Dear Plot holder
Welcome to Moor Green Matters
This edition:
Editorial
2014 - 2015 Association Committee and Officers
The new Chair writes
Committee business - plans that are in progress
Zone representatives - your first point of contact
Saturday 21 June is a rubbish day
Moseley in Bloom, 28 June
Water usage in, out and back in control
Plot inspections
Tell us what you think
Coming next month:
Review of tool lockers and sheds
Details of the Produce Show
Adverts:
Moor Green Seed store
MacMillan Fund Raising event
Pavilion hire
Editorial
The summer season is progressing apace - spring sowings are growing into summer harvests. Of course it ’s not all joy as the weeds and pests also take advantage of perfect growing conditions. To help fight off the usual array of butterflies, caterpillars, slugs and snails the seed store is armed and ready. Weeds can be suppressed with ground cover
(also available) and a layer of wood chip, but nothing beats the weekly hoeing around young plants to combat the competition and give them space to thrive. So there is no let up this month, especially as we all get ready for the cropping season.
This is also the time of year when other pests arrive - the Veggie Burglars. Remember that silver Mercedes cruising round the site last year looking for rich pickings? Be on your guard and be prepared to challenge any strangers on site who don
’t have a plot. Ours is not the entrance to Cannon Hill Park...of course the best deterrent is to lock the gate during the week, especially in the evenings when these pests, blue carrier bags in hand, are most active!
The new Chair writes...
On the evening of the very day the that researchers from the Met Office and Newcastle
University have released a report claiming that anthropogenic climate change will lead to more frequent, more intense, summer rainstorms, the heavens open as if to confirm nature
’s contempt for humanity’s immense capacity to state the blindingly obvious and do nothing about it. These “extreme rainfall events" are likely to be greater in effect than the romantically exhilarating catharses of the
”
Big, sudden thunderdrops ... sploshing like vapoury petrol ” in Ted Hughes ’s poem “Rain Charm for the Duchy” or the “wall of rain” against which a boy calls ”Come on thunder, come on thunder” in the James song
“Sometimes”.

The sheer kinetic energy of heavy rain is evident from the deafening hammering against the kitchen skylight, making it difficult to pick out the gentle, nuanced cadences of Black
Flag on the stereo. In many ways it is this relentless battering that poses the greatest threat to food security from soil erosion and compaction, nutrient leaching and physical damage to crops.
Never knowingly understating an argument as I do, I make no apology for the apocalyptic tone, but, with the potential failure of food supplies, allotment growing becomes a matter of survival rather than leisure.
I have gathered a few ideas on how can we garden to ameliorate the effects of these cloud bursts.
Mulching:
Applying a thick layer of organic matter (grass clippings, straw, compost, and bark chips) absorbs the impact of rain drops, preventing soil erosion, compaction and leaching. Water gently soaks into the ground rather than running off making no contribution to the soil reservoir. The mulch material will encourage worms which will incorporate it into the soil, increasing the levels of organic matter which has the paradoxical effect of enhancing both drainage and water retention. All the extra worm tunnels provide rapid drainage preventing water logging.
Row alignment:
As well as channelling positive Gaian energy flows into your carrots for a cosmic advantage at the show, plant in furrows or rows perpendicular to the slope of your plot.
Similar to the idea behind terracing in the Far East, run-off water is arrested and held in the troughs between rows.
Netting:
Close woven net hung over the most delicate crops such as salads and young plants will break up and slow down the large drops reducing their damaging kinetic energy.
Companion planting:
Conceptually similar to the netting idea; shelter delicate plants by planting amongst more robust, taller ones. Or stand over your crops with a brolly.
Water harvesting:
Bridge the rainless lacunae between the Biblical deluges by collecting during the times of plenty. A sheet of corrugated polycarbonate over your compost heap will fill a barrel in short order.
Unexpected heavy rain can wreak devastation on crops even in areas well accustomed to pummelling rain. For the second consecutive year crops in north-west India have been damaged by an unusually heavy monsoon, leading to retail food price rises of over 50%.
This susceptibility of a food system to the effects of weather suggests that we would be wise to take this threat seriously.
Given the likely clamour for food in the event of restricted supplies, the very least we could do to protect our crops is

Your new Committee and Officers are.....
Sounds very grandiose, but someone has to take ultimate responsibility for stewarding the public land to which we
’ve been entrusted, especially now we have signed to take on self management. That doesn ’t let anyone off the hook! Together we can turn transform the site, so please don ’t be shy or hesitate - help is always needed. Later on in this edition we invite you to let us know how we are doing and what you think.
The first job of the new Committee is to elect a Chair, Treasurer, Site Secretary and
Pavilion Manager. Nominations were received ahead of the meeting and voting took place, with the following outcomes:
Chair, Moor Green Allotments, 2014-2015 James Brown, plot 89
Treasurer Rex Harris, plot 161
Site Secretary
Pavilion Manager
Jenny Jupe, plot 187
Mark Wright, plot 1
A full list of Committee responsibilities, zone representatives and contact details is attached to this newsletters and will be available online.
We plan to publish Committee minutes each month on our website, but do remember meetings are open to observers. If you would like an item for discussion placed on the agenda or you would like to represent a key point then please contact Jenny, Site
Secretary (see attachment for contact details), at least seven days ahead of the meeting so that it may be included. Meetings are the last Saturday of each month.
Four representatives will meet with Council officers on Friday 13 June (before the allotment team is disbanded) to discuss management responsibilities and future expectations. Watch this space...
Committee business - realising plans...
Some plans that the Committee agreed at the May meeting:
• Organising a twice yearly site clearance, beginning this month
• Providing disabled access to the Pavilion, closely followed by a disabled toilet
• Installing internet in the Pavilion, with a smart TV for news, views, hints, tips (and some sport!)
• Improving the website, building in social media facilities such as Facebook and Twitter
We will also continue to:
• Offering seasonal Master classes
• Developing and expand the seed store
• Providing a range of Pavilion events
• Communicating regularly with plot holders and social members
• Listening to your points of view and acting accordingly whenever possible
• Managing the site robustly and fairly
...please remember the Committee are all volunteers so your ideas, help and support are always welcome.
Zone representatives
By chance most of the ten zones on site are represented by one or more Committee members. We are finalising the representative for zones F and G, so for the meantime contact Jenny, Site Secretary. Zone maps will be published shortly. Attached is a list of ways in which your zone rep. may support you - please make them your first point of contact. Details are posted on the boards and attached to this newsletter.

Saturday 21 June is rubbish...
...drop off day at Moor Green Allotments and it promises to be a long day! We are planning to provide two full size Hippo bags or similar at the back of the Pavilion (accessible for the collection lorry) for you to bring along unwanted rubbish from your plot. Non compostable green or garden waste must be dealt with separately either by the Community Payback team or through November bonfires. If the Hippo bags work, then we will repeat the opportunity later in the year. Many of you have reported unwanted ‘junk’ on your plot so now is the time to clear up the site ahead of our Open Day the following week.
Huge thanks to the plot holders who spotted our neighbour (at No 11) fly tipping by the gate. They were tackled immediately, photos taken and the Council informed - a letter from our Environmental Officer for South Birmingham is winging its
’ way to No 11 as you read.
Regrettably fly tipping is on the increase with the Council now charging for the removal of green waste, but that is no excuse to dump it on our door step!! Please do not bring your household rubbish to litter the site and please do not dump garden waste in the ‘green’ areas - with your help, and that of Community Payback, we are working systematically to clean up the site.
Moseley in Bloom...
It ’s that time of year again when we invite the local public onto our site through Moseley in
Bloom Open Gardens. Our open day is Saturday 28 June - see the general flyer is attached.
The plan is for:
• the site to be open to the public from 12.30 though to 5.30 pm
• a plot or plots to be identified for visitors to view in each zone (plot holders will be approached in advance and asked to be on their plot for the afternoon)
• a guided route to be provided at each of the Holders Lane and Russell Road gates with information about the site
• the Pavillion to be open as usual, but also serving afternoon teas, as well as other beverages
• a plant swap to be organised (please bring contributions of any surplus plants that you may want to swap or donate on the day). Members of the public/visitors can make donations if they want to
‘buy’ plants....
• Recycled tools for sale via Tools for Self Reliance
• Neighbourhood watch display, focussing on shed and equipment security so....
Water usage in, out of and back in control
Have you noticed someone suspicious wearing blue medical gloves and waterproof trousers, carrying a torch, kneeler and water meter key lurking in the undergrowth up by the Holders Lane fence!? Did you recognise them? I hope it was me about my weekly meter reading task!
We had a blip during May with a substantial leak loosing 350 cu m of water. Thanks to the efforts of plot holder, Steve Gywnne, the leak was identified and repaired. Hopefully we can claim leakage allowance from Severn Trent. Water is back in control, but we must all

be vigilant, reporting suspected leaks, damaged taps and the like immediately. We appreciate help with repairs, but we also need to know what is going on around the site.
...and on your plot
Blue water barrels are continually available to purchase via the Seed Store at just
£7.50 each and we may even be able to source more Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) - equivalent to 1 cu m of water when full. We urge you to harvest water from any structure you have on your plot or build a roof over your compost area to collect rain water. If you wander round the site you will see just how creative tenants have been and get ideas for your own water harvesting.
Plot cultivation continues to improve across the site....
Many thanks to everyone who has been working hard to cultivate their plot, especially after the horrendously wet weather saw the weeds and couch grass take over. Most of those 27 plot holders that we reported on last month as lacking evidence of cultivation have responded well and a re-inspection is imminent - sadly a small minority have not responded and re-entry letters may follow.
Over the forth coming months we will also be contacting those tenants where more could be done to tidy up and make best use of their plots. Weed growth is not only dispiriting for neighbouring tenant, but rubbish unsightly, harbouring pests and vermin. Plot inspection for new plot holders, i.e. those whose tenancy has been taken out within the last twelve months, will be in the early autumn.
On a positive note we have some terrific gardeners on site, great horticultural expertise among our community and wonderful plots that are an inspiration to us all. So plenty to show off at our Open Day and for us all to learn from.
This month we would appreciate if you could focus on tidying the front of your plot, especially if it is on the main road through the site, ready for Moseley in Bloom at the end of the month.
We want to hear from you...the site is run for the benefit of every plot holder....
Do send us your comments, suggestions, offers of help and so on. Similarly if you have a worry or concern report it to your zone representative and we will try to deal with it sympathetically, but fairly. Even better drop into the Pavilion, buy a drink or make yourself a cuppa and chat with Committee members - there is generally at least one of us around throughout the weekend.
The Seed Store will be open throughout June.... and still has Kings seeds (40p off RRP) ready for summer planting/winter cropping. All seed potatoes are reduced in price as part of an end of season sale. Mick Docker and
Peter Jupe have replenished the Erin compost, horse manure and other products, holding them at 2013 prices and blue water barrels are flying out the door (having been paid for!).
Thanks to George Morris for keeping the store well supplied - we are now on our forth order of a dozen barrels. Mick and Peter will also ensure we have in a good supply of 8
’ bean poles, together with blue hoops for the fine mesh netting that is stocked.
The Seed Store is normally open Saturday and Sunday from midday through to 2.00 pm.
...thank you to those additional plot holders and their children (playing real shops) who have volunteered to serve in the Seed Store for a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday and to those of you who have made purchases from the store - sales have been higher than ever, with any surplus used to re-stock the store.

Cars on site...
We doubt this is relevant to any readers, but some plots, and grass verges are being damaged by drivers not taking sufficient care when manoeuvring or, indeed, parking on the grass. This is a particular problem with plots near junctions and near the Pavilion.
Please be considerate of the problem and draw it to the attention of visitors who may be less aware of the need for care.
...10 mph restriction...
A polite reminder of the 10 mph speed restriction throughout the site. This is particularly relevant in and around the Pavilion where there are pedestrians. Please drive slowly through the site and be conscious for the safety of plot holders children, who may not always be road aware.
A gentle reminder about BCC rules on parking....
6.11 The Tenant shall not park a vehicle anywhere on the Site other than within defined parking areas. No vehicle, trailer, caravan or similar equipment is to be left on the Site overnight.
Pavilion hire
What could be better after a day working the plot than to drop into the Pavilion, have a drink and discuss gardening and other matters with kindred spirits? We have re-stocked the magazine carousel with summer copies of horticultural magazines, including ' Grow your own' , ‘ Gardener ’s World’, ‘RHS Garden’ and ' Kitchen Garden ', and for bird-lovers, back issues of ‘Birding’, ‘RSPB’ and other wildlife magazine, so do call in and look at some of the copies.
As well as being a great place to relax the Pavilion is available for Association and Social members to hire for parties and celebrations. Contact Mark Wright, Pavilion Manager, for details and availability, Mark Wright mj.wright.998@gmail.com
Dates for your diary
Saturday 21 June
Saturday 21 June
Saturday 28 June -
Sunday 29 June
Rubbish drop off day
MacMillan fund raising event (evening only)
Moseley Open Gardens, including Moor Green Allotments
Moseley Open Gardens, including Billesley Lane
Allotments
Tuesday 8 July through Re-inspection of non-cultivated plots
Friday 11 July
Saturday 30 and
Sunday 31 August
BDAC Garden Show, Cannon Hill Park
Saturday 6 September Moor Green Allotments Annual Produce Show the last word....
There are three pdf attachments:
Moseley in Bloom Open Gardens flyer
Committee members, zone representatives with contact details
Zone representative ’s role