐ 5% discount on all purchases

Sunday 12 April

🕙 10am–2pm

⭐ 10% discount on all purchases

🥨 Nibbles available

🏆 Competition results announced

🎖️ Mayor attending around midday

💙 Willen Hospice representative present to receive the donation total

Please come along, join in, and celebrate with us.

💰 Fertiliser Offer Ends This Weekend

The 10% discount on all WHGAA bagged fertiliser ends this weekend.

Prices have been reduced on 2.5kg, 5kg, and 25kg bags.

Happy Gardening,

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary