Chalfont St Peter Garden Club Newsletter - July 2010

Chairman : Grace Hunter
Secretary : Susan Mills
Garden Hut Manager : Tony Gelder
Assistant Hut Manager : Keith Gould
Treasurer : Robert Bastin
Newsletter : Diana Longshaw

Jane’s July Garden Tips

Few crops are more rewarding than tomatoes; a little time caring for them will pay dividends with a large crop of fruit. Check watering daily to ensure compost or soil never dries out, irregular watering causes nutritional imbalance leading to low calcium take-up, causing blossom end rot ruining the fruit. Feed tomatoes weekly with high potash (liquid tomato feed) increasing frequency as plants grow or if leaves show signs of discolouring (paler). (Also feed peppers, chillies and other greenhouse crops). Train plants to canes or supports and pinch out side shoots on cordons; bush or tumble varieties require little training, leaving side shoots to develop, but tie loosely to canes to keep fruit off the ground and away from slugs. Whitefly is a common pest so hang yellow sticky traps in the greenhouse or plant alongside French marigolds or tagetes. Pinch out tops of climbing beans as they reach top of their support, pick courgettes and other crops i.e. beans, peas regularly while they are young and tender. Plant a green manure such as alfalfa on areas that have been harvested such as potatoes, cover brassicas with fine netting to keep cabbage white butterfly away. Crops to sow now are beetroot, salad leaves, pak choi, chicory, spring cabbage and spring onions.

If needed re-pot pot bound house plants into a good quality compost or John Innes, adding slow release fertiliser (osmocote) put outside for summer months. Take cuttings from shrubs using non-flowering shoots. Achieve a second flush of blooms on hardy perennials by cutting down the entire flower stems as soon as it fades to just above a lower leaf, a new shoot will develop and flower into the autumn. Keep summer bedding fed and watered, deadhead as necessary.

Sow wallflowers, foxgloves, Canterbury bells and sweet Williams to ensure they are ready to plant out with tulip bulbs in late autumn for displays in spring. Damp down greenhouse floor in the morning to provide a high humidity level around the plants and reducing their need for water as a result

The Hut

SEED POTATOES 2011 I know many of us have not yet starting digging this year’s potatoes but we have the opportunity to buy seed potatoes in bulk. To do this, orders have to be placed before the end of August. We therefore need to know if Club members are interested and some idea of quantity.
Prices will be approx £3.50 for 3 Kg (approximately 30). Our initial thoughts are to order the following varieties
Earlies - Arran Pilot, Lady Christl, Pentlin Javelin , Swift
Maincrop - Cara, Desiree, King Edward
Salad – Charlotte. If you want a different variety do ask.
Please contact me on email or leave a provisional order at the hut before Saturday 21st August (Show day).
Another request is for empty 2 pint plastic milk bottles; please bring them along to the garden hut on Sundays between 10am to noon
(Please Note - Sunday 18th August we will remain open until 12:30pm for members who need that extra half an hour.)
Please remember to show your membership card before buying any gardening products. Large WATER BUTTS available inc tap and lid £13. Order with the desk person or e-mail: hut-manager@gardenclub.org.uk

Items in the hut relating to Jane’s Notes

Maxicrop LIQUID TOMATO FEED - potassium-enriched feed to improve tomato quality and taste £3.60 per lire.
2ft GREEN STICKS for plant support 2p/ea; bamboo CANES 3ft to 8ft 10p to 35p ea (depending on size)
Whitefly- Provado BUG KILLER SPRAY rtu 1lt £4.75 or CONCENTRATE 400ml £7.50
JOHN INNES No 2&3 good quality compost £3.10 for 25lt or top qty Horticultural Potting Growing Medium grade SHL £7.80 for 80lt
Summer bedding feed Miracle-Gro All Purpose 1lt £4.50 or Miracle-Gro single sachet to mix into a watering can 25p ea or 5 for £1
Greenhouse Cool Glass sachets 35p ea. : Insect Yellow Card Fly Catcher £4.50 for 7 cards
Slow release fertilizers; Osmocote granules £2.30 for 0.5kg; Tablets for hanging baskets etc 10 off 80p; 20 off £1.50; 30 off £2.00 PHOSTROGEN PLANT TABLETS £2.60 for 100 tablets.

Important

DON’T FORGET - the Annual Show on Saturday, 21st August. If you cannot manage an entry, do come along after 2 p.m. to find out how much better your garden produce, flowers, cakes, jams etc are than those who won first prize (small entry charge) refreshments available. Or you can enter – remember there is a very friendly Novice Class for those who have not entered before. Lost your entry form? Come along to the Hut any Sunday morning and pick up another.

Cups

Last call to all those clever people who received cups last year at the Summer Show. If you have not already done so, please return them to the Hut during for engraving.

Notice

Don’t forget to obtain your daily weather forecasts, information & weather services from www.frostedearth.com.

Visits

Stoke Poges Memorial Garden.
Accompanied Garden Walks take place every month and July’s is on the 6th with 1-th August being the next one. Meet at Office at 2.00pm

There will also be a Butterfly Walk by Paul Bowyer one Saturday in July. Ring the office on 01753 537619 or email graham.pattison@southbucks.gov.uk or memorialgardens@southbucks.gov.uk for complete information

The Gardens of Bledlow Manor

Thursday 8 July, 2.00pm to 4.30pm
Bledlow, nr Princes Risborough
A chance to visit the private gardens of Lord Carrington. See the beautiful walled and herbaceous gardens, the famous Lyde water garden and contemporary sculptures. Tea and cake available with music from the Germains Male Voice Choir.
Tickets: £5 in advance from Scannappeal or £6 at the gate

Keith’s Outings

We do not have an outing in August, due to the Summer Show taking place this month, so you might like to know about the next one taking place on Wednesday, September 8th. This will be a visit to OXFORD BOTANIC GARDEN combined with a trip around Oxford City. There is a bus every twenty minutes and the tour takes about an hour . As the Gardens do not have refreshment facilities, I will pay the entry in lieu. The cost for the coach is the usual £15 for Club Members and £17 for non Members. I shall let you know more about the bus trip in the August letter and about the ROSE CAFÉ where you may eat.
Many thanks - Keith

Last Event

Mrs Freda Earl and Mrs Angela Wheeldon gave us an insight about their allotment at Sunnyside in Berkhamstead, the communal tea hut, the building of a toilet for the large amount of ladies who are members and new drainage system for irrigation, leaving some time to grow vegetables, fruit and flowers. They have invited any of our members who would like to come along to their Open day on Sunday 15th August ,11-5pm. More information on their web site: www.sunnysideallotments.org.uk

Next Event

Our Speaker for July will be Paul Whittle who will be talking about “Hill Stations of the Raj”. Please note that this event will be held in the Chalfont St Peter Community Centre and NOT the Church Hall. Members, as usual, are free but please may we have a contribution of £1.00 from Non-Members. Refreshments will be available.

© Chalfont St Peter Garden Club 2009. Through the medium of this Newsletter the Club is bringing to your attention opportunities that may interest you. You must satisfy yourself that that they meet your requirements as Chalfont St Peter Garden Club will accept no legal, moral or financial responsibility.