05 August 2026 – WHGAA – Weekly Newsletter

Dear Member,

🍂 Planning for Autumn

One of the most important jobs in August is preparing for the autumn season.

Buy your spring‑flowering bulbs, amaryllis, or hyacinths for Christmas flowering — these are due into The Hut around the end of August.

Plan where you intend to plant your overwintering onion sets, shallots, or garlic (arriving mid‑September), and make notes about what has performed well this season.

Your allotment year does not end when summer does — a little planning now sets you up for productive harvests throughout autumn, winter, and next spring.

💧 Keep Watering

Tomatoes need consistent watering. Erratic watering may cause splitting or blossom end rot.

Split tomatoes are still fine to eat — just use them quickly.

🌬️ Keep Damping Down

Raise humidity in your greenhouse by spraying water on the floor, especially if growing chillies or melons.
Open vents and doors to improve ventilation.

🪴 Growing in Containers

On hot days, water mature courgette and tomato plants daily, or even twice daily, now that their root systems are fully established.

🥔 Your Potatoes

Lift maincrop potatoes during dry weather and leave them on the soil for a day to help set their skins.

Store in paper or hessian sacks.

🫘 Runner Beans

“I keep looking at the runner and climbing beans for any signs of pods but there are very few. The hot weather is the problem! I’m hoping the ones I planted later will produce more.

Some of you have no problems and are probably picking them now. If you are, then picking them will encourage more beans to set, giving a longer cropping time.

The dwarf beans I planted not so long ago are producing nicely.”

🎃 Squashes & Pumpkins

Help your winter squashes and pumpkins ripen by cutting off any leaves that shade their fruits from the sun.

🏆 Garden & Allotment Produce Show

With less than a month to go, you should be looking after your prize produce — flowers or vegetables.

Details of the rules and categories can be found on our website: whgaa.org (follow the link to the show).

🧅 Onion & Shallot Sets + Garlic

Due into The Hut mid‑September. Expected varieties:

Onion sets: Senshyu, Yellow Winter, Autumn Champion, Blood Red
Shallot sets: Golden Gourmet, Red Sun
Garlic: Autumn Pink, Elephant garlic cloves

📰 August Newsletter

The latest edition of Groundwork has been emailed to you.

If you do not receive a copy by the end of this month, please let Mick know: whgaa2801@gmail.com