permaculture

[mIEKAL aND <dtv@mwt.net>]

(now they need a dose of permaculture in those allotments..)


Scotland's first organic allotment is being created in Edinburgh

A new council site due to open in Edinburgh is believed to be  
Scotland's first official organic allotment.

Bridgend in the city's Craigmillar is being transformed into a  
pesticide-free area with 60 individual plots, due to open in June.

The 1.43 hectares site on an old disused farm replaces Hawkhill  
allotment near Easter Road.

The move comes after concerns over the risk of chemical spray drift  
onto organic plots at traditional sites.

Edinburgh currently has 20 council-run allotments and around 1,100  
plot-holders.


The Bridgend site will be ground-breaking in terms of supporting and  
promoting organic cultivation and sustainability within the allotment  
community

But more than 600 people are currently on the waiting list and the  
council is struggling to find enough traditional allotment plots to  
satisfy the city's green-fingered population.

Cllr Ricky Henderson, the city's leisure head said all allotment  
holders would be bound to adopt only organic cultivation techniques.

"The Bridgend site will be ground-breaking in terms of supporting and  
promoting organic cultivation and sustainability within the allotment  
community. The accessible nature of the site is also a very positive  
move."

The site lies within the Craigmillar Castle Park, which is listed as  
a Site of Importance of Nature Conservation.

The unique allotment site will even have an organic composting  
toilet, raised beds for disabled gardeners and a rainwater collection  
system to be used for watering plots.

George Sutherland, Federation of Edinburgh and District Allotments  
and Gardens Association trading secretary, said an organic workshop  
in April would help people to learn techniques about growing crops  
without using pesticides.

"I am not aware of any other allotment site in Scotland where it is  
solely organic.

"I welcome the move because there are already about 10% of allotment  
owners who are organic. Organic is definitely growing.

"It is harder to grow organically because the number of weapons  
against pesticides is very much reduced as well as the low  
availability of organic fertilisers.

"It is very exciting and I will be very interested to see how it  
develops."

Organic growers need to use soap based pesticides to keep greenfly at  
bay as well as regularly remove rotting vegetation to prevent slugs  
from being attracted to the area as well as practice strict crop  
rotation to stop disease.