Here is a communication to Ian Woolard that has been passed on to FEDAGA. It will be of special interest to those in Portobello. To respond, contact: carrotsandbeetroots@yahoo.co.uk

We are a group of community gardeners who have been given a fairly large plot in Portobello and are currently in the process of creating a community garden there.

Given that the waiting list for allotments in Edinburgh is very long, we were wondering if maybe some of the people on the waiting list might be interested in getting involved in the community garden in the meantime?

It's the end of May and, I think for the first time ever, the plot is fully planted up. Just 8 weeks ago the plot was completely bare. So now it's a bit more relaxed until the "catch crop" of first early potatoes is harvested in July and the space planted out with leeks from the seedbed.

All the crops in section A are growing well except that the courgettes Defender were a bit slow during the cold weather for the first half of the month. They have now picked up some speed. The potatoes have been earthed a couple of times and will get this another two times during June.

The criteria by which allotment sites and plots will be judged for the Edinburgh in Bloom competition are:

Allotment Sites
Upkeep of site, in particular any communal areas:
Well maintained communal areas, paths, beds, grass etc

Standard of Plots:
Percentage of plots of a satisfactory standard

Community involvement:
Evidence of active community involvement, up-to-date notice board, events, clean-ups etc

Just a month ago, on the morning of 30 March, the plot was completely bare. By the end of April there were welcome signs of growth and greenery. Onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes, leeks and parsnips are all adding their bit of colour, particularly since the long awaited rains that came in the last week of April. Soil conditions are good and hoeing has produced a fine surface tilth.

By the end of the March the new season had really got started. The plot has been completely cleared of last year's crops and the winter digging is finished with all the compost buried under the top spit (after forking over the second spit during double digging) of section C for the potatoes. Sections A, C and D have had their usual application of Rockdust and section B has had its first application of lime. the second application will be shortly before planting out. The soil organisms don't like a sudden change of pH and separate applications of lime avoids this happening.

The City of Edinburgh Council are running a gardening competition this year. Among the categories are two that will interest allotment holders. Firstly, you will be able to enter your allotment plot. Secondly, all FEDAGA-affiliated sites will be automatically entered in a separate competition. It will also be possible to enter any non-affiliated sites within the city. The closing date is the 5th of June and judging will take place in July. Enter on-line at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Council/Council_Business/Council_fo...

The Allotted Months - December 2008 to February 2009

The winter months, for various reasons including the weather, have not seen much allotment work done on the plot. But I have spent a lot of time there. My arson damaged wooden greenhouse has been fully repaired, including the rain water watering system, all ready for the new season.

Edinburgh Community Backgreens Association are looking to start working in new areas this year, helping tenement residents to regenerate their backgreens and teaching food growing. They would like to encourage people to get in touch by emailing info@ecab.org.uk and have a look at the website, www.ecba.org.uk
You can register your interest in the Grow Your Own course, or recommend your backgreen as a community backgreen site.

The Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society has received the following communication from Steve Higginbotham of Stewardship Limited.

In the last year, Dow AgroSciences received a number of
enquiries from gardeners and allotment holders concerning
manure that may contain residues of the grassland herbicide
aminopyralid. Though this inclusion of aminopyralid in
manure was the result of users not following the label
instructions, Dow AgroSciences have worked (without
accepting liability) with allotment growers to lessen the
unfortunate situation in which they find themselves.

The Allotted Month - November 2008

As far as crops and harvesting go, this month has been very much the same as October. So I won't repeat myself.

Allotments generally are targets for vandalism, and Edinburgh's allotments seem to be at risk as much as other places in Britain. It's a sad reflection on what has been called our "Feral" youth. I've heard that in Denmark the allotments are respected, the public have access and there is little, if any, vandalism. I think that I'll emigrate to Denmark.