Dear Member,

Hopefully you have all come through the recent colder nights without losing any plants. Potatoes may have suffered if they weren’t earthed up or covered with fleece, but don’t worry — they will recover, though they may take a little longer to mature. I’ve held off sowing my runner beans, but I can’t wait any longer, so they’ll be going into jiffy pots very soon, ready for planting out in mid‑June.

🌱 We Need Your Help

Did you know The Hut is run entirely by volunteers? Over recent months our number of active helpers has dropped, and we are struggling to keep things running smoothly.

If you can spare a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning, we would be incredibly grateful. We especially need help with barrows and assisting members with getting purchases to their cars, though support with any duties would be warmly welcomed.

🌿 Get Sowing Now

There is still time to sow:

• Cucumbers, summer squash, sweetcorn, runner beans, and French beans
• Winter squash — sow as soon as possible; they need a long season
• Carrots, parsnips, beetroot, swedes, salad onions, leeks, and lettuce and chard

Do not sow now:

Turnips and spinach — they bolt too easily at this time of year. Sow them in early August, after their flowering season. That’s also the best time to sow rocket and mustards, which would otherwise bolt quickly and suffer flea beetle damage. Flea beetles are far less troublesome in late summer and autumn.

🥔 Did You Know? — Earthing Up Potatoes

Last week someone told me that first and second earlies don’t need earthing up. I’d never heard this, so I looked into it.

• Maincrop potatoes grow deeper and spread their tubers widely, often pushing them to the surface. Earthing up keeps them in the dark and prevents greening.
• Early potatoes stay smaller and tend to remain below the surface, so heavy ridging isn’t essential.
• However, earthing up early in the season provides vital frost protection for young foliage — and that alone makes it worthwhile.

🪴 Compost Update

There is still no stock of Thatcher’s Multi‑Purpose Compost from our suppliers. As a replacement, we recommend Clover Multi‑Purpose Compost, which performs very well.

💧 Raise Humidity in Greenhouses

To help prevent red spider mite, increase humidity by damping down and spraying hard surfaces and pathways with water.

Do this in the morning — it discourages mites without creating the damp evening conditions that attract slugs.

🥕 Parsnips — Another Germination Trick

Last week I mentioned I only had three parsnips germinating. A member has since shared another method:

• Sow seeds into newspaper pots (or jiffy pots)
• Once seedlings appear, plant the whole pot where you want them to grow
• The pot rots down, allowing the parsnip to grow straight on

A simple idea — and one worth trying.

🍅 Tomatoes — Growing for Success

For strong, productive plants:

• Choose a sunny, sheltered spot (at least 6 hours of direct sun)
• Use rich, well‑drained soil
• Water consistently
• Bury seedlings deep to encourage strong root systems
• Support vining types and prune regularly
• For cordon tomatoes, pinch out the small “suckers” in leaf joints to focus energy on fruit rather than foliage

🌼 Top Tip — Second Sowings of Courgettes

Courgettes and squash grow fast and fruit heavily, but they rarely age gracefully.

A second sowing in early summer often outperforms older plants that are slowing down or succumbing to mildew.

🥬 Brassicas — Protect Them Now

Cabbage white butterflies are active. Protect all brassicas — cabbage, kale, broccoli, sprouts — with fine mesh netting.

Once caterpillars appear, they can strip plants very quickly.

💷 May Monthly Offer

10% off all mainframe products throughout May.

Happy Gardening,

Mick Goodman

Membership Secretary