2025 marked the second year of the Community Growing project at Alresford’s Spring Garden Allotments. The plot now boasts a greenhouse to complement the revived shed (with thanks to Mike for help and advice and Winchester Roundtable for funding). It took a while to construct the foundation for the greenhouse, but after four months of prepping a second-hand 6ft x 6ft greenhouse was sourced to fit snugly in place.
New Leaf growers aim to follow Charles Dowding’s ‘No Dig’ (or minimal dig) method, using weed suppression, soil feeding and 3/4-year crop rotation. In the first year we used cardboard with manure on top to suppress the weeds and planted into the manure three months later. Now the manure is surface spread in autumn rather than being dug in, to maintain soil integrity. In the second year of zero crop rotation we were amazed at how much better the winter brassicas were. Whether this was a fluke, good manure, the lovely summer, or the zero-rotation method, we can’t be certain! A third season growing the same crops in the same location will be interesting.
More organic plants were grown this year, some from seed, and the hope is to be fully organic in the future by saving our own seeds. The organic specimens also flourished, despite being fussy seedlings: black magic kale, romanesco cauliflower, santee broccoli, sakura tomatoes and groninger brussels sprouts.
Carrots grew well in the hot weather but were badly affected by carrot root fly larvae in the autumn. The team will look at ways to minimise this risk in future, such as ensuring loose carrots aren’t left out after pulling, building a proper surround, and companion planting onions amongst them. Any tips will be welcomed.
This is the first time we have grown produce in a greenhouse and we were delighted to be given five different varieties of tomato plants by a neighbouring plot holder. The prolific yellow golden sunrise variety produced fruit well into November!
New Leaf would like to take this opportunity to thank their fantastic core of volunteers for getting the project under way; offering their time to shift manure, put up the greenhouse and shed, start and raise seedlings, plant, weed, and undertake general maintenance.
Now that the plot is relatively well established, we would like to open the project up to more people in the Alresford area. If you don’t have time or space for your own plot, you are interested in our methods and approaches, happy to share the work with others and have a bit of social at the same time, you’re welcome to join in. You can find more information on our Community Growing page. And if you would like to get in touch please email enquiries@newleafalresford.org
~ Steve Welford, lead volunteer