Growing Your Own on the PACE Allotment
Food production causes massive carbon emissions, particularly transporting food from distant lands. Growing-your-own and using seasonal vegetables reduces food miles and emissions, and is much healthier for you. At the PACE allotment we share tips on how to grow organic veg. We work together on the allotment – good exercise, excellent produce, stimulating exchange of ideas – all good for our physical and mental wellbeing. Join us on Sunday mornings, Shrublands Road, Mistley.
In 2026 we are taking over a second allotment – we need your help please – you get fresh veg.
What can you do?
Email us on manningtreepace@gmail.com and tell us you want to help.
Leave your mobile number if you want to join our WhatsApp Group where we confirm times and what we are planning to do.
Come down to the PACE allotment to help us.
Watch some of the Youtube clips which give advice on veg growing.
John Hall from PACE has made some helpful video guides to growing your own produce, and a couple of these can be launched from this page as a "taster". There are 13 videos in total which can be accessed on YouTube from the link below or search for Youtube PACE Manningtree .
1. Compost
2. Where to Grow
3. Alliums; Onions, Garlic, Shallots
4. Parsnips and Carrots
5. Dealing with Pests
6. Spinach, Chard and Beetroot
7. Beans and Peas
8. Weeding and Watering
9. Courgettes, Cucumbers and Squashes
10. Brassicas
11. Leeks, Florence Fennel and Swede
12. Harvest
13. Winter to Spring
PACE "Grow Your Own" Video Guides
Use of Hosepipes on PACE Allotments – August/Sept 2026
Affinity Water have brought in a Temporary Use Ban for hosepipes, however, there are several exemptions. The “Edible Crop Exemption” allows the watering of food crops on an allotment where watering cans are impractical. The PACE volunteers have discussed this at the Mistley Allotments. We have decided, where necessary, we will use the hosepipe to water edible crops, however, we are concerned that people passing by may think we are breaking the law because they cannot use a hosepipe at home. This Post on Facebook and the PACE website is to reassure people that we are adhering to the regulations, that we are only watering edible food crops which have taken months to grow and would otherwise be wasted, that we are not watering flowers or grass – only vegetables. This is no different from vegetables in shops which will have been watered.
There has been some rain, but the hosepipe ban remains in place, the soil remains dry and we will have to water for a bit longer yet.
We trust that local residents understand, and we are happy to discuss if you pass by our Mistley Allotments which are near the footpath.