The Shed is currently open on Saturday and Sundays from 11am and noon.
The Trading Shed is located at the Hertford Avenue allotment site located at Hertford Avenue, SW14 8EQ and run by Mark and Sheena.
The Trading Shed is one of the benefits of Barnes Horticultural and Allotment Society (BHAS) membership; discounted seeds, fertilisers, and other gardening supplies are available for purchase during the growing season.
All stock is offered at a discount to garden centre prices to BHAS members.
The water system will be turned back on between March 22 – 28.
Please can you keep a lookout for leaks, which may have occurred over the winter, and let your site rep know the location of any that you see asap so these can be fixed.
Following last year’s very competitive sunflower competition, BHAS is again offering its members free sunflower seeds at the trading shed for spring planting. Pick up a pack of seeds (one pack per BHAS plotholder) at the trading shed and start to prepare your garden for some bee-friendly competition!
The variety available this year is Giant Sunflower Titan.
The seeds will be at the trading shed starting Saturday, 20 March while supplies last.
How to enter
Sunflowers will form two new categories in the Annual Show in September and your sunflower can be entered into the show along with the other categories; if the show is not able to go forward, we will arrange an online entry form like we did last year – so the sunflower competition will go forward!
Pick up a packet of seeds or use your own; plant them when you’re ready.
Growing instructions
Giant Sunflower Titan.
One of the tallest-growing and easily the biggest-headed and seeded variety available to gardeners. Perfect for impressing your neighbors and winning competitions. The plants will need support reaching up to 12ft with large yellow flower heads plants can reaching 18-24″ across! The seeds are large and ideal for consumption or leaving for over-winter birds. Annual.
Cultiviation Advice Giant Sunflower Titan
Days To Germination: 14-21 days Optimum Soil Temp. for Germination: 68F-86F Planting Depth: 1/4 inch Spacing, Seed: 4-6 inch Spacing, Plant: 24-36 inches Plant Height: 10-14 ft inches Light: Full Sun
Seeds can be started indoors 3 to 4 weeks before last spring frost. Or direct-sow seeds outside after all danger of frost has passed to a depth of 1/4 inch. Can be sown as late as 100 days before last frost.
When seedlings are 2 to 3 inches high, thin to individual pots. Replant thinned plants.
Steadily harden off before planting out after all danger of frost has passed.
These will require staking / support in all but the most sheltered locations.
Measure the diameter of the seed head. The flower petals should not be included. Heads should be cut from the stock (unless also entering the same plant into the tallest sunflower category).
2. Tallest sunflower plant
Measured from the base of the stem (not including the roots) to the top of the head. The head can be extended to measure the full height of the plant. We ask that gardeners cut off the roots to make it easier to measure the stem. Please also remove leaves from the stalk.
Photos of your sunflower journey
Please do send us any photos you have of your sunflowers (from seed to competition-winning size!) as we would like to share the journey on social media or on the website. Photos can be sent to bhas.social.news@gmail.com.
We have today received the following notice from Richmond Council regarding the invoice you have been sent for your allotment rent.
“Due to the implementation of a new process for generating annual invoices, a technical error resulted in the rents charged to concessionary plot holders and standard plot holders being reversed. To resolve, credit notes will be raised to cancel all invoices issued on 1st October 2020 and revised invoices with the correct charges will be issued during the w/c 12th October. Plot holders who are ‘Out of Borough’ are not affected.”
Throughout the summer months, the sunflower population on BHAS plots has been impressive with some absolutely stunning displays. It’s the perfect time, given this week’s wet weather, to revisit some of the impressive yellow giants seen on the East Sheen allotments.
Amazing displays
Susan Borrett, Triangle 8A
Janet Bostock, Hertford 39
Maureen Goodwin, Priory 57
Helen Lawrence, Hertford 38
Sheena Clarke, Pavillion 2
Sarah W, Hertford 26
John Padgett, Hertford 41a
Sheena Clarke, Pavillion 2
Sarah W, Hertford 26
Sarah W, Hertford 26
Photos of beneficial bugs enjoying the 2020 East Sheen Allotments Sunflower Competition.
First Competition
The 2020 Sunflower Competition was originally intended to be a new addition to the BHAS Annual Show traditionally held in September, adding two categories for height and biggest seed head; to mark the new categories, in March, Mongolian Giant sunflower seeds were donated to the Trading Shed by Dino Franz from Hertford 26 and offered for free until they were all claimed.
Members of BHAS could pick up a packet of donated seeds from the Trading Shed.
Due to COVID-19, the Annual Show in September did not go forward, but a virtual growing competition was organised for a bit of lockdown fun.
Entries were submitted through an online form from mid-August through the end of September. Without any further ado, the results are below.
The 2020 Sunflower Competition winners
Tallest Sunflower Plant
Measured from the base of the stem (not including the roots) to the top of the head. The head can be extended to measure the full height of the plant.
🌻 Winner: Susan Borrett, Triangle 8A – 3960mm tall
🥈Runner up: John Padgett, Hertford 41a – 3720mm tall
Biggest Sunflower Head
Measure the diameter of the seed head. The flower petals should not be included.
🌻 Winner: Juan Ramlill, Pavillion 6b – 400mm in diameter
🥈Runner up: John Padgett, Hertford 41a – 370mm in diameter
Thanks to everyone for the beautiful display of sunflowers on our plots and your entries; congratulations to the winners. I think we can agree it was a close competition and fun distraction during lockdown and attracted countless beneficial pollinators and bugs to our plots.
The BHAS Committee looks forward to seeing next years’ sunflowers!
Thank you to all the plot holders who entered our second photography competition. Congratulations to Rhonda Senior (3A Palewell Pavillion) who was chosen at the winner. We had nine entries to the competition and the anonymous judge chose this entry because they were impressed by the amount of crops for just one day’s pick!
Winner
Rhonda Senior – Palewell Pavillion
“This represents the items we (my husband, our 11 year old daughter, and I) harvested on the 6th July. As the produce accumulated on the table, it happened to be in a pleasing arrangement of colours and textures.”
John Padgett – Plot 41A Hertford
“This is the developing head of a giant Mongolian Sunflower. Once ripe it will provide hundreds of seeds for birds and other wildlife.”
Simon Silvester – Plot 6 Palewell Park
“Plenty of courgettes and tomatoes now so these will be turned into soup for the freezer. Something to cheer us on a cold winter’s day. Courgettes – Defender, Soleil, Romanesco. Tomatoes – Beefmaster, Coure Di Bue.”
Ronnie Bendall – Plot 51 Hertford
“Bean Feast from Four Lands. England (Handsome Johnny), France (Aurie de Bacau), Slovenia (Fižol Nizek) and Italy (S. Anna).”
Rashid – Plot 48 Hertford
“A selection of my vegetables, it has been a difficult year this year but determination and hard work is paying off and making the produce even more enjoyable!”
Carina McLeod – Plot 17 Triangle
“Thought my veg looked very surreal or maybe slightly impressionistic submerged in water.”
Unfortunately, this year the Annual Show in September will not go ahead due to Covid-19 restrictions but we are excited to share more details about a virtual Sunflower Competition. We’ve seen some amazing sunflowers growing on plots across the allotment sites and we can’t wait to see your entries!
Competition rules
Categories & guidance on how to measure
1. Biggest sunflower head
Measure the diameter of the seed head. The flower petals should not be included.
2. Tallest sunflower plant
Measured from the base of the stem (not including the roots) to the top of the head. The head can be extended to measure the full height of the plant.
How to Enter
Entries are open from now until the 30th September 2020. Please enter your details using this online form. Competition open to East Sheen allotment plot holders only.
Please submit one entry for each individual sunflower you wish to enter in the competition. For instance, if you have two sunflowers you wish to enter (one for height and another biggest sunflower head), please submit the form twice. It is possible to enter the same sunflower in both categories.
Please self-measure your sunflowers in millimetres (mm).
Once a submission is received, all measurements will be verified by a volunteer judge to confirm measurements.
ENTER HERE
(entry closed on 1 October 2020)
Photos of entries
Please do send us any photos you have of your sunflowers as we would like to share these in the next newsletter and on the website (not a requirement to enter the competition).
June BHAS Allotment Photo Competition ‘Wildlife’ winner!
Thank you to all the plot holders who entered our first photography competition. Congratulations to David Clark (Palewell Fields) who was chosen at the winner of our first photography competition. We had ten entries to the competition and the anonymous judge chose this entry ‘because we can’t garden and grow without them’.
Winner
David Clark – Palewell Fields
The photograph was taken on our allotment at Palewell Fields. A bumblebee on Comfrey.
Judge’s comments: ‘because we can’t garden and grow without them.’
John Padgett – Plot 41A Hertford
Male stag beetle.
Judges comment ‘Rare and endangered and we are obviously “doing it right“ on the plots if they are around.’
Rashid, Plot 48 Hertford Avenue.
This photo shows how wasps are helping save box hedges, once they discover the presence of caterpillars on a hedge they keep coming back time after time to feed on them.
Judges comments: ‘wasps are excellent scavengers and pest controllers.’
Diane McLellan Plot 52 Priory
One of the slow-worms helping with organic pest control on my plot! Slow-worms are actually legless lizards and are a protected species in the UK.
Ronnie Bendall – Plot 51 Hertford
My photo is of a busy ladybird on the leaf of our very vigorous Loch Ness Blackberry.
The picture was taken in early June 2020.
Ben Gritten – 2B Priory
The damselfly was a little camera-shy at first and I spent a good 20 minutes chasing it around my allotment until it decided that I wasn’t a threat and ended up being a very good model, showing off its wings to me!
Judges comments: ‘perfectly framed!’
Fiona Heath – Priory 41.
Ladybird on comfrey.
Pam Islip – 36 Priory
Field Bird’s Nest Fungi (Cyathus olla) found on compost on one of the plots. The nests are about 1 cm across and are quite common. The ‘eggs’ contain the spores and are spread when raindrops hit them, knocking them out of the nest.
Judges comments: ‘Lovely fungus’
Rachel Walker
Female Stag Beetle at plot 37 Hertford.
Janet Bostock – 39 Hertford.
Nettles can be considered a weed or they can be a bonus crop. Young leaves make a good soup, can be added to risotto or be the leaf used in Pesto. Some wildlife also enjoys a good nettle patch. The black caterpillars are the larvae of the Peacock butterfly. At this stage of the nettle season they are welcome guests and may eat as many leaves as they like!
The theme for the Allotment Photo Competition this month is ‘Current Crops’. We’ve seen many of your pick your first crops and salads over the last few weeks so do send us your best shot! At the end of the month a winner will be chosen and awarded a £5 voucher to spend at The Trading Shed. A special prize will be awarded at the end of the year for best overall photo.
Photo competition rules
– one photo per person can be submitted each month. We welcome entries from both adults and children.
– submit your photo in landscape orientation in .jpeg or .png format and email to bhas.social.news@gmail.com or use the hashtag #sheengyo on Instagram.
– include your name, site and plot number.
– include a short 2-3 sentence description of the photo.
– photos for the July/August competition must be submitted by 15th August 2020.
– each month the winner will be chosen by an invited judge.
– by submitting your photo you are also consenting to the BHAS Society using it on their social media accounts and website (full credit will be given).
Thanks to plot holder Fiona Heath for putting together this useful guide on tomato blight.
Last year was one of the worst for tomato blight on all our sites. It’s a disease caused by an airborne fungus-like organism that spreads rapidly in the foliage and fruit of tomatoes in wet weather. Its spores can stay in the soil for up to 4 years.
Symptoms of blight:-
Leaves shrivel and turn brown.
Brown lesions appear on the stem.
Brown patches appear on green and red fruit, more mature fruit will decay rapidly.
The whole of an infected plant must be removed from site; roots, stem and fallen tomatoes. Do not compost or dig into the soil.
There is no cure, but prevention is the best control measure:-
Rotate your crops. Don’t plant in the same spot as last year’s tomatoes or potatoes.
Give your plants some space. Plants should be at least 24 inches apart to allow adequate air circulation among leaves to keep them dry.
Water the soil around your plants. Avoid overhead watering.
Mulch around the base. Fungus can spread up from the soil. Remove lower leaves.
Try using disease resistant varieties.
Hopefully, if we’re vigilant, we can prevent the spread of blight and have a bountiful crop of tomatoes.
BHAS Allotment Society 