The next inspection of plots takes place on October 2nd & 3rd.
With the high demand for allotments at the East Ward site we currently have over 50 names on the Waiting List, therefore if you have not cultivated your plot to the extent required by the association rules it will be re-let to someone else. Oxford City Council owns the land and leases it to the EWAA for the growing of vegetables and fruit crops. The lease requires us to keep the plots in a good state of cultivation.
You can check the Cultivation Guidelines on the website, here.
If you have any queries please contact the Membership Secretary on membership@ewaa.org.uk
This weekend our neighbours at the Oxford Urban Wildlife Group are holding an Open Afternoon, Saturday 11th September 2pm ~ 5pm at the Boundary Brook site. There will be guided walks, an Art in Nature Trail, and a wildlife photography competition. This is a chance to find out more about the work they are doing, and to become a member if you’d like to support their projects.
If you have suggestions for other items that you’d like to buy here, please pay a visit this weekend for a chat.
As yet there is no news from our supplier regarding alliums (garlic, onion sets, shallot sets), but we will post an update as soon as we know what is happening.
We’ve received a delivery of leaf mould, with some woodchip mixed in. You’ll find the small pile outside the Shop gate. There is no charge for this, but please limit yourself to no more than one barrowload so that everyone gets a chance to use it.
Next Sunday is your last chance before September to pick up essential allotment supplies from the EWAA shop. It does not open during the August holiday period.
Compost
Bean poles
Mypex
Enviromesh
Pea netting
Butterfly netting
For a full list of what’s in stock visit the EWAA Shop page.
The use of slug pellets which contain the toxic chemical metaldehyde will be banned from March 2022.
Metaldehyde is a poison which can also kill species such as birds and mammals. It is toxic to pets and to people, and rain carries it into drinking water reservoirs.
If you have to resort to slug pellets, some are certified for use in organic growing, and are on sold in the EWAA shop. They contain ferric phosphate which will degrade harmlessly in the soil. However, these pellets also contain chemicals which can be harmful to earthworms and to soil life. Use them sparingly, only 4 or 5 pellets per plant, and only occasionally.
Please DO NOT throw metaldehyde pellets into your household rubbish. Take them to the Redbridge Waste Centre, and contact the committee if you have difficulty getting there.
The Committee has received several reports of plants or produce going missing in recent weeks.
While this can be very frustrating, we do not have many options to solve this problem. A voluntary organisation like ours relies on the goodwill of all members.
We can only remind all members to stick to the Allotment rules, respect other people’s plots and property, and always ensure that gates are locked. If anyone observes suspicious behaviour or thefts of produce, please do contact the Committee by emailing to contact@ewaa.org.uk.
We keep a log of incidents and have been able to take action when culprits have been identified.
If tools or valuables go missing, please report the matter to the police and let the Committee know the crime number.
As many people are all too aware, we share our site with muntjac deer who have been voraciously chomping their way through prize produce.
Various proposals and suggestions have been made about how to stop damage from the deer and the Committee has been liaising with the Oxford Urban Wildlife Group to see what can be done. This is important both for the welfare of the deer population (who are getting very inbred), as well as to prevent the damage they cause.
A cull was planned for April 2021, but Oxford City Council refused to grant a licence on safety grounds, due to the urban setting.
Another possible measure is additional fencing. However, as muntjac deer have tusks they are able to burrow under fences, or simply jump over them, which makes it prohibitively expensive for us to erect effective deer-proof fencing.
In the meantime, here are some ideas to try as deer deterrents: a strong plastic trellis laid over vegetables may offer a physical barrier; planting strongly scented herbs such as lavender around edges of plots may offer a scent barrier; spraying strong odours (e.g. rotten eggs, garlic, chilli, vinegar) around plants; hanging reflective objects nearby (e.g. old CDs and foil food trays); offering alternative food sources (e.g. bread); lastly, commercial deer deterrents are available.
The Committee will continue to work with local ecologists to find solutions for this, however, it is a problem across Oxfordshire and one that many places are grappling with. Arguably, the biggest menace we currently face is not from the deer, but from an onslaught of slugs!
