Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 3rd March: It is no surprise that farmers are reporting the loss of crops sown in the autumn.
Start building that ark! It is no surprise that farmers are reporting the loss of crops sown in the autumn, and many fields are sitting under water. Even if the rain stopped right now it will be some time before the water subsides, becomes unsaturated and machinery can get back onto the land. Fortunately the small scale growers will not have to wait so long to access the land, but all the same, cropping will be affected for some time and going into summer.
The rainfall for February was a massive 198.4mm, the wettest February for sure. In 2022 and 2023 the wettest month of the year was November for us here in Sandgate, but still they did not beat this February. Apparently it was also the warmest February on record, so says the Met Office – not that it feels like it when it is cold and damp with a gale force wind bringing a minus chill factor, but apparently so!
Needless to say our Wednesday morning session was cancelled due to rain. We are getting behind with all the seed sowing and because Saturday morning was showery with the wind blowing a hoolie, we decided to gather together at a kitchen table and sow seeds indoors and not risk them being blown away! Supplemented with a delicious homemade freshly baked sourdough loaf made that morning by one of our talented gardeners, and plenty of hot drinks, we caught up with some chat much missed when sessions get cancelled. It has to be said we have never had to cancel so many.
We are ever optimistic that things can only get better, and our list of tasks remain the same as last week except of course that the reprieved sycamore seedlings will be even larger and more troublesome before we get to them with any luck, next week. Onwards and upwards.
What’s next?
- More seed sowing
- Get hoeing the sycamore seedlings!
- Get some pond weed for the Pent Farm pond from the Enbrook pond
- Move some of the nasturtium seedlings
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.