Simon on plot 6 has a fence post tool which he kindly offers to help people erect posts

There are strimmers available to members - please see Article - Strimmers Available for full details

Avoid rotavating, as this can spread and increase the number of plants. Skim off the top couple of inches of the weeds, stack the off-cuts and cover with a plastic sheet. In approximately 12 months spread this back on the garden. Then dig the land over; a good method is called "bastard trenching" or "double digging".

Simon on plot 6 has a fence post tool which he kindly offers to help people erect posts

Nigel on plot 10 is available to rotavate your plot with his machine, at a rate of £10 per hour. Please contact him on 07895 601978.

There are strimmers available to members - please see Article - Strimmers Available for full details

8 Things to Ponder Before You Take on an Allotment http://www.realmensow.co.uk/?p=3053  via @realmensow and 8 Reasons to Take on An Allotment http://www.realmensow.co.uk/?p=3076

As of July 2013 there was a waiting list of 34.

The allotments are run by Hayle Town Council and to oin the waiting list you will need to contact the Town Clerk - Eleanor Giggal in writing (email is acceptable) with your contact details, including address as the allotments are only for residents of the Town/Parish.

Hayle Community Centre, 58 Queensway, Hayle, TR27 4NX
Town Mayor: Jayne Ninnes • Town Clerk: Eleanor Giggal

Tel/Fax: 01736-755005 • Email: townclerk@hayletowncouncil.net

(see http://hayletowncouncil.net/council_info.htm for information on the Town Council).

The allotments are run by Hayle Town Council and you will need to contact the Town Clerk - Eleanor Giggal in writing (email is acceptable) with your contact details, including address as the allotments are only for residents of the Town/Parish.

Hayle Community Centre, 58 Queensway, Hayle, TR27 4NX
Town Mayor: Jayne Ninnes • Town Clerk: Eleanor Giggal

Tel/Fax: 01736-755005 • Email: townclerk@hayletowncouncil.net

(see http://hayletowncouncil.net/council_info.htm for information on the Town Council).

Ten Tips for Grow Your Own Beginners http://www.realmensow.co.uk/?p=324 is worth a read

1. Don’t throw anything away
2. Nurture what you inherit
3. Don’t plan
4. Plant easy to manage stuff
5. Grow tomatoes and strawberries (though watch out for tomamot blight here in Cornwall)
6. Grow veg that’s expensive to buy
7. Talk to the old boys
8. Join a web forum
9. Grow veg you like
10. Start a blog and take lots of photos!

Rhubarb thrives in quite moisture-retentive soil rich in organic matter, often in semi-shade - clay is the ideal soil-type.

Blackcurrants fruit on the wood that grew a year previously. Therefore hard pruning means you may be at risk of removing the fruiting wood. For blackcurrants it is recommended to remove a third of the bush to the ground every year, always removing the oldest third. Gooseberry bushes are a little more difficult as they grow on spurs, so avoid cutting everything back and focus on removing whole branches. Additionally try to cut down on feeding the bushes, slowing growth and therefore minimising the necessity to prune.

Flowering is often a sign of stress or distress - in this case harvesting before the plant is established. Take the flower stem out and keep the plant well watered and manured, and don't pull any more sticks from it until it is well established. Rhubarb flowers are very beautiful - Rheum Ribes, the Syrian rhubarb, is a wild species grown just for its flowers.

Celery is usually planted at the beginning of the year under cover. It needs to be sheltered from the wind, have continual moisture and very rich conditions and it must be protected from frost. A good idea is to put a box around it and fill it with sharp sand or leaf mould, which should keep it protected from frost. Another method would be to create a raised hot bed. Dig but some of the soil and put some well rotted horse manure in the bed followed by the soil on top, then plant the celery and place a fleece on top, this will induce some heat and keep some moisture off, helping the celery grow.

Many saladings, including loose-leaf lettuces, small beet, onions and garlic could all be planted in autumn. Leeks can be planted in July and in August Japanese onions would be recommended. Also Rocket, Mizuna, Pak Choi and Mooli are great alternatives.

Avoid disturbing the soil around it and let some seed fall to the ground because it is very good at seeding itself if left undisturbed. Also collect some seed and sow it into a pan and leave it in the Greenhouse. For cooking, collect the stems before they flower, peel and boil in sugar syrup, let them sit in the syrup and then drain, for a great flavour repeat the boiling process over several days.

Asparagus, Sea Kale, a cross between cabbage and asparagus, and "Good King Henry" are all great and delicious options and all grow year after year with very little work needed. Asparagus can only be harvested for about eight weeks, let the rest of the spears grow and they can then go back into the ground to build up for the following year's crop. Kale is a hardy, flavoursome plant and should ideally be sown in spring, planted out in June and ready for cropping in the winter. Finally, Chinese artichoke has a lovely flavour; usually cropped in October it can be planted in the ground but is best undercover.

Potatoes can be planted throughout the year, but to extend cropping plant in large containers or compost bags and keep in an area where they can be kept frost-free at the latter end of the season. Plant a succession of early potatoes through the spring, have a break at 'Blight time' and then begin again in mid-August.

Anything rapid growing such as the salad vegetables - lettuce, chard and spinach - are recommended. If kept wet, Wasabi is one of the few plants that will grow well in those conditions. Herbs such as Sweet Cicely are also suggested.