News
We publish a monthly newsletter containing both garden and allotment news and advice as part of our service to the community, along with advertising events that are being organised and other notifications and warnings as deemed necessary.
31 March 2026
April Gardening Guide: Spring Success at Capel Allotments
April is a pivotal month in the garden. As the soil warms and the days lengthen, it’s time to transition from preparation to active planting. Whether you are tending a full allotment or a few patio pots, here is your essential guide to a productive April.
General Maintenance & Soil Prep
Before the heavy planting begins, ensure your ground is ready:
- Prepare the Ground: Rotovate cleared areas and hoe beds to disrupt emerging weeds.
- Mulching: Apply peat or chipped bark to borders to retain moisture.
- Weed Control: Address weeds on paths and drives now before they go to seed.
- Smart Watering: Use an open-ended watering can for thorough soaking. Avoid "indiscriminate spraying" with a rose once seedlings emerge to save water and time.
In the Veg Plot
April is the month of the "Big Plant."
- Feeding: Rake in 4oz per sq. yard of Growmore, Blood, Fish & Bone, or Poultry Pellets before sowing.
- Potatoes & Onions: Plant seed potatoes (earlies through maincrop) and onion sets. Tip: Keep an eye on the forecast; if frost is predicted, earth up emerging potato shoots or cover with fleece.
- Sowing: Direct sow salad crops, leeks, peas, winter cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and broad beans.
- Harvesting: Start picking asparagus toward the end of the month and remove any flowers from rhubarb.
Fruit & Flowers
- Fruit Care: Spray fruit trees with a Winter Tree Wash (before buds break). Feed Blueberries with an ericaceous feed or Iron Sulphate.
- Spring Blooms: Deadhead daffodils and feed them with Growmore to ensure a good display next year.
- Roses & Perennials: Prune and feed established roses. This is also the perfect time to lift and divide overgrown perennial clumps.
- Sweet Peas: Plant these out now to grow up 6-foot cane frames.
Under Glass (Greenhouse)
Maximize your indoor space to get a head start on summer:
- Tender Crops: Sow tomatoes, runner beans, cucumbers, melons, and sweetcorn.
- Succession Sowing: Sow lettuce, beetroot, and spring onions in plug trays every fortnight for a steady harvest.
- Clever Sowing: Try sowing peas in a length of old guttering—once they are 1.5” high, you can simply slide the whole row into a shallow trench outside.
Lawn Care
Get your lawn "summer ready" by aerating and clearing thatch with a wire rake.
- Repair: Mix grass seed with compost to fill in bare patches.
- Mowing: On dry days, give it a light trim with the blades set high.
- Treatment: Apply lawn feed and moss killer. (The Hut stocks a "single application" solution for Spring).
Allotment News & Events
The Hut: Weekend Opening
Starting April 4th, The Hut will be open Saturdays and Sundays (10 am – 12 noon). We stock everything from seeds and potatoes to compost and tools.
- Join & Save: Membership is just £5 a year. You’ll likely make that back in savings on your first visit!
Key Dates for your Diary:
- AGM & Plot Holder’s Meeting: April 19th (12 noon). Join us for refreshments and a chat.
- Picnic on the Plot: Save the date for Saturday, July 25th.
- The Village Show (Sept 5th–6th): It’s never too early to start planning your entries for the Photography, Handicraft, and Art competitions!
Need machinery repairs?
Contact Steve Blake (07813 814623) or TGC Garden Machinery Services (01473 327737) for expert servicing.
Read more on Newsletter - April 2026
2 March 2026
CAPEL ALLOTMENTS GUIDE TO GARDENING
March Edition
Plants in the garden are beginning to grow with renewed vigour. Our monthly guide helps you enjoy your gardening while keeping costs to a minimum, and reminds you what’s seasonally available.
Read more on Newsletter - March 2026
3 February 2026
Subject
Allotment News – February UpdateAllotment News – February Update
ALLOTMENT NEWS
Membership
Membership is just £5 per year.
Read more on Newsletter - February 2026
2 January 2026
CAPEL ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION
Guide to Gardening ~ January
Now in Stock at The Hut
First Early, Second Early & Maincrop Seed Potatoes
Onion Sets
Read more on Newsletter - January 2026
30 November 2025
CAPEL ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION
Guide to Gardening in December
Season's greetings to all our members and readers
Vegetable Plot
31 October 2025
Capel Allotments Association
Guide to Gardening in November
www.capelallotments.co.uk
Read more on Newsletter - November 2025
30 September 2025
Capel Allotments Association
Guide to Gardening – October
General Tips
1 September 2025
ALLOTMENT NEWSLETTER
SAVE £££s – AUTUMN SEED SCHEME
1 August 2025
ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER – AUGUST EDITION
Your monthly guide to what’s growing, going, and happening in the plot!
Off on Holiday?
If you're heading away this month, don’t forget to ask a friend to keep your garden going strong. Make sure they water your containers, greenhouse plants, outdoor tomatoes, marrows, courgettes, beans, and cucumbers. Encourage them to pick all sweet peas and beans – they’ll stop producing if left on the plant.
Read more on Newsletter - August 2025
30 June 2025
CAPEL ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION'S - GUIDE TO GARDENING ~ JULY
Hoe weekly to stop weed seeds germinating. Cut down and spray uncultivated areas. Scatter slug pellets responsibly. Water plants. Top-dress containers. Feed weekly. If going on holiday arrange for a friend to water plants. Tell them to pick ALL sweet peas, courgettes, french and runner beans as these will stop producing if left on the plant. Stock up with charcoal for those impromptu barbecues.
Read more on Newsletter - July 2025
