Sandgate Community Garden Team Diary Entry for 12th May: Finally we have got out the watering cans and had to seriously start watering.
It seemed inevitable that as soon as the warm and sunny weather arrived the garden would literally explode into life and start growing really fast. Plenty of sunshine meant that it was a real pleasure to be in the garden, and now there are literally hundreds of plants sitting in the greenhouses at Pent Farm waiting to get their roots into the ground and to get out of their restricting pots.
This is the first week that we have got out the watering cans and had to seriously start watering, especially the tiny seedlings and pots. However the broad beans are now starting to swell and so they could do with a watering too.
The rush of new growth has meant that we can see the blackfly population has suddenly shown itself. Parts of the elder hedge are covered in them and of course this means that sooner rather than later their attention will turn to the broad beans. In view of this, our next task must be to pinch out the tops of the plants which is no bad thing because it also means fresh tasty bean shoots for dinner sometime soon. We reported some weeks ago that we were inundated with ladybirds, seen emerging from the crevices in the fence and it seems that they are still around as if anticipating there was a great feast to be had if they just hung around for a while.
With the broad beans practically ready to start harvesting, it was our job this week to sow the dwarf, runner and borlotti beans. The tomato plants are just about ready to go out now, and the summer and winter squashes will not be much further behind. In preparation for this we have just started to put out some marigolds which brighten up the beds as well as make good companion plants.
When most of our tasks were completed we turned our attention to the lemon balm which had seeded itself all over the place in one section of the garden. It was a case of making a concerted effort to get to grips with the stuff, get it out and composted before it had the chance to start flowering and trying to start the process all over again.
What’s next?
- Pinch out the broad bean tops and check they are inside the string enclosures
- Move the small pots to the raised bed
- Take out and pot up more buckthorn runners
- Start to plant out the tomatoes
This weeks update from the Sandgate Community Garden Diary.