Growing Skills, Growing Community - Wisley Update #2
Growing Skills, Growing Community - Wisley Update #2
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A new column from Deirdre, eeCAN Trustee & Wisley Allotmenteer
Hello again everyone,
The last few months at the Wisley Allotment have been a lively mix of learning, experimenting, small triumphs, and the occasional horticultural heartbreak. As eeCAN continues exploring how we might create a community growing space here in Epsom & Ewell, these sessions at Wisley are giving me the practical grounding and the humility to help shape whatever comes next.
🌱 Masterclass 3: Growing Smarter, Not Harder
After a short Easter break to let our seedlings catch up, Masterclass 3 returned with a wonderfully practical theme: how to make the most of the space you have.
Maximising Production
We explored ways to keep beds productive throughout the season:
Companion planting to repel pests, attract pollinators, and boost growth
Successional sowing every 3–4 weeks to avoid gluts
Intercropping fast growers between slow ones
Catch cropping with quick wins like radish, rocket and salad leaves
It was a reminder that a small plot can be surprisingly generous when planned with intention.
Supporting Crops
Peas, beans, tomatoes, brassicas — all need thoughtful support. The message was simple: tie gently, match the support to the plant, and start early. Good airflow and steady growth prevent a world of trouble later.
Protecting Crops
We covered the essentials:
Crop rotation
Mesh barriers
Good hygiene
Choosing resistant varieties
Nothing glamorous, but absolutely essential.
Watering Wisely
This was the part that surprised me most. Seedlings and leafy crops are the thirsty ones; onions and garlic barely need a drink. Mulching, weeding, and using rainwater wherever possible all help create a resilient watering rhythm.
Cornflowers and onions
In the classroom
🌿 Masterclass 4: The Weeds You’ll Meet (and What They’re Telling You)
This week focused on weed literacy: understanding what weeds are, how they grow, and how to manage them without chemicals.
Key lessons
A weed is simply a plant in the wrong place
Perennials have deep, persistent roots and regrow from fragments
Annuals are shallow-rooted and must be removed before they seed
Control methods include hoeing, hand-pulling, smothering and barriers
The usual suspects
Perennials: bindweed, couch grass, ground elder, docks, plantain, horsetail, green alkanet, Japanese knotweed, rosebay willowherb, wood sorrel Annuals: chickweed, cleavers, groundsel, hairy bittercress, herb Robert, purple deadnettle, shepherd’s purse, fleabane, fat hen
The takeaway was beautifully simple: Know the root system → choose the right method. Perennials need persistence; annuals need early hoeing.
🍅Masterclass 5: Tomato Mastery
Tomatoes, it turns out, are not difficult — they just appreciate a gardener who shows up regularly.
Two types of tomatoes
Cordon (indeterminate): tall, elegant, greenhouse-friendly; need tying in, feeding, and side‑shoot removal
Bush (determinate): compact, easygoing, perfect for pots and growbags
Planting & positioning
Warm, sunny, sheltered spots are best. Plant deeply, enrich the soil, and give each plant 45–60cm of breathing room.
Side‑shoot removal
Cordon tomatoes produce little shoots at leaf joints. Pinching them out keeps the plant focused on fruiting rather than foliage — and those pinched shoots make excellent softwood cuttings.
Watering & feeding
Steady watering, soil-level only, and feeding once flowers appear. Tomatoes thrive on attention, not fuss.
Glasshouse Growing & Watering Wisdom
Our greenhouse session focused on creating the right environment:
Gradual ventilation and shading in summer
Damping down for humidity-loving crops
Clean glazing and bubble-wrap insulation for winter
Supporting climbers early and reusing compost safely
Watering was treated almost as a philosophy:
Rainwater first
Deep watering, less often
Prioritise young, leafy and fruiting crops
Around 20 litres per m² for a proper soak
Plants, we were told, “learn to drink slowly when we water with care.”
🥬 Plot Realities: Triumphs, Mishaps & Mischief
No learning journey is complete without a little chaos, and my plot has provided plenty.
The Radish Victory (and the Cabbage Root Fly Tragedy)
My first radish was perfect — plump, spicy, a model citizen. Its siblings, however, were swiftly turned to mush by cabbage root fly larvae. A humbling reminder that nature always has a vote.
The Pak Choi Disaster
One day they looked Chelsea-ready; the next they resembled fabric cut with pinking shears. Pigeons — charming as they are — had treated my plot like a buffet.
This led to the reluctant arrival of brassica netting. Yes, brassica netting. Yes, because Pak Choi is a brassica. No, I did not realise that until too late.
The Great Sweetcorn & Squash Heist
In the glasshouse, mice dug up my sweetcorn, pumpkin and squash seeds, ate the starchy centres, and left the husks neatly for me to tidy. Cheeky devils.
Direct sowing brought mixed results — two sweetcorn, two squash — but a third sowing finally succeeded. Fingers crossed they make it.
Pak Choi nibbled by pigeons
The pigeon
The only radish that was edible, the rest were devoured by a cheeky worm
🌼 Why This Matters for eeCAN
Every week at Wisley reinforces the same truth: growing food is not just about plants, but about people, patience, and shared learning.
These masterclasses — from weed literacy to tomato care — are building the skills and confidence we’ll need for a future community growing space. A place that is welcoming, sustainable, and rooted in local needs.
I look forward to sharing the next chapter soon.
March 2026
April 2026
July 2026
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