SPONSORED ▷ CONTINUE TO READ BELOW
Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 16th June: Just as you are beginning to think that the weather in June could not possibly get any worse, it does.
Just as you are beginning to think that the weather in June could not possibly get any worse, it really does! There have been some interludes when the wind is calm and the sun is out, but then it starts to rain again and blow a hoolie.
We got some work done during our usual Wednesday morning session. The spring onions got put out and so did some more dwarf beans. Basil got planted out with the tomatoes and some got repotted into larger pots, more dwarf beans got sown as did yet more spring onions. We have stopped picking the asparagus and the rhubarb to allow the roots and the plants to grow strong and enable them to survive the winter. If we were to continue to harvest them it can seriously weaken them.
We spent some time potting up some donated house plants very kindly sent our way by Rita and Eddie. We do not usually take house plants, but our yearly plant sale will be at the Sea Festival on Sunday 25th August (make sure it is in the diary!), so we are preparing well in advance. We took several cuttings from our sage within the garden too, and hope to have a good variety of plants available on the day. Please do get in touch if you have any items to donate which we can sell at our stall. Fingers crossed that the weather is good for the August bank holiday and we can get some money back into the bank for buying seeds and potting compost next year.
A couple of weeks ago our newsletter mentioned a visit to a fellow compost nerd by the name of Rupert at Shelvin Farm. On Saturday, whilst the garden session was cancelled due to high winds and rain, we received a delivery of some of Rupert’s compost. Having seen how Rupert makes his compost, we know this will be good stuff, and that he tests to ensure it has the right biology that we will need to grow more great fruit and vegetables. A couple of us had spent two days this week collecting something like 12 tons of compost from Hope Farm, we delivered a little to the community garden, but most was destined for Pent Farm in the ongoing battle to get to grips with the clay soil there. So far, we think that particular plot has had something like 30 tons of compost, and we are just starting to get somewhere, making it easier for the plants to get their roots into the soil.
Last year whilst visiting the Nepalese Community Garden, we were given a couple of slipper gourds which are a bit like a cross between a cucumber and a green bell pepper. There were 10 seeds inside them which were collected and sown a couple of weeks ago. Happily they have all started to grow and we are looking forward to planting a few of them at Enbrook park soon – maybe just as soon as it stops raining and warms up!
What’s next?
- Still need to clear around the tayberry
- Still need to sow more seeds
- Check the tomatoes for side shoots
- Get some plots ready for planting out more beetroot and the first of the kale.
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.
Source: sandgatepc.org.uk
Please wait...
Add comment