Winter of discontent as crops fail in the cold

Allotment holders across the West Midlands today spoke of a disastrous winter of frozen ground, failed crops and hungry garden pests.

Many have seen much of their winter vegetables rot away while others found the ground so frozen or covered in snow they could not harvest, and have missed the crop.

Rosemary Morrall, of Rydding Lane, who gardens at Moorlands Allotments, Hall Green Road, in West Bromwich, said: "Much of the cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli failed."

She says gardeners are used to cold winters but this one has been exceptional.

"Even the crops we have managed to harvest have been much smaller, she added.

And Cannock councillor John Kraujalis found his Christmas dinner was lacking in one vital ingredient this year — his own home-grown sprouts.

The 52-year-old keen gardener had to make do with the shop variety after the greens he had been nurturing on his Longford Road allotment plot in Bridgtown withered and died on the stalk.

He said cabbages, kale and other brassica were also killed off by the severe weather.

The site, which had been abandoned for 10 years, was brought back to life 18 months ago by a group of dedicated volunteers who now occupy its 22 plots.

Councillor Kraujalis, of Langdale Drive, says the prolonged heavy snow also forced the birds to look for food on allotment sites.

John Shobbrook, aged 75, of Hanch Place, who has an allotment at the Black Horse Allotments on Old Park Road, in Wednesbury, said: "I did lose all my winter cabbages, they just rotted from the inside out — they were just completely destroyed.

"The snow was just on the ground for so long. I lost all my sprouts."

Fighting the wintry conditions has been a tough battle for father-of-two and allotment gardener Mick Poultney this winter.

Mr Poultney, aged 59, who gardens at Abbey Road Allotments in Halesowen has had to dream up a series of ideas to protect his prize winning crop.

Raised flower beds, covering borders with straw and using polytunnels are some of his top tips to combat sub-zero temperatures.

"When you get -14C temperatures then everyone is going to suffer," he said.

However, Mr Poultney, of Alma Street, Colley Gate, who is chairman of Cradley Gardening Club, has scored success growing pot leaks at shows in the region.

And Clair Pruden, 31, who has an allotment plot in Cartbridge Lane, Rushall, said her crops had not been affected. "We were lucky to have got all our crops out before we had the bad weather," she said.